UNTLifer

Masters still part of rotation Center Unjel Masters dressed but did not play in Saturday’s loss to Western Kentucky, when forward/center Will Smith saw his first extended playing time after missing eight games due to injuries. Coach Johnny Jones said that is not an indication that playing time of Masters, who was recently replaced in the starting lineup by Justin Barnett, will be further limited. "He’s been sick," Jones said. "He hadn’t practiced for us in a couple of days." Masters, a 6-9 junior, is averaging 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game.

UNT notebook: UNT men finish second at Rice Atkinson takes player of the week honors 02/12/2003 By Tim MacMahon / Staff Writer The North Texas men’s golf team opened the spring season with a second-place finish at the Rice Intercollegiate in Houston Tuesday. The Mean Green shot a three-round score of 883 to finish 18 strokes behind champion Northwestern and 11 strokes ahead of third-place Missouri in the 13-team tournament. Zach Atkinson, who finished seventh overall with a three-over 219, had the best individual performance for the Mean Green, earning Denton Record-Chronicle UNT Player of the Week honors. Thomas Kulcak finished 10th place with a 221, and Freddy Espericueta shot a 224 to finish 15th. It was the Mean Green’s second consecutive second-place finish. UNT was runner-up at the 49er Collegiate Classic, its final tournament of the fall. "We started playing like we were supposed to play a long time ago in the latter part of the fall semester," UNT coach Jim Bob Jackson said. "It carried over to start the spring. This is indicative of how we’re supposed to play and are going to play the rest of the spring."

2 wins!

Welcome to the board sandylyn. Are you a softball Lady Eagle?

"Men's basketball: ’Jacks banking on B.J. " Sorry ladies, but I couldn't resist.

Man Crush? <_<

I agree and disagree. AGREE: This is a free country and everyone has the right to protest in the way they see fit. DISAGREE: This student is representing the University at this time and should protest on his own time. I manage many employees and have no control over what they do on their own time, but I can control what they do while working and representing the company that employs us. In no way would I allow one of my employees to do this, or engage in any form of protest while on my company's time. This student chose to draw attention to himself while representing the University while serving in the Pep Band. This reflects on the University as a whole. Personally, I don't like what he did, but I also understand part of what makes our country the best is the freedom of expression.

Tim MacMahon: NCAA should give Hopkins a good break 02/10/2003 Tim MacMahon Leonard Hopkins, the North Texas shooting guard sidelined for the season by a broken foot, knows all too well that life isn’t fair. He learned as much during his high school days, spending his final two-plus seasons at Dallas Lincoln as a frustrated spectator while undergoing surgery after surgery to treat a stress fracture and ensuing complications in his lower leg. Once considered one of the state’s top prospects, he became an afterthought on the local basketball scene while he battled to make it back to the court. Hopkins, after redshirting a season to chip away the rust, had shown signs of being the Mean Green’s next star before his ascent was delayed by another bad break, pardon the pun. He was dribbling up the court late in a loss at Colorado when he felt a sudden, sharp pain — the snapping of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. After nine games, his season was over. The lesson about life’s fairness, unfortunately, was re-affirmed. Coach Johnny Jones and Hopkins have filled out all the forms necessary to request another medical redshirt season. They did so knowing that the answer would probably be no, because Hopkins played in too large a percentage of UNT’s games this season. "They’re doing their job," Hopkins said diplomatically of the NCAA, "but I know they know my case and my situation. They could take that into consideration. I feel like I’ve missed enough basketball." Jones isn’t so sure the NCAA is aware of the saga Hopkins survived just to play basketball again. The coach is afraid that Hopkins’ case is just another in a pile of paperwork. That’s why Jones wishes there was an appeals process if the request for a medical redshirt is denied. He wants the decision-makers to consider Hopkins’ past before his playing time is further limited. "They’ve got the rules, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones in this situation," Jones said. "But it’s tough on the kids when they can’t play because of something they have no control over. I think every case should be looked at differently, just like every other thing they do." Jones suggests that the NCAA should be flexible with its rulings on redshirts. For instance, Hopkins could sit out the first nine games of his sixth season on campus. One would hope that the NCAA considers making the experiences of student-athletes as positive as possible as one of the organization’s primary goals. Denying Hopkins a medical redshirt season doesn’t benefit anyone. It only stands to harm the Mean Green and, most of all, Hopkins, who has already been hurt far too often. While life might not be fair, the NCAA certainly should be.

Not a chance, especially when he gets dunked on by a 6'5' guard! Would it be acceptable if Chris Davis allowed a 5'3" person to dunk on him? I have had the privilege to work at the facility the Maverick's use to use as their practice facility. I have observed first hand Bradley's laziness and poor work ethic. For what this man gets paid to do his job, he should take some pride in his work. He is eating up valuable cap space the Mav's could use to get a real inside player.

I have had the opportunity to go to a few Mavs games this year, and I offer up this scouting report on Bradley: HE SUCKS!!!!!!!! He takes up space, has bad hands, gets paid entirely too much for what he produces, is clumsy, lazy, etc...

We play undisciplined ball. I saw way too many bad passes, forced shots, leaving you feet on ball fakes, etc... to last a lifetime. I hope JJ is the man to turn this program around. We have too nice of basketball facilities, better than SMUt and TCU, to not recruit better. He better whip some arse over this one. WKU was the better team, but we just make too many stupid mistakes.

How cool is it that the head coach communicates with us?! Good luck Coach Segal.

Good luck to this young man. I hope he is able to pursue his professional career without lingering problems with his feet and ankles. Hey Topper Jeff, would WKU trade him to the Dallas Maverick's for Shawn Bradley?

New UNT dean has skill for start-ups First head of engineering college founded program at Old Dominion in 1960s 02/08/2003 By Matthew Zabel / Staff Writer The University of North Texas’ newest college has its first dean. Dr. Oscar Garcia, who for more than eight years has led Wright State University’s department of science and engineering in Dayton, Ohio, will begin July 1 as dean of UNT’s College of Engineering, university officials announced Friday. Dr. Oscar Garcia "The founding dean — yes, that’s exciting," said Dr. Garcia, 65, in a telephone interview. Dr. Norval Pohl, UNT’s president, said Dr. Garcia’s experience and enthusiasm make him "exactly the right person for this job." And his experience includes helping to start an engineering college at Old Dominion University in the 1960s. "He’s been there and done that," Dr. Pohl said. "That [starting a new college] was probably the major attraction for him. He had a great position at Wright State, and outside of the challenging of starting something new, I don’t think we could have pried him away from there." UNT’s Board of Regents voted to create the college in February 2002, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board gave its approval in April. UNT has transferred three existing departments — engineering technology, materials science and computer science — from the College of Arts and Science into the College of Engineering. UNT plans to begin offering bachelor’s and master’s programs in electrical engineering in 2004 and in mechanical engineering in 2006. The university plans to renovate part of its 553,000-square-foot building at the UNT Research Park in north Denton to be the home of the new college. Before joining the faculty at Wright State, Dr. Garcia directed some engineering programs for the National Science Foundation. He has also taught engineering at the George Washington University, the University of Maryland, the University of South Florida and Old Dominion University. At UNT, Dr. Garcia will earn an annual salary of $189,500. Dr. Garcia said the rapid growth of the Dallas-Fort Worth area makes the region ripe for an engineering college, and one of his first objectives will be to build relationships with the area’s engineering companies. "One of the first things I want to do is to interact with the industry in the North Texas area to find out what their needs are and how we can help the economic development and what are promising areas to put our efforts," Dr. Garcia said. Both Dr. Pohl and Dr. Garcia acknowledged the state’s tough economic situation adds one more challenge to getting the college going, but both remain optimistic. "The budget cuts we’re faced with now won’t have much impact on our plans for engineering," Dr. Pohl said. "Starting Sept. 1, if the budget situation doesn’t change, it will affect how much we can add faculty, but a lot could change before then. I’m remaining optimistic. We’ll be moving forward for sure." Dr. Garcia praised state officials for allowing UNT to move forward with its engineering college and for investing in engineering despite tough economic times. "I feel like the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board realizes that while economic times are difficult, you cannot stop," Dr. Garcia said. "You have to continue to provide opportunities to people who are in traditional jobs and who want to upgrade themselves."

I read 7:00pm in the paper this morning, along with it being broadcast on Channel 52.

His shooting percentage was awful, 4 for 13 ='s 30.7%

I agree, and he could be worth the wait.

UNT notebook UNT center Barnett to get starting nod 02/05/2003 By Tim MacMahon / Staff Writer Redshirt freshman center Justin Barnett, who has been limited by a sore back this season, has moved into the starting center spot for the Mean Green. The 6-10, 255-pound Barnett was one of the only bright spots in the Mean Green’s lopsided loss Thursday to Louisiana-Lafayette. He played a career-high 28 minutes and set personal bests with 12 rebounds and two blocks. Jones opted to give Barnett the first start of his career Saturday against New Mexico State. He had four points and five rebounds in 20 minutes, impressing Jones with his physical play. "If he continues to progress the way he has, he’ll definitely play a lot for us at the center spot," Jones said. "We reward guys for what they do at practice and in games. He’s earned that spot." Barnett said he still experiences soreness on a daily basis, but that won’t prevent him from sacrificing his body during the battles in the paint. "I’ve got to do what this team needs," Barnett said. "That’s to go in there and bang. I’m not worried about getting hurt." Roniger likely out for season Coach Johnny Jones said point guard Scott Roniger, who injured his knee Dec. 21 against Tennessee Tech, will probably miss the rest of the season. The 6-2 freshman, whose 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is easily the best on the team, was originally expected to return 10 days to two weeks after undergoing surgery on the knee. He has only recently begun light jogging. Jones said Roniger could probably play the final three or four games of the season, but it was not worth the risk of re-injury. "It’s disappointing for Scott as well as us, because he really wants to be on the floor," Jones said. "As important as he is to us, his health is more important. We don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that." Ch. 52 to carry Saturday’s game KWFD-TV Ch. 52 will broadcast the Mean Green’s game Saturday against defending Sun Belt champion Western Kentucky. It is the first time this season a UNT game will be televised in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. The game tips off at 7 p.m. at the Super Pit. Smith probable for Thursday Forward/center Will Smith was expected to see his first playing time in a month during UNT’s win Saturday over New Mexico State. Smith, however, re-injured his ankle while getting up from the dinner table. Coach Johnny Jones said he hopes Smith will be able to play Thursday at Middle Tennessee. "I guess it depends on where we eat," Jones said. Galbreath has fan at Hula Bowl Former UNT running back Kevin Galbreath rushed six times for 10 yards during the Hula Bowl, an all-star game for draft-eligible players. While Galbreath didn’t rush for as many yards as he would have liked, he was showered with compliments by ESPN play-by-play man Dave Barnett. Barnett, a UNT alum, went out of his way to mention Galbreath’s consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and the Mean Green’s New Orleans Bowl victory. His admittedly biased take on Galbreath: "I don’t see how he can’t be a first-round pick." GDSC to honor area football teams The Greater Denton Sports Commission will host a reception to honor the UNT, Ryan, Denton and Liberty football teams at 5 p.m. Saturday in the gymnastics room of the Super Pit. The event is free to the public. The teams will also be honored at halftime of the UNT men’s basketball game against Western Kentucky that night. Athlete of the week Sophomore Ryan Lancon set a new school indoor record in the pole vault at the season-opening J.D. Martin Invitational in Norman, Okla. Lancon vaulted 16-?, bettering the previous record by three-fourths of an inch. For his efforts, Lancon is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s UNT Athlete of the Week.

If there is an upper deck on one side, I would choose the side that faces I35W. They could design the seats to spell out UNT in green in the upper deck for all to see while passing on the highway. This would be similar to TCU's homeside upper deck. I know this side would face the sun, but you can't pass up this marketing opportunity.

Welcome aboard FutureEagle03. You realize that you are going to have to change your name once Fall rolls around, don't you? Zeke is right, you are coming to UNT at the best of times. Enjoy it and get involved, apathy graduated last year!

This gives us something to follow for the rest of the year, because the team in done for the year. I wish Chris luck in getting the record. He has given us a great 4 years.

Unfortunately, these are the typical signs of a young team. Getting beat by teams that you should blow out and beating some teams we shouldn't. Fortunately, this is a young team that is getting lots of playing time for its young players. They will be awesome in a year or two.

I'm John. I graduated in Dec. 92 with a BS in Kinesiology and a minor in business. I live in Trophy Club and work at the Baylor-Tom Landry Center as the operations director. I am married to Stephanie, who has taken a few interior design classes at UNT, but is a flight attendant with American and a wonderful mother to my 6 month old, today!, Chase. I grew up as the child of a season ticket holder and faculty member at UNT, so I have been a fan for life, hence my username. I have made every home game the last, who knows how many years, the TCU game and 01' New Orleans Bowl. I will travel to OU, Arkansas, and all home games this year plus the 03' New Orleans Bowl.

Posted on Wed, Jan. 29, 2003 UNT Notes Coach upbeat despite losses By Chad Conine Special to the Star-Telegram DENTON - There are plenty of reasons for the smile to leave UNT coach Johnny Jones' face, but it hasn't. Despite a five-game losing streak in Sun Belt play, Jones remained upbeat during his weekly media luncheon Tuesday. In its most recent action, the Mean Green (6-12, 1-5 Sun Belt) led for much of a game at South Alabama on Saturday before falling to the Jaguars by five points, 76-71. But Jones, in his second season at UNT, continues to try positive reinforcement. "We're never going to get down," Jones said. "I told them how proud I was of them and the way they conducted themselves. Our guys will keep our heads up. We've got to learn from experience." The challenges keep coming for the Mean Green, however, as they play host to Louisiana-Lafayette (12-6, 4-1) and New Mexico State (12-5, 3-3) this week. The Ragin' Cajuns enter Thursday's game atop the Sun Belt standings, and the Aggies have the conference's best overall winning percentage. Jones said the Mean Green's only option is to try to gain momentum from the things they've done well, even though UNT hasn't been rewarded with a win very often. "On the road the kids played hard," Jones said. "We've got to continue to do that against probably the best team in the league in Louisiana-Lafayette." Producers missing UNT is 2-7 since sophomore guard Leonard Hopkins broke a bone in his left foot against Colorado on Dec. 22. Hopkins, who will likely miss the rest of the season, averaged 12.7 points through nine games before his injury. The Mean Green is also missing forward Will Smith, who has started five games and might return from a foot injury next week. But Johnny Jones isn't making excuses. "It's been an amazing transition," Jones said on playing without Hopkins and Smith. "It's an opportunity for everybody else to step up. If I didn't feel they were capable, they wouldn't be a part of what we're doing." Lewis emerges The Lady Eagles' split of two overtime games at home last week kept them a game below .500 (8-9) and even in the Sun Belt (3-3), but they might have gained from the experience in one area. UNT coach Tina Slinker said the Lady Eagles are getting the leadership they need from senior forward Angel Lewis. Lewis has scored 46 points in the Lady Eagles' past two victories, including 24 in UNT's overtime win against South Alabama on Saturday. "If you ask me who's my best offensive player, it's Angel Lewis," Slinker said. "If you ask me who's my best perimeter defensive player, it's Angel Lewis. She's playing like a senior, and we needed someone to do that."

Anybody for pizza? Yes? Well, where is your favorite pizza joint?