NT80

3-8, but who's counting?

NCAA WOMENS BB 1ST 2ND TOTAL --- --- ----- NORTH TEXAS 27 26 53 TCU (19) 51 40 91 FINAL HIGH SCORERS: NORTH TEXAS - KIM BLANTON 11 TCU - SANDORA IRVIN 21 ...................................................................................... Is it almost football season again??

Hansen's Nebraska Huskers were playing a football game last night too, they plus the Cowboys got all the sports talk, and Ok State eating at Lawry's was big sports news too!

I tried to come over on highway 380 from McKinney/Frisco and they had it closed for construction west of Denton and a detour north to Pilot Point. A normal 1 hour drive took 2 hours, and would probably discourage any other fan that came that way from coming back for a weeknight game at 7pm. UNT's attendance is being affected by construction on the area highways.

The game was televised on ESPN Regional back to Indiana and their region. We have another home game in a couple weeks vs. NMSU also broadcast on ESPN Regional but I think this will be for our region (DFW). One thing I didn't like because of this was the long TV timeouts, like in the Bowl, it kills any momentum you have then.

Visit home a treat for Wright, Indiana, 79-70 The Colony product pours in 39, leaves UNT behind 11:47 PM CST on Monday, December 29, 2003 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – Bracey Wright knew he was in for a big night when one of his worst looking shots turned out to be just as good as the rest in Indiana's game against North Texas on Monday. The former standout at The Colony hoisted up a 3-point shot that appeared to be long, but banked off the glass and settled into the net. The shot turned out to be one of several highlights for Wright in the Hoosiers' 79-70 win over UNT at the Super Pit. "I told A.J. [Moye] when I banked in that 3 that it was going to be my night," Wright said. He was right. The sophomore finished with a career-high 39 points and hit 6-of-8 3-pointers. "It was a great experience," Wright said. "A lot of people from my high school, old coaches and family members came. To play like I did in the one time they will get to see me play close to home was a wonderful experience." Wright got off to a quick start by scoring 28 points in the first half after hitting his first nine shots of the game. He missed all three of his shots from the field in the second half, but hit 11 free throws after intermission. "For Bracey to come out and play like this in his hometown was a great feeling for him and a great feeling for me," Indiana coach Mike Davis said. UNT (4-6) managed to stay within striking distance despite Wright's big night. The Mean Green cut what had been a 15-point Indiana lead in the second half to five points, 69-64, with 3:26 left on a pair of free throws by Shawnson Johnson. The senior forward led UNT with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

It blatantly shows their lack of opponent knowledge.

It's interesting that the lower level has a "few" seats remaining while the upper level has "some" seats remaining. "Few" in the SuperPit could be +/- 1000 while "some" could mean +/- 4000. In sales jargon, they are adjectives used to spur indecision, as in only a few remain and you may not get one if you wait. We'll see if it works!

North Texas vs. Indiana A few Lower Level seats and some Upper Level seats remain for the North Texas vs. Indiana basketball game tonight at 7:00 pm at the Super Pit in Denton. Tickets are $15 and $10 and you can order at (940) 565-2527 or 1-800-UNT-2366.

North Texas vs. Indiana A few Lower Level seats and some Upper Level seats remain for the North Texas vs. Indiana basketball game tonight at 7:00 pm at the Super Pit in Denton. Tickets are $15 and $10 and you can order at (940) 565-2527 or 1-800-UNT-2366.

IU brings star power to UNT High-profile Hoosiers also feature ex-area standout Bracey Wright 09:09 PM CST on Sunday, December 28, 2003 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – North Texas men's basketball coach Johnny Jones will reach one of his goals for the Mean Green on Monday and bring home one of the area's top former high school stars in the process. Jones has always wanted to bring a high-profile team to Denton to face the Mean Green in the Super Pit. Indiana, led by former The Colony standout Bracey Wright, will bring Jones' dream to fruition when the Hoosiers face the Mean Green in a 7 p.m. game. UNT lost to Indiana, 84-58, in last season. "This game will give us the opportunity to play someone who is respected nationally because of the titles they have won and because they were in the Final Four two years ago," Jones said. "Plus we will get a chance to play them at home in front of our crowd." The Mean Green is hoping to take advantage of its appearance in the national spotlight by challenging the Hoosiers. UNT players say they are more prepared this year than last season. UNT struggled through its toughest campaign under Jones last season, going 7-21. UNT has shown signs of improving this season, posting a 4-5 record. UNT won three of four games in one stretch before falling to St. Bonaventure and Southeast Missouri State on the road. UNT's players say they are starting to come together as a team. Senior Shawnson Johnson became eligible at the semester break after transferring from LSU and has become a force. The 6-9 forward is averaging 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds to lead UNT in both categories. Johnson is the only UNT player averaging double figures in scoring. "We are getting better in some aspect of our game each time out," sophomore forward Ty Thomas said. "We still need to work on some things. We don't feel like we have hit our stride yet." Finding its rhythm could be a challenge against Indiana. The Hoosiers (5-4) may not have an impressive record, but they have lost tough games to ranked teams, including Kentucky, Missouri and Wake Forest. Wright has been one of the bright spots for Indiana. The sophomore leads the team with an average of 21.1 points and 5.3 rebounds. "Bracey is a complete, NBA-type player," Jones said. "He can shoot it, put it on the floor and defend." This could be the highest profile game of the year for UNT. "You always imagine what it might be like to play against a team like Indiana," Thomas said. "We fell short last year, but we get another chance. I feel like we are better prepared this year. We are ready to go out and compete against one of the best teams in the nation." Indiana (5-4) at North Texas (4-5): 7 p.m. Monday, Super Pit, Denton (KWRD-FM 100.7, KNTU-FM 88.1)

Scott was the best passer and ball handler on the team. Something is wrong that we are losing all these players. Is it because most were recruited from out of state and they're homesick? If so, we need to focus closer to DFW.

The program is larger than any one individual, fan, player, coach, etc. It has to be that way because the variables are constantly changing. Football by it's nature is a rough, physical game played by similar players. Emotions run high in games and competing for playing time in practice and for respect in public places. Sometimes players don't turn their head and walk away when they should. DD seems like a players coach and runs a clean program. I can't think of a harder job than to try and control 100 18-22 year old males 24 hours a day, every day. I know a mom with a son in a PAC10 program that says there are many borderline criminals on it and she worries for his safety. We have to look at the big picture here for North Texas. We are trying to get established as a consistent winning mid-major program and move up the conference food-chain...cleanly. I think overall we're doing that.

More like blew a 10-point lead, again.

we beat UT-Pan Am in OT.

Final: 81-62; NT lead at the half 36-35 then 42-39 five minutes into the second half before going flat. A crowd of over 5,000 was announced.

No. 2 Kentucky Pummels Indiana 80-41 By MICHAEL MAROT, AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS - Chuck Hayes scored 22 points and Erik Daniels added 19 to lead No. 2 Kentucky to an 80-41 rout of Indiana on Saturday. The Wildcats (6-0) won their 26th straight regular-season game with a suffocating defense that rarely allowed the Hoosiers an open shot. Indiana (4-4) managed just 15 points in the second half and finished with its fewest points in coach Mike Davis' four seasons. It was also the worst defeat under Davis. Kentucky shot 50 percent from the field and outrebounded Indiana 54-35. Hayes and Daniels each had 10 rebounds. Indiana, meanwhile, shot just 24.2 percent — 16.7 percent in the second half. Bracey Wright scored 23 points and Sean Kline 15 for Indiana, with the rest of the Hoosiers managing just three points. About the only thing Kentucky did wrong was commit 13 turnovers in the first half, allowing Indiana to stay close at 32-26. But the Wildcats took control early in the second half. Hayes opened with back-to-back baskets to spark a 9-0 run that made it 41-26 with 17:45 to go. Kentucky's second 9-0 run made it 54-31 with 12:30 left. The 39-point margin was the Hoosiers' worst defeat in the 47-game series with Kentucky.

St. John's Fires Basketball Coach By JIM O'CONNELL, AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK - Mike Jarvis became the first basketball coach fired during the season in the 25-year history of the Big East Conference, dismissed by St. John's on Friday after six games. The Red Storm opened the season by losing four of five, which hadn't happened since 1922-23, and they were beaten at home by Fairfield and Hofstra, drawing boos from fans and chants of "Fire Jarvis!" A victory over St. Francis, N.Y., last week improved the team to 2-4, but it wasn't nearly enough to save the coach's job. The Red Storm also lost to Marquette and Duke. Associate head coach Kevin Clark takes over the program on an interim basis. St. John's plays at No. 5 Georgia Tech on Sunday. "This wasn't my choice, but you must respect the decision an employer makes," said Jarvis, 110-61 in his five-plus seasons. Jarvis still had next year remaining on his contract, which is thought to be in the $725,000-a-year range. His son, assistant coach Mike Jarvis II, also was let go. The timing of the firing was "the best thing for all parties," St. John's athletic director Dave Wegrzyn said. "We feel it is in the best interest of everyone to make this decision," he said. He refused to discuss financial arrangements. While Jarvis' players struggled on the court this season, they had problems away from it, too. Senior guard Willie Shaw was arrested on marijuana possession charges last month and kicked off the team. Shaw also was suspended for four games at the end of his sophomore season after testing positive for marijuana. Junior college transfer Grady Reynolds was arrested just days before the 2002-03 season on charges he attacked a female student in a dormitory. This summer, Reynolds was ordered to perform community service and undergo anger management counseling to settle the charges, which would be dismissed in six months if he was not arrested again. Jarvis replaced Fran Fraschilla, who was fired after the 1997-98 season. Jarvis spent the previous eight seasons at George Washington and was at Boston University for five seasons before that. His career record for 18-plus seasons is 364-201. He took Boston University to the NCAA (news - web sites) tournament twice and George Washington three times. Jarvis led the Red Storm to the regional finals of the NCAA tournament his first season and they lost in the second round the next year. St. John's also went to the tournament in 2002, losing in the first round, and the Red Storm won the NIT last season, finishing with a 21-13 record by closing with a 7-1 run after going 2-6 in February. Jarvis first came to national prominence as Patrick Ewing's high school coach at Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, Mass. "I have no regrets at all for coming to St. John's," Jarvis said. "I would come again in a minute." He also was quick to talk of his future. "I want to coach college basketball next year," he said.

Try The Word, 100.7 fm, I believe it's based in East Texas.

The Lady Eagles (or Lady Mean Green? ) will face the 5th ranked Lady Horns on Fox Sports Net at 1:00pm from Austin.

Record crowd watches No. 2 Kentucky overcome Michigan State DETROIT (AP) — Even if some can only say they were there, a basketball world-record crowd of 78,129 "watched" No. 2 Kentucky beat No. 20 Michigan State 79-74 Saturday at Ford Field. Not all the views at Ford Field were close to the court. Gerald Fitch scored 25 points for the Wildcats, who never trailed, while Michigan State's Paul Davis had 24. The Wildcats (5-0) have won their first five games for the first time since 1992-93. The last time Michigan State (3-4) had a losing record was 1995-96, Tom Izzo's first season as head coach. Basketball's previous attendance record was 75,000, set in 1951 when the Harlem Globetrotters played at Olympic Stadium in Berlin. The NCAA attendance record was 68,112, set in 1990 at the Louisiana Superdome when Notre Dame played LSU. The NBA record is 62,046 from a Chicago-Atlanta game at the Georgia Dome in 1998. Besides the 65,000 spectators the stadium holds for a Detroit Lions game, there were about 5,000 students — without seats — standing, jumping and lounging on the artificial turf. Another 5,000 fans had seats on the floor, some paying as much as $500, as did hundreds of band members from both schools. Others spent $8 for seats in the upper deck that were so far away jersey numbers could only be seen with binoculars. In one end zone, students looked like they were at an outdoor concert. Some sat behind Kentucky's band and "The Izzone," Michigan State's student section, and could only see the heads and shoulders of the players despite the court being elevated on a 3-foot platform. Others simply laid on their backs and watched the game on the videoboards. The undersized Wildcats didn't have much trouble scoring inside against Michigan State. When they chose to shoot from the perimeter, the unique sight lines didn't seem to bother them. Kentucky shot 60%. When the Wildcats shot from the right wing in the first half, they saw daylight beyond the basket through a 65-foot high glass wall. In the second half, it was dark. After trailing by 15 points in the first half and by 10 early in the second half, Michigan State pulled to 62-61 with 8:21 left. Kentucky then built three six-point leads before Shannon Brown's two free throws pulled the Spartans within two with 1:04 left. Fitch's two free throws with 21 seconds left and Brown's 3-point miss sealed the win for the Wildcats. Unlike basketball games at domes that have attracted 40,000-plus fans, the court was not tucked into an end zone and there was no curtain to cut off half the seats. Players had to walk up three steps to get on the court, which Michigan State brought from East Lansing. It's not the first time the Spartans have set an attendance record. Michigan State played Michigan in hockey two years ago at Spartan Stadium before 74,554, a world-record crowd for a hockey game.

I believe I read that the floor seats were sold-out for the season. Now many may be just donating $$ in the name of getting prime seats and then not attending, I guess that's their right. I'd like to see the seats donated back and re-sold again if folks know they can't attend a certain game. Double sell the same seat if it helps get some bucks for the program and puts a body in them!

NT leads 56-18 at the half; 60% shooting, who are these guys?

I would believe it was probably a little more descriptive than that for him to make a public comment about.

Tech's Knight criticizes SMU's fans 11:50 PM CST on Thursday, December 4, 2003 By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News LUBBOCK – SMU students packed the lower half of Moody Coliseum on Monday and spent the night screaming at Bob Knight. On Thursday, the Texas Tech men's basketball coach fired back. Knight ripped SMU's fans and school administration during his weekly radio interview on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310). The 63-year-old said the remarks directed at the Tech bench were the worst he has encountered in 37-plus years of coaching. "This was just garbage, filthy garbage," Knight said. "If that's what SMU produces, then they really ought to be proud of it." SMU athletic director Jim Copeland said there is no place for profanity. However, if the crowd was too boisterous, "that's just life on the road," he said. Knight held up the game briefly during the first half to talk with a game official and a SMU police officer, who was stationed at the end of Tech's bench. But Knight did not comment about the situation during the post-game news conference. Tech lost the game, 62-59, in front of 6,213 fans. Moody Coliseum holds 8,988. "An administration at SMU, if there is an administration there, ought to be embarrassed to have people sit in their arena like those people did," Knight told the station. "I went over and told the policeman and said, 'The next person that comes by there and calls us any one of three really rotten names, and I gave him the names, I'm going over to the stands and I'll put him right in your lap. Then you can do whatever you want to do with him.' "I'm used to being harassed, and rarely have I ever done anything," he continued. "But I've never heard such garbage come out of the stands before as I did the SMU stands. I thought today about writing a letter to the president of SMU, but I'm sure that wouldn't do any good. That must happen at every game, and he must condone that kind of thing." Copeland, who said he has not heard from any Tech official, left his seat during the first half to see what the commotion was all about. The officer told Copeland that no students had left their seats, he said. When asked if the officer mentioned anything about profanity, Copeland said: "The officer said nothing like that." The Red Raiders (5-2) play at New Mexico at 2 p.m. Saturday. The game is at The Pit, an arena known as one of the loudest in college basketball. Tech is tentatively scheduled to play SMU next season at United Spirit Arena.