NT80

Excellent news!

The Denton Albino Squirrels?

$ $ $ $ First, it was just a land donation on UNT's part, now it seems maybe it's a shared-expense on the stadium construction. This may be our best shot at baseball in the near future but I'll wait until the building starts to believe it will happen. Could they play baseball in a new football stadium if the field were.... never mind.

That may be true for softball. I had a friend who's son played baseball for Virginia and they split 13 ships among 28 players. Usually the seniors or pitchers got most of it and freshmen only received about 1/4 ships. Can ships in other sports be split too?

The DRC article about the new coach's hiring said there were no seniors on this year's UNT team. It also said "Burns will also have a recruiting class in place. Each member of Segal’s final recruiting class has signed a national letter of intent." I take that to mean unless someone doesn't return or fulfill the letter of intent that we're full, but not sure.

With UNT hosting the SBC basketball tourney's next spring in Denton, it would be nice to field a good team(s) that will draw local crowds out. I would hate for ESPN 2 to show a SuperPit final showing WKY and MTSU before 200 fans.

Well, Trilli was a good recruiter but couldn't coach, and JJ seems like a good coach but the jury is still out as to if he can recruit.

Maybe we could hire Trilli to recruit for us and JJ to coach them?

Yes, we are still a small team, more height is needed.

D-I teams barred from playing non-collegiate opponents in men's basketball By STEVE HERMAN, AP Sports Writer April 29, 2004 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Major colleges will no longer be allowed to schedule men's exhibition basketball games against non-collegiate opponents, such as foreign teams, AAU clubs or Athletes in Action. The prohibition was approved Thursday by the NCAA Board of Directors and will go into effect for Division I schools on Aug. 1. Contracts signed before Oct. 21, 2003, will be honored. The measure was designed to eliminate possible advantages some schools might have in recruiting by playing exhibition games against teams that could include prospective college players. It does not apply to women's teams. ``From a men's standpoint, some of the membership was concerned these games create a relationship between an institution and club teams that result in an unfair recruiting advantage,'' NCAA spokesman Jeff Howard said. ``It just hasn't been addressed on the women's side.'' Division I teams would still be allowed to make foreign tours, which are not considered exhibition games and therefore not subject to the new rule barring non-collegiate opponents, as long as they are completed more than 30 days before the start of preseason practice. ``Some of the issues addressed in the proposal may exist in women's basketball,'' Howard said. ``There's a recommendation that additional discussion about whether the sport should be treated the same continue.'' The 30-day restriction will apply to men's and women's foreign tours in all sports and will take effect Nov. 1. All contracts signed before last Oct. 21 will be honored. The NCAA board also approved measures to: -- Give athletes more access to financial aid, up to the full cost of college attendance, from non-athletic sources such as the federal Pell Grant. This measure is effective Aug. 1. -- Give colleges the option of extending financial aid to incoming athletes the summer before their freshman year, so they can begin meeting academic goals. The board directed President Myles Brand to establish a task force to develop a plan to be considered at its Aug. 5 meeting. -- Allow colleges to cover medical expenses for injuries to athletes, regardless whether the injuries were related to athletics.

One does not leave UNT to go to UL-L!

NCAA board will vote on future of rule that restricts scholarships 11:26 PM CDT on Thursday, April 22, 2004 By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News Division I basketball coaches clobbered the NCAA when the 5-8 scholarship rule went into effect in 2000. Despite any positive intentions, the rule's limitations handcuffed coaches, leaving them unable to build a team with the maximum 13 scholarship players. "I'll tell you what you can write about that rule," Texas Tech coach Bob Knight said Thursday. "It's the most ill-conceived rule in the history of ill-conceived rules." Texas coach Rick Barnes said: "It's the worst rule they put in during my lifetime." All the bellyaching proved fruitful. The NCAA Division I board of directors could vote next Thursday to rescind the 5-8 rule, effective immediately. The rule allows schools to sign no more than five players in one year and no more than eight players in a two-year span. UT, Texas A&M and Texas Tech are among the dozens of Division I schools expected to benefit by signing more players before next season and bringing their number of scholarship players back to 13. It's not a slam dunk the rule will get rescinded, although NCAA president Myles Brand supports getting rid of it. New Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie said the feeling among coaches was that they need to be cautious and not automatically assume the measure would be passed. "You have to cover your bases," Gillispie said. "Nobody's ever faced a possible rule change like this at this time that I know of." The Division I Management Council voted unanimously to rescind the rule, confirming a lower NCAA panel's recommendation. The NCAA works much like the federal government, except its president can't exercise veto power. "When you have a bad rule, you have to get it out," Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said. "It's not about who was right and saving face. It was getting to the point where some coaches are losing their jobs." Coaches would have to act quickly; the spring signing period ends May 19. One Big 12 coach, however, said there were few impact players remaining to sign for next season. Every school's scholarship situation is different. UT and Tech both would have one scholarship remaining if the rule is rescinded. Oklahoma State would have two. As of today, Gillispie said A&M would have two scholarships. Every team's roster can fluctuate for various reasons, though. "If the rule gets rescinded, the coaching staff is fully aware that they have one more scholarship to play with, assuming no one transfers," Texas Tech compliance director Pat Britz said. The Red Raiders have not had their full complement of 13 scholarship players since Knight arrived in Lubbock in 2001. The rule was initially designed to encourage player retention in hopes that graduation rates would improve. Men's basketball teams annually have some of the lowest graduation rates of any NCAA sport. There were few loopholes, if any. Players transferred in good academic standing, and coaches were unable to sign a replacement player. If an athlete left school early for the NBA, coaches could not replace that player, either, unless they were under their 5-8 limit. Coaches could not initially replace scholarship players who died, although those cases were rare. "It was to preclude coaches from running off players," said Reggie Minton, associate director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Brand believes the 5-8 rule can go, because it will soon become obsolete. New academic legislation – the so-called "incentives/disincentives" program – is expected to be approved by the board of directors, too. These new rules are tougher on schools that do not maintain as-yet-undetermined academic standards. "Talking about holding teams accountable to graduating players, that's something that Coach Knight talked about 25 years ago," Barnes said. Brand said the NCAA is collecting data on what the standard should be, but a ban on postseason play is already one penalty being discussed. "The 5-8 rule is a rather blunt instrument, one that has considerable consequences that were unintended," Brand said. "Now we've moved on, and I think we have a much better instrument and can do the job in a better way." Oklahoma compliance director Curtis Jones expressed concern that coaches may not be fully aware how tough the "incentives/disincentives" program really is. Teams could still lose scholarships or be unable to play for championships if they don't have success in the classroom. "If you continue disregarding what kind of kids you're bringing in," Jones said, "the striking down of the 5-8 rule is nothing more than a stay of execution."

I like the 6-8, but the 210 pounds and 10 point average seem a little skimpy for a center.

I was thinking more of Baton Rouge where he played and coached at LSU.

Very interesting. I think JJ has a fondness for Southern Louisiana since he played and coached there. I don't know that he would throw his name in there unless asked to. Is that considered a promotion to go to another conference school? JJ's record at UNT may not be as sparkling as they want for a new experienced coach. We'll see.

Hines has grown 4 inches in a month! He is listed as 6-0, 175 on the Collin County site. Still, he looks like a great pickup for NT. We needed a true point guard. Collin County team photo and roster Chris White seems like a load at 6-6, 280; good size for a football OL. We needed a banger inside and hopefully he can provide that. His shooting percentage looks good at 63%. With one ship left I hope we can land someone else over 6-8.

???

NT also had John Horrocks who was a 7-footer, and I believe another at one time. Usually they are projects when we get them.

DD should take at look at him for OL. Now if he was 7'2 I'd really be excited for him and basketball.

Blakeley had a lot of frustration after Fry left. I do think NT had better crowds back then than now. He got us home games with Texas and DePaul and other better known programs. Blakeley did recruit some good players like Ken Lyons, Jon Manning, Weasel Johnson, Ken Robinson, etc. Nelson , Bill - - - 1982-1983 - - Bill Blakeley Smith , Mookie - 6'2 - F - 1982-1983 - - Bill Blakeley Grissom , Greg - 6'10 - C - 1981-1982 - - Bill Blakeley Horrocks , John - 7'0 - C - 1981-1982 - - Bill Blakeley Johnson , Wayne "Pee Wee" - - G - 1981-1982 - - Bill Blakeley Williams , Merritt - - - 1981-1982 - - Bill Blakeley Dupree , Javan - 6'4 - F - 1980-1981 - Paschal HS , Ft. Worth, TX - Bill Blakeley Gales , John - 6'6 - F - 1980-1981 - Trimble Tech - Bill Blakeley Hamlin , Div - 6'5 - F - 1980-1981 - - Bill Blakeley McDade , Fred - 6'3 - G - 1980-1981 - Denton HS , Denton, TX - Bill Blakeley Taylor , Delonte - 6'4 - G - 1980-1981 - TCU , Washington DC - Bill Blakeley Hicks , Pat - 6'2 - PG - 1979-1980 - Madison HS , Houston - Bill Blakeley Lyons , Kenneth - 6'7 - SF - 1979-1980 - Trimble Tech , Ft Worth, TX - Bill Blakeley Macalik , Tony - 6'7 - SF - 1979-1980 - Skyline HS , Dallas, TX - Bill Blakeley Nealy , Furmia - 6'1 - PG - 1979-1980 - Dunbar HS , Ft Worth, TX - Bill Blakeley Taylor , Michael - 6'3 - - 1979-1980 - - Bill Blakeley Guon , Mike - 6'6 - SF - 1978-1979 - - Bill Blakeley Hardaway , Billy - - - 1978-1979 - - Bill Blakeley Malion , Bernt - 6'6 - F - 1978-1979 - - Bill Blakeley Vasher , David - 6'3 - BG - 1978-1979 - Wilmer Hutchins , Dallas, TX - Bill Blakeley Williams , Al - - - 1978-1979 - - Bill Blakeley Gamble , James - 6'2 - PG - 1977-1978 - Lincoln HS , Port Arthur, TX - Bill Blakeley Gardner , Charles - 6'7 - F - 1977-1978 - , Searcy, AK - Bill Blakeley Manning , Jon - 6'2 - BG - 1977-1978 - Oklahoma City Univ. , Pontiac, MI - Bill Blakeley Adkisson , David - 6'7 - C - 1976-1977 - Lake Dallas HS , Lake Dallas, TX - Bill Blakeley Boyd , Greg - 6'3 - G - 1976-1977 - Denton HS , Denton, TX - Bill Blakeley Kaspar , Danny - 6'3 - BG - 1976-1977 - King HS , Corpus Christi - Bill Blakeley McMillian , Charles - 6'3 - BG - 1976-1977 - Tyler JC , Dallas, TX (SOC) - Bill Blakeley Robinson , Ken - 6'8 - C - 1976-1977 - North Lamar HS , Paris, TX - Bill Blakeley Smoak , Craig - 6'7 - C - 1976-1977 - , Brooklyn, NY - Bill Blakeley Wise , Danny - 6'6 - F - 1976-1977 - Milby HS , Houston, TX - Bill Blakeley Johnson , Walter "Weasel" - 6'0 - PG - 1975-1976 - McLennan JC , Houston, TX (Milby) - Bill Blakeley Lister , Waymond - 6'3 - BG - 1975-1976 - South Oak Cliff , Dallas, TX - Bill Blakeley Miles , Norvell - 6'3 - BG - 1975-1976 - Navarro JC , Dallas, TX (SOC) - Bill Blakeley Teddar , Paul - 6'9 - C - 1975-1976 - Richardson , Richardson, TX - Bill Blakeley

NT should be easy to recruit for. Good location, quality education, great facility, Division I program, yada, yada. I don't buy the recruiting vodoo. Football and other sports do OK recruiting to NT. It's not like you have to find 25 new players each season. Bill Blakeley didn't complain about recruiting, in fact he was about to bring Spud Webb to North Texas.

I agree we need to elevate recruiting. We lost a couple recruits to homesickness, personal issues, etc., but the talent level has not been raised above what Trilli had. I'm concerned about hosting the SBC Tourney next year with a team that could be sub-.500 again.

More local interest big goal for new SMU coach Tubbs turns to area basketball coaches to help meet objective 09:06 PM CST on Friday, March 26, 2004 By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News UNIVERSITY PARK – Oklahoma men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson said Jimmy Tubbs is the ambassador to Dallas basketball. And Tubbs' supporters arrived Friday morning when SMU announced Tubbs as its 15th head coach in school history. Tubbs, 55, signed a four-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. Tubbs replaces Mike Dement, who was fired Feb. 27. "In my mind and the committee's mind, Jimmy Tubbs became the standard that I judged all the other people against," athletic director Jim Copeland said. The decision to hire Tubbs could lead to more area recruits playing at SMU, specifically those from the Dallas Independent School District. It's been two seasons since SMU successfully recruited a DISD player. And Tubbs and the DISD coaches expect that to change. "You coaches promised me you will help me recruit," Tubbs told several DISD coaches in the audience at a news conference. "You promised me you will help SMU win, and I'm putting you on the spot right now that come next year when I come to your school don't say, 'Well Jimmy he's thinking about Duke. I don't want to hear it." Tubbs said if he doesn't work hard at recruiting, he doesn't expect any area players to commit to SMU. It was those strong ties to the area that helped Tubbs during the interview process. "He was exceptional," search committee member and Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt said. "He did an excellent job. There was a general feeling he had a love for SMU and for Dallas. He made a favorable impression on the committee." SMU officials estimated 300 people showed up for Tubbs' news conference Friday at Moody Coliseum. It was the most attended news conference in recent memory for the announcement of a head coach at SMU. When Tubbs was finished talking to the media, several high school coaches, such as Kimball's Royce Johnson and South Oak Cliff's James Mays II, left wearing SMU hats. Robert Hughes, the legendary coach of Fort Worth Dunbar, and Goree Johnson, DISD's assistant athletic director, also had SMU hats. "Recruiting kids out of Dallas got a little tougher today," Sampson said. "No question in my mind that Jimmy was the right choice for SMU. Dallas is his town, and SMU is his school. It's just his time. The DISD coaches look at him and say, he's one of us and he made it." It was a special moment for Tubbs, who said he was emotional about the hiring process. "I left here two years ago, and I left crying," said Tubbs, who stressed the Mustangs will play man-to-man defense and use an up-tempo offense. "I came back [Thursday night] smiling. I did not come to date SMU, I came here to marry SMU. You have to understand that. I'm back home." Tubbs joins the Mustangs after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma. Before that, he spent 12 seasons as an assistant with the Mustangs, earning a reputation as a strong recruiter. Tubbs began his head coaching career at Kimball, where he spent eight seasons and compiled a 232-42 record. He won the Class 5A state title in 1990. It was that background that enabled him to recruit several area players, such as Jeryl Sasser, Willie Davis and Bryan Hopkins, to SMU. "We're going to send players here," Mays said. "I think everybody wants to help Jimmy because he will put forth the effort to succeed." With the strong local connections, the Mustangs expect to find more area players coming through. "We're going to win and win big here, that's a guarantee," Tubbs said.

Wednesday, March 24, 2004 By Andy Katz ESPN.com Larry Eustachy, who resigned in disgrace as Iowa State coach 10 months ago, will be named head coach at Southern Mississippi as early as Thursday afternoon, multiple sources have told ESPN.com. Eustachy has reached an agreement in principle on a contract that was still being finalized Wednesday night. Southern Miss athletic director Richard Giannini called candidates Wednesday to tell them that Eustachy would get the job. A Southern Miss official would neither confirm nor deny the coach's pending hiring, but a news conference is planned for 4 p.m. ET Thursday. Attempts to reach Eustachy on Wednesday were unsuccessful. He replaces James Green, who resigned as Southern Miss coach on March 5. Eustachy and Iowa State officials agreed in May to sever ties and avoid a costly, drawn-out legal fight. His resignation came one week after a newspaper published embarrassing photos of him drinking and partying with students in Columbia, Mo., following an Iowa State-Missouri game in January 2003. At the time of his departure, Eustachy had won 101 games and two Big 12 championships in five seasons as Cyclones coach, reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2000, and was twice named Big 12 coach of the year. He had eight years remaining on a 10-year deal, and received about $1.1 million annually. He was paid $110,000 for the remainder of 2003 and then received a lump sum of $850,000 on Jan. 1. The 48-year-old Eustachy has spent the past year dealing with his alcohol problem, telling ESPN.com in December that he had been sober for 10 months and wanted to return to coaching. At that time, Eustachy said he was going to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Iowa, speak to student groups about the dangers of alcohol, and attend colleagues' practices around the country. Eustachy also was interested in the James Madison job but chose to pursue the Southern Miss opening more vigorously. Middle Tennessee State coach Kermit Davis Jr. and Cincinnati assistant Andy Kennedy also were interviewed by Giannini. Green coached eight seasons at Southern Miss and was in the final year of a four-year contract. Green, who did not coach the Eagles' final regular-season game against East Carolina, was 123-109. He coached the Eagles to a 2000-01 Conference USA division title and was named C-USA coach of the year. Green was a former Tim Floyd assistant at Iowa State and succeeded him as Cyclones coach. Sources said Floyd, who is now the coach of the NBA's New Orleans Hornets, was influential in helping Eustachy find another college job. Eustachy, who left Utah State in 1998 to coach at Iowa State, has a career record of 260-145 over 13 seasons. Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.