UNTLifer

Chiles’ time now more meaningful Injuries force walk-on into reserve role for Mean Green 01/16/2003 By Tim MacMahon / Staff Writer It would have been forgivable if guard Rusty Chiles’ first name described his game when the walk-on was recently thrust into a key reserve role for North Texas. It had been, after all, almost three years since Chiles had last played meaningful minutes in a basketball game. The 6-2, 165-pound senior had accepted that his duty as a walk-on was to help the Mean Green by pushing the regulars in practice. That changed, however, when UNT guards Leonard Hopkins and Scott Roniger were lost to injury on a road trip in late December. UNT Rusty Chiles, who walked on for the Mean Green, is now playing about 16 minutes per game due to injuries. Chiles had played a total of 14 minutes in his UNT career before Dec. 28. He has averaged 16.2 minutes in five games since then. "Coach [Johnny] Jones always told me to keep working hard and good things would come my way," said Chiles, whose team faces Sun Belt foe Arkansas-Little Rock at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Super Pit. "Unfortunately, some people had to get hurt for that to happen. But I’m happy to get the opportunity to step up and contribute. "I always knew that there was a good chance that I wasn’t going to get to play. But at the same time, I always worked hard because if the opportunity did come, I wanted to take full advantage of it." Since becoming part of the rotation, Chiles has averaged 5.2 points per game on 50-percent shooting. His brightest moment came when he hit a clutch 3-pointer from the corner in overtime of the Mean Green’s Sun Belt-opening win at Florida International. Jones gushes about the way that Chiles, whose baby face and slight frame look better suited for junior varsity than Division I, handles himself on the court. Chiles calmly executes the offense, makes good decisions and plays hard-nosed defense. "I’m not hesitant to put him into a game in any situation," said Jones, who often cites Chiles’ work ethic as an example for his team. "He plays with a great deal of patience and poise. He understands that he has his limits, but he does an excellent job of playing to his strengths. He’s really grown on me as a player." Chiles played at Richland College — receiving honorable mention all-conference honors as a sophomore — before transferring to UNT and taking a year off from basketball. Then Chiles ran into UNT forward Jermaine Green, a former teammate at Spring High in suburban Houston. With Chiles already thinking about trying out, a little encouragement from Green sealed the deal. Green, who calls the guard by his high school nickname of "Gusto," said he knew Chiles had the combination of smarts, scrappiness and shooting ability to help the Mean Green. "It’s no surprise to me what he’s done lately," Green said. "He never tries to force anything. He knows how to pick and choose his spots." Chiles, who financially supports himself and is working toward a master’s degree in accounting, squeezes basketball into a hectic schedule that includes a part-time job in the morning and classes at night. He usually sports UNT gear around campus, which confused one of his co-workers at the College of Education. "He asked if I actually was on the team," Chiles said, "or if I was just a real big fan." UNT swingman Chris Davis also needed a little convincing that Chiles belonged on a Division I basketball court. "When I first saw him, I was like, ‘Who is this dude?’" Davis said. "He’s skinny with kind of a big head. I thought he was just somebody who wanted to come out here and have fun. I didn’t know he really loves the game like he does. "

DuckMav, we aren't upgrading Fouts, and unless you plan on having a replacement for Texas Hall by 2005, then you won't beat us. We are planning on building a new stadium around 2005, once funding is complete, along with a new athletic center and practice fields. Further down the line, we will be adding a new tennis center, baseball diamond, and track and field stadium. Fouts will be a pile of dust with a new dorm sitting in its place before you know it. Good luck with getting Texas Hall replaced, and better luck getting football back.

Ain't gonna happen

Exactly!

I find it funny that people are argueing the validity of the running in to the kicker penalty for two reasons. 1. Did it effect Nedney's kick? NO 2. Is running into the kicker a penalty? YES I don't understand what Cowher is upset about. If you don't want the penalty called, don't create the foul! It's just like in the New Orleans Bowl when Cincy was called for blocking in the back on the interception return for a TD that was called back. It doesn't matter if it directly effects the outcome of the play, if you are guilty of the penaly you get flagged!

I listened to the men's game on the radio. It appeared that Masters had a good game defensively. How many blocks did he end up with?

I agree. The NFL needs to change their OT policy. The good news: Brad Kassell and the Titans win!!

These were the good old days!! I love JJ but I would take BB back in a heartbeat. Tim MacMahon: Blakeley lauded for record, antics 01/10/2003 Tim MacMahon Rest assured that time has done nothing to tame Bill Blakeley, the former North Texas coach who was widely known as much for his wild antics as his winning ways. He plans to prove as much Saturday, when he will be honored along with the 1985-86 women’s and 1987-88 men’s teams at halftime of the Mean Green’s game with Denver. "The first thing I’m going to do is get a technical," Blakeley said mere seconds after he picked up the phone at his Dallas home. "You might as well warn them. I just don’t feel comfortable in the Super Pit without getting a technical." And it doesn’t feel right unless it’s done with flair. Blakeley’s battles with referees during his tenure in Denton, which spanned from 1975-83, went well past the customary complaining seen from most coaches. He actually had quite a repertoire of reactions when calls didn’t go his way. He’d warm up by ripping off his sportscoat, flinging it behind the bench and sending a student manager scrambling to catch it before it hit the floor. He’d dramatically pinch his nose or clutch his throat or pretend to hang himself with his necktie, making sure the men in the striped shirts caught his act. Sometimes he’d mock the officials, poking fun at the way they walked or talked. "Whatever came to his mind, that’s what he did," said Jimmy Gales, an assistant under Blakeley who later served as UNT’s head coach from 1986-93. Whatever he did, it worked. In eight seasons, Blakeley compiled a record of 134-85, including a 14-8 mark against Southwest Conference schools. He insists that his interaction with the officials helped him win games. "Certainly every call didn’t go my way," Blakeley said, "but I got more than the other guy." It also wasn’t lost on Blakeley that his antics made for good theater. In fact, he admits that he intentionally became more animated when the Mean Green struggled. "If we weren’t playing well, I felt an obligation to the fans," said Blakeley, who proudly notes that the top 10 crowds in Super Pit history came during his tenure. "They came for entertainment, so somebody had to entertain them. ... And it seems the crazier I got, the looser the players got." There were times when Blakeley, who sported long hair, tinted glass and a Fu Manchu, got the crowd going before he even got to his seat on the bench. Evidence A: He coached a few games in a tuxedo, accessorizing "that stupid monkey suit" with a bright green bow tie and yellow cowboy boots. "He was a showman by design," said UNT assistant sports information director Randy Cummings, who covered Blakeley’s teams for the Denton Record-Chronicle. "He always told me that basketball and coaching basketball should be fun — not only for the players, but for the fans. That’s the way he approached his job." Blakeley also attempted to create an edge any time he had the chance. For example, he loves telling how he approached Texas coach Abe Lemon seconds before tip-off of a January 1980 game and said, "It’s too bad about our oil wells," referring to an investment the two had made with a couple of other coaches. Lemon spent more time that night attempting to get Blakeley to tell him what was wrong with the oil wells — not knowing that his counterpart was yanking his chain — than coaching his team. The Longhorns blew a big lead before losing in overtime. "He wouldn’t return my calls for three months," said Blakeley with a roar of laughter. Blakeley also admits that he used to "accidentally" kick over a water bottle when he wanted to stop play without burning a timeout. "Every fifth or sixth game that water bottle got tipsy for some reason and turned over," Blakeley said. That water bottle was often viewed with suspicion during Blakeley’s coaching career. However, the conspiracy theories centered on its contents, not its tendency to tip over at convenient times. "I was accused of having vodka in there, melted valiums, all kind of things," Blakeley said. There was no truth to those accusations, Blakeley said. He was just a little more than slightly on the wacky side. "You have to be crazy to be a basketball coach," he said. "I really and sincerely thought it gave me an edge." It helped make him one of the winningest coaches in Mean Green history. And the most memorable.

Chris Davis must be graduating with honors! Smart man

You've got to love that attitude. This is just a classic quote!

5, nuf' said

I'm not too worried about folding. In fact, rumor has it that we will be adding a couple more teams in the very near future.

Awasom prowls for hoops rings 01/09/2003 By Tim MacMahon / Staff Writer Adrian Awasom sends a message to his North Texas basketball teammates with his middle finger, though there is nothing profane about the manner in which he does it. DRC/Al Key Adrian Awasom, a defensive end on the UNT football team, makes the transition to power forward for the basketball team when he steps inside the Super Pit. The part-time power forward sports a pair of Sun Belt championship rings on his right hand. He displays his reward for playing defensive end on the 2001 football conference title team on his ring finger. He decorates his index finger with a track and field championship ring, earned by finishing third in the discus in his only meet of last spring to help UNT win the outdoor men’s crown. One can’t help but notice the absence of jewelry on his middle finger, especially since it’s about the size of a Lincoln log. "That’s where the basketball one will go," said Awasom, who apparently has picked out another digit for the Sun Belt and New Orleans Bowl championship ring he earned in the fall. "That’s why there’s a gap in the middle." The 6-5, 275-pound sophomore gives the Mean Green much-needed muscle in the paint, even more so than he did when he played limited minutes last season. Awasom, who added 25 pounds of muscle last summer, has switched from No. 15 to No. 35 this season because he outgrew his previous basketball jersey. Awasom joined the team a couple days after Christmas and was rushed into playing significant minutes earlier than expected because of injuries to centers Will Smith and Justin Barnett. Smith will be sidelined at least another week by an infection in his foot, and Barnett has battled back pain all season. Though he had minimal practice time, Awasom was a key factor in UNT’s double-overtime victory at Florida International in the league opener, when he played a career-high 26 minutes. His stat line — two points and four rebounds — wasn’t spectacular. But Awasom provided a physical presence and played dominating defense, helping force Florida International star Eulis Baez into his worst shooting game of the season. He also came up with the biggest rebound of the game, ripping the ball away from two Golden Panthers under their basket with nine seconds remaining in the final overtime. "It’s too early to dictate exactly what his role on this team is," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "But I like his start. From what he was able to accomplish over the weekend, he’s definitely going to get looked at." Awasom isn’t quite as brute on the basketball court as he is on the football field, where he made eight sacks this season for the nation’s third-ranked scoring defense and was named second-team All-Sun Belt. "It’s not a loose-cannon physical presence like it was last year," said UNT assistant coach Charlie Leonard, noting that Awasom picked up only two fouls in those 26 minutes. "He’s a little more purposeful with the way that he uses his body." But Awasom definitely doesn’t back away from contact. In fact, he verbally invites opposing big men to bang with him. He’s pleasantly surprised by how often his challenge is accepted. "The big dude did last game — and he got hurt," said Awasom. He’s referring to 6-10 Florida International center Belco Bamba, who injured his hip in a collision with Awasom under the boards just before halftime and did not return to the game. Jones summoned Awasom off the bench after Bamba scored a couple of easy baskets in the first few minutes of the game. Bamba didn’t score again from the floor. Awasom’s defensive strategy is simple: He doesn’t allow the man he is guarding to get comfortable. Awasom understands that he is always at a height disadvantage, so he meets his man with a firm forearm and doesn’t allow him to get to his favorite spots on the floor. "That 6-footer becomes a 10-footer, which lowers your field-goal percentage opportunity," said Leonard, who works with UNT’s post players. "For big guys who have limited range, if you can get them to 10 or 12 feet, that’s an advantage." Added Awasom: "It’s just getting them out of their rhythm. They want to get to the block, but I’m not going to let them get there to do their move. It’s being physical with them, but it’s outsmarting them, too." Awasom is still catching up with the changes the Mean Green has made in its playbook since last season, so his impact offensively has been mostly limited to setting some pretty powerful picks. But Awasom isn’t shy to let it fly when he has a wide-open shot. He showed as much on his lone field goal against Florida International, a 16-footer that he took with UNT trailing by three with less than six minutes remaining in regulation. The Mean Green was in transition at the time, and star swingman Chris Davis was open on the wing. "If he would have missed, I wouldn’t have said nothing," Davis said with a laugh. "I’d have just got back on defense. I don’t want to make him mad at me."

He was great. He used to drap signs over the back of his chair on the bench with a saying usually aimed at either the officials or the opponent. I don't remember the exact wording of any of these, but they were always something to look forward to. He was not only a great coach, but he knew how to bring entertainment to the Super Pit, not only with his coaching style, but also with his antics on the sidelines.

You know, if we expect TCU and SMU to play us in football, it is only right that UTA expects us to play them in Bball. I don't have a problem with this as it would help attendance for sure. I don't know if I agree with his assessment that ASU will return to the Southland though. ULM may be another story.

This was a great win. It's just too bad more people aren't familiar with the quality of Weber State's program and what a big step in the right direction this was for us.

He keeps firing the wrong person

Buford, I love your optimism, but the comparisions aren't valid. The football team only got beaten badly, by final score standards, by UT and Bama while playing the rest of the teams from the "power" conferences closely. In fact, they should have won a couple of these games. The basketball team, on the other hand, is getting hammered by everyone. I hope my feelings are wrong, and your outlook on the future is correct.

Why, at this point in the season, are we still having trouble executing our offense? It seems we are also lacking in the basic fundamentals, rebounding, shooting, etc... This is usually a reflection of the coach. I hope this is not the case in this instance.

Baylor rains 3's on Mean Green in victory 12/31/2002 By TIM MACMAHON / Denton Record-Chronicle WACO - The latest edition of the lopsided Baylor-North Texas series was a laugher. The Bears, who have beaten the Mean Green 11 of the last 12 times the teams met and hold a 31-11 edge in the series, rolled to an 82-56 rout Monday night in front of a crowd of 6,751 at the Ferrell Center. "They got off to a great start," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "We were competing and battling, but as the game went on, they continued to play and executed their offense. That's something we didn't do." A pair of sophomores provided the spark for Baylor. Shooting guard Kenny Taylor and power forward Lawrence Roberts each scored 23 points "We left on a bad note before Christmas break," said Roberts, whose team suffered a 66-58 loss at SMU on Dec. 21. "We just wanted to come out and play the kind of game we knew we could play." Taylor, who had a career-high point total for the second consecutive game, was 7-of-10 from the floor despite not taking a shot inside the 3-point arc. Roberts, who made nine of 13 shots, did the majority of his damage around the basket. However, he capped his performance by knocking down a pair of 3-pointers, the second one becoming a 4-point play. Baylor (7-2) shot a season-best 49 percent from the floor and made 13 of 28 3-point attempts. "That's a little more like it," said Baylor coach Dave Bliss, pleased that his team's inside play opened up the perimeter game. UNT (5-6), playing its second game without injured shooting guard Leonard Hopkins, struggled to get any semblance of offense going, shooting 36 percent from the floor and 12 percent from 3-point range. Forward Michael DeGrate, a transfer from Baylor who scored 13 points, was the only player in double figures for UNT. Swingman Chris Davis, the Mean GreenÕs go-to guy, was held to four points. Forward Jermaine Green, the only other healthy UNT player averaging in double figures, scored six points. "Our shooters have got to knock down shots," Jones said. "The shots are there for them. We've just got to be better." Baylor blew the game open with a 24-4 run minutes into the game and took a 46-21 lead into the locker room - its biggest halftime lead since its upset of Kansas on Feb. 12, 2001. Roberts and Taylor outscored UNT in the half, combining for 27 points. Roberts got the Bears going early in the game with his powerful play in the paint, scoring 12 of their first 20 points. He finished the first half with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Taylor's outside shooting provided a perfect complement to Roberts' inside presence. Taylor was 3-of-4 from 3-point range and had 11 points in the half. By the first media timeout of the second half, Taylor had hit another three shots from behind the 3-point arc, basically eliminating any chance the Mean Green had of mounting a miraculous comeback. "It's a pretty good feeling when shots fall and everything goes your way," Taylor said. It's a feeling UNT longs for - and was a long way away from Monday

I couldn't have said it better myself Mark. Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year to all.

Mean Green go cold 12/22/2002 By Steve Wilson / For the Denton Record-Chronicle COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — North Texas became the latest in a long line of losers at the Eblen Center, suffering a 75-60 setback Saturday night to Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles (5-4) stretched their home winning streak to 33 games — the second-longest current streak in the nation — with the victory. "We didn’t talk at all about the streak coming into the game," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "However, our young men knew that Tennessee Tech is very good at home. We knew that we were going to have to play great defense if we wanted to give ourselves a chance. We thought if we could jump on them early, we could take them out of their offense." North Texas, one of the better offensive units in the Sun Belt, hit only nine baskets in the second half, including only two of 10 attempts from 3-point land. After battling tenaciously to pull within two at 47-45 with 10:43 remaining in the game Saturday night, UNT was outscored 28-15 down the stretch. The Mean Green took the early lead with Chris Davis opening game with a 3-pointer from deep in the corner. The two teams alternated baskets and when Leonard Hopkins nailed a jumper from the paint and Jerome Rogers hit a free throw, North Texas led by three at 21-18 with 6:15 remaining in the first half. However, that’s when the Golden Eagle offense kicked into gear and Tennessee Tech outscored North Texas 17-5 over the remainder of the first period to put the Mean Green in a 35-26 hole at halftime. "We came into the game wanting to trap the post and force (Damien) Kinloch and (Greg) Morgan to throw the ball back out," Jones said. "However, we didn’t do a good job of defending the post and that cost us. Their big men also hurt us on the offensive glass." "Kinloch and Morgan are very good players and we knew we were going to have to stop them tonight," said Davis. "But they did a great job of making the plays when they had to." The Mean Green opened the final 20 minutes of play with a zone defense that seemed to confuse the Golden Eagles as North Texas started to chip away at the Tennessee Tech advantage. A free throw by Will Smith made it 39-32 with 16:16 on the clock and when Davis converted two charity tosses of his own and Rogers nailed a 3-pointer from almost halfcourt, the Mean Green were within two at 47-45 with 10:43 on the clock. Davis led the Mean Green with 17 points and six rebounds. He had one assist, two blocks and two steals. Hopkins added 11 points and only two rebounds, while Rogers chipped in with 10 points, three assists and three steals. As a team, North Texas shot 39 percent from the field, hitting 19 of 48 shots. The Mean Green hit only 22 percent from long range, nailing four of 18 attempts. UNT was outrebounded 44-29. The Golden Eagles were led in scoring by Antwyon Jones, who came off the bench to get 14 points and pull down 11 rebounds. Cameron Crisp added 13 points and four assists, while Kinloch chipped in with his third double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Brent Jolly, who went over 1,000 points for his career, had 10 points, three assists and three steals. As a team, the Golden Eagles shot 43 percent from the field. Tech nailed 27 of 62 attempts, including four of 12 shots from outside the arc. Now, North Texas must put this game behind them as they hit the road Sunday morning to Boulder, Colorado to take on the Colorado Buffaloes. That game is slated for Monday night at 8 p.m. "We’ve got to put this behind us because we’re going to play another very good team on Monday," Jones said. "Colorado is extremely talented and we’ve got to be ready to play."

You succeeded

Let me reply to your thoughtful points: 1. Oh I guess you are right, your message board DOES have more people then ours, I guess that makes your MUCH COOLER! Answer: This was not to point out that our board had more members, but a comment to address your attendance figures. It appears, from YOUR radio team on KTCK, that your announced crowds greatly inflate your actual attendance figures. I would suggest you correct this. The NCAA will be counting actual fans in the seats, not tickets sold when the attendance requirements go in to effect. 2. BTW, why the hell would we schedule you for our out of conference games when we can schedule BIG 12 and CUSA teams? Answer: Because we would help each other's home attendance, which is an issue at both schools. Plus, since we are only about 30 miles apart, this is a natural rivalry. Also, CUSA teams, other than TCU, won't draw the attendance you need, and the Big 12's big boys, UT, TAMU, OU, won't come to Ford to play due to the size of your stadium. This is not a slam at your fine stadium, just the facts. 3. Don't be an idiot, just go back to your cruddy crappy Denton Community College. Answer: The education UNT provides rivals and surpasses in some fields, the education you receive at SMU. Face it, UNT has been a quality institution for years that doesn't require Daddy's Money to attend. 4. Also, we smack you us like we did in basketball last night. TAKE IT! Answer: "we smack you us?" Is this classic evidence of the quality English program SMU runs? Regarding the BBall game, yes, you did win, but I wouldn't qualify it as a "smacking." BTW, I am referring to football in this post, and must ask one question. "What/Where will your football team be tonight"?

He is listed on the two deep depth chart in the DMN this morning as the backup fullback. I think/hope this is a misprint.