Tristan Thompson just smiled and laughed a few days ago when he was mistaken for Josh White, one of his teammates on the North Texas basketball team.

White is the flashy 5-10 freshman guard who has grabbed headlines while overshadowing what has been a solid start for Thompson in his first season with the Mean Green.

"I am kind of in the background because Josh has had an excellent start," Thompson said. "People ask who that other freshman is. I was at church the other day when I told someone I'm a freshman on the basketball team. He asked me if I was Josh White. I told him no, I'm Tristan. It's cool, though. Josh is my roommate and one of my best friends."

White is among the leading scorers in the nation among freshmen with an average of 16.6 points a game, but isn't the only freshman who has made an impact for UNT. Thompson is averaging 8.7 points a game and has played a key role in UNT getting off to a 9-3 start heading into a game at Troy today.

The game will be the UNT's first in Sun Belt Conference play since the Mean Green dropped its opener in a stunning upset at Denver on Dec. 22.

"We need to get started," UNT head coach Johnny Jones said. "We are on the road again and good teams win on the road. If you are going to win regular season championships, you have to win on the road."

If UNT is to get its first win on the road in Sun Belt play this season, Thompson will have to play a key part.

Troy (6-6, 0-2) is notorious for running in the open court and hoisting 3-point shots at every opportunity. The Trojans have taken 385 3-point shots this season, 74 more than any other team in the Sun Belt, and are shooting 36.6 percent from behind the arc.

UNT will need all of its guards to chase the Trojans’ shooters, including Thompson, who has proven to be a versatile player in his first season with the Mean Green. The 6-5 guard began the season as a starter, but moved into a sixth-man role in UNT's win over Texas A&M-International on Friday when junior Collin Dennis started for the first time after recovering from an ankle injury.

"Tristan has been really solid for us and the good thing about him is that he continues to improve every game," Jones said. "He is another offensive threat and is improving defensively. He gets to the line, finishes there and also shoots the [3-pointer] well. He is very solid and is having an excellent freshman year."

The opportunity to play right away is one reason Thompson signed with UNT after spending a season at Brewster (N.H.) Academy. UTEP, Wichita State and Houston were among the schools that offered Thompson a scholarship after his year in prep school.

"I thought I might get a chance to play a lot if I came to North Texas," Thompson said. "Coach Jones said that there was time available with Calvin [Watson] and Kendrick [Davis] graduating and [Michael] Sturns transferring. He said there was a spot open for me if I worked hard. That's why I came to North Texas."

What came as a surprise is how important a role Thompson has played early on for UNT. Dennis spent the first few weeks of the season battling a high ankle sprain while SMU transfer Dez Willingham has also had injury issues.

UNT turned to Thompson, who filled the void in the starting lineup. Thompson has started 10 out of 12 games and scored in double figures four times, including posting a season-high 18 points in a win over Hartford.

Thompson is shooting a solid 40.6 percent from 3-point range and 76.7 percent from the free-throw line. The 33 free throws he has made ranks second on the team to White’s 52.

When Dennis made his first start of the season last week in a win over Texas A&M-International, Thompson slid perfectly into a reserve role. He hit a pair of 3-pointers and pulled down four rebounds on his way to a nine-point night.

"It doesn't matter to me if I come off the bench or start," Thompson said. "Collin is a great player and I respect him and coach Jones' decision to put him in the lineup. I came in with the mindset that I will do whatever I can to help the team win. That is the ultimate goal."

Thompson's year in prep school prepared him to make an immediate impact on the Division I level. Brewster featured more than a half a dozen players who signed with Division I schools and competes against some of the top teams in the country.

"Going to prep school for a year helped a lot," Thompson said. "We had nine or 10 Division I players on our team alone and I played against teams with six or seven Division I guys."

That experience has helped Thompson come in and carve out an important role as a freshman. Thompson's contributions have been easy to overlook at times with the way White has played, but Jones and UNT's players are well aware of how much Thompson has meant to the Mean Green so far this season.

"Tristan has been really good for us," UNT senior center Keith Wooden said. "He has come in when other guys got hurt and played well. He is aggressive and gets to the line. He would get a lot more attention if it wasn't for Josh. He is probably one of the best freshmen in the conference."