While SMU and disappointing head coach Matt Doherty look for their first Conference USA tournament win tonight at 8:30, the Metroplex last night was assured of a dog in the hunt during next week's March Madness when the University of North Texas captured the Sun Belt Championship.
Saw the second half of this game and UNT has some real players. Tiny point guard Josh White's lane jumper sealed the 66-63 victory over Troy and George Odufuwa's block applied the exclamation point. Eric Tramiel, the team's only senior starter, led UNT with 20 points and was named the tournament's MVP.
Which all adds up to ... a humbling loss in next week's first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Sorry.
I know UNT is 24-8, established a school record for victories, has won 11 in a row and even owns some big-stage experience with its second trip to March Madness in the last four years.
The Mean Green is a good team. But good teams don't win past the first week of March, only great ones.
In 2007 UNT lost its first-round game to mighty Memphis by 15. In other words, party in Denton while you can.
In case you want to start filling out your brackets now, the best team in Texas?
Baylor.