GrandGreen

Texas as more signees than anyone in the game. I think that this is the one all star game that most Texas universities support.

I agree to some extent with your points, however the coach's pay is not one of them. After incentives, I think you will find that TD is at the top of the Belt pay not the bottom. If TD is the coach that you want, why would you want to pay him more than necessary just to keep up with the Jones's. Is he going to be a better coach at $500k a year versus the $300 he will most likely make at NT in his first year. If TD is the success most of us think he will be, there will ample opportunity to complain about NT not being salary competitive.

Having problems with DD long before it became fashionable, I still can't believe how many downgrade NT's accomplishments during the 4 consecutive championships. Weak competition, yes the Belt is and was the lowest rated 1a conference. However, I think it is a definite upgrade from the Southland. A conference which NT never went through a year undefeated, much less winning 26 straight games. I don't believe that the Belt has improved enough that the championship NT teams would not have fared well against current competition. I think NT's drop has a lot more to do with NT getting weaker than it does with the Belt improving. DD's style of recruiting and lack of innovation in the offense when teams learned to focus on DD's single running back dominated offense doomed DD's program.

A newspaper column that puts doubt on NT getting a new stadium at all, and we have people bitching' that the stadium we may not get is not big enough. Just because NT has never filled the 30,000 seat stadium it has and apparently will be damn lucky to fund any kind of new stadium doesn't apparently deter wishful thinking. Look at NT's recent track record at raising funds. An athletic center that took almost twice as long to build as projected even when significantly downsized. Yes NT's athletic fund raising has improved over the past but is still way behind almost every other NCAA 1a program. Who knows what is going on? NT has build an athletic center that is to be connected to a football stadium. NT representatives have apparently told or at least strongly hinted that a new stadium is in the near future to recruits. When I in another post stated that the new stadium has never been officially announced, a number of people politely told me that it had been in fact and I didn't not know what I was talking about. Now RV states that NT is just now doing a feasibility study. All this does not add up. I think it is time for even the unwashed fans that do not have the potential to donate big money to the program to be advised of what the exact status of the stadium project is; good, bad or hopeless.

Good report, it is always great to hear more about the so called non-revenue sports. I am glad to hear that NT already has all its 2008 commits, specially some Houston area recruits. Unlike the other women sports, soccer recruiting seems to be have been entirely focused on the metroplex in the last few years. It seems that softball, volleyball, and swimming haven't done that well in recruiting local talent and need to improve. While it seems soccer maybe missing out by not dong more state wide recruiting. Even though the metroplex is probably as good a recruiting area as there is, I have to think there a few top tier players from other parts of the state that would be like to be part of the Green.

Actually he was credited with a 9.4 100 yard dash time in high school. Although the times were even more unreliable than they are now. The only three I can think of that could have been faster were Woodson, Bridges and Shanklin.

I believe J. T. Hollins was also on the DCTF first team. He like Finch was a bounce back from another school but played three years for Fry at NT. He was a wide receiver and one if not the fastest player to ever play for NT. As far as the Milton Collins signing, it may be hard for most to believe but it was bigger than the Riley commitment. Milton was rated the number one recruit in the state at the time. Fry really could recruit against any school in the state and I still remember him quoting that if he could get any player on the campus at NT he could sign him. It is great to have someone with a similar attitude again running the show.

By the way, I do not follow track too much, so, how does the 6ft-9in high jump rate as far as track standards go? I also remember the NT track team signed a high jumper earlier this year that will walk on this fall as a WR. I wonder if Brigham will walk on with the NT track team?

Desmond is apparently a great athlete. 6'9 in the high jump and once scored 45 in a basketball game and this was in his junior year.

I doubt the Belt has any interest at this time in Jackson State or any other 1aa move up. But I wonder, does anyone know the procedure for adding another team? Does it require a majority vote, an unanimous vote of current members, or something in between?

The tentative tennis roster is now available on the official athletic site. Looks like there are only two returning players from last year team and a couple of new transfers from the state of Arkansas. Based on googling, Catalina Cruz as listed on the Ouachita roster was the MVP and freshman of the year for division II Gulf South Conference. Rachel Wilhelm played number 5 for the razorbacks. Akin, Ashley - Fr. Plano, TX (Plano West HS) Cruz Gomez, Olga Catalina 5-4 So. Bogota, Columbia (Ouachita Baptist Univ.) Franca, Idalina 5-2 Sr. Sao Paulo, Brazil (Guiomar Rocha Rinaldi) Joubert, Amy - Fr. Pietermaritzburg, South Africa Kazarova, Narine - Fr. Frisco, TX (Centennial High School) MacKenzie, Shannon 5-2 Fr. Allen, TX (Allen HS) Moreton, Sammie 5-3 Jr. Winchester, England (Kings School) Ranganathan, Madura 5-5 Fr. Coimbatore, India (Perks Sec. School) Wilhelm, Rachel 5-10 Jr. Coppell, TX (Univ. of Arkansas)

Best three: Joe Greene, Walter Chapman, and Brandon Kennedy. Runner up: Reginald Lewis.

CBL keep up the good work, much better analysis than a lot of people getting paid for their efforts. The player turnover you are running into almost makes NT losing four scholarship players with eligibility remaining (Sturns, Jackson, Edwards and Fleming) look like less than the norm.

Are you sure Earnest Little is going to play? He completely dominated the Syracuse front line in the NIT, but I figured those little burglary and evading arrest charges probably ended his basketball career.

Anyone else notice that two of the three students in the picture on the official athletic website with visible computer screens seem to be studying the athletic web site? Not sure that helps their overall academic development.

I'll vote for Jamario, he is the only one on the team that has shown he can be spectacular. There is a lot of experience on this team and I think there are many players that will upgrade their play next year. The fact is though that NT other than Thomas does not have any players that have yet demonstrated the talent to be truly outstanding in the Belt. There are a few players that have been good enough to get some conference recognition such as Chapman, Weathers, Spencer and Holman, but done have earned first team all conference. Think back a few years when NT ruled, there were multiple players who were all conference for a number of years: Hall, Spencer, Kassell, Zuniga, Kennedy, Gardner, Jones, Buckles, etc. IMO, with a few exception there is just not that kind of talent available among NT current lettermen. I think NT will be much better than generally predicted this year but I don't see a lot of individual stars but a group of good dedicated players perhaps playing above their natural talent level.

You can technically have two or more black bishops, etc. This does not occur with experienced players because the Queen obviously is the much stronger piece. There have been reported games were the pawn was exchanged for a knight, the one piece a queen can not duplicate its moves. The opponent expecting a queen exchange is ultimately checkmated by the unorthodox move.

I would not discount DCTF prediction, who knows the situation better. Every other prognosticator I have seen either rates NT last or next to last in the conference. Nothing new. They look at a high school coach putting in a spread offense with no proven QB and few seasoned receivers. What I don't get is that the entire defense is back and DD's awful offense is being replaced. Even DD won two Belt games last year with a team with lame duck coaching and little enthusiasm. The defense should be better with a lot of experience returning and the offense can't be worse than it was last year. I don't expect the media to rate NT high but middle of the pack seems more in line with the returning team.

I am against any drawings or gifts to entice the student population. These gimmicks have never worked. They may increase attendance for a game but I have never seen any long term positive effect. Those students that are true fans will attend most games. The casual student will go when it is perceived as a "big" game. IMO a fan that has to be brided to attend an event is not worth the effort. I wonder if student attendance would be improved if students were given actual football tickets at enrollment. These would have to be presented along with a valid i. d. for admittance. The tickets would be something more tangible and therefore perceived as having value as well as serving as a reminder of games to be played.

I think they could be released from their scholarship agreements by the school without the loss of a year, but I doubt that New Orleans would do that. Athletes sign contracts with schools not coaching staffs. I believe other schools were the coach has left before the recruits actually enroll have released the athletes but I think that is rare.

You can't decommit from a signed scholarship agreement. Certainly smells like some recruiting "irregularities' may have surfaced and he is leaving for the good of all concerned. It will be interesting to see if more of this story is ever revealed.

Sounds like a truely gutless move. He had one of the best recruiting classes in the Belt including Fulce which was apparently one of NT's main targets. Williams Resigns as Men's Basketball Coach Courtesy: UNOPrivateers.com Release: 07/06/2007 Courtesy: UNOPrivateers.com http://www.unoprivateers.com NEW ORLEANS – University of New Orleans Director of Athletics Jim Miller has announced that head men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams has resigned to pursue other career interests. Williams, who coached one year on the Lakefront, went 14-17 (9-9 Sun Belt Conference) this past season and helped the Privateers reach the SBC Tournament quarterfinals. He leaves behind a team which will return four starters from the 2006-07 squad, including Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and AP All-America guard Bo McCalebb. “I am extremely disappointed that Buzz Williams has decided to resign,” Miller said. “But it’s his decision on what to do with his career, whatever the reasons. He has made giant strides at improving our program, for which we are grateful, and I pledge that those positive strides will continue with a new head coach.” Miller said a search will begin immediately. Williams came to UNO after serving as an assistant coach for two seasons at Texas A&M. Prior to that, the Van Alstyne, Texas, native spent four years at Colorado State where he was associate head coach in 2003-04. He also had previous assistant coach stints at Northwestern State, Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas-Arlington. A 1994 graduate of Oklahoma City University, Williams has been a part of two NCAA Tournament teams (Texas A&M in 2006 and Colorado State in 2003) as an assistant. WILLIAMS TIMELINE 2006-07 University of New Orleans (Men’s Head Basketball Coach) 2004-06 Texas A&M (Men’s Assistant Basketball Coach) 2000-04 Colorado St. (Men’s Assistant/Associate Head Basketball Coach) 1999-2000 Northwestern St. (Men’s Assistant Basketball Coach) 1998-99 Texas A&M-Kingsville (Men’s Assistant Basketball Coach) 1994-98 Texas-Arlington (Men’s Assistant Basketball Coach) 1992-94 Oklahoma City (Men’s Undergraduate Assistant Basketball Coach) 1990-92 Navarro (Men’s Undergraduate Assistant Basketball Coach)

It seems to me that a factor that many are ignoring about next year club, is that this will be one of the most experienced clubs in NT history. With 50 letter-men and 10 returning starters on the defensive side, this team should be ready to excel. With any kind of offensive improvement, this team should be a contender for the Belt crown. Historically first year coaches have been very effective; Price at UTEP, Stockwell for the Muts, and Hayden won the valley in his first year at NT. I think this is due to a big emotional boost that sometimes occurs. Troy or anyone else in the Belt is far from being unbeatable. It is strange to me that many assume success against SMU and a loss to Troy. SMU should be the better team. I am not going to be down on the coaching staff if they do not have a winning year but at the same time I do think that NT will be in the Belt title hunt. Before you anoint Troy, the Muts , or any other team the new power in the Belt, let one of them win an outright championship. Troy may develop into a Belt power they do seem to not only get players into school that others have problems enrolling but somehow unlike the Muts and others that have tried that recruiting strategy they seem to remain in school.

I believe the WAC has tried this before, did not work well. I think the WAC said loud and clear in the last conference turnover fest that they had no interest in eastern expansion. They chose to offer Idaho membership rather that taking more than one more eastern team. Why in the world would NT want to be in a Western conference? Although unlikely, the best outcome would be that the Belt and CUSA split into two regional conferences. SMU, Tulsa, Rice, Houston, ULM, ULL, Ark State, Tulane, UTEP and NT in one conference. USM, Memphis, Fla Int'l, Fla At'l, WKU, MTSU, Troy, UCF, and Ala Birmingham in the other. This would create geograhical interest and dramactically cut travel costs. Neither new league would be outstanding, but IMO equal to the current CUSA and Belt.

I guess there is not a possibility that we could refain from posting about when we will lose TD until he at least coaches one season.