Beyond The Arc: Jan 16 2024

3-0 entering mid January

North Texas has put the American Conference on notice that they are here to play ball. We, as North Texas fans, have come to know the script very well. Struggle somewhat in non-conference play, have the fanbase on the verge of panic, and then start dominating teams in conference play. North Texas has demoralized their first three conference opponents. Wichita St, Tulane, and Temple had no answer for the defensive prowess that North Texas displayed. What's more surprising is that North Texas has achieved this without two of their starting players. Losing John Buggs hurt the offense, but the absence of an All-Conference defender and leader like Rubin Jones was expected to set the Mean Green back. Even without Jones, the North Texas defense had a 90 defensive efficiency rating against Tulane. To put that into greater perspective, that was Tulane’s worst offensive efficiency rating of the season. And remember, North Texas accomplished this without Jones and Buggs. In their first three conference games, North Texas has averaged a defensive efficiency rating of 90.8. That’s a top-five in the nation type of rating. According to Kenpom, they’ve led the American Conference in 2PT defense, 3rd in 3PT defense, 4th in Defensive Rebounding %, and have the best Effective FG defense.

But it’s not just about the defense. The offense has found life behind Jason Edwards becoming the scorer everyone hoped he would be at the beginning of the season. More on that later. According to Kenpom, North Texas boasts the 3rd best offensive efficiency rating, the best offensive rebounding %, the 2nd best 3PT shooting %, and the 4th best effective FG % in the American. They are still playing slowly, like in years past, and when you combine multiple opportunities from their offensive rebounding capabilities with made 3PT shots and tough defense, you can see why North Texas is such a formidable opponent. North Texas gets 36% of their points from 3PT range.

The Jason Edwards Experience Jason Edwards wasn't expected to make fans forget about Tylor Perry and his heroics. Most fans hoped Edwards would evolve into a reliable scorer, someone who could get hot and have a few standout nights. Yet, Edwards is averaging 23 points in conference play. His offensive player rating in conference play is an impressive 132.8. His effective FG% is up, his turnover rate is down, and he’s getting to the FT line more. He’s shooting 48% from 3. Essentially, he’s taken the offensive burden created by the Jones and Buggs injuries and shouldered it admirably. He has become the focal point of the North Texas offense, alleviating pressure from his teammates. CJ Noland, who had to step up in light of the injuries, hasn’t had to force offense with Edwards handling the scoring load. Aaron Scott, who North Texas leaned on heavily during non-conference play and who initially struggled, has now found his groove. Scott can now play more freely on both ends of the floor.

Comparing Edwards and Tylor Perry reveals two distinct styles. While both shoot a lot of 3’s and have high success rates, Edwards takes about 6.2 per game this year compared to Perry’s 7.7 last year. The major difference lies in their 2pt shooting. Edwards gets about 29% of his shots in the paint compared to Perry’s 23% last year. Perry shot 55.3% on his attempts at or near the rim, while Edwards has shot an impressive 78.3%. Edwards' finishing ability at the rim is enhanced by his explosiveness, in contrast to Perry’s great pace and deceptive movements. Edwards' quickness also aids his mid-range game, taking about 18.2% of his shots from mid-range compared to Perry’s 10%. Both are elite scorers and a joy to watch. North Texas fans should be grateful that Edwards has continued the strong trend of JUCO guards finding success for the Mean Green.