Chalk talk: UNT at Rice -- Mean Green scheduled to resume season after delays

Where: Tudor Fieldhouse, Houston

Records: UNT 7-5, 3-1 C-USA; Rice 10-6, 4-4 C-USA

Last game: UNT 74, UTEP 65; UAB 86, Rice 74

TV: ESPN+

Radio: Mean Green Learfield IMG College

Projected UNT starting lineup:

PG: Javion Hamlet, 6-4, Sr. — Hamlet has been UNT’s biggest offensive threat and best player all season long. The senior scored 13 points and handed out five assists in the Mean Green’s win over UTEP in their last game. He is averaging 12.8 points and 5.2 assists per game.

G: Mardrez McBride, 6-2, Jr. — McBride is coming off a rough game offensively in UNT’s win over UTEP. The junior went scoreless and took just two shots from the field in 19 minutes. He is averaging 7.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

G: James Reese, 6-4, Sr. — Reese scored 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting in the second game of UNT’s series with UTEP and has been remarkably consistent. The senior has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games and made at least one 3 in all but one of the Mean Green’s games this season. He is averaging 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

F: Thomas Bell, 6-6, Sr. — Bell hit 4 of 8 shots from the field on his way to scoring nine points in UNT’s win over UTEP in the Mean Green’s last game and has been an efficient scorer. He’s averaging 9.5 points on 52.9% shooting and is pulling down 5.9 rebounds per game.

F: Zachary Simmons, 6-10, Sr. — Simmons made the most of his opportunities in UNT’s win over UTEP in its last outing. The senior hit 5 of 7 shots from the field and all but one of his four free throws on his way to scoring 13 points. He’s averaging 10.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

Scouting Rice:

Rice has been on a slide after starting 4-1 in C-USA play The Owls have dropped three straight to fall to an even 4-4 in the league. The Owls are an offensive oriented team that is averaging 78.3 points per game behind a host of talented guards. Sophomore Quincy Olivari is averaging 16.1 points per game and is shooting 46.4% from 3-point range. Max Fielder, a 6-11 forward, has 68 assists on the season and is nearly averaging a double-double at 11.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

What you need to know:

UNT is back after more than a week off after its series against Old Dominion was postponed due to coronavirus concerns in ODU’s program.

UNT and Rice were supposed begin their home-and-home series Thursday night in Houston before facing off again on Saturday. The series was pushed back a day due to coronavirus concerns at Rice. The second game in the series will be played at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The Mean Green are 3-1 in C-USA play and are trying to keep pace with UAB. The Blazers are off to a 6-1 start after beating Middle Tennessee on Thursday night.

UNT’s series with Rice will pit teams that play completely different styles. Rice pushes the ball and shoots the 3 well. The Mean Green are a defensive-oriented team that plays at a snail’s pace.

UNT dropped a game at Rice last season when the Owls got hot from 3-point range. The Mean Green can’t afford a repeat.