Beyond The Arc: Feb 28, 2024

Well, that was about as disastrous a weekend as we could have possibly imagined. Okay, maybe it wasn't all doom and gloom; Rubin and Noland made their much-anticipated return to action. Their comeback should have catapulted UNT to a victory over a UTSA team that, frankly, hasn't been showing much promise. Instead, we all bore witness to yet another second-half meltdown—a disturbing trend that's plagued our team throughout the season. It doesn't seem to matter who's on the floor in crunch time; for some reason, North Texas just can't seem to make the crucial plays when they matter most. I pinpoint the game's turning point to around the 14-minute mark when Aaron Scott picked up his fourth foul. From that moment, UTSA outscored UNT 22-14, including a 13-2 run over a five-minute stretch with Scott sidelined. Both offensive and defensive lapses were glaring, with UTSA getting too many open looks from beyond the arc. North Texas struggled to convert stops into points, letting the game slip away.

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The Road Ahead

No one's going to throw a pity party for the North Texas team. With four games left, there's a golden opportunity to reintegrate Rubin and Noland into the mix, potentially transforming the team's dynamics heading into the conference tournament. They could emerge as a formidable force or succumb to their fatal flaws, which I'll delve into shortly. Coach Hodge faces the challenge of fine-tuning the offense and improving situational basketball handling. Despite Edwards' high usage rate last Saturday, his discomfort within the offense was palpable. Buggs, an exceptional shooter, was limited to a single shot attempt—a situation that desperately needs rectification. Noland's ball-dominant style and Scott's foul troubles are points of concern that must be addressed to ensure the team's cohesive performance.