Whupped

[UNT_92_Fan]

I believe we could have beaten that team....any team that shoots as well as USA did that night will win a game....i guarantee they dont shoot lights out every night... UNT doesnt shoot that bad every game.... if u have even the slightest experience playing basketball there are off nights....Do i think we were outcoached...thats another topic but as far as the shots early until mid second hapf before desperation began....there were good looks and they just didnt fall.....

Plain and Simple in my eyes....Off Shooting night with some poor coaching decisions....

Don't hang up your green shirts though the season is half over and we have a contender....come support them!

[TIgreen01]

Couple questions, as this was my first bball game of the season: was this the first team to apply a press to us all year? We executed EXTREMELY poorly in breaking through it...and not having seen JJ in action all that often, he never seemed to get frustrated with the players. Now I've heard he's an extremely laid back guy, but he never even looked disappointed with their execution(I sat directly behind the bench and watched him most of the game--esp. during timeouts). I guess I am just wondering what his strategy was regarding that...to me, the press completely disrupted us, but we NEVER adjusted to it---so it must not have been worrying him too much?? My other main thought on the game was how in the world are we 12-6 at this point....this team appears (or at least for this one game) to only have 1 true scorer on the roster (K. Davis)....what role does Simpson usually play for us? Seemed like USA's strategy was to get him out as fast as possible, and they executed that to perfection...though in his limited minutes he sure didn't look like an offensive threat.

Oh, and who was the huge guy who wore warmups the whole game?

[Stan R]

Couple questions, as this was my first bball game of the season:  was this the first team to apply a press to us all year?  We executed EXTREMELY poorly in breaking through it...and not having seen JJ in action all that often, he never seemed to get frustrated with the players.  Now I've heard he's an extremely laid back guy, but he never even looked disappointed with their execution(I sat directly behind the bench and watched him most of the game--esp. during timeouts).  I guess I am just wondering what his strategy was regarding that...to me, the press completely disrupted us, but we NEVER adjusted to it---so it must not have been worrying him too much??  My other main thought on the game was how in the world are we 12-6 at this point....this team appears (or at least for this one game) to only have 1 true scorer on the roster (K. Davis)....what role does Simpson usually play for us?  Seemed like USA's strategy was to get him out as fast as possible, and they executed that to perfection...though in his limited minutes he sure didn't look like an offensive threat.

Oh, and who was the huge guy who wore warmups the whole game?

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I think we do have some good shooters, Sturns is another one who I've seen shoot really well at times. But if I'm the coach after the 4th or 5th steal I see out there from a double team, I'm calling a time out for a serious change in strategy. Doesn't any good coach do that when his team is getting manhandled like that? 92?? any answers?

[Stan R]

And as for the shots not falling, that one is easy. That's because they couldn't freaking get open for 1 or 2 seconds before some defender was up in their face. Our guys were doing everything the could to just HOLD ON TO THE DAMN BALL. It was men among boys for this game. period.

[eaglehoney]

For JJ first two seasons I never missed a home game. Season three I missed maybe two or three games. After season three I have caught a game here and there. I do not make the games mainly because for a few years I have seen SEVERAL players with a lot of talent lose due to lack of good coaching. I can honestly say that JJ does not do a good job of adjusting. The press has been the down fall of the Mean Green for several season. At some point he must figure out a way to adjust to the press. Since this is my first game this season I do not really know the talents of most players on the roster. For those of you that have been to the games this season, can someone tell me why Watson isn't starting? I noticed that JJ is still running the same plays he ran back in the 2001-2002 season. They did not work then and they do not seem to be working now. JJ was out coached for sure Saturday night. From reading other post, Simpson is a very talented player. It was very smart of USA to get him out of the game as quick as possible. With Simpson out, it was free reign down the lane.

Since JJ coming on we have had some good JUCO players and transfers to come in. But how does he ever expect his team to really catch fire if the roster does a drastic change every year. At some point he should have had a young recruiting class so that those players could have grown together. Call me crazy but this method is working for Slinker. She has at least 6 players that are in their 3rd season together. They know each others strengths and weaknesses. With JJ you just don't have the repetition.

Someone, in this post asked how the record is currently 12-7... It is because, UNT plays a crap non-conference schedule.

This season is far from over, and with the talent on the roster they can be the team to beat in the end. Will that happen? It is possible.

[FirefightnRick]

Well, they can get mad if they want it's a fact

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Before I respond I have to ask, that since you know it's a fact that going to the dance would give the university more exposure than playing in a bowl game, then my question is were you attending or following North Texas in 1989?

Rick

Edited January 31, 2006 by FirefightnRick

[GMoney]

Before I respond I have to ask, that since you know it's a fact that going to the dance would give the university more exposure than playing in a bowl game, then my question is were you attending or following North Texas in 1990?

Good reply!

As for the post regarding JJ getting out coached. Let's back off of JJ a bit and stop acting as if this is weekly. There has never been a coach who hasn't had an off night and been out coached. Wooden, Roy Williams, Iba, Knight, Riley, Larry Brown have all been out coached. There are times when you don't have the answer or your players don't/can't make your adjustments or the other team just has your number. That's simply what happened the other night.

USA played awasome. Their defense was great, they shot lights out, hit big buckets, got us in foul trouble and dictated the tempo. We all hate the loss, but back off of JJ, he hasn't been out coached very often. Just give USA their props, they deserved it.

Edited January 31, 2006 by GMoney

[Michael Scott]

USA played awasome. 

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NT did not play (Evan Card)Well.

Lame joke of the night!

[GMoney]

USA played awasome.

NT did not play (Evan Card)Well.

Lame joke of the night! 

I just really want a Skip (Bayless) shot! If you're a DFW resident and listen to the ticket you know what that means.

[Michael Scott]

I just really want a Skip (Bayless) shot!  If you're a DFW resident and listen to the ticket you know what that means.

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Hahaha - awesome

[mwynn05]

Before I respond I have to ask,  that since you know it's a fact that going to the dance would give the university more exposure than playing in a bowl game,  then my question is were you attending or following North Texas in 1989?

Rick

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New Orleans Bowl=Joke NO ONE CARES who wins it or who is in it. If you are in the dance you actually have a chance to accomplish something that people would care about. No one cares about the New Orleans Bowl there fore oyu dont get a whole lot of exposure. The only time North Texas got a lot of exposure for going to the NO Bowl was because we were under .500.....The exposure was the fact that it was a joke we were even in a bowl game.

[UNTSportsGuy]

I agree, when you get to the dance, you get a whole stadium rooting for the underdog to knock someone off. People want a "little engine that could" bandwagon to jump on.

[FirefightnRick]

New Orleans Bowl=Joke NO ONE CARES who wins it or who is in it. If you are in the dance you actually have a chance to accomplish something that people would care about. No one cares about the New Orleans Bowl there fore oyu dont get a whole lot of exposure. The only time North Texas got a lot of exposure for going to the NO Bowl was because we were under .500.....The exposure was the fact that it was a joke we were even in a bowl game.

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I'll take that answer to my question as a NO.

We went to our only trip to the big dance after winning that power basketball conference, the Southland Basketball Conference, and played against North Carolina in 1988. The game was played on a friday morning and PARTIALLY televised on ESPN which very few people in Texas even saw. Even fewer remembered the following season. There is no comparison to the '89 bb season and any exposure gained from the '88 tournament appearance played before a work-day veiwership, to that of the '01 Bowl game played before an uninterrupted, 3 hour national primetime audience and the exposure it gained for us going into the '02 football season. No comparison at all.

Now, I'm not saying that NT can't make it back to the dance, get a first round win and make some huge headlines around here. In fact many here on this board feel that would be the EASIEST way for NT to make a name for itself, to build a successful basketball program before building a successful football program. But we haven't even come close to it since the '90 or '91 season that I recall, with one of the states top bb facilities to recruit to. Yet football, even as a 1st-year-conference champion at 5-6, with one of the worst facilities to recruit to, in the weakest conference nationally, has won NT the most positive sports coverage that I've seen the past 25 years by winning in football and playing in a bowl game.

As for that great '88 bb season I can't even go to a basketball game now at the Super Pit and find more than a small handfull of people who still remembers that season, or that basketball team or anything very memorable about it. But I can find as many as I want who still remembers facts about the '88 football game against tU in Austin that took place 6 month later.

I'm curious. Is there anyone else on this board that attended the NT vs UNC game in Salt Lake in '88?

Rick

Edited February 3, 2006 by FirefightnRick

[CMJ]

.

I'm curious.  Is there anyone else on this board that attended the NT vs UNC game in Salt Lake in '88? 

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I watched on TV. I was 9 at the time.

The coverage of the tourney is a ton better now than it was back in 1988. Ever since CBS started broadcasting the opening round in (I wanna say) 1991 it has grown. Not that it wasn't a big deal before that, but people tended to not start watching until CBS started broadcasting games in the 2nd round. ESPN wasn't avalable in nearly as many households 20 years ago.

[TIgreen01]

I agree with FirefightnRick, getting to the dance is not enough....you have to win a game for it to garner more headlines than any bowl game appearance would. When was the last time that a team from the Sun Belt even won an NCAA tourney game??

The NCAA tournament is my favorite sporting event of the year---by FAR....and I'm a much bigger football fan than basketball. The tourney presents an actual chance for the little guy to step up and beat the big boys---but that doesn't change the fact that I usually know nothing of the little guy (except the Sun Belt rep.) unless they actually win a game and make some noise. Also, usually the 1,2,3vs16,15,14 games are broadcast early in the day on the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament---with the closer matchups reserved for primetime (with the exception of Duke, UNC and some of the top draws---they will occasionally be highlighted in primetime vs. a 15 or 16 seed).....when the Sun Belt rep makes the tourney, we are never better than a 13 seed....which means if we make the tourney this year, we would most likely being be playing in the middle of a workday, smack in the middle of 4 other games going on simultaneously. Compare that coverage to the NO Bowl....which is currently positioned as the FIRST bowl game in the bowl season. More people are going to at least turn the game on b/c they haven't seen football in 2+ weeks.

I just don't really understand the argument that simply making the tournament would be better for the university than going to a college bowl game...even with the expanded coverage of the bball tourney as it is today, you'd still have trouble remembering who the 13-16 seeds were after the first round was over---unless one of them pulled an upset.

[CMJ]

By the same token could you name who played in say the '02 Independence Bowl without looking in archives somewhere? Not usually, un;less you had a vested interest.

[FirefightnRick]

By the same token could you name who played in say the '02 Independence Bowl without looking in archives somewhere?  Not usually, un;less you had a vested interest.

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Exactly, and the vested interest here is North Texas, not some other random team or random event I care nothing of.

By the way, my guess was TCU, which is wrong. However, it's a close guess since TCU beat Colorado State that year in the 2002 Liberty bowl, which has sort of an Independance type "Ring" to it, right?

Regardless, Nebraska defeated Ol' Miss in the 2002 Independance Bowl. I'm willing to bet that the following 2003 summer people in Lincoln were talking more about that than the stellar 13-15 season their men's basketball team had just completed, and it's an even safer bet that folks in Oxford were more excited about how far Eli Manning could take them over the chances of their men's bb team improving upon their 14-15 season that same year.

Rick

[CMJ]

Exactly, and the vested interest here is North Texas, not some other random team or random event I care nothing of.

By the way, my guess was TCU, which is wrong.  However, it's a close guess since TCU beat Colorado State that year in the 2002 Liberty bowl, which has sort of an Independance type "Ring" to it, right? 

Regardless, Nebraska defeated Ol' Miss in the 2002 Independance Bowl.  I'm willing to bet that the following 2003 summer people in Lincoln were talking more about that than the stellar 13-15 season their men's basketball team had just completed,  and it's an even safer bet that folks in Oxford were more excited about how far Eli Manning could take them over the chances of their men's bb team improving upon their 14-15 season that same year.

Rick

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But you make no sense Rick. We were saying that getting into the tournament would get us alot of coverage, equal to or more than our New Orleans Bowl appearances. Of course if we go 15-14 or whatever the team will get us no ink.

[TIgreen01]

By the same token could you name who played in say the '02 Independence Bowl without looking in archives somewhere?  Not usually, un;less you had a vested interest.

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Well, I'm not arguing that....what I'm saying is that the NO Bowl is uniquely positioned as the first bowl game of the season. That gives us a better shot at getting casual viewers. Granted, if the game is a bore-fest (like 2 of our 4 were), no one outside of the two schools will remember it.....BUT, you are talking one game in primetime vs. 4 mid-day games for CBS to choose 1 game to broadcast regionally (basically, we'd have a slim chance of CBS choosing our game to broadcast).

Now, if we go to the dance 4 years in a row, we WILL get press (at least regionally). Whether or not anyone can actually see the games on tv is what I'm questioning.

[CMJ]

Well, I'm not arguing that....what I'm saying is that the NO Bowl is uniquely positioned as the first bowl game of the season.  That gives us a better shot at getting casual viewers.  Granted, if the game is a bore-fest (like 2 of our 4 were), no one outside of the two schools will remember it.....BUT, you are talking one game in primetime vs. 4 mid-day games for CBS to choose 1 game to broadcast regionally (basically, we'd have a slim chance of CBS choosing our game to broadcast).

Now, if we go to the dance 4 years in a row, we WILL get press (at least regionally).  Whether or not anyone can actually see the games on tv is what I'm questioning.

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North Texas would get their game shown in the DFW at the very least. Kind of like when any southern California school gets in that's the regional game that gets broadcast here in LA. So if Cal State Long Beach, or Pepperdine gets in the Dance, that's the game we see(as long as UCLA isn't playing at the same time).

Edited February 7, 2006 by CMJ

[Guest e-bone]

I believe I heard something about NCAA coverage for the first two rounds will be shown for free on the internet? Anyone else hear anything about that?

[NTEagle08]

I believe I heard something about NCAA coverage for the first two rounds will be shown for free on the internet? Anyone else hear anything about that?

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yes, all the tourny games in the 1st and 2nd round will be available on the net for free this year.

http://www.ncaasports.com/mmod