GMG_Dallas

Losing isn't necessarily the problem. It's how we lost. 15 turnovers, 7 shots blocked, and an atrocious final possession. Play a clean game and get off a legit shot at the end and you still lose? It is what it is. Hodge got a free chance to draw something up and that's the best we could do?

That being your final offensive possession with 8 seconds to go is criminal. Staff has some reflecting to do.

Great and simple way of putting it. I often wonder if we're even passing on good shots just for the sake of slowing pace. It's illogical at times.

Last 25 seconds was not UNT basketball. Jacking up a deep 3 down 2 and then going for an alley oop?

An embarrassing first half. I don't doubt we'll make a comeback but WTF.

Put the ball in the hoop to get points, guys. Then you score more than them to win the game.

Sounds like a great idea. Many big programs stack talent in the form of former coordinators all over their staff disguised as analysts. My assumption would be Harrell wants to be an OC and we just don't have that position open. If his goal is to get another big OC gig, he's probably better off spending a year as ACU's OC than he is North Texas' "passing game coordinator," though.

Oh yeah I see what you mean. Yeah, neutral sites can really mask a lot. Much different environment than a true road game.

The SEC had a great record this year in OOC. My point is they are largely refusing to play true road games.

Yup. It sucks but it is the current reality. All we can do is try getting into a good in-season tournament every year and maybe 1 High-major at home. And I know our fans may hate it but I wouldn't mind playing 4-5 road games against the High-majors every year along with that tournament. It may only give us 3 or 4 home OOC games but if it means making the big dance, it's worth it. We'd be better off going 3-5 in Quad 1 OOC games than 9-3 with only 3 Quad 1 OOC games and I absolutely believe we could steal a few Quad 1 wins given more opportunity. Worth remembering a neutral site game only needs to be against a top 50 team to be Quad 1. Those 7 home OOC games we got this year are worthless save for Oregon State.

I was kind of with you until you brought in South Carolina. They would barely be .500 in the AAC. They beat ECU at home by 7. That same ECU is 4-4 in the AAC which brings me to my next point. The SEC, and other power conference schools, really avoid playing mid-majors and law-majors on the road. It's a loss for them no matter what. They lose on ticket sales, the win doesn't benefit them much, and if they lose, it hurts them too much. Alabama played 2 road OOC games this year, one at Purdue and one at #292 5-15 North Dakota who they beat by 7. Alabama also beat McNeese at home by 7 while we got them on the road. Florida, Texas A&M and Auburn each played 1 true road OOC game and Tennessee played 2 while Kentucky played zero. Without going through every schedule, I think you get the point. We look at Memphis as our conference's standard and they went 2-2 against the mighty SEC. When AAC teams take Memphis down to the wire, is it really that hard to see the gap isn't at large as people think it is? We, and others, just need true opportunities. The P4s buy home games and take their risky games to neutral sites because most don't want to play tough road games. Then we wonder why 30 P4 teams make the tournament and 20 get canned the first round. Edit to say i realize there's technically no P4 in basketball. I do think the SEC/BIG10/BIG12 especially get some favoritism come selection time.

All we can do is hope the team stays motivated and takes care of business. Reading body language for guys like Atin Wright and Brennan Lorient, they look like they're on a mission.

Yeah I agree it's a long shot. I've thought of this scenario as well and just don't find it likely to get 3 AAC bids barring other conferences collapsing. For example if the Big 10 and Big 12 end up with a clear separation of top and bottom which leaves the bottom half of teams well bellow .500 in conference play, maybe? Those two conferences weren't strong enough in OOC to make-up for horrid conference records like the SEC was. The more I think of it, the more it's apparent losing to Memphis was probably the nail in the coffin that is our at-large hopes. Had we beaten Memphis and then lost to Memphis in the conference tourney CCG, we'd at least have that one Quad 1 win but as it is, I just don't see how we can beat Memphis and not win the tourney but still get a bid.

I hear you overall but I don’t think this year's SEC is one to gripe about. All of their schools except South Carolina finished OOC play with no more than 2 losses. Tennessee, Florida, and Oklahoma finished OOC undefeated. I just can't justify leaving any of those teams out except for Arkansas and LSU who have been abysmal in league play.

MTSU - choked in the conference tourney, lost to 9 seed sub-500 Southern Miss in their first game Belmont has pretty much been 1 and done for the past 5ish seasons save for 2020-2021 Us in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 we had no deep conference tourney run and bad losses (30 points to St Mary's, UNC Wilmington, Charlotte, 12 point loss to Rice, etc...). The reasons to snub all these teams were there. I don't like it but it just is what it is. Some of the highest NET ranked teams to miss the tournament are: in 2024: #29 Indiana State, #32 St John's, #37 Cincinnati, In 2023: #38 North Texas In 2022: #39 Oklahoma In 2019: #33 NC State, #35 Clemson, #38 Texas There's plenty of High-major getting snubbed, too. This year, we have no great wins but no bad losses so far. If we can win out and have a deep tournament run, I like our chances. We just can't give any reason to doubt us, kind of like Indiana State did last year by losing to #178 Illinois State by 13 and then #116 So Illinois back-to-back in mid-February.