Censored by Laurie

Man I'm so jealous to be reading all this talk of 25K...please be sure to put up lots pf pictures of the field and the tailgating scene. Homecoming cannot get here soon enough!

Tell me the DRC used the word venerable to describe Fouts! Thats awesome...I did the same last week...Vito...I know you read this board from time to time...if the name sticks and you get royalties you'd better cut me in.

Verbal Commitments: 3. Anthony Jones - Baylor 5. Ian Markolf - Wisconsin 7. Phillip McDonald - New Mexico 8. Jeremy Green - Stanford 11. Corbin Ray - Texas Tech 19. Troy Alexander - Santa Clara 21. Chris Hines - Utah 22. Toure Murray - Wichita St. 28. Anthony Hill - Rice 30. Kevin Foster - Santa Clara 37. Tre Nichols - Texas St. 40. Brandon Williams - UL- Monroe 43. Logan Lancon - TCU 44. Kevin Smith - Liberty 47. James Bzlasczyk - TCU 49. Jon Miller - UTA 53. Branden Harrison - E. Michigan 61. Jordan Kinnear - UTA 78. Drae Murray - Sam Houston I know that ratings are not the be all and end all indicator of a player's talent...but they do provide a good baseline as to where we should be looking to recruit. Based on the schools where these kids have verballed thus far...I would say top 40...UL-M recruits talented guards, the TSU and Rice kids may be second guessing their choices...but I feel we're a better basketball team than TCU and the Fran of the metroplex Neil Daugherty, UTA, Liberty, Eastern Michigan and SHSU. Shug Jones mentioned an interst in visiting, and I like the size on #20 Myles Walker and #34 Emerson Herndon.

Damn, I'd like to see that W-2

I'm sticking to my 77-74 UNT prediction and a game I'm sad I'm gonna miss (Justin, Cory and Rob I will be needing text message updates). 21,500 in attendence...another 23,500 tailgating all game in the parking lot...and another 50 or so who never leave Tavern.

It appears Dayton doesn't have a white uni...the baby blues (which I kinda like) must be their roads and the red ones in some of the other pictures are their home. While I'm not running out to buy a Syracuse uni, they are the Syracuse Orange...and atleast they embrace their color based nickname... ...Go Mean White!

No, but I would go to his car and get him his stuffed panda and I would call Bob's and have them deliver him a steak.

To the great Abner Haynes.

Much as Middle Tennessee is a year away from being a force in the Sun Belt East, Arkansas - Little Rock is next years team to beat in the West. This year for Trojan Head Coach Steve Shields will be all about finding chemestry between nine newcomers and some talented returnees. Projected Starting Line-Up: PG. Brandon Patterson 6'6" 192 Jr.SG. Terrance Akins 6'1" 182 Sr.SF. Lehkeythan Malone 6'6" 201 Jr.PF. Rashad Moss 6'7" 220 Sr.C. Mike Smith 6'7 282 Soph.Frontcourt - Of the five departed Trojans, four played up-front, and none more important than Rashad Jones-Jennings (6'8" 230). Jones-Jennings was named first team all Sun Belt last season, averaging 12.5 points and a nation leading 13.1 rebounds per game. The most likely to attempt to fill Jones-Jennings shoes is Mike Smith (6'7" 282 Soph.). Smith is one of two Ole Miss transfers on the Trojan roster who sat out last season due to NCAA rules. Smith (who perhaps Papa Todd ought to look at to sure up our O-Line) averaged just 2.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in his freshman campaign with the Rebels, prepped the year before on a National Title winning Laurinburg Academy squad, and has never put up impressive scoring numbers, but will be an effective rebounder for UALR. Lehkeythan Malone (6'6" 201 Jr.) was the SBC Freshman of the Year two seasons ago, but saw his production slightly decrease in his sophomore campaign. Malone shot a solid 49% from the floor last season, but a paltry 33 % from three, a problem that bemoaned the Trojans all year. Rashad Moss (6'7" 220) is an active, yet undersized forward who will have to improve both his scoring (4.4ppg) and rebounding (1.7rpg) in order to hold off a strong group of newcomers. With size an issue, the most likely of the newcomers to see significant minutes will be Derrick Bails (6'9" 260 Fr.). Bails signed in 2006, but red shirted last season to focus on academics. JUCO transfer Shane Edwards (6'7 195 Jr.) surprised many when he chose to break his commitment to Colorado State and join the Trojans. Edwards averaged 13.1ppg and 7.6rpg at Northeastern CC, but his minutes this season will be dictated entirely on how Shields chooses to utilize the lanky forward...as he's undersized for the four, but there will be more minutes available there than at the crowded three. LaMarvon Jackson (6'6" 200 Jr.) and John Fowler (6'4 193 Jr.) were signed late to help a thin frontcourt. The biggest impact upfront for UALR will sitting out this season. Johnathan Uchendu (6'11" 205 Soph.) comes back home to Little Rock after a season of minimal playing time at Purdue. Backcourt - Terrance Akins (6'1" 182 Sr.) first transferred to Little Rock before the 2005-06 season. He appeared in just two games before taking a medical red shirt, but went 1 for 3 from the field...oh...and 1 for 3 from 3 point range. Last season, Akins continued his affinity for the deep ball...taking nearly two-thirds of his shots from the 19'9". Akins (who could win a Harold Stewart miniature look alike contest) was the only Trojan to shoot above 40% from three and finished second to RJJ in scoring last season (12.3ppg). Brandon Patterson (6'6" 192 Jr.) left Oxford, MS with Mike Smith and will be an immediate impact player for UALR and a top newcomer of the year candidate in the Sun Belt. Patterson is a rangy wing who appeared in all 61 Rebels games during his stay at Ole Miss. He has been working this summer at the point, an unnatural position, but one that he is capable of playing and where he will be the biggest benefit to the Trojans. De'Andre Eggins is instant offense off the bench. Eggins (6'5" 192 Jr.) finished third on the team in scoring (11.4ppg) and fourth in rebounding (3.8rpg) but was absolutely awful from three point range (26-102, 25%), actually making fewer threes this season compared to last, where he only attempted 70 (27-70). The only true point guard on the roster is Stevie Moore (6'0" 170 Soph.). Moore was up and down in his freshman season, leading the team with 2.7 assists per contest, but also comfortably led the team in turnovers (78). Moore will still see plenty of time when Patterson slides to the wing, but with Akins, Eggins and Malone crowding the 2,3 spots, Patterson needs to be on the floor and the point seems to be the most likely place. Two true freshmen round out Shields' recruiting class. Shooting guard Kelson Stewart (6'4" 185) and combo Brian Smith (6'2" 178) will have a difficult time finding minutes, though Smith's ability to play some point will be a benefit. Summary - Arkansas - Little Rock is very strong in the backcourt. The problem is, so is everyone else in the Sun Belt. Your elite SBC teams have at least one capable scorer over 6'7". Mike Smith will eat space, but is not an offensive weapon. Edwards can score, but is too thin to play the four on a regular basis. If Dials proves he has an offensive game, it may up the success curve for the Trojans a bit, but things should come together next year when Uchendu is eligible and only Akins and Moss graduate. Last season was a disappointment for Steve Shields, finishing 13-17, 8-10 in conference, good for fifth in the SBC West after being picked by many to win the Division. With so many new faces, look for modest improvement this coming season, but to be a force in 2008.

Im sooo sorry Justin. =

Man, do I have some major problems with this quote. Blitzing is a fundamental and effective way into forcing you opponent into mistakes and puts pressure on the quaterback...two things we have been terrible at through two games.

If you go back and watch this scene you'll notice his prototype actually says "Loose One Turn" I feel I threw a perfect bounce pass to a cutting Quoner...will he finish my assist?

I agree 100% with the regional appeal of C-USA West...and I mention that at the end of my post...I just grow tired of the idea that we are wallowing in the sewer of Division 1 football, and for that matter basketball. The SBC has shown a great commitment to athletics and I love the fact that all the schools seem to pull for the success of their conference mates...could you ever see an SMU fan cheer for Houston to win an OOC game? With WKU joining and knowing the support they have from fans and admin for athletics, they could be on a similar path as Troy. Add a possibile move by Texas St. once the NCAA lifts the moratorium on division movement...and you have a conference of 10 very intriguing programs. The only problem with this is that the SBC has 13 schools...four just don't have football programs...and, much like the Big East, the Sun Belt is still a basketball conference. I think you may have wiggle room to add three programs in the next five yers if our improved play continues. Texas St. would be a great addition and create what we ohhh so desperatly want and need in a regional rival. Denver is seeking a more logical fit and UNO may be dropping to D-II or getting rid of athletics altogether for a while...so that would free up 2 more spots. La Tech makes regional sense...I just have a hard time believing just one school would make what would be at best considered a lateral move from C-USA...but your best bet would be Tulsa or Tulane.

77-74 UNT...FAU's three point jumper at the buzzer rims out...errr...field goal hits the upright. Over 700 yards of offense on each side, including an impressive 150 rushing for Jamario Thomas.

Judging by the ASU fan board...Bigger

And I think that attitude is a direct reflection of the attitude of the school...Belt schools always seem to load up their schedules with national powers and statement games...some of these are viewed as money games, but others like Troy vs. OSU, FAU vs. Minnesota and UNT vs. Arkansas ( ) are viewed as games we think we can win and make a national statement. It seems C-USA is content to load up with FCS schools to make sure they get to 6 wins and are bowl eligible.

Thats a shame. I'm finding it very bizarre that UNT and Wichita St. seem in constant compition for recruits...neither Gregg Marshall nor Marc Turgeon have any real Texas ties...and, atleast under Turgeon WSU and UNT played two very different styles of basketball.

Following what may have been the biggest weekend for the SBC since 2002's New Orleans Bowl victory , I decided to do a Norm-like statistical breakdown of the conferences thus far. C-USA vs. BCS conferences schools - 2-14. (UCF over NC St. 25-23; ECU over UNC 34-31). C-USA schools have 8 remaining games with BCS schools, plus 2 games with teams with BCS bowl aspirations, TCU vs. SMU and Southern Miss vs. Boise St...so 10 games will give them a total of 26 BCS school match-ups. SBC vs. BCS conference schools - 2-13. (FAU over Minnesota 42-39; Troy over OK St. 41-23). SBC schools have 11 remaining games with BCS schools...giving them a total of 26 BCS school match-ups. C-USA vs. AP Top 25 (as of 9/17) - 0-4. C-USA schools have 5 remaining games with AP Top 25 schools. SBC vs. AP Top 25 (as of 9/17) - 0-9. SBC schools have 5 remaing games with AP Top 25 schools. C-USA vs. FCS schools - 3-2. Losses - (U. New Hampshire over Marshall 48-35; Nichols St. over Rice 16-14). C-USA schools have 3 remaining games against FCS schools (UH vs. Tex. Southern; UTEP vs. Tex. Southern; Tulane vs. SE-Louisiana) SBC vs. FCS schools - 0-1. Loss - (McNeese St. over UL-La 38-17) SBC schools have 1 remaining game against FCS schools (UL-M vs. Grambling). C-USA vs. SBC - 2-1. SBC win - (ASU over SMU 45-28) C-USA wins - (SMU over UNT 45-31; Tulsa over UL-M 35-17) Remaining C-USA vs. SBC games - Memphis vs. ASU; So. Miss vs. ASU; UCF vs. UL-La; Memphis vs. MTSU) Summary - In the end, it all comes down to what happens on the field...however there are some interesting notes to be gleaned from this type of statistical analysis. The two conferences will play the same number of games against BCS school, however the SBC has only 8 teams to CUSA's 12. So far its a dead heat with two wins a piece. The Top 25 will change throughout the year and I didn't feel like seeing who was ranked when...and I think this will prove to be a wash by the end of the year, with neither conference getting a Top 25 victory...though it should be noted that both FAU and UCF will play South Florida, currently ranked number 23. Oh, and speaking of the Top 25, Tulsa is the only school in either conference to register a vote in this weeks AP Poll...they got 1. The next section is fascinating to me. C-USA will play 8 games against FCS schools to the SBC's 2...C-USA already has two losses and could easilly have a third with Tulane. The head to head at this point is all but a wash...the SMU-UNT game clearly could've gone either way, ASU handled SMU; Tulsa handled UL-M. I think 3 of the remaining match-ups are winnable for the SBC...I'll give So. Miss a W against UL-La. I think in the end the SBC will prove to be on par with C-USA...and the only remaining arguement for a move would be regional games and rivalries.

Which Green? Even if every UNT fan in the stands wore green there would be a hodge-podge of different colors. Lets start with getting them wearing UNT gear...and work our way up. Now if the Athletic Department would'nt have wasted money dressing up Fouts...they may be able to provide uniform t-shirts and make something like this happen. When you play in a hole...I think you need to embrace it, not try and decorate it. Use terms like rustic and venerable.

We need to get some sort of rotation going at WR...its great Casey is leading the nation in recieving yards...but hess going to hit a wall seeing as many reps as he did against SMU. BJ looked good early, then never saw the field again. If Penson and DeSoto can tackle...they need to be on the field. I thought Ealey out-played Bush and Roman on the weak corner...though I would rather the MIA Desmon Chatman or Dominique Green get a look out there. Jordan Scroggins was our only area top 100 recruit...be nice to see him out there, though I think the interior of the D-line has been solid. I'm not sure theres any real point in saving too many shirts on this recruiting class. I think its important to Papa Todd and our program to get in his guys to see if his recruiting formula is successful...if the type of guys he's targeting are not of the caliber he needs, its best to find out now. Also with four more recievers verballed for next season, and only one graduating, reciever depth is not going to be a concern and all of the 07 WRs should get a look.

Matt Dougherty is SMU's head coach who came from North Carolina before a one year stint with FAU. Neil Dougherty is the train wreck in Ft. Worth who has had success recruiting as far away as Crowley for talented players.

The biggest turn-around season may come in Colorado. New head coach Joe Scott brings a foreign concept to the Sun Belt...defense. Scott comes to Denver from a Princeton team that led the nation in scoring defense last season. Prior to his three season stint in the Ivy League, Scott was the head man at Air Force and took the Falcons to their first NCAA appearance in 42 years in 2004. Between 2000 and 2003, Scott's Falcon's led the nation in scoring defense. Scott teaches a patient offense and intense, fundamental defense. While Scott has his hands full with a Pioneer team that won 4 games last season, finishing dead last in the SBC...the new coach inherits a team of solid role players and one potential star that should fit his system well...and it may not take long to see a dramatic improvement. Projected Starters PG. Tyler Bullock 6'1" 190 Soph.SG. Nate Rohnert 6'5" 205 Soph.SF. David Kummer 6'6" 210 Sr.PF. Joe Jackson 6'4" 220 Jr.C. Adam Tanner 6'8" 230 Sr.Frontcourt: Scott's five out motion offense doesn't require a traditional big man like Denver had two seasons ago in Yemi Nicholson...in fact it can be a bit of a liability. Scotts attack prefers bigs who can stretch a defense with their shooting ability and move well with in the offense. Senior Adam Tanner (6'8" 230) may be the ideal post for Scott. Tanner appeared in 22 games last season, starting 17, and contributed a solid 6.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. Perhaps what excites Scott the most, is that Tanner shot 50 % from three point land (19 of 38) and will be asked to expand his offensive role. Joining Tanner up front will be Joe Jackson (6'4" 220 Jr.). Jackson is undersized for his position, but is a bruising rebounder 3.9 rpg) and a capable scorer (7.4 ppg) inside...dropping a season high 21 on FAU and scoring more than 15 on three other occasions. David Kummer (6'6" 210 Sr.) returns to the Pioneers after missing all of last season due to injury. Kummer is a solid outside shooter and aggressive perimeter defender. In 2005-2006, Kummer posted his best game against league champion South Alabama, falling a board shy of a double-double (15pts, 9rbs). Should Scott reach a point where he needs a brick wall for a few minutes...Chris Timms (6'9" 255 Sr.) is a nice luxury. The Englishman averaged 2.6 points and 2 rebounds for the Pioneers and while he may not fit well in Scott's motion, you can't coach size. The depth of the frontcourt however will be freshmen. The most highly touted of the group is Andrew Hooper (6'9" 200). Hooper was listed as a three star recruit on Rivals out of the Denver area and is known as a defensive specialist, averaging nearly 6 blocks and more than 12 boards per game. Hooper was also named all-conference both his junior and senior years in track...setting a personal best of 45 feet, 3 1/2 inches in the triple jump. Rob Lewis (6'7" 212) has the best incoming statistics (27.7ppg, 15.8 rpg) of any of the newcomers, however he also has the biggest adjustment to D-1 basketball from a 2A high school. Anthony Porch (6'5" 195), brother of the graduated Antonio Porch (9.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg last season for Denver), rounds out the front court. Backcourt: The brightest spot in an otherwise dark 2006-07 campaign was without a doubt Tyler Bullock (6'1" 185 Soph.). Bullock stepped in and started every game as a true freshman, averaging 11 points, good for second on the team behind the departed DeShawn Walker (14.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg). If Bullock is to become the featured scorer in Joe Scott's offense, he will have to improve upon his 36% three point shooting, however his 44.5% field goal percentage was tops on the team. Complimenting Bullock will be fellow second-year man Nate Rohnert (6'5" 205). Rohnert was a key sixth man last season, making no starts but appearing in 27 games and averaging 4.2 points off the bench. Rohnert is capable of the big scoring game, setting a career high with 17 against Western Kentucky. Rohnert was a hesitant shooter in his debut year, but should look for his offense more with Walker and guard Alex Cox (6'2" 200) now gone. The importance of true-freshman Kyle Lewis (5'11", 145) needs special attention. Lewis was the Colorado state 3A player of the year, but not considered a top-tiered recruit. Lewis is the only capable back-up at the point to Tyler Bullock, who himself is not a true point, and if Lewis is in over his head, Bullock could be very tired towards the end of the season. Myke Lattimore (6'4" 205 Sr.) missed the second half of last season with a stress fracture and his defense and athleticism will be of great value to Scott. Spring, Texas native Kelvin Mitchell (6'5" 195 Fr.) prepped last season at the Air Force Academy and will provide depth in the Pioneer backcourt. Summary: As a basketball fundamentalist, Joe Scott's coaching style excites me...as a UNT fan, it worries me. Denver returns and Scott recruited the type of players that will fit his system extremely well. Tyler Bullock is on the verge of a breakout season. Four other returning players should contribute between 8 and 12 points...and if one or two of the freshmen, especially Kyle Lewis, prove they can make a consistent contribution, Denver could pose a series threat in the SBC West.

With the exception of leaving off Matt Phillips...all of Cooley's list were recruited as QBs and originally given a shot to compete there...the others metntioned, Washington, Stubblefield ect were recruited either as athletes or recievers and DBs And my vote goes to Hiram Gonzales for throwing a TD at Amon Carter

Just for information and clarity's sake...Joe Craddock did throw for 199 yards...but he did it wearing Blue...hes MTSU's starting QB. FAU starts Rusty Smith at QB and he went 12-26 for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Raiders.

I appreciate it...work has picked up considerably since I started these and I haven't gotten around to the rest of the SBC West and UNT...but they'll be up well before the season starts