North Texas Faces Tulsa in AAC Tournament Quarterfinal Showdown

FORT WORTH, Texas — North Texas, the No. 2 seed in the American Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament, is set to square off against the No. 10 seed Tulsa tonight at 6 p.m. at Dickies Arena. The matchup follows a week of anticipation after the Mean Green earned a double bye in the 13-team tournament.

UNT coach Ross Hodge expressed confidence in his team’s preparation ahead of the game, acknowledging the significance of familiarity among conference teams. “There are good coaches, teams and players in this league,” Hodge stated. “In a lot of cases, this could be the third time you’ve played somebody. There is going to be familiarity. Everyone knows what everyone else is trying to do and their personnel.”

The Mean Green’s path to the semifinals was solidified when Tulsa rallied late to defeat Temple in a second-round game on Thursday. In their only regular-season meeting, North Texas dominated Tulsa 63-44 on February 19.

Tulsa coach Eric Konkol emphasized the need for his team to improve ahead of the rematch, saying, “We need to play a lot better than we did the first time around. They’re a gritty defensive team with a deliberate offense where they’re trying to get certain things.”

The Golden Hurricane will look to contain UNT’s Moulaye Sissoko, who scored a career-high 27 points in the previous encounter against Tulsa. “We have to do a better job of not letting him catch it so deep and mixing up our coverages, whether that is trapping or digging,” Konkol added.

North Texas enters the game riding a seven-game winning streak, despite a recent setback against Temple in their regular-season finale. Senior guard Atin Wright has been a key player for the Mean Green, tying his career high with 42 points in a recent matchup against Charlotte.

Tulsa will rely heavily on guards Dwon Odom and Keaston Willis, who have been pivotal in the offense this season, averaging 13.6 and 13.1 points per game, respectively. Odom reflected on the team’s previous meeting, saying, “They beat us pretty good the first time. We didn’t play well at all. We have another chance.”

For North Texas, the stakes are high as they aim to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Senior guard Matthew Stone expressed confidence in his team’s maturity during high-pressure moments: “We are mature and old as a team. When it comes down to crunch time, we can make great plays.”