North Texas men's basketball head coach Johnny Jones knew from the beginning that it would take time for Jacob Holmen to return to form after missing nearly two months due to a pair of concussions. Jacob Holman
The process will continue this week when UNT heads to Florida for an extended road trip with games against Florida International and Florida Atlantic. UNT will face a red-hot FIU team Thursday before taking on FAU on Saturday.
The Mean Green (13-10, 6-4 Sun Belt) is still in the thick of the race for the Sun Belt Conference West Division title and, more importantly, a bye in the first round of the conference tournament.
FIU (7-15, 4-6) has struggled most of the season, but heads into the week on a roll after winning its last two games, including a 76-56 pasting of rival Florida Atlantic on the road.
"They are playing well," Jones said. "They are looking forward to coming home. It will take a great effort for us to win there."
UNT has lost two of its last three and could look to Holmen to provide a bit of a boost after failing to crack the 70-point mark in both of those losses.
The Mean Green lost to Louisiana-Lafayette 64-62 and then fell to Middle Tennessee 68-66.
Holmen spent his first three games back after being medically cleared to play trying to regain his form.
The 6-foot-8 forward scored 15 points in his first two games back, including nine in a win over Arkansas State, but struggled against MTSU earlier in the week. Holmen went scoreless and played just six minutes in UNT's loss to the Blue Raiders, arguably the top team in the Sun Belt.
"Jacob will make an impact," Jones said. "It will just take him some time to get his legs back under him because he has been off for a while. His experience will help us a great deal."
Softball
UNT picked seventh
UNT was picked to finish seventh in the nine-team Sun Belt Conference in the preseason coaches poll that was released this week. PRESEASON POLL
Voted on by the league's head coaches. (First-place votes in parenthesis)
1. Louisiana-Lafayette (8)
80
2. South Alabama
64
3. Florida Atlantic
62
4. Florida International
49
5 (t). Troy
40
5 (t). Western Kentucky (1)
40
7. North Texas
29
8. Louisiana-Monroe
26
9. Middle Tennessee
15
Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team
Taylor Fawbush, Florida Atlantic, Junior, P; Hannah Campbell, South Alabama, Sophomore, P; Karavin Dew, Western Kentucky, Junior, C; Hayden Gann, Troy, Senior, 1B; Lisa Johnson, North Texas, Senior, 2B; Nerissa Myers, Louisiana-Lafayette, Junior, SS; Nikki Hollett, Troy, Senior, 3B; Ashley McClain, FIU, Senior, OF; Katie Smith, Louisiana-Lafayette, Senior, OF; Brittany Fowler, South Alabama, Junior, OF; Christi Orgeron, Louisiana-Lafayette, Senior, U
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Hannah Campbell, South Alabama
Preseason Player of the Year: Christi Orgeron, Louisiana-Lafayette
UNT's players believe they have a good chance to finish much higher in the league standings. The Mean Green finished last a year ago with a 7-16 record in league play and 22-30 overall.
"I think we have a shot," UNT second baseman Lisa Johnson said of finishing .500 or better. "When the coaches poll came out, we were ranked seventh. I think they are in for a rude awakening. We did lose a lot of players, but with the new girls we have in, it is a totally different dynamic. We will shock a lot of people. We have talent, and the game that we play is a little different. We have different types of players who fit well together."
The Mean Green depended largely on Mallory Cantler and Mariza Martinez, two of the better power hitters in school history, last season to spark its offense.
Johnson said she expects UNT to be less dependent on the home run this season, when it will have several players in new positions.
Brooke Foster has moved from third base to shortstop, while Lesley Hirsch has moved to left field.
"Right now, we look pretty good," UNT head coach T.J. Hubbard said. "Everyone has adjusted to their new spots. We look solid defensively, and offensively we have looked pretty good. We are on pace to be ready to go."
UNT will open the season Friday with a game against Oklahoma State in Houston at the University of Houston tournament.
Johnson honored
Johnson was UNT's lone representative on the All-Sun Belt Conference team that was released in conjunction with the preseason coaches poll.
Johnson hit .218 with six home runs as a junior and has been a staple for the Mean Green at second base.
"It's exciting, but one of my main goals is at the end of the season to be in that same spot," Johnson said of her preseason all-conference selection.
Women's basketball
Aston aims for 100th win
UNT head coach Karen Aston will take her second crack at reaching the 100-win mark for her career this week when the Mean Green takes on FIU on Thursday.
Aston is 99-57 in five seasons, including this year, her first at UNT. The former Charlotte head coach is 13-10 with the Mean Green.
Aston had a chance to reach the 100-win mark last week when UNT took on perennial Sun Belt powerhouse Middle Tennessee and nearly pulled off the upset before falling 70-68.
UNT still has lost only one more game in league play than Sun Belt West Division leader Denver, thanks in part to MTSU. The Blue Raiders knocked off the Pioneers (16-9, 8-3) on Saturday in a battle of Sun Belt division leaders.
Tennis
Milestone win recorded
UNT posted what head coach Sujay Lama described as a milestone win last week, when the Mean Green came back to edge 53rd-ranked Kansas State 4-3.
Lama worried that UNT might be flat after falling to Arkansas in its previous match, and it did start off slow, losing the doubles point and the first two singles matches.
The Mean Green's comeback started with Irina Paraschiv, who came though in a tough spot by winning her match at No. 4 singles. Paraschiv was playing just her third singles match since having shoulder surgery in the fall.
"Irina really came through for us, and we rallied from there," Lama said. "This is the best win we have had since I have been here. It's a big confidence booster."
UNT began the season unranked and set a goal to quickly move into the top 75 early in the season.
The Mean Green missed out on an opportunity to help itself enter the rankings when it fell to Arkansas.
UNT quickly rebounded with a win Lama hopes sets the tone for the rest of the season.
"More than anything, the win was a great breakthrough for us mentally," Lama said.
Track and field
Lewis sets school record
Charleston Lewis broke the school record in the weight throw over the weekend at the Red Raider Open in Lubbock, where UNT posted seven top-five finishes.
Lewis posted a toss of 55 feet, 3/4 inches, breaking the record he set the previous week. He finished second in the event.
Shahaf Bareni finished second in the high jump with a leap of 5-7.
Aaron Sirles finished second in the shot put with a throw of 55-5.
UNT will continue its season at the Iowa State Classic in Ames. The meet begins Thursday and runs through the weekend.
Swimming and diving
UNT falls to Aggies
Last weekend, UNT fell to sixth-ranked Texas A&M 185-105 in its final meet before the Sun Belt Conference Championships.
UNT won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:37.66.
Catherine Johnson finished second in the one-meter dive with a score of 270.22 and the three-meter dive with a score of 286.58. Rosa Gentile took second in both the 100 butterfly (55.84) and the 200 medley (2:09.60).
The Mean Green finished 6-4 in dual meets. The Sun Belt meet begins Feb. 22 in Rockwall.
 
Volleyball
Signee earns honor
Carnae Dillard, an outside hitter from San Antonio Johnson who has signed with UNT and will be a freshman in the fall, was named a PrepVolleyball.com High School All-American this week.
Dillard was among 150 players to receive the honor nationally, including 10 from Texas. She also was named to
the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Team following her senior season.
Dillard led Johnson to the state tournament and posted 23 kills in the semifinals.
BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.
