Schedule notes

[BillySee58]

I refuse to believe we will not have a serviceable center in here by October. (someone other than this Bochum person) If we role out a guard line-up I'll just sit out the year. Wait, I did that this year. Can a person red shirt 2 years in a row?

Benford hasn't been able to outrecruit. That's why we are signing all these guys with no other offers. There's a reason he's going after Bocoum. Between what centers are still available and what schools Benford can out recruit, that has lead us to Bocoum. A 6'9" body with no other offers yet.

A guard lineup can be entertaining. I'd rather have that than have posts like we did last year, who were 14th in rebounding margin in a 16 team conference. Oh yeah, and one of the worst seasons historically in CUSA history.

As for redshirting two years in a row, ask UNT90 (I believe the answer is yes).

[UNT90]

Ideally, if we could've got quality, legit sized posts this wouldn't need to be an option. I also am not recommending this as our primary lineup, but a lineup we could go to often.

This conference, especially last year, is hardly a juggernaut conference with ample skilled big men. There are very few guys in this conference above 6'7" who actually are players and not just bodies. Look for yourself. The top teams in this conference had skill on the court, rather than just size.

Of the top 4 teams in CUSA, La Tech, MTSU, and Tulsa played just 1 guy in their entire rotation, not just starters, over 6'7". Southern Miss played 0.

Plus, what are our better options? Combs and Wesley have a lot of potential, but both are skinnier than Jordan and the same height. Not to mention they haven't played on a D1 floor yet. Wesley also was not a standout rebounder in high school. Putting Flannigan out there would be having a post just to have a post IMO. If we got Bocoum, it'd be the same thing. Ahmed is the guy we need to play big minutes down low with Voss, if we want to try and play in the half court with other teams. But that's just two guys.

Whether we play Williams or the other guys at the 4, if we play a team like UTEP, we will have a big advantage down low. We'll get outrebounded by those guys and posted up on. But if we have a guy like Jordan at the 4, we can't at least have a mismatch on offense in a guy who can stretch those big men out of the paint and open up the floor with other guards. Rather than try and post up our smaller posts on much taller, skilled big men.

Jordan is a poor rebounding 3 in the Sun Belt. His natural position would be at 2.

Asking Jordan to play 4 is asking for a lot of losses next season. And that wouldn't be Jordan's fault because he would be asked to play a position that is 2 sizes bigger than his natural position.

Yes, we might have to do it, but it would be a disaster and it would speak directly to Benford's failure to recruit (and coach, and develop players...)

[BillySee58]

Jordan is a poor rebounding 3 in the Sun Belt. His natural position would be at 2.

Asking Jordan to play 4 is asking for a lot of losses next season. And that wouldn't be Jordan's fault because he would be asked to play a position that is 2 sizes bigger than his natural position.

Yes, we might have to do it, but it would be a disaster and it would speak directly to Benford's failure to recruit (and coach, and develop players...)

6.3 rebounds/game in CUSA = poor rebounding 3 in the Sun Belt?

What 4 in this conference would take Jordan to the woodshed in the post? Vince Hunter from UTEP comes to mind. But Hunter (and a few other solid 4s) would do the same thing to Jordan that they would to Armani, Wesley, Combs, and even Bocoum if we got him. Which, as you said, speaks to the inability to recruit quality posts by Benford.

Voss was a solid 4, but he's only 6'7", he wasn't great defensively, and he'll need to play 5 for us. Ahmed could be a good post, but he's just 6'7" as well, and averaged about the same amount of rebounds per game against JUCO competition as Jordan did against CUSA competition.

If Jordan can't hang with 4s in the conference, tell me which ones. If we shouldn't play him at times at 4, then who should. What do Flash, Wesley, and Combs have right now that better suits them to guard the 4 than Jordan. Again, not saying he plays the majority of his minutes at the 4, or that he's better suited there than 2 or 3.

[Andrew]

Flannigan is not too great but defensively he can do a Ton in the post Jordan cannot. And the ninja reason Jordan grabbed so many boards is because we had poor post play and he could cut to the basket for a rebound. In the post it would be a different story. I do like running him at the 4 sometimes to shake it up but for a starting lineup I think CJ, TJ, Jordan, Voss, and Flannigan would be the way to go. Flannigan defensively in the post is solid. Offensively not sure what he beings at all. But he can defend, he is long, he can jump, he can board, he can block, and he is 6ft 8in

[BillySee58]

Flannigan is not too great but defensively he can do a Ton in the post Jordan cannot. And the ninja reason Jordan grabbed so many boards is because we had poor post play and he could cut to the basket for a rebound. In the post it would be a different story. I do like running him at the 4 sometimes to shake it up but for a starting lineup I think CJ, TJ, Jordan, Voss, and Flannigan would be the way to go. Flannigan defensively in the post is solid. Offensively not sure what he beings at all. But he can defend, he is long, he can jump, he can board, he can block, and he is 6ft 8in

Explain this "he can do a ton in the post that Jordan can not." Back that statement up. I don't think he's a solid post defender either, but that's just my opinion. Really hope Ahmed can start opposite Voss on the block.

I realize Jordan got a lot of rebounds coming from the outside in, and not from boxing out posts. Doesn't mean he can't hold his own down there any better than our other options..

My justification for playing Jordan at the 4 this year is not just for Jordan. It goes for Wesley as well and, to a degree, Combs.

[Andrew]

Armani lead our team in blocks. The due played under ten minutes a game (just under) but blocked just about twice as many as anyone else. He also might as well have out rebounded Colman and Gaines with the minutes he received. Colman came out showing up and then just had some major issues. He had some potential. With these guys gone it's Armani's time to step up I would hope. Armani can jump up it of the gym and hustle. I like him in the post. I do not like him at the free throw line. Jordan will play some 4 but if he plays a lot then we might have some issues I think. Just comparing the muscle mass in his legs to anyone in the post he will get undercut and boxed out all day. He did better jumping from the outside then fighting on the inside.

[UNT90]

6.3 rebounds/game in CUSA = poor rebounding 3 in the Sun Belt?

What 4 in this conference would take Jordan to the woodshed in the post? Vince Hunter from UTEP comes to mind. But Hunter (and a few other solid 4s) would do the same thing to Jordan that they would to Armani, Wesley, Combs, and even Bocoum if we got him. Which, as you said, speaks to the inability to recruit quality posts by Benford.

Voss was a solid 4, but he's only 6'7", he wasn't great defensively, and he'll need to play 5 for us. Ahmed could be a good post, but he's just 6'7" as well, and averaged about the same amount of rebounds per game against JUCO competition as Jordan did against CUSA competition.

If Jordan can't hang with 4s in the conference, tell me which ones. If we shouldn't play him at times at 4, then who should. What do Flash, Wesley, and Combs have right now that better suits them to guard the 4 than Jordan. Again, not saying he plays the majority of his minutes at the 4, or that he's better suited there than 2 or 3.

And again, that's the problem. "Well, we don't have anyone better, so lets play our best player out of position" is a recipe for a disaster.

I understand you believe that may be only option available, but it doesn't make it a good option.

Such is life under Benford.

[BillySee58]

And again, that's the problem. "Well, we don't have anyone better, so lets play our best player out of position" is a recipe for a disaster.

I understand you believe that may be only option available, but it doesn't make it a good option.

Such is life under Benford.

But that's not the reason for doing it, but rather a justification. Putting your best 5 players on the court would feature 4 guard-types, especially if we got Brooks and including Jordan. The 5th would likely be Ahmed or Voss.

In this situation Jordan would have to be the 4. That is then justified by saying that, while out of position, he isn't really a drop off from the other options defensively. Making there no reason really to keep one of your best 5 off the court in favor of a subpar post.

But yeah, just talking basketball and spitballing for fun, really. This roster is not looking pretty, so might as well. That's not the only option. But I just don't see it as a noticeably worse option than any others.

[BillySee58]

Armani lead our team in blocks. The due played under ten minutes a game (just under) but blocked just about twice as many as anyone else. He also might as well have out rebounded Colman and Gaines with the minutes he received. Colman came out showing up and then just had some major issues. He had some potential. With these guys gone it's Armani's time to step up I would hope. Armani can jump up it of the gym and hustle. I like him in the post. I do not like him at the free throw line. Jordan will play some 4 but if he plays a lot then we might have some issues I think. Just comparing the muscle mass in his legs to anyone in the post he will get undercut and boxed out all day. He did better jumping from the outside then fighting on the inside.

Yeah, his blocking ability is a good example of an advantage he'd have over Jordan. But he still was a liability on defense IMO. Jordan would be as well, but he'd be a mismatch on offense while allowing another guard (our strength) to be on the floor.

Been fun arguing this, but hopefully I'm done. Again, this roster is pretty much a mess and if we're going to be small we may as well try and play uptempo, with a 4 who can be a mismatch if he's undersized anyway. I see no reason to try and play conventional posts when you could play guys who will put up just as much of a fight down low while giving you a little more overall as a basketball player (Combs, Wesley, and Jordan). This argument wasn't as much against Flannigan by design, just that he and Voss are the final conventional posts remaining.

[UNT90]

Yeah, his blocking ability is a good example of an advantage he'd have over Jordan. But he still was a liability on defense IMO. Jordan would be as well, but he'd be a mismatch on offense while allowing another guard (our strength) to be on the floor.

Been fun arguing this, but hopefully I'm done. Again, this roster is pretty much a mess and if we're going to be small we may as well try and play uptempo, with a 4 who can be a mismatch if he's undersized anyway. I see no reason to try and play conventional posts when you could play guys who will put up just as much of a fight down low while giving you a little more overall as a basketball player (Combs, Wesley, and Jordan). This argument wasn't as much against Flannigan by design, just that he and Voss are the final conventional posts remaining.

I get the theory that it may give is the best chance to win, I just don't think that chance is very high.

[NT03]

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2014/04/signing-day-thoughts-schedule-notes.html/

UNT is also working on a couple of deals that could land the Mean Green series against Oklahoma State or New Mexico.

Won't be New Mexico :

https://twitter.com/jonrothstein/status/461112529012670464

Edited April 29, 2014 by NT03

[NT03]

Looks like a decent schedule to me so far. I really hope we land Oklahoma State (even if it is on the road).

Road: SFA, Tech, and OSU st

Home: Creighton, SMU, LSU

Make it happen!

Won't be SMU. Mustangs sign home & home deal with Michigan

https://twitter.com/jonrothstein/status/465892791210369024

Also -

https://twitter.com/dadfdubb/status/464476637610786816

[NT03]

I'm not sure if this has been posted or not , http://tinyurl.com/mwbol7d

@ Texas Tech

@ Oklahoma St Dec 3rd

vs Creighton

Are we going to go another year without playing UTA ?

[Andrew]

Still hoping for UTA and LSU

[UNT90]

Don't really care.

[THOR]

Don't really care.

We know...

[gksmith]

I like playing Texas Tech again. It's been a while. Maybe we can convince them of playing UNT in football too. Yes I know beating them in football all those years ago is a sore subject for Tech. We beat them in basketball before too and it wasn't such a black mark in thier history.

[greenit]

Don't really care.

Yet, like a bug to a bug zapper, you can't get enough.

#secretmancrushontony?

[Green Crazy]

Don't really care.

I don't care.

[UNTFan23]

Could we not get Oklahoma at home? Or was it just we get a an away game there only?

I thought we played them as part of a tournament last season?

[Andrew]

I thought we played them as part of a tournament last season?

Correct. I forgot because it was an offsite game

[UNT90]

It's like a bad car crash. You just can't look away, but the moment you pass the scene and it's out of your sight, you go on with your day.

Except on Benford Highway, there is a terrible car crash every quarter mile. It's REALLY hard to turn your eyes away from the disaster.

Edited May 19, 2014 by UNT90

[NT03]

Correct. I forgot because it was an offsite game

We played them in Norman last season

Plus, it's Oklahoma ST this year

Edited May 19, 2014 by NT03

[Andrew]

We played them in Norman last season

Plus, it's Oklahoma ST this year

Yea. I just one more solid home game. A team that is well known like LSU.

[forevereagle]

Yea. I just one more solid home game. A team that is well known like LSU.

A team that is likely to beat us at home? I wouldn't count on it.