NT75

Buford, I agree. When a player like this falls in your lap you take a chance on him. I believe he will only have one year of eligibility left so if he is a bad actor you show him the door and nothing is lost.

I hope he can continue playing well, but anytime you have a walk-on PG playing major minutes or starting then that tells you that you have a major problem on your team. I know we have had a slew of major injuries, but even before that I thought this team had problems. So far I have only been to the TCU game and came away with the thoughts that this team had no on the court leader and lacked focus and chemistry. No one seemed to want to make the effort to rebound or play D. Without that you aren't going to win many ball games. JJ likes to run the ball and wants to play pressure D, but he can't do it with this group. I hope that the can get his kind of players in here soon. Speaking of recruiting....we were told what a great recrutier JJ was but we have yet to see it. I know it's early with some of these guys but why aren't Ty Thomas and others playing more, It's not like the guys in front of them are that good. When JJ first came here I posted, and got ripped for it, that I thought he should hold some of his scholarships back instead of using them since he came in late and was playing catch up. Well, it got us Lee Green, though the other Green (Jermaine) has turned out to be a good player. Hope this doesn't come across as too negative to those of you with the green colored glasses on, but this is just the way I see the situation as it exists right now. Here's hoping for better days.

Jack, I share your sentiments about Bruce Bell and I'm glad that he's back. I didn't know that he recruited Jamel Branch. That has turned out to be a very big pickup for us. It does bother me somewhat that a school like Tulsa can outpay us for one of our assistants. I hope that someday our athletic budget is large enough that we can meet any pay raises offered to our coaches by other schools. I think we will have some excellent candidates apply for the position because we are viewed as a much better program than we were just three years ago.

Bad loss. If this team doesn't rebound and play some defense it's going to be a long season.

And the day is not too far off until JJ starts to sign these type of players. Then UNT will be a tournament team.

I was not that impressed with SMU. The Hopkins kid is injured and if he can't go or is hampered Friday then that will make a big diffference in our chances. I look for a win in a close game. As far as Tech, unless they start rebounding better they will have trouble in the Big 12 this season.

Unbelievable!!! I had no idea there was this much ignorance running loose on campus.

I have mixed feelings about UNT aquiring the TWU Law School. It would be the final piece needed to make us a 'complete' university, so to speak, but I too would prefer that it be located in Denton. To me, Fort Worth means TCU, and I agree that the law students would not connect with UNT. I read Mr. Jackson's comments closely and he did say that he preferred leaving the law school at it's present location. He also said that the aquisition was in two pieces - the real estate and the operation of the school. I also read in another internet article that the Dean is stepping down in the Spring of 2003, so perhaps this is a matter of political posturing and the school would actually be moved to Denton sometimes in the future and the real estate sold to provide funding for the new Denton location. Many times there is another story behind what is being said publicly. Regardless, the good news is that we may finally be getting the Law School that Dr. Matthews passed on back in the 1960's.

Rick, that's the way I read it. Perhaps someone like Ken Murphy donated the money for the new floor. I hope they do a great job of decorating it where it looks classy. I didn't much care for how the old one looked. This was unexpected news and just another indication that RV is on the job and working hard to make things better at UNT.

From the USU press conference courtesy of trueags.com: Commissioner Waters spoke about the changes coming in their basketball tournament. He indicated that in two years the format will change from taking all teams to only taking 8 teams. This would mean that the top two teams from each division would go to the tournament as well as the top two teams at large. The men’s and women’s tournaments run at the same time and usually go from a Thursday to a Tuesday. He said, “It’s a Kick.”

Good pick-up for Tina. Tall girls who can play and have an upside are at a premium.

Folks, we all know that men's baseball is an expensive proposition. Annual operating costs would be in the $250,000 - $300,000 range, plus the $3.5 mil to build a decent ballpark. So we can't look for it to happen anytime in the near future. The day we do ever decide to add hardball will be an indication that UNT is drawing the attendance in football and basketball and receiving the dontations from our tight fisted alums in the numbers necessary to fund our athletic department to the level it needs to be. RV said we should have a budget of $15 mil. $20 mil gets you to the Louisville level and then you can really start to do something with your programs.

We've already got an amateur team in this area in the Texas Rangers

Buford, thanks for the report. Please keep us informed of the progress of the point guards, which is where we need to see the most improvement IMO.

Apparently this was erroneous. He has verballed to NMSU.Link

Silver Eagle, that was very well stated. That is the kind of information that Mr. Velez needs to hear.

Deep, I have to admit it bothers me, though I am not as emotional about it as some. Our colors are green and white. If we use colors other than that then we are saying we have no pride in our school. I have heard a lot of fans voicing their displeasure with this long before this thread originated. If the flag corps wants to use different color flags for certain themes that is fine, but I think beautiful green or green & white flags should be used.

Rivals Hoops is reporting that he has comitted to Tulsa.

He is not listed as a letterwinner at UNT. Oprah is making him a very wealthy man.

Right after posting the article, I wish I hadn't. It was an impulsive reaction on my part. There were other articles and letters to the editor from parents of some of the players. What this boiled down to was the coach not being able to control her emotions and using language to berate her players that she shouldn't have. We have all been guilty of not controlling our emotions. I hope that Coach Segal has attended some type of anger management counseling so that she can control her emotions to prevent these type of episodes from happening again. I totally agree that she is deserving of another chance. Perhaps a change of scenery and a new set of challenges will provided the perfect environment for her to excel in. That is obviously what RV is thinking as I'm sure he wouldn't have made this hire if he thought there was a risk involved.

New softball coach Stacey Segal was forced to resign. I hope RV did his homework. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 04, 2002 3/5 SEGAL OUT AT COLLEGE: Navarro's only head softball coach placed on leave Stacey Segal had taken the Navarro College softball program to great heights each of the first three years of existence, with the last two ending with appearances at the NJCAA national tournament. Now the first coach of the school's 4-year-old program appears to be out of a job. Navarro College president Dr. Richard Sanchez said Monday Segal has been placed on permanent administrative leave in response to recurring issues of anger and verbal abuse on her part. Those issues, he said, date back to an incident last season involving her temper and verbal abuse - issues which he said were beginning to manifest themselves again this season. He did not disclose exactly what those issues were but said they were brought to his attention this season by softball players and parents. Sanchez said Segal was placed on permanent leave as of last Thursday. Her contract will be paid through the rest of its term, which ends Aug. 31, he said, and she will not be offered an extension at that time. Assistant softball coach Jessica Karenke will serve as interim coach until Navarro athletic director Roark Montgomery can hire a replacement. The Bulldogs played their first game under Karenke Monday, sweeping a double-header from a school where Segal once coached, Northwood University. "I can't be real specific with you because this is a personnel matter, and with personnel matters, they are kept very private," Sanchez said. "I can tell you that last year we encountered some ... standards of negative professional demeanor as a coach. Those were addressed, and after lengthy conversations, everything was satisfactory and the season continued without incident." Segal wouldn't elaborate Monday afternoon on the issue which led her to be placed on administrative leave, saying only, "I've been placed on administrative leave and I hope to be re-instated." However, in a letter Segal said she sent to Sanchez dated Feb. 28, 2002, she offers the following: "Last year I had some problems. I am grateful to you for the guidance you gave me and for giving me the opportunity to work through those problems. I overcame those problems. I know that I have comported in an appropriate way in every respect, both on and off the field, and that I have done nothing to justify my firing." In that letter, Segal claims Sanchez did not give her an opportunity to hear the allegations levied against her which ultimately led to her being placed on permanent leave. "I asked for a chance to consider and prepare a truthful and accurate response," Segal states in the letter. "You did not afford that to me." Segal later stated in an e-mail received by the Daily Sun that events from which the allegations spawned happened at the Cowtown Classic in Fort Worth last weekend. "I am very concerned that (Sanchez' actions) and the actions taken by the college may affect my ability to get another job in coaching. ... I am disappointed that the college's administration thought so little of me that they did not show me the courtesy of letting me respond to allegations before taking action that could affect the remainder of my coaching career. I expected more." Sanchez said he met with Segal last week, but again noted he could not offer any specific information about that meeting. He did say Montgomery spoke with the players following the coach being placed on permanent leave and he himself wrote letters to the parents of the players to let them know this situation would not affect their daughters. "I have not spoken with her specifically about the allegation," Sanchez said. "I would think Coach Segal knows what the issues represent." Segal has made coaching stops at Wylie High School, Northwood University and Navarro College, compiling a career record of 238-99-1. She posted winning records at all three schools, going 136-49-1 at Navarro, 71-40 at Northwood and 21-10 at Wylie. Her Bulldog teams were Region XIV champions the past two seasons.

I'll cut to the chase. I don't think our SID is doing a very good job. We need someone like Brian Briscoe who has the local media contacts. How come all these other coaches are being interviewed on radio and TV and Dickey never is? I know that has nothing to do with the web page and frankly I'm surprised at the delay in unveiling the new web site. RV previewed it at the last state of the union meeting and I had the impression that it would be up in a month or so. I agree that for a school of our size, the athletic web page is pitiful. If it wasn't for one coach's willingness to talk to a few greenbackers off the record we wouldn't get any information from the coaching staff at all. PR remains Dickeys's achilles heel. And am I the only one who senses that RV has lost his enthusiasm and will be out of here at the first opportunity.

In reading the agenda on the Texas Higher Education Board web page, it stated that $3.1 million in funding was provided by HEAF (Higher Education Auxiliary Fund) The remaining $2 million will come from private donations. We WERE able to use state funds for a large part of this purchase. Good deal.

I don't think Chris' replacement is on the team yet. He is yet to be recruited and this will be the big carrot that JJ uses to get that player - you can come to North Texas and be the big dog, the go- to- guy that replaces Chris Davis. With all due respect to Hopkins, and I realize he was just a freshmen last year, I don't see him as the shooter to replace Davis. Hopkins is a great athlete who does have the ability to create his own shot but needs to learn to play more under control and be more consistent. I'm not taking anything away from him as I see him as a valuable member of this team for the next three years. I don't see him as being the consistent scorer that replaces Davis. It would be a pleasant surprise if I'm wrong and I'm not going to discount the impact of the coaching stafff on the improvement of any of the players.

I think Justin can contribute if he can stay healthy. Mike DeGrate should help out big time. I have never seen the other recruits play so I can't comment about their prospects. Sam Byrd seems to have the size if he can get an attitude to go with it. The big area of concern is PG and who knows how well Roninger will make the transition to 1-A. Future recruiting concern is finding a scoring replacement for Chris Davis. I'm sure JJ and company are looking hard.