Now That We Have This Loss To Ua-lr Behind Us,

[NorthTexasFan]

...are we an improved team this year under JJ? Give me your thoughts.

[Travis]

no.

We still lose when it counts most

[e-bone ver2.awesome]

Did RV give JJ another ultimatum of a .500 season to keep his job? RV finally pulled the trigger on DD, but that took, what, 9 years? I'm not too confident in the future of NT basketball , even with the excellent talent on the team. Talent needs coaching at the D1 level.

[Eagle1855]

Did RV give JJ another ultimatum of a .500 season to keep his job? RV finally pulled the trigger on DD, but that took, what, 9 years? I'm not too confident in the future of NT basketball , even with the excellent talent on the team. Talent needs coaching at the D1 level.

the difference between JJ and DD is that JJ never won the conference 4 times in a row--- or at all.

[NorthTexasFan]

We may be speculating a bit early. There are still many games remaining.

[e-bone ver2.awesome]

We may be speculating a bit early. There are still many games remaining.

History tends to repeat itself. Hopefully something wacky happens this season and the team goes on a run and tears it up. I'm not betting on it, though.

[chrisfisher]

no.

We still lose when it counts most

What about the Western Kentucky victory? That was a clutch win. What about all the on-road OOC wins this season? We are a MUCH better team this year so far. But, there are alot of games left to determine whether or not we have improved overall since last season.

[NorthTexasFan]

That's why I said in another thread that the next game against Arky state is a big one and will show what kind of character this team has.

[Keith7]

Edited January 5, 2007 by Keith7

[ColoradoEagle]

Yes, you got it right. We all want North Texas to FAIL.

Or maybe it's that we're all sick of seeing how bad at coaching JJ seems to be. He's a great assistant coach who can do some wonderful recruiting, but he doesn't have what it takes to coach at the D1 level. I was pumped in '03-04, and '04-'05 because I thought we were getting somewhere. '05-'06 ended up being the same as '04-'05, and '06-'07 isn't looking much different. Bottom-dweller teams are scoring record points against us (New Orleans, UALR), we miss free throws at clutch moments in the game, and seem to have very little on the court in the way of a game strategy. The bball program is spinning its wheels.

This isn't a knock on JJ in any personal way. One of the classiest guys I've ever met. We just need someone who can push this program forward.

Edited January 5, 2007 by ColoradoEagle

[MeanGreenBuzz]

Come on. Its one loss the sky is not falling. This team has done very well this year and beaten some very good teams on the road. UALRs coach Shields and Jones-Jennings just has Johnny's number. Remember we are only 11-4 it would take one hell of a breakdown for us to finish .500 this year. If it happens I agree fire JJ, but don't start the call just because we had a bad game. You have to expect after the way this team has played over the last month that they will have an off night at some point. We still have a real chance at 20 wins this season.

[ColoradoEagle]

We've beaten Charlotte, Rice, Tulsa, Texas State (SWT), SFA, Nicholls St, Western Kentucky, and Denver. We've lost to UT-Arlington, Nebraska (badly), New Orleans, and now UALR. 8-4 isn't bad, except our competition has been mediocre so far, Western Kentucky aside (they're highly overrated, though). You say it's only one game, but it's been 4 games now. A horrible loss to UTA who was taken down by the Division III powerhouse UTD the other night. A pounding by an extremely average Nebraska team. A double over time loss to New Orleans in a shoebox. And now this double digit loss to UALR.

I'm sorry, but JJ isn't the man to take us to 32 or the sweet 16. I have no idea who is, but it's just not him. I hope RV sees that after this season and we start our search for a new HC. Should we end up in the tourney, I'll gladly eat crow.

[eulesseagle]

JJ is one of the better coaches that NT has had in a long time despite all those who think the sky is falling.

UNT has one of the strongest benches, in the belt, in over 15 + years and probably longer than that and an excellent recruiter. Just look who he has gotten from Arkansas and AZ state and look who is coming in next year?

If the only stats you can see are the daily numbers and have "no" reference to the the past teams ... and I go back to watching the teams of Coach Spika in the mid-late 60's.... then you will know what I mean.

JJ's team this year will do very well and has an excellent chance of winning the SBC Tournament since that is really the only way that ONLY ONE SBC team will enter March Madness. Unfortunately, the SBC only has one slot for the "elite BB playoffs." It does not matter how we end up in regular season.....it only matters how we end up at the end of the SBC tournament.

Be patient, JJ will do very well this year. This is one of the better coaches I have seen at UNT and IMHO RV better keep him.

[NCMeanGreen]

We may be speculating a bit early. There are still many games remaining.

True, but I tend to agree with everyone else that we seem to lose when it counts the most. The Charlotte game was AWESOME (I was there to watch it)...the Tulsa win was great, too (although a very sloppy game), but you do have to question some things after a loss like this. We all know we have talent...that cannot be used as any excuse.

What needs to happen???

[GMoney]

I'm not going to defend JJ on this one. It was a bad loss at a time when we needed to keep pace in the West. However, there are going to be games when teams just shoot lights out against you. UALR shot over 60% from the field at nearly 70% from the three point line. It could be bad defense or it could be just one of those nights. I'm not sure, but there is always a game or two each year when an opponent will just fill it up no matter what you do.

[untwillrise]

I'm not going to defend JJ on this one. It was a bad loss at a time when we needed to keep pace in the West. However, there are going to be games when teams just shoot lights out against you. UALR shot over 60% from the field at nearly 70% from the three point line. It could be bad defense or it could be just one of those nights. I'm not sure, but there is always a game or two each year when an opponent will just fill it up no matter what you do.

Every game seems like the opponent shoots lights out. Now I am starting to think that its is bad defense. UALR is a much better team then I thought. We have to come back and murder a bad ASU team, If we don't then I will start to worry about JJ not being a good coach.

[BleedGreen]

Everyone freakin' relax. There is still so much to be excited about. Non conference road losses happen. If I am not mistaken, UALR and UNO were picked 1-2 in the conference and we beat the conference's best team year in and year out at their place. The true test is how we finish the conference schedule and do in the tournament. Home losses would also be very disappointing, but I haven't seen too many of those lately.

JJ is doing a good job. Next year promises to be very exciting too with a strong frontcourt of Q and Wooden and a backcourt that include a lot of scoring punch with Sturns, Dennis and Flemings.

We are starting to peak in my opinion. One loss won't kill us. We will win the next 3 in a row at least and be 13-4. Come on? When was the last time we had that record.

Relax and enjoy.

[untwillrise]

Everyone freakin' relax. There is still so much to be excited about. Non conference road losses happen. If I am not mistaken, UALR and UNO were picked 1-2 in the conference and we beat the conference's best team year in and year out at their place. The true test is how we finish the conference schedule and do in the tournament. Home losses would also be very disappointing, but I haven't seen too many of those lately.

JJ is doing a good job. Next year promises to be very exciting too with a strong frontcourt of Q and Wooden and a backcourt that include a lot of scoring punch with Sturns, Dennis and Flemings.

We are starting to peak in my opinion. One loss won't kill us. We will win the next 3 in a row at least and be 13-4. Come on? When was the last time we had that record.

Relax and enjoy.

I can't relax! I am greedy right now. I look at our team that JJ has put on the floor and I think that we should be dominating. How many times has UNT been to the dance. Every year has to be this year and never next year. Nobody knows how Flemmings and Collins will play next year. Maybe Q and Wooden fail a class. All this team needs is that killer attitude, Think that every team is out to get them, which they are, and just go full throtle from tip off to the final buzzer. This team is so deep and talented, no team should shoot a high %. JJ lets work on Freethrows and D-fense please.

[UNT_playmaker]

the UNO game was an exception because it was just one game, I just now heard we lost our second conference game...

We are better than last year. What matters is the SBC tourney..

[BleedGreen]

I can't relax! I am greedy right now. I look at our team that JJ has put on the floor and I think that we should be dominating. How many times has UNT been to the dance. Every year has to be this year and never next year. Nobody knows how Flemmings and Collins will play next year. Maybe Q and Wooden fail a class. All this team needs is that killer attitude, Think that every team is out to get them, which they are, and just go full throtle from tip off to the final buzzer. This team is so deep and talented, no team should shoot a high %. JJ lets work on Freethrows and D-fense please.

OK. Good point. I hate keeping have to wait until next year too. I so thought we were going to make it Jesse's senior year. THen, we somehow lost to SWTX in the conference final. That killed me.