North Texas Mean Green men's basketball
The North Texas Mean Green men's basketball team represents the University of North Texas in NCAA Division I college basketball, competing as a member of Conference USA.
For most of its history, the Mean Green have had patches of success, starting in the 1970s when the team received its first ever top-20 ranking under head coach Bill Blakeley as well as success in the late 1980s and early 1990s under head coach Jimmy Gales and then again in the mid to late 2000s under head coach Johnny Jones. They have made appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1988, 2007 and 2010. The Mean Green went on an especially strong run in the 2006–2010 era, with two tournament appearances, two conference championships, and posting more wins over this time period than any other Division I team in the state of Texas
The 2011–12 and 2012–13 teams featured the only 5-star recruit to play for North Texas in Tony Mitchell. In one season, he became the program's all-time leader in blocks. Despite Mitchell being highly touted, his performance in his second year suffered and he ended up struggling under new head coach Tony Benford eventually falling to the 2nd round of the NBA draft.
On April 16, 2012, longtime head coach Johnny Jones was formally introduced as the next head coach of his alma mater LSU. His replacement, Tony Benford, was not able to capitalize on the program's momentum, resulting in a disappointing final year in the Sun Belt Conference and then more struggles in the Mean Green's new conference Conference USA.
Prior to 1973, the Mean Green played in the Ken Bahnsen Gym, nicknamed the Snake Pit. They now play in The Super Pit which derives its name from the Snake Pit.
Championships
Conference tournament
;Southland Conference:- 1988
- 2007, 2010
Conference regular season
- 2009-10
- 2019-20
Conference division
- 2009-10
CBI Tournament
- 2017-18
Rivals
Non-conference notable rivals include the University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks and the SMU Mustangs.
Coaches
Postseason results
NCAA Tournament results
The Mean Green have appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times. Their combined record is 0–3.| 1988 | First Round | North Carolina | L 65–83 |
| 2007 | First Round | Memphis | L 58–73 |
| 2010 | First Round | Kansas State | L 62–82 |
NAIA Tournament results
The Mean Green have appeared in the NAIA Tournament two times. Their record is 3–2.| 1938 | First Round Second Round | Morningside Delta State | W 31–29 L 39–48 |
| 1942 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Wisconsin-Stout York Hamline | W 60–37 W 51–49 L 41–45 |
CBI results
The Mean Green have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational once, winning it in 2018. Their record is 5–1.| 2018 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals–Game 1 Finals–Game 2 Finals–Game 3 | South Dakota Mercer Jacksonville State San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco | W 90–77 W 96–67 W 90–68 L 62–72 W 69–55 W 88–77 |
Broadcasts
North Texas games are broadcast on the radio by the Mean Green Sports Network, part of Learfield IMG College on 88.1 KNTU and 95.3 KHYI. Former Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks announcer Dave Barnett does play by play, along with Hank Dickenson on color commentary.Television broadcasts are carried by ESPN+, ESPN3, and C-USA TV.