Buford_Julep

Ark St 93, Henderson St 46 FAU 73, Lynn 69 FIU 61, Nova Southeastern 57 Louisiana U 87, Millsaps 57 William Carey 71, La-Monroe 69 Mid Tn 81, Cumberland 70 Mid Tn 75, North Alabama 57 Western Ky 89, LCC International 64

I apologize for not being clear enough. The purpose of the stat is to see the percentage of attempted 3's out of total field goal attempts. Making or missing the shot has nothing to do with it. Divide 3-point attempts by total field goal attempts. In 2008 UNT attempted 29.9% of all the shots it took from outside the 3-point arc. UNT attempted 70.1% of all the shots it took from inside the arc. 53.6% of Samford's shots were 3-pointers. Samford was ranked #1 in propensity to shoot 3's. 22.1 of Southern Mississippi's shots were three pointers. Southern Mississippi was ranked #341 in the likelihood that they would attempt a three. North Texas was ranked #278 in this study. In previous years: 2006-07 ___ #259 2005-06 ___ #169 2004-05 ___ #236 2003-04 ___ #209 (This is as far back as Pomeroy goes) The point I am trying to make is that North Texas is far less likely to attempt a 3-pointer compared to other D-1 teams. It has been said more than five times that all NT does on offense is jack up threes, but it is not true.

Yes, Last year was a good year. In order to put the Jones era into perspective some records of recent and most notable coaches are posted below: North Texas All-Time best FT-shooting Teams: 1. 71-72 ___ .740 (This Gene Robbins' team went 8-18) 2. 63-64 ___ .737 (Charles Johnson was coach for a 7-17 team) 3. 75-76 ___ .731 ( Bill Blakely 22-4) 4. 07-08 ___ .7189 (J. Jones 20-11) 5. 68-69 ___ .7186 (D. Spika 15-10) 6. 78-79 ___ .710 (B. Blakely 11-16) 7. 01-02 ___ .708 (J. Jones 15-14) 8. 04-05 ___ .7021 (J. Jones 14-14) 9. 02-03 ___ .7198 (J. Jones 7-21) 10.65-66___ .701 (D. Spika 5-20) Jones era free throw percentage: 01-02___ .708 02-03___ .702 03-04 ___.640 04-05 ___.702 05-06 ___.662 06-07 ___.657 07-08 ___.719 Jankovich era free throw percentage: 94-95___ .663 95-96___ .689 96-97___ .666 Trilli era 97-98 ___ .701 98-99 ___ .658 99-00 ___ .665 00-01 ___ .673 Gales era 86-87 ___.693 87-88 ___ .649 88-89 ___ .658 89-90 ___ .652 90-91 ___ .685 91-92 ___ .681 92-93 ___ .657 93-94 ___ .669 94-95 ___ .663 95-96 ___ .689 96-97 ___ .666 Blakely era 75-76 ___ .731 76-77 ___ .659 77-78 ___ .680 78-79 ___ .710 79-80 ___ .695 80-81 ___ .665 81-82 ___ .691 82-83 ___ .662 Spika era 65-66 ___ .701 66-67 ___ .675 67-68 ___ .644 68-69 ___ .719 69-70 ___ .668 70-71 ___ .700 Thanks to Media Guide and Official Web Site.

According to Pomeroy Basketball, last season NT was ranked #278 out of 341 D-1 teams in the category of most likely to put up a three. This was not someone's opinion. The ranking was based on 3Pt Fg Attempts divided by total FG attemts. Shooting 3's did not hurt NT last season. The Mean Green were ranked #20 in 3Pt FG %. There are two other often repeated myths about NT basketball. North Texas plays one of the weakest out-of-conference schedules year-after-year. The 2008 rating was #86. North Texas is consistently one of the worst free-throw shooting teams in the nation. The 2008 ranking was #77.

After seeing Q watching games and talking with JJ at the GASO and seeing Q in the video room at the Super Pit, I asked him if he was a grad assistant. He said yes.

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Here are some things we can expect to see from George Odufuwa next season: 1. The pick and roll will be seen more often. It hasn't been seen much since Jeffrey Simpson was here. 2. Expect to see Odufuwa consistently knock down 15-foot jump shots. 3. Odufuwa will take a pass at the high post. The defender guards too closely and Odufuwa takes it in for a dunk. 4. The other team presses. Odufuwa catches a pass at mid-court and drives to the basket for a dunk. 5. Odufuwa will run hard up and down the court every time. 6. When the other team has a big man that likes to slip outside for a three. Odufuwa will be right there with him. That was a problem area last season. 7. He will play with a fiery attitude and will be very physical player. 8. I expect him to be a big fan favorite and to be the most hated player in road games.

South Alabama won 26 games last season. New Orleans had a competitive team last season. At least USA beat UNO which was more than MTSU did. UNO defeated MTSU 82-75 in Murfreesboro. MTSU had trouble advancing to the Sun Belt semi-finals with a couple of close games against bottom-feeders ULM and Troy. MTSU defeated La-Monroe 74-69 in Murfreesboro and Troy 65-59 in Mobile. I agree. MTSU should be much better than last season. But, that has been the expectations many times over the years. MTSU has brought in many impressive players that disappointed or never suited up. Any MTSU fans care to comment? I am looking forward to seeing it and I appreciate the work you put into it.

My picks (not guaranteed): EAST 1 USA 2 MTSU 3 FAU 4 WKU 5 FIU 6 Troy WEST 1 UNT 2 Louisiana U 3 UALR 4 La-Monroe 5 Ark St 6 UNO 7 Denver USA returns the best set of bigs in the conference. They lose two very good players in Bennett and Merritt, but they may have the replacements. Third-team All-Conference guard Domonic Tilford will move to pg. top subs BJ Ford and Daniel Hayles return. Hayles started 20 games for Auburn in 2004-05 and 2005-06. Juco newcomer LaShun Watson averaged 15.7 points to lead team in scoring in recent Canadian tour. Dallas Pinkston freshman Demarius Jones averaged 11 on the same tour. I think USA is the team to beat. MTSU returns the whole team and is the consensus favorite. MTSU got hot right at the end of the season, but was not that impressive overall (2007-08 schedule and results). MTSU basketball also has a history of underachieving. MTSU will be good, but not nnecessarily the best. WKU just loses too much. Three starters and the best rebounder off the bench have graduated. No Sun Belt team can replace a first-round draft choice like Courtney Lee. Brazleton was an outstanding player also. WKU also took a big hit when some of their recruits jumped ship after the coach signed with South Carolina.

True. It is also true that coach Jones has said he wanted to play a game there.

My wife says, if for example, your parents or her parents or friends were coming to oogle the new baby, it might be OK to ask. She doesn't think you should ask if it means leaving her alone with the new baby.

Several other players have the same history as Shorter, and they all kept their committment to NT. There is nothing unusual about a player playing one D-1 season then moving to a Juco. They don't have to sit out a year and they don't lose eligibility. Isaac Hines...Lamar...Collin Co CC Jonathan Jackson.......Eastern Washington....Mineral Area CC Adam McCoy....UT-San Antonio....Mesa CC Dominique Johnson...Missouri-Kansas City....Fort Smith Ar CC

The DRC reported that Dodge spoke with his team for 30 minutes after the game. “We are all embarrassed,” UNT head coach Todd Dodge said. “Our coaches and players are embarrassed by our performance tonight.”

Lindy's All-Conference Team: G.Collin Dennis UNT G.Josh White UNT F.Carlos Monroe FAU F. Desmond Yates MUTS F. Alex Galindo FIU Lindy's Player of the Year...Carlos Monroe FAU Lindy's Honor Roll: Best Shooter... Josh White UNT Best Rebounder...Carlos Monroe FAU Best Playmaker...Kevin Kanaskie MUTS Best Defender...Calvin O'Neil MUTS Most Versatile...Stefon Pettigrew WKU Best NBA Prospect...Desmond Yates MUTS

Athlon: East: 1. MUTS 2. USA 3. WKU 4. FAU 5. FIU 6. TROY West: 1. UALR 2. UNT 3. LaLa 4. Denver 5. ULM 6. ASU 7. UNO Lindy's: East: 1. MUTS 2. USA 3. FAU 4. WKU 5. FIU 6. Troy West: 1. UNT 2. UALR 3. LaLa 4. Denver 5. ULM 6. ASU 7. UNO

We were #3 last week. Defending #1 FIU beat Toledo 35-16. #2 San Diego St beat Idaho 45-17.

One week earlier, Toledo took #25 Fresno State to overtime before finally losing 55-54. FIU appears to be much stronger than anticipated.

I remember seeing live snakes on the playing floor, but it was part of a pre-game or halftime show. The snakes were closely watched by several people with snakehooks and they obviously knew what they were doing. I don't remember seeing any rowdies running out on the court with live snakes, but given the general atmosphere of that place, it might very well have happened. I do remember fans throwing toy rubber snakes at the visiting team while they warming up and at the refs after calls went against NT. It was much more common to throw cups of ice at the refs and opposing players.

If it sounds like it used to, I would not bring babies or noise sensitive children. I have a vivid memory of small girl running towards the exit with her hands covering her ears. It was so loud the scoreboard horn could not be heard. The timekeeper fired a pistol to signify the end of the half and the game.

My adopted player, Aaron Fortenberry, kept his redshirt on against LSU.

During the 1973 and 1979 oil crises, the price went up and gas stations ran out of gas. For the past three years we keep hearing "supply and demand" as the prices continue to go up, but it seems that all the gas you can afford is always readily available. There hasn't been any gas stations out of gas, lowering of speed limits to conserve gas, printing of rationing coupons (albeit unused) or congress passing and a Republican President signing an Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act authorizing price, production, allocation and marketing controls. All that happened in 1973. I'm sorry but if there is plenty of $5 a gallon gas available after this, I want to know why.

Mean Green out-of conference road schedule so far. All games listed are on opponent's athletic site. Nov 17.....@ Oklahoma State Nov 23.....@ Indiana State Jan 3........@ Arkansas Houston Chronicle.com has reported that North Texas will play at Houston on an undetermined date. If that game makes the official schedule, that would make a 28 schedule. NCAA teams are allowed 29. Last season's home opponents Centenary, Hartford and Southern do not list a game with North Texas on their schedules, so the last game is anybody's guess.

A blast from the past. I saw Jim "Bad News" Barnes (not to be confused with thug, coke-head Marvin "Bad News" Barnes) play for Cameron JC (now Cameron U) vs Decatur Baptist JC (now Dallas Baptist U) at Decatur somewhere between late 1960 or early 1962. I still have many TV memories of the pre-maturely bald Lucious Jackson and his rim rattling dunks. Back then Boston vs Philadelphia was the NBA game on TV almost every Sunday. It is easy to forget a player who teamed with Wilt Chamberlain in the low post, but Jackson was not underated at the time.

Chapman was one of about four assistant student managers. Their job is to bring out the equipment before practice, clean up after practice, chase down loose balls and hand towels to the players.

Aaron Fortenberry, OL.....No stats, no news and not listed on two-deep chart.