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9 SEED—NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN (12-19, 7-13) Coach: Tony Benford STRENGTHS: Tony Mitchell is a sure first round NBA draft pick, and, although his numbers are down a little from last year, he’s a double double waiting to happen every time he steps on the court. He’s an unselfish player on the offensive end and the best shot blocker in the league, although he doesn’t have the most blocked shots. Sophomore Jordan Williams can really score the basketball. Roger Franklin is a very good rebounder despite being undersized. And, the Mean Green have Chris Jones back after he missed 16 games with a broken foot. Jones is an excellent point guard who averages nearly five assists per game. UNT has some depth at just about every position. Very good free throw shooting team. WEAKNESSES—Mitchell and Franklin are prone to foul trouble. This team doesn’t shoot it very well from the perimeter, less than 29% from three point range. Williams can shoot it, but the others are hit and miss from the perimeter. Team doesn’t force a lot of turnovers. OUTLOOK:–But let’s face it. This team puts the dys in dysfunctional. The players never bought into Benford’s system and it’s pretty obvious there have been chemistry and locker room issues all season. The injury to Jones notwithstanding, this has been the biggest underachieving team the Sun Belt has seen in recent memory. And, it can all be traced, at least for now, to the selection of Benford. It’s too early to call him the Todd Dodge of basketball, But AD Rick Villareal probably isn’t a happy guy right now. But make no mistake. The talent is there. And, this team has put it together in Hot Springs before. The question is, can they do it with Benford as coach. http://espn1420.com/sun-belt-tournament-preview-bracket-one-from-the-birds-nest/

That's encouraging, he must have three interviews set up for that time.

This guy has on a UT hat, UT pants, under his hoodie he has a UT shirt on, and sadly he dressed that cute kid in a UT hat, UT jacket, and UT shoes. Amazing!

So, let me get this straight. One could summarize the writer's "OUTLOOK" as essentially saying, "the team has plenty of talent and experience, but is it enough to overcome the ineptitude of the head coach?"

Anyone want to give me better than 100 to 1 odds, l think I can raise a few dollars. Although, with a few quarters exceptions, this team has never played close to it, I still think they have the most talented starting five in the league.

I figured he wouldn't be around long. He's done some good things in his time here. Here's hoping the next prez is a pro-athletics prez.

So your saying there's a chance !

Want to bet Dickey said North Texas State because it would annoy folks in Denton? Thats a ver Darrell thing to do.

Bet if you got your masters at UTA or UTD, it would not be in your signature line.

Curtis is correct!

I heard he was going to start subbing his suits like he does with the lineup in hopes of better results.

FOX SPORTS 1 will carry Conference USA games.It is the new 24 hour sports network.

He sent out an email this morning. This post has been promoted to an article

I agree, but I think that FIU's recent history proves that top notch talent (by SBC standards at least) cannot overcome incompetent head coaching.

"Very good free throw shooting team." Gasp! I bet this guy thinks those clouds over there are innocent too.

I would assume the LaLa radio announcer has some pretty good connections inside the league, and I know one LaLa assistant definitely has connections inside UNT's locker room. Maybe that LaLa coach has an agenda, maybe he doesn't, but to suggest this guy got his info from this website is kinda silly. Beer at Lucky!s

I don't think that we should wait until football is finished. Given the arms race, it will likely never be finished as we should be looking to constantly improve our facilities. The AD should always be looking for ways to improve the circumstances for all sports as well as adding new ones to improve the overall position of North Texas Athletics.

I got your four suits right here. Two corporate lawyers, an accountant, and a backstabbing stockbroker. Sounds like the beginning of a guys-walk-into-a-bar joke.

I certainly respect you and others expressing that point. . . . But is funding really our problem in football right now? It was obviously an issue through the Dickey and Dodge years. Baseball or no baseball, Coach Mac will be our coach for at least the next two years. We have as many coaches on staff as the NCAA will allow, and a dedicated football strength coach. Apogee is in place. We have quality practice fields. I imagine an indoor facility is on the way, but I don't see it as holding must-have-right-now urgency. And, as you mentioned, baseball probably won't stop us from adding that. I don't think our commitment to baseball will be half-hearted. I'm sure we'll have some growing pains, and we'll probably make some mistakes along the way (we are North Texas, after all), but it sounds like everyone is committed to doing this right.

This is a one suit coached team

Follow up question to this: Why does the baseball program forbid the addition of an indoor practice facility or anything else for that matter?

my apologies MeanGreen, when I went back to the thread "practice facility update" under basketball, it was forevereagle who made that point.

Dang, Papa Bear. I went to his office yesterday to invite him to my senior composition recital. This is my fault.

Cue Lee Jackson forced him out rumor mongering...5..4..3..

I appreciate your thoughts on Dickey and what he accomplished, but he was poor at representing our school and Mitchell was a class gentleman.

We won by 24 not 14

Don't let anyone drag you down. If you see someone and your brain says Texas Douche.... That person is clearly a Texas Douche.

As I have said before, we need transportation from the "A" Train station to the stadium and back. Some enterprising individual, or perhaps the Pedicab franchise, could make this happen as a private business.

I would rather he take one Lou Carnesecca sweater. To old of a reference?

Why would I say something? He can wear what he wants. It is just funny that he would go so overboard. You are right though, if he was at a UNT game or on campus like this then I would have to make fun of him. I recall when I was taking a philosophy class I brought up the fact that one girl had on a UT shirt on and some guy had on a UT hat. The professor completely stopped taking about Plato and the "Allegory of the Cave", and we talked about what motivated them to wear other schools clothing to a class at UNT. I believe the girls dad went to UT and the guy just like the longhorns. Either way, wear UNT if you go to UNT.

I thought I had heard all of Fry's (every once in a while) Fractured Tales but that is one that seems to have escaped me. What I did like about Coach Fry's Mean Green football teams was how most years they were playing at a Southwest Conference level of competition. it's been a long time for that but hopefully his disciple Coach McCarney will bring us back to the Promised Land. It's time. GMG!

I am sure the stadium will be nice just like the football stadium. They just need to start building so I can get my season tickets and start watching UNT baseball!

But how many of them will be empty...

LaRussa or any older coach is not the answer to a new program. You need a YOUNG assistant from a major college, a successful program. Someone with tons of energy. Being that the 2012 college WS champions was Arizona I would go after Sean Cole or maybe from UT Skip. But Skip probably wouldn't come. Whoever you get you need recruitment coverage, meaning someone from the Pac 12 would give you inside into west coast, AZ and even Tx. Then you hire your assistants from south Tx and north texas. Someone from somewhere like Grayson and San Jac. That secures your Tx recruits plus gives you pac 12 area. Just two cents from someone with 20...

Not a rumor. If I named my source I would hurt a very good friend. Not wiling to risk losing a friend when it would not change what happened.

He tried RV would not accept nor return his phone calls. Nor did RV call back the those that called on his behalf, coach Barnes at UT and Greg Popavich (sp?) are just a couple of examples of people that called for Kaspar.

Memphis is going to a BCS league? Someone should let the Big East know they're not coming.

Okay. Should have thrown in the North Texas State University reference in the title for good measure.

about time someone started a thread that interested me.

He's going to be there one year and transfer out.

I just hope he needs more than one of them. If he gets to a third suit I'll consider the tournament a decent success.

Hayden Fry's Book (A High Porch Picnic) NT section - Page 89 http://books.google.com/books?id=bANS-aNcpn4C&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=hayden+fry+talks+about+ken+washington&source=bl&ots=XUOWkVYAOU&sig=tzwkvMqWRpnovSLsRRFxVPv_3nc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Yjw1Uf_LJImrqAGJj4GwDA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Thanks...hopefully the Mean Green will give me a bowl game to go to in 2013!

Did you say anything? I bet not. Give people enough hell and they might think twice about wearing that crap. This isn't even a big deal though. If it was actually on campus, then you definitely say something.

I don't know, Tasty. He wins by playing defense. This UNT team damn sure can't shot the ball, so I think a defensive minded coach, with these athletes, may have been able to get the performance we and everyone else expected. Lord knows it would have had to be better than the completely inconsistent defensive effort we have seen this year. If you can't score the basketball, a good plan is to make it where your opponent can't score the basketball even more.

I have also heard the same from someone who would know.

This kinda sounds like a vicious rumor that cannot be validated. I, and probably just about everyone else on here, would love to hear your source.

I think you're a douche for posting this, and having TCU in your signature line. Let's focus on the real issues here, cupcake! It's only a douche move if he wore that to a UNT event.

Which means ...