Texas El Paso (1/2/15)

[FirefightnRick]

UTEP on a 20-5 run, leading 47-43 with 8:33 to play.

Rick

[Andrew]

Somehow we still managed to out rebound UTEP and also have a higher FG% and three point%. Our free throw percentage was about even and we still lost.

[FirefightnRick]

57-53 UTEP with 1:48 to go.

Rick

[Andrew]

I did have the privilege of sitting behind Deandre Harris parents and have some great basketball conversation. My good buddy from college also was able to attend and have a chance to watch the team. It was a fun game even though we lost. I'm really excited about having Deandre and Reese in the back court next season. We still need to go out and get more size. Jermey is working his outside shooting which hopfully translates to playing more at the 3 next season.

I also would like to know if TJ is ok, Mo will suit up next game and if Harris will have to have a one game suspension due to the flagrant two. Three solid players and we need all of them on the same page and healthy going forward. We also need a lot of hustle!

Edited January 3, 2015 by Andrew

[FirefightnRick]

60-58 UTEP final.

Rick

[Andrew]

I also learned from my buddy that we do not run a 3-2 zone but instead run a 3-2 diamond press. Similar look but very different strategy. It's still a zone and we do drop into the official 3-2 defense at times. It's nice to have people who actually know the sport to talk to and not the "spectators who wish they could play" which I thought was a comment that fit nicely for a few posters on the boards

[Army of Dad]

I hate the fact we have to go back to EP to play the Miners. The refs are gonna have to do a better job keeping the game under control.

Spot on. They were terrible all night, never had anyone looking off the ball even when trouble/hot spots were present. Harris was taking an extra shot from UTEP player off the ball much of the game and they only called it once.

On the sequence that led to the ejections he was being fouled right in front of an official with both players on the floor and no call until it boiled over.'

[UNTFan23]

I also learned from my buddy that we do not run a 3-2 zone but instead run a 3-2 diamond press. Similar look but very different strategy. It's still a zone and we do drop into the official 3-2 defense at times. It's nice to have people who actually know the sport to talk to and not the "spectators who wish they could play" which I thought was a comment that fit nicely for a few posters on the boards

That includes you, right?

Still doesn't change that our offense is not good ... at all.

[Andrew]

That includes you, right?

Still doesn't change that our offense is not good ... at all.

We had a higher field goal percentage and a higher three point percentage than UTEP on the night. We really need steady point guard play and to cut down on the turn overs. I'm hoping deandre can be the guy this season to take the point to the next level. It allows TJ to play the shooting guard and come off the bench which is where he was sucesful last season. Turnovers and second chance points are the only reason we lost the game today. This has been the issue all season so one can only hope it gets fixed eventually. It sure would be nice to have CJ back and running point. I would trade CJ for Ward (injury) in a heartbeat. It's going to be interesting to see how this season pans out and how we recruit with are last three scholerships.

[Rudy]

I also learned from my buddy that we do not run a 3-2 zone but instead run a 3-2 diamond press. Similar look but very different strategy. It's still a zone and we do drop into the official 3-2 defense at times. It's nice to have people who actually know the sport to talk to and not the "spectators who wish they could play" which I thought was a comment that fit nicely for a few posters on the boards

Kind of like the posters on this board that wish they could coach?

[UNTFan23]

We had a higher field goal percentage and a higher three point percentage than UTEP on the night. We really need steady point guard play and to cut down on the turn overs. I'm hoping deandre can be the guy this season to take the point to the next level. It allows TJ to play the shooting guard and come off the bench which is where he was sucesful last season. Turnovers and second chance points are the only reason we lost the game today. This has been the issue all season so one can only hope it gets fixed eventually. It sure would be nice to have CJ back and running point. I would trade CJ for Ward (injury) in a heartbeat. It's going to be interesting to see how this season pans out and how we recruit with are last three scholerships.

Our free throw shooting was still bad. This really jumped out at me but UTEP had as many made FTs as we did attempts. I think a lot of that comes down to settling for jumpers rather than driving to the basket.

If something doesn't change on the offensive side of the ball, I don't see a way for this team to make to .500 come conference tournament time.

[GMG24]

There is no such thing as a 3-2 diamond press.

[Andrew]

Our free throw shooting was still bad. This really jumped out at me but UTEP had as many made FTs as we did attempts. I think a lot of that comes down to settling for jumpers rather than driving to the basket.

If something doesn't change on the offensive side of the ball, I don't see a way for this team to make to .500 come conference tournament time.

I think we will be Atleast .500 however we do have a lot of work to do offensively. We hustle on defense a lot more than on offense. If we would hustle off the ball we could get up some uncontested shots. We were running a form of the motion where jordan and TJ or jordan and mo were running the basline trying to go off screen and hoping to get open in the corner but neither hustled and neither lost their man. Instead they would get the ball with a hand in their face and then have to turn it. Jermey hustles on offense but does not have the abilities of guys like TJ and jordan to hit the shots. If we are to have a good offense we have to work off the ball and also clear the lanes. Deandre can beat his man one on one but when the lane is packed it's hard to get up a decent shot and real easy to draw a charge. Our guys need to work together. They have to read the court and the ball. Find seems, make cuts, and work off the ball!

[Andrew]

There is no such thing as a 3-2 diamond press.

I'm going to trust people who have coached and played in college but thanks. Maybe it has a different name to certain teams but I'm going to go ahead and trust a person who has run the defense. Maybe they call it something different?

Edited January 3, 2015 by Andrew

[GMG24]

Think about it... And I have coached thanks bud, 3-2 odd then even front impossible to be a diamond. Any type of diamond press is a 1-2-1-1 or a 1-2-2 where the back to rotate back and forth on a pendulum. I've been coaching basketball for 8 years and played since I was 6 so I've been around it for awhile. Next time you want to make an assumption make sure it's the right one. Sure people can call it different stuff but I've never in 20 years of being around basketball heard anything called a 3-2 diamond press. Since you like to flaunt your friends knowledge, where did he so illustriously play in college.

[UNTFan23]

I think we will be Atleast .500 however we do have a lot of work to do offensively. We hustle on defense a lot more than on offense. If we would hustle off the ball we could get up some uncontested shots. We were running a form of the motion where jordan and TJ or jordan and mo were running the basline trying to go off screen and hoping to get open in the corner but neither hustled and neither lost their man. Instead they would get the ball with a hand in their face and then have to turn it. Jermey hustles on offense but does not have the abilities of guys like TJ and jordan to hit the shots. If we are to have a good offense we have to work off the ball and also clear the lanes. Deandre can beat his man one on one but when the lane is packed it's hard to get up a decent shot and real easy to draw a charge. Our guys need to work together. They have to read the court and the ball. Find seems, make cuts, and work off the ball!

Just who do you think we will beat that is on our schedule?

I give us, at best 50/50 odds against UTSA (2 games), Rice (2 games), UAB, Southern Miss, and Marshal (7 games total) but no way I see this team sweeping all those teams in our journey to get to .500 for the season. We might get lucky and catch someone and win a game (at best two) against a conference foe that has a winning record. However, this team is currently 0-4 on the road and averages only 56.75 points/game, so there is that.

01/02/15 vs. UTEP * The Super Pit L, 85-71
01/04/15 vs. UTSA * The Super Pit 2:00 p.m. CT
01/10/15 at Rice  * Houston, TX 2:00 p.m. CT
01/15/15 at Charlotte *Charlotte, NC 6:00 p.m. CT
01/17/15 at Old Dominion * Norfolk, VA 6:00 p.m. CT
01/22/15 vs. Louisiana Tech * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
01/24/15 vs. Southern Miss * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
01/31/15 vs. Rice * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
02/05/15 at Western Kentucky * Bowling Green, KY 7:00 p.m. CT
02/07/15 at Marshall * Huntington, WV 6:00 p.m. CT
02/12/15 vs. UAB * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
02/14/15 vs. Middle Tennessee *  The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
02/19/15 at Florida Atlantic * Boca Raton, FL 6:00 p.m. CT
02/21/15 at FIU * Miami, FL 5:00 p.m. CT
02/26/15 vs. Charlotte * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
02/28/15 vs. Old Dominion *  The Super Pit 4:30 p.m. CT
03/05/15 at UTEP * El Paso, TX 8:00 p.m. CT
03/07/15 at UTSA * San Antonio, TX 2:00 p.m. CT

So far we are 0-1 out of 18 conference games.

I just don't see us finishing .500 for the season and .500 in conference play.

Edited January 3, 2015 by UNTFan23

[Brett Vito]

MGB: UNT will likely be without Harris on Sunday

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/01/unt-officials-expecting-harris-to-be-suspended-for-one-game.html/

[golfingomez]

well, we only lost by 14... that's progress from the 15 point loss to Tech right?

[Andrew]

Think about it... And I have coached thanks bud, 3-2 odd then even front impossible to be a diamond. Any type of diamond press is a 1-2-1-1 or a 1-2-2 where the back to rotate back and forth on a pendulum. I've been coaching basketball for 8 years and played since I was 6 so I've been around it for awhile. Next time you want to make an assumption make sure it's the right one. Sure people can call it different stuff but I've never in 20 years of being around basketball heard anything called a 3-2 diamond press. Since you like to flaunt your friends knowledge, where did he so illustriously play in college.

No where special by an means (East Texas Baptist Univeristy) then went on to be an assistant coach at a small d2 school and eventually got his masters at UNT. Johhny offered him a graduate assistant position but he moved and and tried out for the Fort Worth flyers but then the team disband. Instead he ended up just going into the health industry but still follows the game when he can. I trust him along with some of the guys that I played in the UNT rec leauge an then city leauges because they all have experience either playing in college or professionally overseas. Me.... Never even played in high school. I just love the game and have picked it up from people who have offered help. Regardless of what anyone calls the defense he had its strategy down and could tell what player would go where as the ball moved around the permitter or inside. My guess is 3-2 diamond and 1-2-1-1 are similar or just different names for the same defense. You don't step out as far as we were in a 3-2 zone and they were trapping the corners and rolling a post player up to the free throw line.

Regardless, what ever it's called it is either very sucesful or allows teams to score at ease with how we run it.

[Mean_Green09]

Think about it... And I have coached thanks bud, 3-2 odd then even front impossible to be a diamond. Any type of diamond press is a 1-2-1-1 or a 1-2-2 where the back to rotate back and forth on a pendulum. I've been coaching basketball for 8 years and played since I was 6 so I've been around it for awhile. Next time you want to make an assumption make sure it's the right one. Sure people can call it different stuff but I've never in 20 years of being around basketball heard anything called a 3-2 diamond press. Since you like to flaunt your friends knowledge, where did he so illustriously play in college.

Agreed. In all honesty we'd be better off playing a 3-2, but packing it in. Our wings consistently get beat off the dribble.

Tony B even called it a 3-2 zone with some hybrid looks.

[Andrew]

Just who do you think we will beat that is on our schedule?

I give us, at best 50/50 odds against UTSA (2 games), Rice (2 games), UAB, Southern Miss, and Marshal (7 games total) but no way I see this team sweeping all those teams in our journey to get to .500 for the season. We might get lucky and catch someone and win a game (at best two) against a conference foe that has a winning record. However, this team is currently 0-4 on the road and averages only 56.75 points/game, so there is that.

01/02/15 vs. UTEP * The Super Pit L, 85-71
01/04/15 vs. UTSA * The Super Pit 2:00 p.m. CT
01/10/15 at Rice  * Houston, TX 2:00 p.m. CT
01/15/15 at Charlotte *Charlotte, NC 6:00 p.m. CT
01/17/15 at Old Dominion * Norfolk, VA 6:00 p.m. CT
01/22/15 vs. Louisiana Tech * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
01/24/15 vs. Southern Miss * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
01/31/15 vs. Rice * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
02/05/15 at Western Kentucky * Bowling Green, KY 7:00 p.m. CT
02/07/15 at Marshall * Huntington, WV 6:00 p.m. CT
02/12/15 vs. UAB * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
02/14/15 vs. Middle Tennessee *  The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
02/19/15 at Florida Atlantic * Boca Raton, FL 6:00 p.m. CT
02/21/15 at FIU * Miami, FL 5:00 p.m. CT
02/26/15 vs. Charlotte * The Super Pit 7:00 p.m. CT
02/28/15 vs. Old Dominion *  The Super Pit 4:30 p.m. CT
03/05/15 at UTEP * El Paso, TX 8:00 p.m. CT
03/07/15 at UTSA * San Antonio, TX 2:00 p.m. CT

So far we are 0-1 out of 18 conference games.

I just don't see us finishing .500 for the season and .500 in conference play.

UTSA and Rice is four wins. The Florida schools are two more very possible wins. marshall should be a win as well. That's 7. Then go out and suprise a team or to and there is 9-9. Am I saying I am satisfied with tht record? No. I do however see it as a possibility. 16-16 is very possible again. At that point I would be stuck on what to do going into next season with the team and the coach.

[Andrew]

Agreed. In all honesty we'd be better off playing a 3-2, but packing it in. Our wings consistently get beat off the dribble.

Tony B even called it a 3-2 zone with some hybrid looks.

I have noticed that the past couple post game interviews. It's not a typical 3-2 although from a glance it certainly looks like it. That's what's nice about a zone is you can make it do whatever you wish. (I still like man the best). NBA is a different game because the zone is illegal defense. The offensive game is more one on one which apparently a lot of people prefer.

[BillySee58]

MGB: UNT will likely be without Harris on Sunday

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/01/unt-officials-expecting-harris-to-be-suspended-for-one-game.html/

No Harris, and maybe no TJ Taylor, who may play but likely wouldn't be near 100% if he does play. Looking at GWP and Eaglin as your point guards, and only 8 healthy players total. This UTSA game at home is one we need to win. Even if you are short handed.

[Andrew]

No Harris, and maybe no TJ Taylor, who may play but likely wouldn't be near 100% if he does play. Looking at GWP and Eaglin as your point guards, and only 8 healthy players total. This UTSA game at home is one we need to win. Even if you are short handed.

This better not pan out like the SFA game.....

I'm also interested on the Anefiok issue. He seemed really upset about getting benched and even jordan could not talk him down. He was at the end of the bench the last 30 minutes of the game in his warm ups.

[UNTFan23]

UTSA and Rice is four wins. The Florida schools are two more very possible wins. marshall should be a win as well. That's 7. Then go out and suprise a team or to and there is 9-9. Am I saying I am satisfied with tht record? No. I do however see it as a possibility. 16-16 is very possible again. At that point I would be stuck on what to do going into next season with the team and the coach.

Prairie View should have taught everyone that no game is a gimme. We still have to play UTSA on the road and we straight up stink away from home right now. I say we split the series but that still puts the team one game down on the goal of 9 conference wins.

Rice beat UTSA 67-52. I think our games with Rice will turn out to be more of a battle than you are thinking. If we manage a split with them I'll consider us lucky.