North Texas basketball chalk talk — UNT at UAB

Where: Bartow Arena, Birmingham, Alabama

Records: UNT 19-4, 12-1 Conference USA; UAB 20-6, 10-3 Conference USA

Last game: UNT 54, Florida Atlantic 51; UAB 92, Rice 68

Radio: Mean Green Sports Network

Projected UNT starting lineup:

PG: Rubin Jones, 6-5, So. — Jones scored six points after hitting two of his three attempts from 3-point range and finished with six points in UNT's win over FAU. The sophomore is averaging 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

G: JJ Murray, 6-1, Sr. — Murray grabbed four rebounds and picked up an assist in UNT's win over FAU. The senior missed all four of his shots and didn't score but is still averaging 4.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

G: Mardrez McBride, 6-2, Sr. — McBride scored eight points in UNT's win over FAU and saw his run of games with at least two 3s end at seven. The senior finished 1-for-5 from deep against the Owls. He is averaging 10.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

F: Thomas Bell, 6-6, Sr. — Bell posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in UNT's win over FAU and has scored in double figures in three straight games. Bell hit a layup with 28 seconds left to put UNT up three and hit two free throws late to close the game. He is averaging 12.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

F: Abou Ousmane, 6-10, So. — Ousmane scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds in UNT's win over FAU. He hit five of his eight shots from the field and both of his free throws. The sophomore is averaging 10.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Scouting UAB:

UNT has been the best team in C-USA all season. UAB is a close second and handed the Mean Green their lone loss in league play.

The Blazers were in the drivers' seat in the race for the conference title at that point but hasn't been as consistent as UNT. UAB has dropped games to Rice, Marshall and Old Dominion.

The Blazers feature one of the more potent scorers in C-USA in Jordan Walker. The junior is averaging 19.3 points per game to pace three Blazers averaging double figures.

What you need to know:

UNT is on a roll heading into its game at UAB after winning 11 straight games since falling to the Blazers last month.

The Mean Green are two games up on UAB in the C-USA West Division standings and are threatening to run away with the league race. 

The matchup to watch will be Jackson against UNT sixth-man Tylor Perry. Jackson carried UAB down the stretch in the Blazers' win at the Super Pit. 

Perry has been just as clutch for UNT late in games, hitting big shot after big shot.

UAB is 15-1 at home this season and will be aiming to make the C-USA race interesting. The Blazers will throw the kitchen sink at UNT.

It's hard to imagine UNT not winning the C-USA regular season title it gets to 13-1 and drops UAB to 10-4. The Blazers will keep things interesting if UNT falls to 12-2 and UAB winds up 11-3 after sweeping the season series with the Mean Green.

Here's a link to our advance of Saturday's game that will appear in tomorrow's paper.