INDIANAPOLIS – In the closing seconds of the first-ever NCAA tournament win in North Texas, observatory Javion Hamlet shouted to the mostly Purdue crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“Never doubt me! Never doubt me,” Hamlet later recalled. “I told Purdue fans that. I tell the whole world that. Never doubt Javion Hamlet. ‘
Hamlet, a Memphis senior who received no offers for Division I scholarships after high school, scored 24 points in 43 minutes as No. 13 seed North Texas beat fourth-seeded Purdue 78-69 in overtime to advance in the South region. The Mean Green will play against Villanova or Winthrop on Sunday.
Four starters from North Texas scored in double digits as the Mean Green, who made their fourth NCAA tournament appearance and first since 2010, never allowed Purdue to take the lead after the second minute of the game.
After Jaden Ivey (26 points) and Trevion Willliams (14 points, 13 rebounds) collected Purdue to force overtime, North Texas beat the Boilers 17-8 in the extra session.
“If I told you we didn’t intend to do this, I would be lying,” said coach Grant McCasland of his experienced team. “Those guys in that locker room came here for this reason. You never know what will happen when you go out and scrap it. … But those guys believe we’re going to win. They really do. That’s the part that you love. about sports. No one here is better or different when it comes to the work you do and what you control. “
Hamlet has scored double digits in his 11 games, averaging 18.9 points over the period.
“I’ve waited all my life for this opportunity, man, to show the world who Javion Hamlet is,” said Hamlet, the 2020 Conference USA Player of the Year. “When the lights get big, I think that’s great.”
North Texas defeated Western Kentucky in extra time for the Conference USA championship game, after wasting an 11-point halftime lead, to reach the NCAAs.
“It’s a great feeling to be the first team in history,” said Hamlet. “No one can take that away from us. … And just show the world we’re gritty. Much less recruited guys, no [five-star recruits]Let that be known: we don’t have five stars.
“I don’t understand why people are so surprised. I feel like we can play with everyone in the country because of the way we defend and the way we are sharp. We are the underdogs.”