UNT wins exhibition, looks to clean up before opener

Shorter led UNT with 23 points. (Photo/Rick Yeatts)

DENTON –  Men’s college basketball exhibitions, where home teams get essentially a practice game against some lower-division who’s-that-team, can get a little too close for comfort. Just ask Tennessee this year or Syracuse last year or whomever has taken one of these on the chin.

No such embarrassment befell North Texas on Wednesday against Division II Arkansas-Monticello, which hung around at times but took its defeat and went home. UNT improved to 14-0 in exhibition play under coach Johnny Jones with an 80-73 victory at the Super Pit.

Shannon Shorter, who made three 3-pointers all of last season, was 4-for-6 from long range and led UNT with 23 points. Dominque Johnson, who missed most of last season with an injury, scored 17. George Odufuwa had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

UNT opens the 2010-2011 season on Friday at noon against Division II Henderson State and will win easily if it can cut roughly in half  Wednesday's 16 turnovers. Exhibitions aren’t known for the cleanest play, either, and UNT is going with a longer rotation that on a given night could see see an entirely different second team on the floor.

On Wednesday, that rotation didn’t include forward Cameron Spencer, who is trying to heal up some nagging injuries. Odufuwa, guards Shorter, Josh White and Tristan Thompson and forward Kedrick Hogans (nine rebounds, four blocks) took the first rotation.

Johnson, Alzee Williams, Ben Knox, Jacob Holmen and Alonzo Edwards took the second shift. Johnson and Williams (7 points) did all the scoring in that second group.

“That’s pretty much the rotation right now,” said Jones, who secured signatures from four standout prep players on Wednesday’s opening of the early signing period. “We feel like we have 10 or 11 guys who can be impact players. We’re deep, and those guys have challenged each other every day in practice.”

Dallas Kimball’s Jordan Williams, Garland Lakeview Centennial’s Chris Jones, South Grand Prairie Trey Norris and Eastland’s Forrest Robinson all signed with UNT on Wednesday, though UNT still requires a parental signature from Jones’ mother. Casper (Wyo.) College sophomore Brandan Walton will also be officially signed when his paperwork arrives.

Anticipation for their arrival will build this season, but until then, veteran players who have stepped up their games like Shorter – extra off-season work on his shooting could pay dividends – could make UNT a mid-major that turns heads. On Wednesday, Monticello played like a lower-rung team wanting a piece of one of the big boys, and UNT’s eagerness to get under the lights showed at times.

“Teams like [Monticello] don’t get a lot of D-I opportunities,” Jones said. “It’s their Super Bowl game. They want to knock you off. They really bring an energy level to these games. I’d much rather play a game like this than win by 40 or 50. It doesn’t count on your record, but you don’t want to get in a situation where you lose, either.”

-- TMGR