Harry

The irony is that we started C-USA based on TV markets and then the value of TV markets went down in value. Now it appears the value of TV markets may be back, especially if schools can't sell game tickets and club seats etc.

Read more: https://sports.yahoo.com/with-budgets-tightening-will-more-college-sports-be-cut-204423901.html

He's really blowing up right now in the national media. Such a great story.

Former North Texas quarterback Mason Fine wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, and he had his Pro Day workout canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, which he called “disappointing and frustrating." However, despite all of the obstacles in his way, Fine has been doing his best to show coaches around the league that he may be worthy of a draft selection. Fine threw for 12,505 yards and 93 touchdowns over four college seasons at North Texas. Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nfl-draft-prospect-qb-mason-fine-trying-make-good-first-impression-with-teams

In three-plus seasons as a starter at pass-happy North Texas, Fine showcased a quick release, savvy decision making and a knack for extending plays with his feet. He was the Conference USA offensive player of the year twice and set school records in career passing yards (12,505), passing touchdowns (93) and passer efficiency (140.68). Fine would be one of the two shortest quarterbacks in the NFL next season if he makes a team. Of the 98 quarterbacks on NFL rosters last season, 63.3 percent were 6-foot-3 or taller and only Arizona’s Kyler Murray and Seattle’s Russell Wilson were listed as shorter than 6 feet. Consider Fine lucky to be trying to break into the NFL now rather than a decade ago. The league has ever so slowly begun to embrace quarterbacks who stand around the 6-foot mark or just shy of it, as long as they possess uncommon arm strength and athleticism. Read more: https://saintswire.usatoday.com/2020/04/13/2020-nfl-draft-prospects-saints-mason-fine-north-texas-football-news/

Fine is a dark horse in this year’s draft class, an unheralded prospect who might be picked in the final rounds if at all. That puts him in a similar boat to Florida International’s James Morgan, Hawaii’s Cole McDonald, and Colorado’s Steven Montez. What sets Fine apart from those other late-round prospects is his sky-high college production. He put the team on his shoulders at North Texas with over 1,000 pass attempts in four years, leaving school with a solid 62.8 completion percentage and with 93 touchdowns thrown against 34 interceptions (15 of those coming in 2017, his first full year as a starter). He’s shown he can handle a high volume of dropbacks, a responsibility some collegiate passers struggle with. Read more: https://saintswire.usatoday.com/2020/04/13/2020-nfl-draft-prospects-saints-mason-fine-north-texas-football-news/

Solid post MGT, and I will add - I think location will play a much larger role in the decisions than perhaps before. I think families will want their kids to stay closer to home given the situation we are in right now with Covid-19. Families will want to be able to drive to see their kids play versus fly etc.

Sad day. He is a great player and this is a loss to us. Sooners are getting a great one.

Welcome to the Mean Green WIllie!

He was inducted into the Tyler Junior College Hall of Fame back in 2016: https://tylerpaper.com/sports/college/plenty-of-smiles-at-tjc-s-circle-of-honor-induction/article_73337c12-889f-50cf-b7f5-bafadbf27486.html

Greenminer thank you, no I don't think he coached there but I may be wrong. He coached under Corky Nelson, Matt Simon and Darrell Dickey at UNT for a time. I am not sure where or if he coached after. I do believe he was a high school coach at Lewisville for a period of time. He coached the UNT linebackers and was a great recruiter. For instance, he was involved in us landing Jonas Buckles out of Houston. His son Jason was a QB at UNT under Simon. He recruited the golden triangle as a coach. He was also a good player at UNT. After he left coaching I do believe he was involved with a national turf company that we used for the Apogee Stadium opening. He was always very kind to me and I learned a lot about football from just having conversations with him. I received a PM from one of his players who is a member here. I wish I could post his message as it shows how deeply his players felt about him. I know there are many on this site that knew him and were touched by him over the years. He will be missed by so many. RIP Coach Mills.

Big loss for the UNT community and me personally tonight folks. I am receiving reports that great UNT player and coach Chuck Mills has passed on. I knew him personally and was always struck at what a larger than life person he was. He was an amazing coach, so knowledgeable and a great teacher. He was a damn good football player. His fellow coaches and players adored him. He also was very well respected throughout the state and nation. He was one of the funniest guys you have ever met and his laughter was contagious. He represented UNT to the very end as I often saw him at UNT games and events. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family which includes his son former UNT QB Jason Mills. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61047/m1/106/

Good to see Mark still on the Sam Houston roster: https://gobearkats.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/mark-tikhonenko/4361

Some highlights in case you missed them:

Nice find Travis!

This is awesome!

DENTON – The Mean Green receiving corps is one of the most talented and explosive groups within the program. 2020 marks the first time the group will be working with a new starting quarterback under head coach Seth Littrell and associate head coach/co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Tommy Mainord. We take a deep dive into the wide receivers room in this edition of position group breakdowns. "I'm very excited about this group coming back," Mainord said. "We have great leadership with our seniors Jaelon [Darden] and Deion [Hair-Griffin] and a lot of younger guys that have the talent to do big things. I'm also very excited about the two incoming freshmen coming in. "We are all right now just focusing on everyone and their families staying safe during these unique times, making sure we are on top of our academics and working out independently as much as we can. The hard part is just not being able to see them. We have a great room of people that pull for one another and is a very close-knit group. We are making sure we get together using technology to stay connected. I know without having spring ball, the receivers are hungry to get back out there as soon as they can. They are a group of men that love to compete and love [the game of] football. I can't wait to get back out there and watch them succeed. It should be a lot of fun once the season gets started." Outgoing: Three receivers from last season's roster have moved on, two of which graduated, and another who decided to enter the transfer portal. The Mean Green see a major piece in slot receiver Michael Lawrence graduate after a stellar career in Denton. Originally a preferred walk-on, Lawrence earned a scholarship and a shot to compete at the next level with his productive career at UNT. Lawrence finished his career with 143 receptions (ninth most in program history) for 1,929 yards (12th in program history) and nine touchdowns, averaging 13.5 yards per catch across 46 career appearances. The Sweetwater, Texas, native was the team's second-leading receiver in 2019, after he caught 48 passes for 661 yards and three touchdowns. In addition to Lawrence, Dennis Smith has graduated as well. Smith, originally a transfer from Sterling College. Smith made one appearance and had one career catch for the Mean Green. The third and final outgoing player from the 2019 team is Rico Bussey, Jr., who entered his name in the transfer portal. Bussey had a very productive career for the Mean Green, hauling in 128 career receptions for 1,941 yards (ninth in program history) and 21 touchdowns (tied for fourth in program history). Bussey appeared in just three games in 2019 before suffering a season-ending injury in the game at California in September. Bussey had five catches for 150 yards and a score this past season. New Faces: There are just two new names in the wide receivers room, both of which will join the program in the fall. Detraveon Brown – freshman (arriving in the fall) – Shreveport, Louisiana (Northwood HS) Brown was a late surprise commitment during the February signing period and was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and was the No. 43 player out of the state of Louisiana. He made 37 appearances at Northwood High School and totaled 151 receptions for 2,568 yards and 46 touchdowns. As a senior, Brown was named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association all-state honorable mention team after catching 57 passes for 904 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2019. Brown, who measures at 5'11" and 178 pounds, was a highly-sought after prospect who at times held offers from Colorado State, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Monroe, Ole Miss, South Alabama, Southern Miss and UT San Antonio. Loronzo Thompson – freshman (arriving in the fall) – Friendswood, Texas (Clear Brook HS) Thompson, like Brown, was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN. Thompson came in at No. 76 on Vype Houston's Hot 100 List for the 2020 class and was named Second Team All-District 24-6A following his senior season. The 6'0", 160-pound receiver was a two-time letter winner at Clear Brook High School and had 96 catches for 1,191 yards and 15 total touchdowns (12 receiving) in two varsity seasons. He made 10 appearances as a senior and caught 42 passes for 578 yards and six touchdowns and tacked on 99 yards rushing and another two scores. Read more: https://meangreensports.com/news/2020/4/9/football-position-group-breakdowns-wide-receivers.aspx

https://www.usbasket.com/NCAA1/news/625536/Mykell-Robinson-Opts-for-North-Texas-over-Wyoming-and-Minnesota The rebuild of Wyoming basketball continues for new head coach Jeff Linder . And it is not always smooth sailing. Mykell Robinson, a 6-6, 190 pound shooting forward from Sunrise Christian Academy, announced his commitment to North Texas State👀. Earlier in the week, Robinson said he had narrowed his choices to Wyoming, Minnesota and North Texas, and would announce a decision on May 1.

In McBride's 2019-20 stats (Sophomore season), he averaged 52.9% from three point range. https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2019-20/div1/players/mardrezmcbridepkin In McBride's 2018-19 stats (Freshman season), he averaged 33.6% from three point range. https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2018-19/div1/players/mardrezmcbridenfid

State fans discuss him as a prospect: https://247sports.com/college/new-mexico-state/board/103615/Contents/drez-mcbride-mens-hoops-145432757/