OldTimer

Men's basketball: Brown providing valuable minutes for Mean Green 08:43 AM CST on Thursday, January 12, 2006 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The prospects for playing time didn’t look all that good for Lionel Brown when he arrived at North Texas at the beginning of the season. DRC/Gary Payne North Texas point guard Lionel Brown (3) dribbles down court while being guarded by New Orleans’ Wayne Williams on Saturday at the Super Pit. Brown has quickly settled in as UNT’s backup point guard and helped reduce the load on starter Isaac Hines. The former Eastern Oklahoma State College point guard was buried deep on the Mean Green’s depth chart, behind preseason second team All-Sun Belt Conference selection Isaac Hines, not to mention a host of other experienced backcourt players and Arkansas transfer Kendrick Davis, one of the Mean Green’s most heralded recruits in recent years. Brown has overcome those long odds to secure an increasingly important role heading into a game against Florida International (3-11, 0-2) at 7 p.m. today. The 5-11 sparkplug has become the Mean Green’s backup point guard, one of its most accurate 3-point shooters and a scoring threat off the bench. Brown’s development is one of the reasons the UNT men will head into the second half of a Sun Belt Conference doubleheader with an 8-5 record and a chance to improve to 2-1 in league play. The UNT women (12-2, 2-0) will look to build on their best start in school history in the 5 p.m. opener when they take on Denver (7-6, 1-1). “To be a good team, you need a good point guard,” UNT men’s coach Johnny Jones said. “We have been very fortunate to have two guys who are very capable of playing the point, are heady and can distribute the basketball.” UNT knew coming into the season that it already had one player who fit that description in Hines, who became the first player in school history to lead the Mean Green in assists, steals and rebounds in a single season last year. What UNT needed was a backup who could help take some of the load off of Hines, who played more than 34 minutes a game in conference play. The Mean Green had plenty of candidates, but it was Brown that has increasingly filled that role. Brown has played at least 19 minutes in each of the Mean Green’s last three games when he has averaged 10.3 points and just one turnover a game. Jones has been able to cut Hines back to 22 minutes a game this season, thanks to Brown who is hitting 41.5 percent of his 3-point shots. Hines still leads the team with 32 assists and 28 steals and has seen his 3-point shooting percentage jump from 30.9 to a team best 44.0. “My body feels much better than it did last year with Lionel here to help me,” Hines said. “He is doing a good job for us.” Brown credited Hines for helping him adapt to playing at the Division I level after two years in junior college. “I want to make sure I take some time off of Isaac’s hands and take control of the team when I am in there,” Brown said. “I am starting to get more comfortable on the floor.” UNT is counting on Brown to come up with another solid performance tonight, when the Mean Green will look to bounce back from a disappointing loss to New Orleans. UNT had won four straight, including its conference opener against SBC West Division favorite Louisiana-Lafayette, before falling to the Privateers, 72-69. UNT was down by one and had a chance to win the game with 20 seconds left, but failed to convert. “We need to get our winning streak going again,” Hines said. “We should have had that game the other night. We need to come back strong.” The UNT women haven’t needed to bounce back from a loss in weeks, thanks to their quick start. The Mean Green have won their last five games and are off to their best start in school history at 12-2. UNT is 2-0 in Sun Belt play and can win its first three games in league play for just the second time with a win over a hot Denver team that has won three of its last four. UNT coach Tina Slinker credited the Mean Green’s quick start to their depth. Senior guard Mian Williams is averaging 10.9 points a game to lead eight UNT players who are averaging at least 4.5 points a game. UNT’s balance helped the Mean Green hammer Louisiana-Lafayette 70-47 and end the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 22-game homecourt winning streak that ranked as the fifth-longest in the nation in their last game. “We are excited with our start and going 2-0 on the road to start conference play,” Slinker said. “It was impressive that we could go to Lafayette where they had their 22-game winning streak and dominate.” BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

RE: Not recruiting DFW BB prospects: My oldest grandson is going to TCU, my next grandson who graduates in May will in all likehood be going to an East Coast I have tried to interest them in NT taking them to some FB and BB games. They are just not interested...why....the NT reputation in the metroplex is one of student apathy...no school spirit... Out of state prospects evidently don't have this perception or are just unaware of it.

Brett Vito: Exciting start to season for UNT women 08:12 AM CST on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 Brett Vito Mian Williams hadn’t given the score much thought in the early stages of North Texas’ game against its chief rival for the Sun Belt Conference West Division title on Saturday. The scrappy little shooting guard just focused on what the Mean Green have quickly become know for this year – guarding everyone in sight. Williams fought and scratched and clawed. It wasn’t until just before the halftime buzzer when Williams snuck a peak to see how the Mean Green were faring against Louisiana-Lafayette. The senior was stunned by what she saw. “Right before the half, I looked and we had a 17-point lead,” Williams said. “They are a good team, but we got a lot out of all our players. We are still excited about it today.” That excitement is based on what UNT considers a statement that it will be a force to be reckoned with in the Sun Belt this season. UNT didn’t just beat UL-Lafayette, it pounded the Ragin’ Cajuns 70-47 at Earl K. Long Gym. UL-Lafayette had the nation’s fifth-longest home court winning streak at 22 games before running into the Mean Green. UNT had a few solid wins in non-conference play, including victories at home over UTEP and SMU of Conference USA and its first-ever win over Stephen F. Austin. A victory over UL-Lafayette was the biggest of the bunch because it sent a message to the rest of the Sun Belt that UNT is back to its form of a few years ago when the Mean Green went to the WNIT in 2000-01 and 2001-02. “I would hope this is a statement game for us,” UNT coach Tina Slinker said. “Those are the types of games that championship teams win. It’s not only what’s in your mind it’s what’s in their mind. Maybe if Western [Kentucky] and Middle [Tennessee] see the score from that game, they will think that we are pretty good.” It’s hard to imagine how anyone could come to another conclusion after the Mean Green dominated a game between the teams picked to finish at the top of the SBC West Division. UNT was the pick to win the division title over the defending champion Ragin’ Cajuns. Both UNT and UL-Lafayette came into the night with 11-2 records, and it was the Mean Green that dominated. UNT out-rebounded ULL 49-34, limited the Ragin’ Cajuns to 30 percent shooting from the field and gave up just 15 points in the first half. The outcome was all the more surprising because the Ragin’ Cajuns seemed to have every advantage heading into the night. UNT was not only playing in foreign territory, it also was without senior Erika Bobo for part of the night. The Mean Green’s second-leading scorer was sick and finished with six points in 24 minutes. UNT never missed a beat thanks to Sanetra Jackson. The freshman came in to score 10 points, grab six rebounds and help maintain UNT’s defense that is allowing an average of 57.6 points a game, a total that ranks third in the Sun Belt. “I told the players that that’s how far away we are from first place, and that’s a long ways away,” UL-Lafayette coach J. Kelley Hall told The Daily Advertiser of Lafayette, La., after the game. “It’s very disappointing. The game was between the two best teams in the Sun Belt, and we were not ready.” UNT’s win over UL-Lafayette pushed the Mean Green to 12-2, its best record though 14 games in school history. Two more wins and the Mean Green will match their win total from all of last season. Of the 20 Division I basketball teams in Texas, only defending national champion Baylor is off to a better start at 11-1. There is a chance UNT could quickly slide back down that list of the state’s most successful programs. Six of UNT’s last 13 games are on the road. Games with traditional Sun Belt powers MTSU and WKU still loom. The conference tournament will be played on MTSU’s home court in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The UNT men found that how quickly the tide can turn when they dropped a home game to New Orleans last week after upsetting the UL-Lafayette men, who are picked to win the SBC West. UNT is starting to look more and more like a team that will avoid that fate by following the example Williams set against UL-Lafayette. The Mean Green don’t plan on letting up until they can look up at the scoreboard and in the ledger at their record secure in the knowledge that they are among the Sun Belt’s elite. “We don’t want to get comfortable, we want to just keep getting better and continue to win,” junior post Mia Ajekwu said. “We definitely still feel that hunger.” BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

Women's soccer coach signs three-year extension 11:37 PM CST on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – Women's soccer coach John Hedlund has signed a three-year contract extension, he said Tuesday. Terms of the contract were not available. Hedlund led the Mean Green to 16 wins, the Sun Belt Conference tournament title and an automatic NCAA tournament bid in each of the last two seasons. He was the Sun Belt coach of the year in 2005 after sharing the honor in 2004.

Recruiting services sometimes don't make sense in their listings or ratings. JC football.com lists Ray Loren as a 3 *...he was HM all Jayhawk conference It doesn't even list Trent Stanley from Coffeyville who was 1st team all Jayhawk Conference and was 2nd Team NJC-All American. Trent Stanley is the OG/C signed from Coffeyville, 6-2, 290 also signed by NT.

Rivals still shows him as a 2*.The other 3 JC's we signed were not listed by them. Browsed the DMN area 100 this afternoon....4 of the area players listed are on our prospect list, but do not mention NT on the area posting. 3 prospect were found a couple of months ago and it is possible they are no longer interested in NT, and one or more NT may have no interest, another is a recent prospect find but will probably wind up at TCU or SMU We have over 80 prospects on the GMG recruiting site and I would love to sign at leasts 16 of them....so all should not be doom and gloom. Every one keep your eyes open and let us know of any info. you run across.

NT Official visits are as secret as committs which at this time of year we often find out about only when players commit to other schools.............. Right now I am aware of reportable 5 NT offers from players not committed. These are made by prospective players and who may or may not have been offered by NT. Another offer was reportable made to a DT who has committed to another school but is supposed to still make an official NT visit. At this time I am aware of only 3 players who have committed to make official visits though I have seen several reports where NT is asking recruits to make official visits. This is the time of year where we normally would expect to see some commits announced in the newspapers even with the stealth recruiting NT does. Keep an eye out and let us know when you see any commits published. There are still over 80 prospects on our list of which I would love to see NT get about 15 of them...but who knows.

I would believe NT and Tulsa are the two schools he is considering. According to a recruiting bulliten both schools offer digital recording music industry program (bet you didn't know NT offerred that program, I didn't) It also said he was looking for a "good" college in a peaceful lifestyle ie not big city like Houston. Has anyone been through Tulsa lately??????????? My wife and I went through there two weeks ago...the downtown section and freeways leading into and out of Tulsa are definately.........like Houston. Cross you fingers on this one. However he was only 2nd team all district and may not be the player NT wants? Who knows at this time.

North Texas Pounds Louisiana-Lafayette 70-47 For Its Fifth Straight Win Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 01/07/2006 Courtesy: Rick Yeatts Freshman Sanetra Jackson scored a career-high 10 points in the win over Louisiana-Lafayette LAFAYETTE, La. (1/7/06) – In dominating fashion the North Texas women’s basketball team ended the nations’s fifth longest home winning streak with a 70-47 rout of Louisiana-Lafayette at the Earl K. Long Gym. The win is the fifth straight for North Texas (12-2, 2-0) and ends the Ragin Cajun’s 22-game home winning streak. “We knew about their streak and had heard a lot about it and that really motivated us,” said North Texas head coach Tina Slinker. “This team really went out and answered the challenge”. North Texas took command of the game early with a 12-4 run capped off by freshman Sanetra Jackson’s 3-pointer to make it 16-9 with 11:41 left in the first half. The Mean Green kept the Cajuns’ offense at bay in the first half and closed with a 14-2 run to take a 32-15 lead into the break. North Texas shot 43 percent in the first half and held Louisiana-Lafayette (11-3, 1-1) to 22 percent shooting in the first half as the Cajuns were only 1-14 to close the half from the floor. North Texas didn’t let up in the second half pushing their lead to 43-21 with 15:27 left in the game. The Mean Green lead got to as many as 25 points in the second half as the Ragin Cajun’s never threatened North Texas. “We really played a 40 minute game and took control of this game early,” said Slinker. “There are a very explosive team and we never let them get a change to get back in the game and I was very pleased with that”. Junior Mia Ajekwu led North Texas with 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench. North Texas outscored the Ragin Cajun bench 31-0 for the game. The Mean Green owned the boards with a 49-34 rebounding edge in the game keyed by 12 from freshman Amber Jackson. Yolanda Jones led the Cajuns with 20 points and 11 rebounds, but 18 of her 20 points came in the second half with the game decided. The win gives the Mean Green its 11th win in its past 12 games and the second 2-0 start to begin Sun Belt Conference play since joining the league. North Texas has its best record in school history after 14 games and is off to their best start in school history on the road at 4-1. The Mean Green return home for two straight beginning on January 12 against the Denver Pioneers.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...d.21600611.html voluntary or not? Your guess?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...k.502cbfc3.html

isn't M Vick the QB who stompted on the leg of an opponent? If so, he sound like someone I would admire.

Men's basketball: UNT men take No. 3 D into SBC Mean Green start ranked third in nation in steals 08:50 AM CST on Thursday, January 5, 2006 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas has come at opponents in waves at times this season defensively. First there are starting guards Isaac Hines and Calvin Watson followed by Lionel Brown and Michael Sturns in their place All four rank among the top 15 players in the Sun Belt Conference in steals for UNT, which is hoping to take advantage of its pilfering prowess when league play begins today. UNT, ranked No. 3 nationally in steals with an average of 11.7 per game, will begin its pursuit of the Sun Belt West Division title at 7 p.m. when the Mean Green take on Louisiana-Lafa­yette (4-7) at the Super Pit. UNT (7-4) is looking to exceed expectations after the Sun Belt’s coaches picked the Mean Green to finish fifth out of six teams in their half of the league. “I am excited about the conference season getting started because from what I have seen early on, we can be a very competitive team,” UNT coach Johnny Jones said. “If we continue to grow as a team, some exciting things will happen for us this year.” UNT’s confidence is based in part on a win over Tulsa on Monday. The Mean Green made a few key plays late and picked up their first win over the Golden Hurricane since 1976. UNT recorded six steals against Tulsa, including three in the final seven minutes of the game. Sophomore forward Quincy Williams’ steal with 1:01 left set up a series of free throws that sealed the 67-61 win, UNT’s fifth in its last six games. “It helped our confidence a lot to win at Tulsa,” Sturns said. “We know that if we can win at Tulsa, we can win at home.” UNT’s quickness on the defensive end and ability to create turnovers has sparked the Mean Green. UNT has posted double-figure steals in eight of its 11 games and set a new school record with 20 in a win over UT-Permian Basin. The Mean Green came up with 12 steals against Texas A&M and had another 11 against Houston. The turnovers UNT forced helped keep the Mean Green in both games late into the second half before they let opportunities to win slip away. “We have improved a lot defensively this year,” Hines said. “Our defense has led to easy buckets.” Hines has created several of those easy opportunities by averaging 2.36 steals a game, a total that ranks fourth in the Sun Belt. One of UNT’s greatest assets is that Hines is just one of several Mean Green players who excel defensively. Brown ranks 11th in the league with an average of 1.45 steals a game, despite playing just 15 minutes a game as Hines’ backup. Watson and Sturns are tied for 14th in the league leaders with an average of 1.40 steals a game. “Our guys are better defensively and we are quicker and deeper than we have been in the past,” Jones said. “It’s been good for us because when we have gotten turnovers, we have been able to convert them to baskets on the other end. There is nothing better than a fast break when you have numbers on the other end and get easy baskets.” UNT has complemented its ability to pressure opponents with a balanced scoring attack that features Kendrick Davis. The junior guard ranks sixth in the Sun Belt with an average of 16.5 points a game and is one of three UNT players averaging double figures. Sturns and senior center Jeffrey Simpson are averaging 11.7 and 11.5 points a game, respectively. UNT is hoping that balance will pay off tonight when the Mean Green take on ULL, the defending Sun Belt Tournament champion. The Ragin’ Cajuns were picked to win the Sun Belt West Division title and feature one of the league’s best inside-out combinations in senior guard Dwayne Mitchell and senior center Michael Southall. Mitchell ranks third in the league with an average of 18.8 points a game and is also second in rebounds at 11.7 a game. Southall ranks in the top 10 in both points (seventh, 15.1) and rebounds (fifth, 7.1). “It’s a great challenge,” Jones said. “Lafayette and Western Kentucky have carried the torch for the league. This game will show us where we are and how much we have grown.” BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com

Cobbs, Bazaldua to play in Hula Bowl 12:02 AM CST on Wednesday, January 4, 2006 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – Running back Patrick Cobbs and kicker Nick Bazaldua will play in the Hula Bowl on Jan. 21 in Honolulu. Cobbs rushed for 1,154 yards this season and finished with 4,050 for his career. Bazaldua made 8-of-16 field goals this year. The DeSoto native completed his career with 247 points to set a school and Sun Belt Conference record. Hutyra, Lunsford named to all-region teams DENTON – Sophomore forward Heather Hutyra of Fort Worth Western Hills was named second-team All-Central Region and midfielder Kelli Lunsford of Flower Mound Marcus was named to the all-region freshman team by Soccer Buzz magazine.

The Tulsa OC is already recruiting for Rice...Since the Ennis QB committed to Tulsa, expect a change on him to Rice also. just my opinion.

UNT women win for best start in school history 12:34 AM CST on Sunday, January 1, 2006 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – North Texas took a 30-point lead in the second half at the Super Pit and coasted to a 72-59 win over Northwestern State on Saturday. The win gave the Mean Green its best start in school history at 10-2. UNT scored its first 15 points of the game from the free throw line and jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first five minutes of the game. The Mean Green made 32 of 46 free throws. UNT fell just short of the school record for free throws in a game – 51, set against Southern Arkansas earlier this season. UNT used a 46-23 advantage in free throw attempts to push its lead to 66-36 with 10:41 left before pulling its starters. UNT starting guards Mian Williams and Natalie Mireles led the Mean Green with 16 and 13 points, respectively. Mireles matched her career high. Tena Matthews led Northwestern (7-4) with 15 points. UNT's win over the Lady Demons was its second in 19 games between the former Southland Conference rivals, who had not played since the 1995-96 season. North Texas 72, Northwestern State 59 NSU (7-4) – Milliner 2-6 0-0 4, Bell 2-7 1-2 5, Perry 1-6 2-2 4, Jones 6-16 0-2 13, Matthews 6-13 3-6 15, Kennedy 1-9 8-10 10, Shead 2-4 0-0 4, Fitzgerald 0-0 0-0 0, Givens 1-1 0-0 2, B. Isom 0-2 0-1 0, N. Isom 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 22-68 14-23 59. UNT (10-2) – Jackson 3-9 3-4 9, Sanders 2-3 2-4 6, Bobo 2-6 5-6 9, Mireles 4-8 2-2 13, Williams 3-9 9-10 16, Howard 0-2 0-0 0, Lee 0-2 3-4 3, Jackson 2-4 1-5 5, Hall 0-1 0-0 0, Wali 0-2 0-0 0, Quattrocchi 0-2 0-0 0, Wilson 0-1 1-2 1, Vation 1-5 0-1 2, Ajekwu 1-4 6-8 8. Totals 18-58 32-46 72. Halftime – UNT 39-26. 3-point goals – NSU 1-6 (Perry 0-1, Jones 1-4, Kennedy 0-1), UNT 4-12 (Bobo 0-1, Mireles 3-6, Williams 1-3, Lee 0-1, Wali 0-1). Fouled out – Perry. Rebounds – NSU 53 (Shead 9), UNT 46 (Sanders 10). Assists – NSU 6 (Kennedy 4), UNT 9 (Jackson 4). Total fouls – NSU 29, UNT 19. Technical fouls – NSU 3 (Bell, team 2), UNT (Sanders). Attendance – 398.

Obviously you were not sitting in the row immediately above the band ......they played while the game was on and no one immediately in front of them (for several rows) and they strung them out for about 50 feet.... We couldn't see the game because of them....which is why I don't believe this is a good idea...How about on the sidelines immediately in front of the first 3 or 4 rows and see how that section of fans like this idea.

Simpson and Sturns Score Season Highs In 101-62 Victory Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 12/28/2005 Courtesy: Rick Yeatts DENTON (12/28/05) –Sophomore Michael Sturns scored a personal-best 20 points, and senior Jeffrey Simpson followed with a season-high 19 points to lead the North Texas men’s basketball team to a 101-62 win against UT-Permian Basin on Wednesday night in the Super Pit. The Mean Green (5-4) extended its record to 5-1 at home and is now 2-0 against the Falcons. Simpson, who scored a career-high 26 points last year against UTPB, posted 15 points in the first half. In the first eight minutes of the game, the center led the Mean Green on both ends of the court. He scored 10 of NT’s first 15 points, was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, blocked three shots and pulled down four rebounds. Simpson finished the game with a season-high five blocks. After Simpson led North Texas to a 15-8 advantage in the opening minutes, Sturns came in the game to lead the Mean Green on a 17-5 run. Sturns opened the run with a layup, followed with a dunk and sealed the streak with a second dunk to give NT a 16-point lead, 33-17, with 5:39 left in the first half. Lionel Brown contributed six points in the run. UTPB (8-4) cut the 18-point halftime deficit to 11 points in the second period before North Texas responded with a 17-6 run to take a 71-49 advantage. The Mean Green continued to run the court down the stretch and finished the game on a 30-13 run. North Texas recorded season highs in steals (20) and forced turnovers (33) against the Falcons. The steals was also a North Texas single-game school record. Senior Isaac Hines led the team in takeaways with five. He also chipped in nine points, including two three-pointers. NT head coach Johnny Jones moved into sole possession of seventh place on the school's all-time wins list with 54. Junior Kendrick Davis joined Simpson and Sturns in double figures with 14 points. Junior Rich Young started his first game in a Mean Green uniform and posted a personal-best five points. North Texas returns to action on Friday, Dec. 30 when it faces Stephen F. Austin in the Mean Green’s fifth consecutive home game. Tip-off is set for 7 pm in the Super Pit. North Texas postgame notes North Texas postgame quotes North Texas vs. UT-Permian Basin box score

This is my understanding of who recruits what areas. In the past I believe this was in the media guide, but its certaintly not there now. Kenny Evans.. Lewisville, Oklahoma from OK City downward, All JC's except Missouri Eric Russell...Allen, Austin, West Texas, Plano, San Antonio Ramon Flanigan..Dallas ISD, Dallas area, Wichita Falls, Terrell Mike Bugar..Fort Worth Southwest, Arlington, Waco, Central Texas, Weatherford, Missouri JC's Harold Ethridge..East Texas, Keller, Grapevine, North Houston area Van Malone.. South Houston Duke Atterberry..Tulsa, East Side of Oklahoma, East Texas Bruce Bell has no area ...he is the recruiting coordinator Gailey...doesn't have an area he handles academics in additon to coaching WR's If anyone knows anything different feel free to post corrections. This is the start of the crucial area of recruiting where we will start to have prospects announce (even though DD doesn't want them to) that they have committed in the local newspapers. If you see such an announcement in your local newspaper PLEASE EMAIL HARRY OR ME. NT has 5 prospects listed in the all Centex area , and 2 listed in the San Antonio area, none in Dallas or Ft. Worth (we did have one in the Dallas all area, haven't ckecked it lately) can't check Houston Chronicle top 100..where we had one listeded earlier, , OK Prep All-State FB team 3 players listed, Houston TX Prep 4A all area team..2 prospects listed.

Two of the players listed an interest in NT(but not in these articles) , a good sized OL and a LB. Obviously have no knowledge if NT is interested in them. We have to wait and see how it works out.

North Texas puts finishing touch on JUCO class 07:14 AM CST on Saturday, December 24, 2005 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle North Texas defensive coordinator Kenny Evans put the final touches on what he believes will be one of the Mean Green's best classes of midterm junior college recruits in recent years on Friday. Evans already had binding national letters of intent from three players and picked up a fourth when Woody Wilson's paperwork arrived. The Coffeyville Community College quarterback was the last of UNT's four midterm recruits to send in his letter of intent. "Without a doubt, this is one of the best classes of midterm junior college recruits that we have ever had," said Evans, who is in charge of junior college recruiting for UNT. Wilson is a key element in that class. The former Arkansas signee started at quarterback for Coffeyville last season and had the Red Ravens ranked as high as No. 2 in the NJCAA national poll before breaking his collarbone in the seventh game of the season. Wilson was recruited by Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska as a defensive back, but decided to commit to UNT, where he will have a chance to play quarterback. "Woody is very athletic and could play a lot of positions," Evans said. "He did very well at quarterback for Coffeyville and has the ability to make an impact for us. We told him that he would get a chance to play quarterback here." The experience Wilson gained at Coffeyville convinced him that he could make the transition to playing quarterback on the Division I level for the Mean Green. "I feel like I can help the team at quarterback more than I can at defensive back or wide receiver," Wilson said. Wilson, 6-1, 185, threw for 910 yards and rushed for 214, before breaking his collarbone early on in a loss to Garden City in the Red Ravens' seventh game of the season. Wilson has recovered from the injury and will be ready for spring practice. Evans said Wilson is the first junior college quarterback UNT has signed under head coach Darrell Dickey, who is entering his ninth year with the Mean Green. Wilson could play defensive back or wide receiver for UNT if he does not fit in at quarterback. UNT is looking to improve an offense that finished last in the Sun Belt Conference in passing yards and passing efficiency in 2005 with an average of 129.3 yards a game on a 92.9 efficiency rating. Redshirt freshman Daniel Meager started every game last season for UNT and threw for 941 yards. Freshman Matt Phillips also saw extensive action and threw for 448. Recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree of Rivals.com described Wilson as an elite athlete who could help the Mean Green immediately. "Wilson had the injury last season, but when he is playing, he is special," Crabtree said. UNT also signed offensive lineman Trent Stanley and defensive back Roy Loren from Coffeyville and tight end Brian Carlson of Kilgore College for its midterm class. Stanley was a second team NJCAA All-American and a first team All-Jayhawk Conference selection. Wilson and Loren were honorable mention all-conference picks while Carlson could fill a void in UNT's lineup while serving as a physical blocking tight end. UNT is hoping the group can help the Mean Green bounce back from a 2-9 season. "If you look at these guys, they are all high-quality kids," Crabtree said of UNT's midterm class. "They can definitely make an impact right away for a program like North Texas." • • •

Mean Green Battles Houston In 92-84 Setback Courtesy: University of North Texas Release: 12/23/2005 Courtesy: Rick Yeatts DENTON (12/23/05) -- The North Texas men's basketball team had five players score in double figures and had 34 points from its bench, but was unable to overcome a hot-shooting Houston team in a 92-84 loss in front of a bipartisan crowd of 4,100 at the Super Pit Friday. It was the first loss at home for the Mean Green, which dropped to 4-4 on the season. Houston improved its record to 5-3. Houston shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field which helped it overcome a season-high 24 turnovers en route to the victory. The Cougars shooting performance was also the best field goal percentage by a Mean Green opponent this season. The Cougars also scorched the Mean Green from behind the arc, hitting 14 three-pointers - the most allowed by the Mean Green this season. In a game that featured nine lead changes, Houston eventually took the lead for good near the seven-minute mark of the second half. The Cougars were fueled down the stretch by junior guard Oliver Lafayette, who led all scorers with 25 points and senior forward Ramon Dyer who added 23, including a season-high seven three pointers. The Cougars never led by more than the final difference of eight points. North Texas was led by junior guard Kendrick Davis who scored 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting and added seven free throws. Freshman Harold Stewart scored a career-high 13 points off the bench. Michael Sturns (12), Quincy Williams (10) and Isaac Hines (10) were the other North Texas players to hit double-figures. North Texas tied the game at 62 with just under 12 minutes to play in the game. The two teams went back and forth for the remainder of the game, with North Texas taking a 68-67 lead when senior point guard Isaac Hines hit a three-pointer with just under eight minutes to play. Houston took the lead for good a short time later and was able to hold on with the help of a desperation three-pointer by Lanny Smith as the shot-clock expired with just 1:10 left to play in the game. Houston held a 43-36 halftime lead, thanks in part to nine three pointers in the first 20 minutes. Dyer was 5-of-8 from three point land in the first half and led all scorers at the break with 16 points. North Texas was 1-of-9 from behind the arc in the first half. The win for the Cougars broke a two-game losing streak, which included a 66-62 loss to Sun Belt Conference member South Alabama. North Texas’ streak of seven straight non-conference wins at the Super Pit ended with the loss. It was also a milestone for Houston coach Tom Penders who recorded his 550th career victory. North Texas returns to action at home Dec. 28th against the University of Texas-Permian Basin at 7 p.m. North Texas vs. Houston box score

NT was waiting until all the scholarships are signed and received before they make the official announcemnet. Which means they were/are waiting for the QB's signed papers.

Football: North Texas fills holes with JUCO signings 08:24 AM CST on Thursday, December 22, 2005 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas set out to fill several holes in its lineup a few weeks ago with midterm junior college recruits. By the end of national signing day on Wednesday, UNT defensive coordinator Kenny Evans felt like the Mean Green had addressed all but one of those voids. UNT has received national letters of intent from offensive lineman Trent Stanley and defensive back Roy Loren of Coffeyville Community College and tight end Brian Carlson of Kilgore College. Coffeyville quarterback Woody Wilson said Wednesday that he had signed his letter of intent, but was still in the process of forwarding the paperwork to UNT. “We wanted to fill some immediate needs,” said Evans, who is in charge of junior college recruiting for the Mean Green. “We are really happy with it. Getting all of them to campus for spring practice will help us.” Evans said UNT would continue pursuing a few junior college players who will graduate in May. Those players could transfer to UNT over the summer and bolster the Mean Green’s defensive line. The Mean Green wanted to sign at least one junior college defensive lineman at midterm, but didn’t find players who fit their needs. UNT finished last in the Sun Belt Conference in rushing defense with an average of 220.9 yards allowed a game last season and lost starting nose tackle Chris Miller, who completed his career in 2005. “Finding a defensive tackle was a priority, but we were not going to sign someone just to sign someone,” Evans said. “There weren’t many good ones available.” While UNT couldn’t find the defensive tackle it wanted, the Mean Green did receive interest from several other junior college players who were not offered scholarships. Up to three of those players could join the team as walk-ons in time for spring practice. Stanley and Loren both have the ability to play multiple positions and will have a better idea of where they will fit in with the Mean Green after those workouts Loren has played both cornerback and safety. Stanley has spent his entire career as a guard, but Evans said the Mean Green could consider moving him to center. “I have never played center before, but I would be willing to give it a try if they ask me to,” Stanley said. UNT is comfortable experimenting with moving Stanley because the talent he displayed at Coffeyville. “Trent is a very physical and aggressive lineman who had a lot of choices of where to play,” Evans said. “The fact that we think he can play two spots shows just how good he is.” Loren played safety at Coffeyville, but said he considers himself well suited to playing cornerback. UNT lost both of its starting cornerbacks after last season and could turn to the 6-2 Loren to help fill the void. “We talked to Roy about playing corner,” Evans said. “We have some good young cornerbacks, but he has experience. If we were going to take a junior college cornerback, it was going to be a taller guy like Roy.” UNT already has several tight ends, but couldn’t pass on a chance to land Carlson. “Brian is a big, physical guy,” Evans said. “He was recruited by some people as a tackle, but he also has great hands.” UNT has signed several junior college players at midterm in Darrell Dickey’s eight-year tenure as the Mean Green’s head coach, but has rarely landed a player as highly regarded as Stanley. The former Red Raven was a second-team NJCAA All-American and is the first JUCO All-American UNT has signed since former All-Sun Belt Conference defensive lineman Michael Pruitt in 2002. Stanley was also a first-team All-Jayhawk Conference selection, while Wilson and Loren were honorable mention picks. Wilson received all-conference honors despite playing in just seven games before breaking his collarbone. Stanley was offered a scholarship by Louisiana Tech and received interest from Kansas State. Carlson cancelled a trip to New Mexico, while Wilson was recruited by Nebraska, Kansas State and Kansas as a defensive back. UNT will look to its midterm class to bolster a team that finished 2-9 last season. “I think this will be a good batch,” Wilson said of UNT’s midterm class. “I am real excited about coming in and helping the team. We will be able to make a big impact if we come in and work hard.” BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com UNT commitments The following is a list of midterm junior college transfers who have committed to play for North Texas next season. Player School TE Brian Carlson Kilgore CC* DB Roy Loren Coffeyville CC* OL Trent Stanley Coffeyville CC* QB Woody Wilson Coffeyville CC Note — * Indicates UNT has received a binding national letter of intent.

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