ADLER

North Texas is coming into this game with a 16 game home winning streak, a 5 and 1 record for the season including wins over Houston and Baylor, and no team has been able to score more than 1 goal against the Mean Green. SMU, which has played a very strong schedule, is coming into this game with a 4-2-1 record and ranked #21 in the nation. This could be a great contest.

The Mean Green will be hosting Baylor at the UNT soccer facility (near Peterbuilt) on Friday, September 17th. To date, the Mean Green are 4 and 1 and have ouscored the opposition 15 to 3 so far this season. No team has been able to score more than a single point against an outstanding North Texas defense.

This tailgate party has been cancelled. Go Mean Green. Beat SMU.

Photo by WIL BERMUDEZ/NT DAILY Sophomore forward Kristen Campbell fights off a Cougar for a header in NT's 5-1 victory on Sunday. Mean Green soccer opens with strong showing Brooke Knight North Texas Daily Intern August 31, 2004 The NT women's soccer team (1-0) opened its season with an impressive 5-1 win over the Houston Cougars (0-2) Sunday afternoon at the Mean Green Soccer Complex. The Mean Green has now won 14 straight games at home, spanning three seasons, as well as winning their third-straight season opener. The victory also served as an important statement for a team looking to win the Sun Belt Conference title and receive an NCAA tournament birth this year. "The University of Houston is a tough opponent who plays in a tough conference," said North Texas head coach John Hedlund. "We wanted to be the aggressor and show confidence and the result was very good for us." The Mean Green had no problems showing aggression as they took control from the beginning of the game and never let up. North Texas struck first as senior defender Caree Ridenour scored on a free kick only 2:41 into the first half. Ridenour's goal came off a free kick that was taken behind the midfield line and sailed just in front of the Houston goalkeeper before bouncing over her head into the net. The Mean Green continued to apply intense pressure as freshman Heather Hutyra scored on a breakaway in the 34th minute of the first half. The freshman is one of five newcomers added to the squad in the offseason, which includes four high school recruits and one transfer. All will contribute this season, but Hutyra's play in the opener as well as in the offseason has really impressed coach Hedlund. "Heather will be an outstanding player for us (this season)," Hedlund said. "I really enjoy watching her play. She has a great kick and a lot of speed." NT scored its third goal in the 41st minute off a mistake by Houston in its own end. Senior Alyssa Carrier made it a 4-0 lead five minutes into the second half with a goal off a feed from defender Misty Cordon. Cordon later scored the Mean Green's final goal in the 58th minute off a pass from sophomore Jamie Yates. Houston scored its only goal of the game on a penalty kick from Nikki Hawkins. North Texas outshot the Cougars 13-10, while junior goalkeeper Briana Buchanan made four saves to pick up the win. The Mean Green have good reason to be optimistic this year, returning nine starters from a team that tied the school record with 15 wins last season. Leading the way are seniors Melinda Pina and Krista Georgas. Pina was named to the 2003 Sun Belt first team as well as the Sun Belt all-tournament team. She tied last year for sixth in the nation with 21 goals and was 15th in the nation with 2.13 points per game. Georgas received second team all-conference honors last season. Both Georgas and Pina were named to the preseason all-Sun Belt Conference team. The Mean Green also ranked second in the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll. With a veteran core returning and a solid group of newcomers to add to the mix, Hedlund is looking forward to playing aggressive all season long. "Everybody got the chance to play today (and) I was very happy to get everyone involved," Hedlund said. "The intensity level never dropped regardless of who was in. What we have on this team is a lot of depth, and if we can continue on that same level of intensity we can wear some people out." Also of note, the Mean Green easily defeated the Alumni 7-3 in an exhibition game this past Friday. NT will return to action on Friday, Sept. 3, as the Mean Green will travel to play the Southland Conference's Sam Houston State Bearkats. SHSU is 1-1 after two games this season, defeating Texas Southern 23-2 in the season opener but then losing to UTEP 8-0 on Aug. 29.

notes: I was also at the game today,and it was my first time to attend. There were about 200 fans at the game enjoying the Mean Green victory over the Houston Cougars, as well as the unseasonably comfortable weather. I was very impressed with the speed of the game, and the play was quite physical at times. Our Mean Green Soccer squad looked unstoppable in this game. The Green were up 5-0 on the Cougars before Houston scored it's lone goal late in the game. For those of you that haven't been to a game, there is bleacher seating available or you can, like many prefer, bring your own folding chairs, shade, and ice chests. A lot of fans with folding chairs switch field ends at halftime so they can concentrate on certain aspects of the games. There was also a concessions stand open for anyone that forgot to bring their own drinks or wanted the oversized snowcones. Briana Buchanan made four saves in the 5-1 win over Houston. They have several big home games, including Baylor and SMU, before the Sun Belt Conference play starts. I am already anticipating how nice it will be when the new soccer facility at Eagle Point is complete.

Now that a considerable amount of sports will be based at the Eagle Point side of campus, are there other potential facilities that could or should be considered for future utilization? Equestrian sports are becoming more popular on college campuses, especially for womens competition. Doesn't North Texas have an equestrian center located on Bonnie Brae just south of Eagle Point? Is there enough interest to field and support equestrian teams? Are there enough horse enthusiasts in the Denton County area which would be able and willing to sponsor the sport? Regional schools that sponsor varsity Equestrian: Texas A&M Oklahoma State Louisiana State West Texas A&M SMU Rice Stephen F. Austin Texas State University I don't know how many Sun Belt members sponsor Equestrian, but MTSU did host the NCAA regionals this past season. *************************************************************** Bonnie Brae is being improved by being repaved and having a larger wider bridge built on the stretch south of Eagle Point. When the road is completed, the Golf Course at the Denton Country Club which is right where Bonnie Brae intersects state Hwy 377, will be only minutes away from Eagle Point. Can a symbiotic relationship be formed between the university and the country club? If the university uses their golf course, what benefits could the athletic department extend to DCC members?

If those are kept on Friday night, I wonder if they could be moved to 8:00 tipoff. Is that too late for most fans? The later start would allow for a little pregame camaraderie.

Auction Ends Aug-17-04 18:23:29 PDT GRIDIRON LEGENDS GREENE #72 NORTH TEXAS STATE Sizes 2XL, 3XL, and 4XL BRAND NEW WITH TAGS!!! Authentic throwback jersey by Gridiron Legends like the one worn by Mean Joe Green from 1966-1968 for the North Texas State Eagles. All numbers and letters are sewn on. Suggested Retail: 175.00 MEAN JOE GREEN THROWBACK JERSEY ON EBAY - 4XL MEAN JOE GREEN THROWBACK JERSEY ON EBAY - 3XL MEAN JOE GREEN THROWBACK JERSEY ON EBAY - 2XL

All you really need is polo type shirts with logos on both sides and PIT CREW on the right sleeve to make a decent race style shirt. Unlike coveralls, the shirts would be comfortable to wear to classes on gameday. Greenstock could probably make them fairly inexpensively for the group.

Colorado coach testifies before grand jury By DON MITCHELL The Associated Press 7/30/2004, 6:15 p.m. CT DENVER (AP) — Colorado football coach Gary Barnett testified for four hours before a statewide grand jury Friday as part of an investigation into the program's recruiting practices. Barnett, who was suspended for almost four months this year for comments he made about two women accusing football players of rape, declined comment to reporters before his testimony began behind closed doors. "I'm not going to make any comments today. A picture is about the most anybody is going to get," he said. He also declined comment as he left the building. Also called to testify were senior associate athletic director Jon Burianek, sports medicine director Steve Willard and Bob Maust, head of the Standing Committee on Substance Abuse at Colorado. "It was a new experience," Burianek said on his way out. The grand jury investigation is the first indication criminal charges could be filed in a scandal that led to sweeping changes in the football recruiting program and a scathing review of university leadership. At the governor's request, Attorney General Ken Salazar's office has been investigating the scandal, which includes allegations of rape by nine women involving football players since 1997. Salazar has decided against filing assault charges, citing evidentiary concerns and the reluctance of the women to go forward with the cases. The grand jury has already heard from a parade of players, director of football operations David Hansburg, campus police and others since it began meeting in May. Legal experts have said they think investigators are trying to figure out whether university funds were misused, among other things. Salazar's office has declined comment. Barnett was suspended Feb. 18 for comments he made about two alleged assaults involving football players. He called former Colorado kicker Katie Hnida an "awful" player as he answered questions about her claim that she was raped by a teammate in 2000. He also suggested to police he would "back" a player accused of assaulting an athletics department employee the following year. Barnett has said his comments about Hnida's football performance were "insensitive" and that he was trying to convey a message of support. Hnida later transferred to New Mexico. Willard, the supervisor of a co-worker who told him she was sexually assaulted by a Colorado football player in 2001, also was called to testify. That woman didn't pursue charges in part because of what she said was intimidated by Barnett in declaring he would back his player "100 percent," according to a police report. Willard has said Barnett only pledged to back the player if it became a "he said, she said" situation. According to police, the woman met Oct. 1, 2001, with Barnett and two other department officials, Willard and Brian Winkelbauer. The woman's attorney, Allison Lee, said Barnett promised the player would undergo treatment, and later Willard asked if a letter of apology from the player would help. She said yes. "I am so sorry for what I have done to you," according to the letter released by Lee. "I am so sorry that I have caused you pain. I would have never thought, not in a million years, that I would hurt someone like this. ... This is not who I am." The letter ends with, "P.S. I am so sorry!!!" University President Betsy Hoffman reinstated Barnett in May, saying she believed he and other officials, including athletics director Dick Tharp, were committed to changing the culture in Colorado athletics. An investigative commission appointed by the university Board of Regents and a special liaison chosen by Hoffman recommended more oversight of the athletic department. The commission concluded sex, drugs and alcohol were used by player-hosts in recruiting but there was no evidence Colorado officials "knowingly sanctioned" the activities. Still pending are federal lawsuits filed by three women who say they were raped by recruits or players at or just after an off-campus party in December 2001. The lawsuits accuse Colorado of failing to protect the women under federal Title IX law, which guarantees equal access to an education. They seek unspecified damages.

Thanks again for bringing this to my attention. Yes, it is exactly like the one I had missed on before. The figure was made in the '50s by a company in Dallas, there are very few of these still in circulation, and I doubt there were that many to begin with. This statue was used as the model for the NTSU bobblehead nodders which were made by a Japanese company in the 1960s and have become extremely collectible because of their scarcity. Those goofy NTSU bobbleheads have sold on E-bay for several thousand dollars. Did any else notice the collector who recently had registered and posted on the GMG board. He asked if any NT fans had any old NTSU bobbleheads sitting around gathering dust in their attic. He was searchin' for a sucker.

There was also a pretty cool old North Texas State College Eagle Statue on E-bay. I think it will look fantastic standing next to my vintage NTSU Eagle bobblehead and the Brandon Kennedy bobblehead. ps- I hope E-bay bidder "lovesbnea" is not a GMG poster. He/she was the runner-up bidder, and is still the leading bidder for the 2 NTSU jerseys.

Green Jersey on E-bay (Click Here) White Jersey on E-bay (Click Here) These would be nice display items for a couple of the area bars and restaurants.

They're called BUTTLICKERS. They lick the butts of people or organizations with which they have no affiliation, often at the expense of supporting their own organization.

College baseball returning to Denton New TCL franchise could help UNT revive program 08:55 AM CDT on Saturday, July 17, 2004 By Mike McClendon Denton Record-Chronicle Staff Writer The Texas Collegiate League is coming to Denton and it could signal the revival of college baseball at the University of North Texas. The TCL announced an agreement on Thursday with an ownership group headed by Dallas-based entrepreneur Jim Leslie to add an expansion franchise in Denton. The TCL is a summer wooden bat league that features some of the top college baseball players from across the country. It is currently in its first year of existence. "The Texas Collegiate League is very pleased to reach an agreement to bring a team to Denton," said TCL Chairman Gerald Haddock. "We feel that Jim Leslie’s group will be a solid addition to our league in an outstanding market." The TCL currently has franchises in Colleyville-Grapevine, Coppell, Highland Park, McKinney, Graham, Granbury, Mineral Wells and Weatherford. The teams play a 54-game schedule that begins in early June and ends in mid-August. The Denton team is expected to begin play next season and the ownership group is expected to announce a nickname for the franchise next week. "It’s great that we’ll have college baseball in Denton," UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said. "For a lot of people, this is baseball country. Hopefully, this Texas Collegiate League team will help bring Division I-A baseball back to the University of North Texas." Leslie and his group are currently working on an agreement with UNT that would result in the development and construction of a new baseball complex on the school’s property. The facility would be used by both UNT and the TCL franchise. "The facility deal is still with the lawyers," said Calvary baseball coach John Hampton, a member of the Denton franchise’s ownership group. "[uNT’s lawyers] sent us something. We sent something back. Now they sent us something. The negotiation is going well and we have nothing but positive feelings right now." "We’re still in the process of exploring what we can and can’t do as far as sharing the facility," added Villarreal. "I feel good about where we are. I feel like have had great discussions. Now we’re getting down to the specifics. There are a lot of legal things to go through. We’re probably looking at sometime in August when we can announce whether or not we can do this." If the ownership group cannot reach a deal with UNT, Hampton said, the group would look for an alternative location for the facility within Denton, or pay a fee to the TCL to terminate the franchise. Hampton said the TCL showed interested in the Denton market a few years ago, but was deterred by the lack of a suitable baseball facility. "We couldn’t make it work the first time, but they [the TCL] came to us again and this time we had some land available to build a stadium on," Hampton said. "We were looking in to making it happen when UNT approached us about building a facility on their land. That’s when this thing took off and we knew we could do something special." If an agreement between UNT and the ownership group is reached, Villarreal said, the school would have to deal with financing and Title IX gender equity issues before reviving baseball, which was last sponsored by the school in 1988. Among the possibilities to conform with Title IX, Villarreal said, are adding a women’s sport or reducing scholarship numbers in other men’s sports. MIKE McCLENDON can be reached at 940-566-6873.

I have a question that possibly some of you seasoned baseball fans can answer. What direction does a batter face in an outdoor baseball stadium? OK smartasses, I'm not asking for "hopefully toward the pitcher" or something, I'm asking if fields are always set with the pitcher facing North, South, East, or West, or are the baselines arranged on direct north/south, and east/west lines? At the ballpark in Arlington formerly known as The Ballpark In Arlington, I think the batter faces southward, but that's somewhat of a guess. About the $$$ for the new baseball stadium, I'm happy with the way things are turning out with a co-financed stadium. I think a stadium financed only by the TCL franchise would be designed to predominantly cover their needs and not the requirements of a 40,000 student body which may have a large contingent following the program. Our former AD would have jumped at any deal that would have gotten us a free stadium no matter how obsolete or embarassingly small it was. I think Rick V has much better insight into the real needs of the university and doesn't duct tape & bailing wire everything. We'll wind up with a stadium and a program we're proud to call our own.

Baseball: TCL close to a reality Announcement pushed back, deal not finalized 09:22 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 By Brett Vito Denton Record-Chronicle Staff Writer A group of investors has delayed announcing an agreement to found a Texas Collegiate League baseball team in Denton. The group set Monday as its target date to unveil its plans for a team, but didn’t have all the details worked out. The group is negotiating with UNT to split the cost of building a stadium on campus to house the team. "We are within hours of signing a franchise agreement," said John Hampton, a member of the group trying to bring a team to Denton. "We have one small detail we need to work out." The group set Monday as its target date for an announcement to correspond with the TCL All-Star Game in Graham. UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said reaching an agreement to build a stadium on campus would be a key step in the school reviving its baseball program that last fielded a team from 1984-88. "At this point we don’t see any reason an agreement to build a stadium won’t work out," Hampton said. The TCL is a summer league that features college players. A Denton summer league team would use a field on UNT’s campus after the end of the collegiate season. UNT would then have the opportunity to field a varsity team that would play at the stadium during the school year. Villarreal said baseball would be a natural fit at UNT and a key step in improving the school’s athletic program. Atkinson to turn pro today Former North Texas golfer Zach Atkinson will begin his professional career today when he plays in the Texas State Open at White Bluff Resort. Atkinson’s 73.3 scoring average was the best among UNT golfers last season when he was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team. Atkinson built on the success he enjoyed during his senior year at UNT by becoming the first player from the school to win the Texas State Amateur title earlier this summer. The Texas State Open appears to be the ideal event for Atkinson to begin his professional career. He has posted the best score for an amateur at the event the last two years. Villarreal to receive honor North Texas athletic director Rick Villarreal will receive the General Robert Neyland Athletic Director Award during the All-American Football Foundation’s Banquet of Champions on Sunday in New Orleans. Sun Belt Conference commissioner Wright Waters will receive the Contribution to Football Award while Sun Belt assistant commissioner Judy Wilson will receive the Scoop Hudgins Outstanding Sports Information Director Award. UNT has reached a series of milestones during Villarreal’s tenure, including the construction of a new $7.4 million athletic center that is set to open later this year. The foundation hosts a series of banquets across the country each year to honor coaches, administrators and athletes for their contributions to football. Tory Dickey, the wife of UNT head football coach Darrell Dickey, received the First Lady of Football Award at another Banquet of Champions earlier this year. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

There's no denying that travel would be expensive, but the cost of hockey may not seem so outrageous when comparing it to the cost of fielding a bowling team. The women's scholarships will have to be offered for North Texas to remain in Title IX compliance if Varsity Baseball is added. The largest expense, scholarships would be the same either way. Bowling would have to lease facilities off campus, team travel would still be expensive because hotels and meals would cost the same as for a hockey team, and there is no chance of it becoming a revenue sport able to financially support itself. Bowling just isn't a spectator sport. With hockey, we already have an ideal building in the old Men's Gym which could be converted to an ice rink by the Physical Education department for minimal costs. With the volleyball matches moving to the facilities at the former Liberty Christian School, and all the basketball courts that have been built at the PEB and the SRC, the Men's Gym has no real function remaining. The arena could be used for PE classes, club sports as well as varsity women's hockey competition. In Men's Hockey, North Texas already competes in the College Hockey South West conference, and has done so with great success. If their contests were held on campus, they would surely garner a strong following. Schools Participating in the League Baylor University Oklahoma State University Southern Methodist University Texas A & M Texas Tech University of North Texas University of Texas @ Austin The women's hockey team would be key to getting the facilities built, and the combined gate for the women's NCAA games and the men's club games should easily offset any travel cost difference between a hockey team and a bowling team.

Players back fifth year of eligibility By JON KRAWCZYNSKI The Associated Press 7/9/2004, 4:51 p.m. CT INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Keith Brumbaugh shook his head and sighed at the thought of spending five years playing basketball in college. "Five years of school?" the blue chip recruit from Deland, Fla., said Friday at the Nike All-America Camp. "Five years is a long, long time to be in school." But Brumbaugh, who is deciding between Florida and Florida State after flirting with the idea of jumping straight to the NBA, is not the kind of player coaches target with their proposal to add a fifth year of eligibility. The National Association of Basketball Coaches unanimously recommended a sweeping new recruiting model Wednesday, one which includes allowing players to be eligible for five years. NCAA president Myles Brand supports the proposal, saying the extra year of eligibility will help place a greater emphasis on education and improve lagging graduation rates. Brand said most students take 4.8 years to graduate and that athletes should be expected to do the same. Many of the high school players in town for the Nike Camp endorsed the idea of a fifth year, but with an asterisk. "It's better overall, but it's not something I'm going to worry about," said Levance Fields, a 5-foot-10 guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. Like many of the youngsters at this year's camp, Fields envisions a relatively brief college career at a school such as St. John's, Pittsburgh or Miami before making the jump to the NBA. NABC executive director Jim Haney said the proposal is aimed more at the vast majority of Division I schools, not at the center of the basketball universe. "The intent wasn't that it helped one institution," Haney said. "We wanted it to touch and improve all of them." The smaller schools with the less-touted recruits stand to benefit most if a fifth year is added. "Not only does this proposal help the Michigan States and the Dukes, but the Central Michigans and the IUPUIs as well," said IUPUI coach Ron Hunter, who sat on the committee that wrote the proposal. The NCAA asked the NABC nearly three months ago to help develop a new recruiting model that would attract more players to college, encourage them to stay in school and remain at the university they originally choose. North Carolina center Sean May said he thought a fifth year would go a long way toward keeping more players in school and helping them work toward a degree. "A lot of guys take classes to stay eligible," May said. "By the time they get to the end of their college career, they're not on course to graduate, and they still have to come back to school. "If players get that fifth year of eligibility, it could help them and the game a lot," he said. Jonathan Adams, a 6-5 forward from Ringgold, Ga., likes the idea of a fifth year of eligibility. "I think it's a good opportunity for a lot of people," Adams said. "Academic-wise, it would help you graduate and with the extra year, it could make you better and give you a better chance to make it to the NBA." Then there are players like Brumbaugh and Justin Dentmon, who have a hard time envisioning a college career that long. "It would be hard to stick around for that fourth or fifth year watching a lot of guys getting drafted and knowing I could be right there with them," said Dentmon, a 5-11 guard from Carbondale, Ill. That's not what this proposal is about, said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "It's about getting a degree," Izzo said. Tell that to Brumbaugh. "That don't make a difference," Brumbaugh said of the fifth year. "They're having a hard time getting kids to go to college at all."

Brand supports new eligibility proposal By MICHAEL MAROT The Associated Press 7/8/2004, 8:08 p.m. CT INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — NCAA president Myles Brand will back a sweeping new proposal that would give college basketball players a fifth season of eligibility. One day after the National Association of Basketball Coaches unanimously approved the measure, Brand responded by calling it an "outstanding package." "I'm supportive of the package in its entirety," Brand told The Associated Press on Thursday. "It's coherent, and it's an effort to make the coach look more like a mentor and a teacher." The coaches association plans to submit a revised proposal to the NCAA. The NCAA still must debate the measure and approve the recommendations, a process that will likely take at least a year. Brand believes the extra year of eligibility will help place a greater emphasis on education and improve lagging graduation rates. He said most students take 4.8 years to graduate and that athletes should be expected to do the same. Another part of the package calls for coaches to meet regularly with players about their classwork and future plans. While Brand acknowledged there would be critics, he will not be one. "I understand it will be controversial," he said. "We'll see how it turns out. But I believe the main purpose is to increase graduation rates in men's basketball, which has had the most severe problem." Brand had four NCAA officials help craft the plan during a yearlong process that culminated in the coaches' approval Wednesday. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said at the Nike All-America Camp in Indianapolis that the NCAA and NABC had formed an unprecedented partnership. "Myles Brand has given us more access to himself and the staff," Krzyzewski said. "It's phenomenal. We were in a period 11 or 12 years ago and just a couple of years ago where no one listened. Now they are listening." If the NCAA passes the plan, coaches would also be able to make more phone calls to recruits. Other measures in the proposal include more stringent penalties for schools committing secondary infractions and greater enforcement of current NCAA rules. Brand said the coaches insisted on that part and he believes the entire package will not only put a greater emphasis on academics but also create parity among all Division I programs. "It won't affect kids who leave before the fourth year because they'll leave anyway," Brand said. "But it well help in building parity and in most cases, the benefits will be in the mid-major programs." Brand has been a proponent of academic reform since taking over as president in January 2003. Since taking over, the NCAA has passed legislation increasing the number of core courses required for incoming freshmen and increased the percentage of hours toward graduation for student-athletes to remain eligible. Earlier this year, the NCAA also passed a measure that would penalize schools with consistently poor graduation rates although a subcommittee is still determining where the cutoff line should be. Schools could lose scholarships as early as this fall. Brand considers this proposal another step in that direction. "In some ways, it's not a radical package. It's a coherent package," he said. "It's a new model and a new approach for student-athletes and recruiting. I'm very supportive of it."

Assuming that we add men's baseball and fill it's 11.5 scholarships, to remain Title 9 compliant, we'll have to add a women's sport with a similar amount scholarships and funding.(actually a couple more scholarships since the campus is 55% female) What if........... instead of women's bowling......... What if North Texas decided to have a NCAA Women's Division 1 Hockey program. The old Men's Gym could easily be converted into a first class hockey facility, and recent campus additions have made it increasingly obsolete as a gymnasium. Would/could there be enough interest on campus and in the community to make women's hockey a revenue sport? Could a corporate sponsor be found? With the rising popularity of hockey, would/could there be sufficient usage from intramurals and club sports for maintaining such a facility? The biggest drawback that I see is that most of the NCAA Women's Division 1 hockey programs are in the Big Ten area. It's just a thought, but if you're going to have to fund the scholarships, why not use them for a sport that would capture the attention of the campus and the market. OHIO STATE WOMEN'S HOCKEY

The Super Pit and the PEB weren't built for hosting tournaments either, but they are excellent venues for it. Leasing the 4 additional courts in the SRC for a few days during this part of the summer could be exceptionally valuable to the university as a whole because of it's recruiting value, and the Recreational Sports Department could raise revenue to spend on student equiptment.

Another facet that makes this outstanding is that the two sprinters signed from Denton High school, Brandon Irabor and Ryan Roberson, are also football players. Even if they never set foot on the gridiron for the Mean Green, they could be a valuable asset in recruiting other Denton speedsters to the team. Brandon Irabor Ryan Roberson

I have a question that hopefully one of you can answer. Why aren't the 4 courts in the new Student Rec Center being used for this tournament? It seem to make perfect sense for those to be utilized.

Basketball: It’s Shoot-Out time in Denton Top summer tourney returns with 248 teams vying for several titles 09:10 AM CDT on Friday, July 9, 2004 By Ethan B. Szatmary Denton Record-Chronicle Staff Writer The future of college and professional basketball comes to Denton this weekend. The 16th annual Pontiac Denton Great American Shoot-Out begins today and runs through Monday with 248 teams of some of the best high school and prep players from 14 different states competing in the annual tourney, the third largest of its kind during the summer. With so much talent pooled in one place during the brief summer period when college coaches can observe high school players in tournament action, there are sure to be plenty of college scouts on hand, as well. "This tournament stacks up with the best in the country," said Great American Shoot-Out tournament director Mike Kunstadt. "Every year, some of the best teams in the country come here to play. "There’s no question kids can get a lot of exposure during the summertime. It’s still more important to play high school basketball, but college coaches get two 10-day periods in July when the NCAA allows them to get out and see kids play. That’s a very short period of time, and this tournament allows them to see a lot of players at once." The tournament field is divided into three separate skill levels — NBA for the most competitive summer-league all-star teams of rising seniors; NCAA, composed primarily of large high school teams and younger all-star select teams; and the NIT, for small high school teams and less-skilled young select teams. The NBA division is further sub-divided into Gold and Silver brackets, and the NCAA is broken down into Red, White and Blue divisions. Pool play begins today at 2 p.m. at venues around Denton County — the Super Pit, the Physical Education Building and Men’s Gym at the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University’s Kitty Magee Arena, Denton High School, Ryan High School, McMath Middle School, Crownover Middle School, Strickland Middle School, Calhoun Middle School and Argyle High School. Play continues Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Once the teams have been sorted out in pool play, the top two teams in each division advance to the championship bracket, and the bottom two teams move on to the consolation bracket, with elimination games beginning on Sunday at 9 a.m. No area teams will knock heads with the big boys in the NBA Division, but several will compete. Ryan, Northwest, Pilot Point and the Denton Bronx I will all compete in the NCAA Division, while Ponder, the Denton Bronx II, the Liberty Warriors and the North Texas Wildcats [Argyle] will give it a go in the NIT Division. Summer tournaments give these teams experience and time to gel before the real games start in the fall. That can be critical for a team like the North Texas Wildcats. Made up primarily of Argyle high schools, the school’s talented corps of seniors graduated after making a run at the Class 2A state championship earlier this year. Now is the time for Argyle’s rising young players to see what they can do. "This is definitely an opportunity for them to get some playing time against good competition, but more importantly they’re getting the opportunity to play together," said Wildcats co-founder Stephen Martin, whose son Steve graduated from both Argyle and the Wildcats in the spring. "Since that group of seniors was so special and some of these younger guys were on varsity but others weren’t — they just hasn’t had the opportunity to play together." In the NBA Division, the Houston Swoosh 17s, featuring high-flying superstar in the making Martellus Bennett, are attempting to become the first squad to win all four of TexasHoops.com’s summer Shootout tournaments. Previously, the Swoosh prevailed in the San Antonio, College Station and Plano shoot-outs. "The Swoosh has won the triple crown, and now they’re going for the grand slam," said Kunstadt. "They’ll definitely be one of the better teams, but winning won’t come easy." While the Arkansas Hawks 17s are not back to defend their NBA title, Kunstadt predicted that the Swoosh will be tested by Texan teams Austin Dawgs Select, Dallas Hoop Dreams Blue, Dallas Pump N Run Blue, Houston Select, Texas Top Prospects 17s, Dallas Mustangs 17s White, TUAC Warriors, South Texas Stallions, Texas Wolverines and the Top Achiever Eagles, as well as out-of-state squads like Athlete’s First and Williams Energy from Oklahoma, Louisiana Stars Select, the Arkansas Wings, California High 5 America and the Gulfcoast Stars our of Mississippi. ETHAN B. SZATMARY can be reached at 940-566-6869. 2004 Pontiac Denton Great American Shoot-Out Today-Monday Sites: The Super Pit, Physical Education Building at Men’s Gym at UNT, TWU’s Kitty Magee Arena, Denton High School, Ryan High School, Calhoun Middle School, Strickland Middle School, McMath Middle School, Crownover Middle School and Argyle High School Divisions: NBA (Gold and Silver); NCAA (Red, White and Blue); and NIT. 2004 Pontiac Denton Great American Shoot-Out Friday-Monday Sites: The Super Pit, Physical Education Building at Men’s Gym at UNT, TWU’s Kitty Magee Arena, Denton High School, Ryan High School, Calhoun Middle School, Strickland Middle School, McMath Middle School, Crownover Middle School and Argyle High School Schedule of local teams Friday Ryan High School 1 North Texas Wildcats [Argyle] vs. Orange Crush (NIT) at 4:50 p.m. Denton Ryan vs. Odessa All-Stars (NCAA) at 9:05 p.m. McMath Middle School Denton Bronx I vs. Midlothian High School (NCAA) at 2 p.m. Northwest vs. Oklahoma Spirit (NCAA) at 2 p.m. Pilot Point High School vs. Kennedale High School (NCAA) at 3:25 p.m. Strickland Middle School Ponder High School vs. Arlington High School (NIT) at 6:15 p.m. Denton High School Denton Bronx II vs. Texas Terps White (NIT) at 3:25 p.m. Liberty Warriors vs. G2S Wildcats II (NIT) at 6:15 p.m. Denton Bronx II vs. Team Nike (NIT) at 7:40 p.m. Saturday McMath Middle School Dallas Texas Tarheels vs. Pilot Point (NCAA) at 10:20 a.m. North Texas Wildcats vs. Galveston Hornets (NIT) at 5 p.m. Denton Ryan vs. G2S Magic II (NCAA) at 7:40 p.m. Argyle High School Denton Bronx I vs. Northwest (NCAA) at 9 a.m. Strickland Middle School North Texas Wildcats vs. Texas Top Guns II (NIT) at 10:20 a.m. Denton Ryan vs. Austin Dawgs White (NCAA) at 1 p.m. Calhoun Middle School Ponder High School vs. Team Wisconsin II (NIT) at 11:40 a.m. Liberty Warriors vs. Urban Kings (NIT) at 1 p.m. Denton Bronx I vs. Oklahoma Spirit (NCAA) at 2:20 p.m. Pilot Point vs. Wichita Falls Raiders (NCAA) at 3:40 p.m. Denton Bronx II vs. Austin Dawgs Blue (NIT) at 5 p.m.