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I believe if I were Grant I would find a scholarhip for DJ.

DRC: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/mean-green/2018/03/03/unt-saturday-practice-notes-thoughts

Just got my annual letter for Mean Green Club Mean Green Scholarship Fund. Pretty cool stickers this year.

UTEP 16 ------- NT 12 11:20 to go Can't stop their early treys.

This team has proven they can beat anyone in the conference, unfortunately they have also shown anyone in the conference can beat them. A first round loss would be disappointing, but I don't think it is going to affect the program one way or another. The same with one win, however if they could get two wins I think that would be a strong signal that a lot of progress has been made. The biggest advantage, NT has is the number of very close games they have been involved in. CUSA is a strange league, in that prior year results and strong returning cast are not as meaningful as you would think. It is more who can bring in the best new transfer. NT should finish better in conference play next year, but they are going to have to get significantly better.

Why so braggadocious?

UTEP is an open enrollment university with an effective 100% acceptance rate. Point of data I can find (not sure which year) 7,133 of 7,134 applicants were admitted. I kinda wanna know what that one guy did to get rejected.

He might do just fine. But when you can't average three yards against Rutgers, Indiana, and you have eight games under 100 yards rushing, i'm just saying he might not be that great of a runner.

Stupid.

It has not been a perception problem, it has been a talent problem. Orr was not drafted because he didn't fit their physical metrics, not because he went to NT.

He was already the #1 ranked RB in the draft before the combine. So I would have to say your assessment is off.

Weekday games starting at 6? No thanks! If we increase attendance by 1,500 per game at 10 bucks a pop that's $90,000. Do everything to have as many butts in seats as possible. If that means early season night games and late season day games do it. If week one we are told to play at 5pm in 100 degree heat that hurts butts in seats.

If they have to play on Tuesday and Thursday nights, it is not worth it.

Interesting .... http://footballscoop.com/news/ncaa-proposing-treat-fair-catches-touchbacks-kickoffs/

I'm at an honor's piano recital and can't listen, so thank you for the updates. Rick

DRC: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/mean-green/2018/03/03/unt-utep-running-blog-2

Prayers for his parents and family. Rick

Not if it touches the ground. Rick

I would say just winning 7 games more this year, plus being competitive in most conference games would be enough to say it has been a successful season. I would also mention that we are in the middle of the conference standings. This is a good indication that the barometer is heading in the right direction. Results in this tournament are gravy for first year of a rebuilding team. GMG

Big push for enrollment that does not take space on the UNT campus itself. On-Line and the Frisco Campus are but two examples. UNT is running out of capacity for additional on-campus students and will see a slowing in additional numbers as that capacity gets closer and closer. New dorm going up and new parking facilities in the planning stages, and yes, property is being purchased for future construction. But, it isn't enough. Space is also dearly needed for programs and classrooms, labs, etc., so all the new construction will not necessarily add to on campus enrollment capacity. Thus, the need for off-campus facilities (Frisco) and increases in on-line enrollment. Got to keep those enrollment dollars increasing somehow. The good news is that UNT is fast becoming a destination University. Already is for several of its programs. The goal is to add many more programs to that list...including athletics of course.

Yes...they will be adding to the back side against the hill and will pretty much double capacity...a stage will be added for music, etc. as well...new furniture. However...this new area...to be named the Diamond Eagle Family Area (or something like that to honor the donors) will not be completely covered. It will have shade type covering if the drawings are any indication. It is great that the music will be moved to that area...providing more space on the original patio and a bit less blasting to ears enjoying that area. This is really great news...and this project was, in my opinion, by far, the best of the projects presented. It won with a pretty decent margin as I understand how it came out. FYI...the Diamond Eagle, in case you do not know, are a group of donors donating a minimum of $1000 annually to support worthy projects around the UNT campus. This was our first year. The part that "hooked me" and made me pony up, is that fact that we get to pick where our donations go on an annual basis. Areas of campus are encouraged to submit project ideas for consideration. I believe five will be presented to the Diamond Eagles for discussion, consideration and a vote. Winner take all! There were two functions this last year. The first to unveil the projects under consideration and the second to announce the winner. Really nice events. The idea was formed by Debbie Smatresk and moved along with the help of some great volunteers. It really is a diverse and interesting group. At the unveil I met and talked for a good while with Daisy Rogers (widow of the late great Bob Rogers). Daisy is now 96 years old. And I can tell you, it was fascinating talking with he for about 45 minutes. Oh, the stories she can tell. She has lived through them. So much fun. She was sitting alone, so I just walked up, introduced myself and we went from there. If anyone is interested in joining or thinking about joining the Diamond Eagles let me know. You will definitely be making a difference at UNT and you will be voting on where your donations go...exactly where they go. Fingers crossed that the new expansion will be ready for the SMU game this September 1st! You never know...could happen. I am just hoping it does not take as long as the new ticket facility being constructed at the Super Pit! Ha!

I think I have different expectations for RB than you. This is a weird hand to play, to me anyways. Barkley isn't the best RB of all time, but he is definitely a world-class athlete with a skill set that lends itself to RB.

I expect us to win a game or two. Oh wait, this is about a successful season for Coach. Where's that poll?

What if someone doesn't consider tournament wins necessary to consider McCasland's first season a success? What if someone else might consider winning 2 or more tourney games a successful season, but doesn't actually expect us to win any games? As for me, I'm with CMJ--if we get a decent draw, I could see us winning one game, maybe two. But to me, for McCasland to go .500 both overall and in conference is a relatively successful season in a rebuilding year, regardless of what we do in the conference tournament. Anything above that is gravy.

Probably the guy who tried blocking this shot:

I wanna see the draw before I commit.

Maybe you are right, but for the lower rung G5 programs TV markets don't mean anything. With the exception of La. Tech and ULL the other schools you mentioned primarily recruit east, not west.As far as their alumni in the smaller East Texas markets you mentioned, I doubt they are enough to matter. In addition, why would UAB play UTEP if given a choice? It will be interesting to see how this shakes out, but for most G5 conferences strung out across America this model is no longer working. With no TV revenue and increasing costs something has to give. ODU is just exploring its options like they should, as I assume are most CUSA and SBC members.

FIFY

It seems this thread has been visited by someone who is not a Draper fan. 😅

I am fully aware he did not have the measurables NFL teams like. Still, with his dads pedigree and his play here he should have gotten more of a look than he did. There is clearly a perception problem when the few guys who have made NFL rosters in recent years had to do it the UDFA route..

starting off with a big time target! X2

What's next...two below? Rick

Our last 2 weekday games at apogee had decent attendance. Per espn, in the 17000s against ULL in 2012 on a Tuesday. In the 22000s against Rice on Halloween on a Thursday in 2013. I was at both games and attendance iseemed good in both.

Arghhh.

Gagree. Stupid.

Basically the AAC is the old CUSA, the new CUSA is basically the old SBC, and the new SBC is those left behind, 1AA programs that moved up, and startups. Quite honestly, I don't see much difference between CUSA,SBC, and MAC. There is a significant gap between these 3 lower rung G5 programs and both the MWC and AAC. The biggest complaint comes from CUSA members in that what they now have is not what they expected, sort of like an ugly blind date.As I have mentioned in previous posts, getting Arkansas State, La. Tech,ULL, USM, and any of the 3 Alabama programs to move west and play in the same division with 5 Texas universities is, in my opinion, going to be a problem.All of these schools are in the southeast, and I just don't know why given a choice they would go west.

DRC: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/mean-green/2018/03/02/unt-aims-build-momentum-heading-c-usa-tourney

And chalk talk: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/mean-green/2018/03/02/chalk-talk-utep-north-texas

UNT raised both admissions standards and pricing in the past few years while many schools have not. UTA has been subsidizing their growth with more aid and significantly lower in state tuition. I think UNT's strategy will win long term. Since UNT has (in my opinion) a more desirable college town and atmosphere if they ever really want to crank up admissions numbers they can just get closer to UTA's pricing and then grab all of the students they want.

Anyone know how the tie breaker works for the tournament? Could have 3 teams at 9-9. UAB, FIU and the Mean Green.

RUDY! RUDY! RUDY!

420

Draper is my favorite player on the team. He’s playing with house money every night and it’s fun to watch.

Having managed the Pavilion in its first four years, I am ecstatic. Please please please eliminate the model of the event space doubling as its storage.

Is there a way to get him on schollie, or is UNT all tapped out for next season? He sure deserves a schollie.

DJ is now the statistical leader for 3 point percentage in CUSA conference games. http://conferenceusa.com/stats.aspx?path=mbball&year=2017&conf=true

Didn't he play opposite Lawrence last year? Why would he have to contend with him?

It was Martin Luther King Jr. who famously said he dreamed of living in a world where people are not judged by the color of their skin but the content View Full Article

Taco Bell with extra hot sauce?