Things Can Always Be Worse

[emmitt01]

We could be SMU...we'd be 8-15 overrall and 2-8 in conference (witha loss to that "ppwerhouse" southern)

[eulesseagle]

we could be VMI.....averaging about 93 points per game, leading the nation in scoring and only be 13-11.

Edited February 18, 2008 by eulesseagle

[class84]

we could be VMI.....averaging about 93 points per game, leading the nation in scoring and only be 13-11.

We WERE VMI in the late 70's and early 80's. It was frustrating to know we had enough talent on the roster to score at will, but we couldn't do the little things to win games consistently. It was always entertaining, though.

[Buford_Julep]

We could be Denver and have a road record of 0-13.

[eulesseagle]

BJ-

touche', those Blakley teams were exciting to watch......especially we played DePaul to a near packed house.

[CMJ]

BJ-

touche', those Blakley teams were exciting to watch......especially we played DePaul to a near packed house.

But we had like three 20 win seasons under Blakely. How can you say we didn't win consistently?

[eulesseagle]

cmj-

i never said unt did not win consistently under coach Blakley. i said he was exciting to watch and especially the DePaul game to a near packed pit. BJ converse point concerned this years VMI team, which is leading the nation in scoring, and coach Blakley's UNT teams of the 80's which lead the nation in scoring. the point being is VMI's current 15-13 record to UNT's 20 game winning records of the 80's.

[bstnsportsfan3]

we could be boston college who has an above .500 record at 13-11 but have lost 7 of their last 8.

[Quoner]

we could be boston college who has an above .500 record at 13-11 but have lost 7 of their last 8.

We could be Belicheck and have our glass empire crumbling around us as the media uncovers a new layer of our sorriness everyday.

I think BC's Beanpot title will keep them okay with what's going on with b-ball. Quick - Google Beanpot and learn what it is, Boston Sports Fan!

[CMJ]

cmj-

i never said unt did not win consistently under coach Blakley. i said he was exciting to watch and especially the DePaul game to a near packed pit. BJ converse point concerned this years VMI team, which is leading the nation in scoring, and coach Blakley's UNT teams of the 80's which lead the nation in scoring. the point being is VMI's current 15-13 record to UNT's 20 game winning records of the 80's.

Sorry....somehow I was thinking you were class84 I guess. His time period he mentions would be when Blakely was here and he implied we didn't win. Sorry for the mixup.

[class84]

We won a lot of games until 1978 or so, and got screwed out of post-season recognition. I'm referring more to the end of the Blakely era, from '79-'84, we were pretty much a 14-16 win team every year. There were some good wins (UT with LaSalle Thompson coming to mind), but we weren't able to get over the hump and do enough to get into a tournament.

[eulesseagle]

cmj-

no problem.....i hope that is the worst mistake you make this year.

[ADLER]

We won a lot of games until 1978 or so, and got screwed out of post-season recognition. I'm referring more to the end of the Blakely era, from '79-'84, we were pretty much a 14-16 win team every year. There were some good wins (UT with LaSalle Thompson coming to mind), but we weren't able to get over the hump and do enough to get into a tournament.

Then, in 1983, Tommy Newman arrived to rescue us from all those 14-16 win seasons. I remember talking to Tommy during his first season, how he had pulled the scholarship offer from some juco kid that Blakely had offered. "We're not going to be wasting scholarships on five foot three kids.". The player was so small that people just called him 'Spud'.

[CMJ]

I can't find his season by season records anywhere(and it was before my time), but I seem to remember that Blakely had like one losing season here at NT. We have coaches that go almost 10 years with acouple of winning seasons. How in the hell did Blakely ever get fired?

[eulesseagle]

"Spud" Webb was a legitimate 5'6" (or so) and could dunk the ball....in practice and during the game. "Spud," also won the NBA Slam Dunk contest one year...maybe twice. I saw him play several times when he was at Midland J.C.. North Texas had a chance to hire the Midland College coach (i can't remember his name, now) who had won several J.C. national championships and wanted to bring most of those guys to NT if he was hired. NT went for Newsome and the Midland JC coach ended up as the coach at UTA. He coached a year or two and had some sort of nervous breakdown and was released from his contract.

short players that have done well at NT:

Joe Hamilton.....about 5'8" or 5'9"

Josh White........about 5'10"

please dont post Randy Newman's Short People song.

[GrandGreen]

I can't find his season by season records anywhere(and it was before my time), but I seem to remember that Blakely had like one losing season here at NT. We have coaches that go almost 10 years with acouple of winning seasons. How in the hell did Blakely ever get fired?

Blakeley inherited the best recruiting class possibly ever at NT and took them to three straight 20+ win seasons. He was basically a .500 coach once he had to live on his own recruits. The class Blakeley inherited, recruiting by Gene Robbins and chief assistant Tubbs. 6'8 Melvin Davis and 6'8 Fred Mitchell both 5a all starters and 6'7 Kenneth Williams a second team all state player. (5 man all state teams not the 20 players teams common now). In addition, a first team Juco all American, 6'8 Terry Bailey and one of the best shooting guards ever at NT, Carl Jones who transferred to NT and became eligible Blakeley's first year.

Blakeley added one piece to the puzzle, point guard Weasel Johnson and he was off to the races. However, Blakeley like most after him could not recruit and hovered about .500 for about 5 years before being dismissed. Blakeley, right or wrong, continued to publicly lambaste the administration for poor budget support and IMO hastened his firing.

Bill Blakeley's record:

TeamWinsLossesPct

82-83 North Texas 15-15 .500

81-82 North Texas 15-12 .556

80-81 North Texas 15-12 .556

79-80 North Texas 13-14 .481

78-79 North Texas 11-16 .407

77-78 North Texas 22-6 .786

76-77 North Texas 21-6 .778

75-76 North Texas 22-4 .846

Edited February 18, 2008 by GrandGreen

[bstnsportsfan3]

We could be Belicheck and have our glass empire crumbling around us as the media uncovers a new layer of our sorriness everyday.

I think BC's Beanpot title will keep them okay with what's going on with b-ball. Quick - Google Beanpot and learn what it is, Boston Sports Fan!

Believe me....i know what the beanpot is having lived in new england for 16 years....also...my patriots are innocent untill proven guilty...IN BILL WE TRUST!

[FirefightnRick]

"Spud" Webb was a legitimate 5'6" (or so) and could dunk the ball....in practice and during the game. "Spud," also won the NBA Slam Dunk contest one year...maybe twice. I saw him play several times when he was at Midland J.C.. North Texas had a chance to hire the Midland College coach (i can't remember his name, now) who had won several J.C. national championships and wanted to bring most of those guys to NT if he was hired. NT went for Newsome and the Midland JC coach ended up as the coach at UTA. He coached a year or two and had some sort of nervous breakdown and was released from his contract.

short players that have done well at NT:

Joe Hamilton.....about 5'8" or 5'9"

Josh White........about 5'10"

No Deion Hunter?

Rick