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http://cfn.scout.com/2/1292363.html

Count me as one who's ready to move on from this tired argument and admit that mistakes in the relationship were made on both sides. I'm excited for how Benford's responded and is building the program in spite of the disappointing season and equally excited for TM's future in the NBA and his forthcoming rise up draft boards. Go Mean Green

Dirk will be better at age 50 that Mitchell will ever be.

Only NT would have a player like Tony Mitchell and find a way to screw it up.

No, but it would help if you at least did so when you try to speak for him. Go back and read your post again. And, even if you cannot admit it or will not admit it, there was certainly more than one variable at work. But, since you are on your never ending crusade, it really makes for only frustration to try to even point it out to you these days.

I think Benford was the primary factor in such a crummy last season. However, Tony is responsible for Tony. There is a lot of difference in having an off year because of coaching and other outside influences and just not putting out the effort. If you are not motivated by the possibilities of multi-millions in pro salary or just by your team mates and school, than I have to question your heart or drive. Mitchell is an unique talent, who likes to dunk, block shots, and shoot threes. He did not like to mix it up under the basket or work to get the ball. Someone compared him to Dennis Rodman, not even close. Rodman had a unique ability to get to the ball and was nasty doing it. Mitchell in college could get up much higher than most everyone and got a lot of rebounds, but I seldom saw the kind of relentlessness or ball awareness that Rodman demonstrated. I am not stating that MItchell will be a bust as a pro. He definitely has some of the physical attributes to make it, but does he have the toughness? I hope he does.

"Brock and Roll" ... I thought that was a very good preview. Detailed and up to date through Spring ball and Abbe's suspension.

Just wondering when it was you talked to Tony one on one and gathered all this info?

Hang in there SCHOOL TEACHERS.... Your in the home stretch! Rick

Ever heard of Isaiah Thomas? Benford will suffer a similar Fate with a similar record. But we will keep him longer than FIU kept Thonas. You know, cause we poor.

In Internet slang, a troll (pron.: /ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is someone who posts inflammatory,[4]extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[5] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.

To the best of my knowledge NT is not scheduled to play UH, so why do you care about NT? I don't give a whole of lot of thought about UH so I wonder why you feel you must post about an university that apparently you don't support or is scheduled to play your favorite team. Unless you donate big money to UH, you have nothing to do with their recent success; so I fail to understand your glee that now UH is a much better program than NT. Unfortunately something, most schools can claim. The facts are currently that UH is a step higher on the athletic food chain than NT, but likewise multiple steps lower than the teams in the power conferences. People that support NT are battle tested and certainly not front runners and well aware of the status of NT programs. Other than looking completely foolish by most of your posts here, what do you think you are accomplishing?

White is a senior Recently broke school record in 400m hurdles & his time (49.93) is good for 3rd best in nation

"Tony, how does it feel to know you're being scapegoated for the failures of a basketball program and Tony Benford?" "Who?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmlMjVOl9UY

The selection of Tony Mitchell would make us look quite desperate for a HOF selection regardless of his success in the pros. UNT was no more than a small but necessary stepping stone for Mitchell. Those considered for our HOF should be solidly identified with UNT.

At least, he admits the obvious. If I was a scout I would have serious questions. Mitchell literally lost millions by his play this year, Why would anyone believe that he is going to get motivated after signing a contract when he was not before? I would be very leery of a player with a lottery salary to play for in college and admittedly dogging it, turning it on once he signs a contract in a season over 3 times as long.

I'm not saying I think Mitchell is gonna be an all-pro on the NBA, but only having nine posts, and defending Benford in many of them (while calling those out who question him as morons), is not exactly a voice of reason when it comes to NT basketball..

What will determine Tony's success in the NBA won't be hustle, as he will no longer be frustrated by inferior coaching. What will determine his success is if he can develop a better, I would even say different, outside shot and some back to the basket moves. NBA shooting coaches will completely re-work his outside shot (something that should have been done here) and it will take at least a year for TM to get used to the much quicker release. Of course, TM won't have 3 guys collapsing on him in the NBA, but he will have far more talented guys covering him one on one. What TM should be able to give a team immediately is defense, rebounding, and a presence in the paint. He can'e rely on his shot blocking on defense as much as he could in college, because everyone in the NBA is super athletic. He will need to spread is feet and play heads up, hard nosed defense. Depending on where he goes, I see him playing about 15-20 minutes a game, averaging 6-8 points, 5 boards, and 1 block a game his first year. I think you see these numbers steadily increase with each year in the league. The sky is literally the limit for TM.

I agree. It happens a lot. Look at the OKC Thunder in the playoffs after the Westbrook injury. They were a team that was a lock for the finals that suddenly lost it's balls and it's confidence. They were walking around like sad puppy dogs. Just like us after the Walton injury (kidding). When you lose to a D2 team in the 2nd game, I can see how that would set the tone for the rest of the season.

Well, considering the fact it was 17-0 within the first 5 minutes of our game against you. (If Levine would've let us follow tradition and ran the score up, it would've easily been 60+) then by your logic (when it comes to idiots like you, I use that term very loosely) if we, a team you guys couldn't hang with, are going to have a dogfight with UTSA, then they're going to blow you out. I like how you keep accusing me of failing out yet you can't explain why I was able to transfer to UH, a school with higher admissions standards. Especially for certain colleges. I mean, I know you're not the brightest guy around but surely, you would have came up with an answer for that by now.

The dirty secret is I bet most kids, at every program (even the top 20 ones), don't give 100% all the time. Do we all give 100% at our jobs? I doubt it considering the number of posts that go up on this site during working hours. A lot of work NOT getting done. Obviously comparing athletes to us working stiffs isn't a totally fair comparison, but still. You want guys to give you all they can. I'm sure Mitchell was trying everyday and every game. It's just easier to become distracted and/or dejected when things aren't going well. Then that hurts your effort, on a subliminal level. When I played tennis (which is all about self motivation!), if I was facing a guy who was much better than me, it could be hard to really dig in and fight after a set or so, when you knew you had no chance. A ball that I might try and chase in a more competitive match - I may let go if I'm down 6-1, 4-0. I was someone who grinded as it was, I never beat guys on superior talent (I beat guys better than me by making it a war of attrition and wearing them down mentally). But if there was someone who was leaps and bounds better and had me on a yo yo, why would you attempt to run something down (which might impede you on the next point as well) only to see it smashed in your face? It didn't mean I wasn't giving it my all per se. I kinda look at Mitchell in that way here. I bet at times it seemed useless to fight through triple teams when his teammates weren't helping him out...or even throwing him the ball.

After Benford year one you actually have any frustration left?

Will it be more of a "dogfight" than maintaining academic eligibility was for you at NT? I sure hope not.

Agree. This is a nice job and pretty darn spot on as far as where the challenges AND the opportunities lie for the Mean Green.

This is an amazingly thorough preview replete with up-to-date knowledge of the program. Bravo.

Looks like Tony will go top 20....16th to my celtics would be perfect. we need another PF and it would keep him in green....i think doc rivers and kg could motivate him.

Mitchell is the all-time block leader in less than two full seasons of action. That plus almost averaging a double double for his career should at least put him in the discussion for the HOF, whether one thinks he didn't live up to his promise or not. If he hadn't been so heralded and put up those stats, he'd be thought of much better.

I'll call your Bosh with a Lebron:

So, I have to talk to Tony to expect the coaching staff to make players better? I watched Benford yank players from the game all year long when they had been on the floor for maybe 2 minutes. He was actually asked about it by Vito and said that he had to yank them to talk to them about mistakes they were making (because, appaently, the Benford basketball scheme is the more complex than rocket science). As far as the confused defense, that also was something I saw with my own eyes. So,. tell me again, why am I talking to Tony when the only variable is a new coaching staff (and the fututre 2014 1st pick of the draft Brandon Walton, of course)?

Probably true...that would be great of you...will catch up with you soon.

Kram, I imagine I owe you $40 for renewal sometime this fall?

I don't know. You guys couldn't even take care of Texas St. last year. UTSA was even able to take care of that little chore. Maybe you guys will be on for a dogfight.

I'm pretty sure I remember this coming up his freshman year, but I'm too lazy to back and find it. It wasn't as much of a hot button as it was this year, but it was there. The scouts noticed last year or at least one of them did, someone posted the video on here a while back. If you didn't see it last year then you either weren't looking, you didn't see because your mean green/tony Mitchell #1 foam finger was in the way (this is where i fell) or you don't know as much as you want us to believe you do. I know you know basketball, so that rules that one out.

Not apologizing for him, but it's probably hard to keep it going mentally when things start going bad and the team has lost confidence in the staff.

It was in response to the question "what do you think scouts are looking for." What so funny is that no one questioned TMs motor his fteshman year. I wonder what the variable was...

A North Texas tradition ...

Adding onto this, I think the UTSA-UNT game is going to be a dogfight. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if UNT blows them out because there won't be much of UTSA left after New Mexico, Arizona, Okie Light, and we get through with them. Then they have to play through a handful of CUSA teams before they get to Denton. So it will be a real shame (and an automatic firing imo) if you guys lose to them.

I grew up with his grandkids and my Dad used to play golf with Coach Mitchell at the old golf course where Apogee now stands. He drove around in his own golf cart. It was blue and had, what we called, dingleberry fringe around the roof. He made me feel that way as a kid. He was a great man and I am happy he was chosen the Coach of All-Century Team. Wish they would name the field after him.

I raise you a Chris Bosh.

But just keep believing all that BS that was thrown around about lack of effort and how Tony wasn't really a top NBA draft pick. I bet Tony works his way back up to at least the 14th pick. History will show Benford as one of the all time worst hires at UNT... And that in itself is no small accomplishment

Keep in my mind they had just as many DI wins as we did last year. To pencil in a win for this game is foolish

And where is the outrage for Pres. Obama's "lie" that he would shit down detainee facilities at GITMO? He lied, right? Or, could it be that once he actually took office he realized how important those facilities were. Or did he just lie to get your vote? (I think he realized how important they were once he was actually President, by the way)

To be a lie, they would have had to know the truth at the time they made they statement. What your liberal source shiws are statements made that were later, you know, after we invaded Iraq and actually search Ed for and found no WMDs, ended up to be false. Calling those lies is just intellectually dishonest. Was the intelligence bad? Yes. Did the president take a chance? Yes. I wonder if you would be calling Pres. Obama a liar of he had ordered the Bin Ladin raid, the copter crash had killed half the SEAL team, and the intelligence happened to be wrong. I doubt it. Pres. Obama, much like Pres. Bush, made the best decision possible with the information at hand. Actually, there was probably a better argument for invading Iraq than there was for Pres. Obama to invade Pakistan, a county that possesses nuclear weapons. But, luckily, no Americans were killed in the crash and Bin Laden was indeed inside the compound, good for Pres. Obama and good for America. Surely you would be calling Pres. Obama a liar if the intelligence had not panned out, right? Right? The "bush lied" crowd can never produce a very important thing, the motive for the big lie.

Like how the kid is coming to UNT, but has a TCU shirt on. The school can't even get publicity from it's future students.

Commits to Houston.

I hope Mitchell does great, becomes all pro,an all star every season but to admit that you didn't give your best to your school, your coach, your teammates, and most importantely yourself is way beyond unacceptable. Now, 9 posts or 9000 posts has nothing to do with the topic nor my view of what was said in the interview. Tony Benford has coached 3 1st round draft picks over the last 3 years and was a 2nd round pick himself, so from my way of thinking that makes him far more credible than me or anyone else who posts on this board. If Coach Benford is not successful at UNT during the life of his contract then find another coach. My guess is that he will be successful. Only time will tell. Have a great day.

The Fish rots from the HEAD

Your right, I am on a crusade, a crusade to not let Benford destroy this basketball program piece by piece. A crusade to get rid of bad coaches, even if (gasp!!!!) you have to pay out 2 to 3 or even 4 years of a terrible contract. I'm on a crusade to point out how little this school's admiinistration really cares about athletics. Care to join me?