OldTimer

Rivals has him listed as 3 stars...a long time since we had someone rated that hight. Sturns in ranked # 22 in the State of Texas by Texas Hoops. With quincy williams we have the nucleus of a great recruiting. Two more ships to go, look for some more inside help.

Basketball: Jones, Slinker find promise in recruits All five have led their high schools to better things 08:20 AM CST on Friday, April 2, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas women’s basketball coach Tina Slinker was looking for more than just good players when she set out to sign a series of recruits for the 2004-05 season. She wanted winners as well. Judging by the performance of three players who are set to join the team next season, she met her goal. Forward Amber Jackson and point guard Amanda Quattrocchi helped lead Brebeuf to the Indiana Class 3A state title as seniors after committing to UNT. The Lady Eagles also signed Erica Howard, a 6-3 forward, who led Morrilton High to the Arkansas Class 4A championship as a junior. "Any time players come from winning programs, it helps," Slinker said. "They have all been with a team that has won a championship and know what it takes to get there." Both of the players who signed with the UNT men’s team also had solid senior seasons. Michael Sturns, a 6-4 guard from North Crowley, helped lead his team to the Region I Class 4A quarterfinals. Quincy Williams, a 6-8 forward from Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Okla., also led his team deep into the playoffs. Both the UNT men’s and women’s teams fell in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament last season. "We are very excited about both of our recruits," UNT men’s coach Johnny Jones said. "They accomplished a lot and were instrumental in their team’s success." Williams blossomed during his senior year at Carl Albert when he averaged 17.8 points and 9.5 rebounds a game. "I don’t think he has reached his potential yet," Carl Albert coach Jay Price said. "He could end up being a good player. He has a good work ethic. If he matures physically and mentally, he will do well." Williams can play both forward positions and has the ability to play away from the basket. Price said one of the most impressive plays Williams made during his senior year came in the closing moments of a playoff game. Williams threw the ball in under Carl Albert’s basket with less than five seconds left and raced down the floor to tip in a missed shot at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Williams has spent the last few weeks traveling to watch his brother Shelden Williams of Duke play in the NCAA Tournament. Quincy Williams could have a chance to contribute right away for UNT, which saw forwards Shawnson Johnson, Michael DeGrate and Will Smith complete their careers last season. "Quincy had a real good year with his high school team," Jones said. "He will help fill the void left by those three seniors." Sturns averaged 18.2 points and 3.7 assists a game for North Crowley. "Sturns has excellent ball-handling skills and is very creative off the dribble," Jones said. "He will bring an added dimension as a bigger guard who can finish." Jones said he will give Sturns an opportunity to play point guard at UNT. Scott Roniger was UNT’s starting point guard to begin the season, but left the team due to personal reasons. Jerome Rogers took over and led UNT to the Sun Belt Conference tournament before graduating. Slinker’s recruits could also fill immediate needs. Howard was among the top recruits in the state of Ark-ansas as a senior. Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Memphis and Kentucky were among the teams that recruited Howard. Morrilton coach Shelley Davis said Howard is a remarkably smooth player for her size and was among the best 3-point shooters on the team. Howard was the state Class 4A State Tournament Most Valuable Player as a junior. "It was a surprise to some of the coaches in the South-eastern Conference that Erica decided to go to UNT," Davis said. "She loved the coaches at UNT and the school." Howard averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots a game as a senior. Jackson could provide UNT another scoring presence under the basket. The 6-2 forward averaged 14.2 points and 9.4 rebounds as a senior at Brebeuf. Kim Blanton, a 6-1 forward, completed her UNT career last season after leading the team in both points and rebounds as a senior. Quattrocchi started at point guard and contributed in a variety of ways for Brebeuf. The 5-7 senior averaged 9.6 points, 4.3 assists, 3.2 re-bounds and 2.1 steals a game. Both Jackson and Quat-trocchi were named to Hoosier Basketball Magazine’s all-state team. Quattrocchi could provide UNT another option at point guard. UNT was forced at times to move starting shooting guard Jill Medlock to the point when Erika Bobo was out of the game last season. "All three of them can make an immediate impact," Slinker said of her recruits. "They all bring something different to the team. They are all great kids and are solid academically." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Part of recriuiting now is gettin on players very young. Sturns was a soph at Oakridge when JJ recruited the big kid from there. He is a bonified good player..ranked 15the in Texas by one service.. Give him two more years. However Tina has been here for years and years and had only a couple of really good seasons with an overall losing record. She has signed 3 good players but all three will be Freshman.

St. Alban's guard changes mind says he commited to N. Texas...headline wrong. I would not be surprised if he winds up at NT? 11:44 PM CST on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 Arlington St. Alban's guard Marvin Beatty has changed his oral commitment from Eastern Illinois to North Texas. Oral commitments are nonbonding. Beatty, a 6-1 guard, was a TAPPS first-team all-state selection and a TABC second-team all-state selection. He became the first basketball player in the school's history to commit to a Division I university.

SMU to interview four coaches Monday 01:02 AM CST on Monday, March 22, 2004 By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News SMU plans to interview four candidates Monday for the men's basketball head coaching position, according to university sources. A 10-person search committee led by athletic director Jim Copeland will meet with assistant coaches Jimmy Tubbs (Oklahoma), Doug Wojcik (Michigan State), Norm Roberts (Kansas) and John Treloar (Indiana). SMU officials plan to interview an undetermined number of candidates Tuesday and bring two finalists to the university by Thursday, according to sources. Copeland said last week there was no timetable to hire someone because of scheduling conflicts with candidates whose teams are in the NCAA Tournament or NIT. Copeland declined comment. Tubbs, reached at an AAU tournament in Lancaster, refused comment. After Kansas beat Pacific in the second round Sunday, Roberts said to refer all questions to SMU. Wojcik did not return phone calls; Treloar could not be reached. After Mike Dement was fired Feb. 27, Copeland said he received numerous calls and resumes from across the country. Locally, Lincoln boys coach Leonard Bishop said he applied last week. SMU's other official candidates are Frank Haith (Texas), Jeff Jones (American University), James Dickey (Oklahoma State) and Eric Reveno (Stanford). Dickey said he would not interview for any position until the Cowboys' season ended. On Sunday, OSU won and advanced to the Sweet 16. Jones, whom Copeland hired to coach at Virginia, is the only head coach in the group. E-mail cwatkins@dallasnews.com

It's interesting that A&M is expected to offer the UTEP BB coach their BB job....and SMU is just now beginning to narrow their search down with at least two asst coaches already turned them down. Penders accepts UH basketball job 09:46 AM CST on Tuesday, March 23, 2004 By STEVE RICHARDSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News Former Texas basketball coach Tom Penders said today he has accepted the University of Houston head coaching job. A news conference will be held today at 5 p.m. Penders, 58, led the Longhorns from 1988-98. Penders is expected to retain UH assistant coach Melvin Haralson, who was on his staff at Texas. Penders has taken three teams to the NCAA Tournament (Rhode Island, Texas and George Washington). This is his sixth Division I head coaching position. His college coaching career started at Tufts, and he held Division I jobs at Columbia and Fordham before coaching at Rhode Island.

Posted on Thu, Mar. 18, 2004 (Jeff) MITTIE Mittie arrested in Kansas By Damien Pierce Star-Telegram Staff Writer TCU women's basketball coach Jeff Mittie, whose team is scheduled to compete in the NCAA women's tournament beginning Saturday, was arrested early Wednesday morning in Kansas under the suspicion of drunken driving, police officials said Wednesday night. Mittie, 37, was detained in the Harvey County Detention Center for investigation of DUI and was released at 10:10 a.m. Wednesday on a $1,000 bond, Harvey County deputy Keith Blackwood said. The coach was pulled over when a Newton police officer observed him swerving in the road and turning the vehicle's headlights on and off. He was arrested at 3:50 a.m. Mittie and TCU athletic director Eric Hyman did not immediately return phone calls from the Star-Telegram, but TCU assistant director of media relations Matt Freed said the school is aware of the allegations and is gathering facts on the matter. Freed said Mittie is expected to travel to Philadelphia with the team to its first-round game against Temple. He was unsure if the coach would face disciplinary action from the school. The coach was at TCU's afternoon practice Wednesday and was expected to leave with team for Philadelphia today. Mittie, who was driving a rental car south on I-135 when he was pulled over, had traveled to Salina, Kan., for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I women's basketball championships to scout a potential recruit. Mittie is in his fifth season and guided the No. 20 Lady Frogs (24-6) to the best regular-season record in program history. The Lady Frogs are the sixth-seeded team in the West region of the NCAA Tournament, their highest seeding under the coach. He has taken the Frogs to four straight NCAA Tournaments and has won 20 games four straight seasons. Mittie has a 109-49 record at TCU and was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2001-02. Damien Pierce, (817) 390-7760 dpierce@star-telegram.com

UNT notebook: Mean Green to face No. 1 UCLA 08:17 AM CST on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 The North Texas softball team will face perhaps its biggest challenge of the season when the Mean Green takes on top-ranked UCLA in the Hendrick’s Howell Chevrolet Classic on Friday. The Bruins improved to 21-0 with a pair of shutout wins over Nevada (3-0) and Cal Poly (4-0) on Sunday. "Anytime you have the chance to play the defending national champion its good," UNT coach Stacey Segal said. "The game will be a learning experience for us." UNT has played an aggressive schedule in its first season since 1988, one that includes teams from the Big 12, SEC, Big 10 and Pac 10 conferences. UCLA is one six teams UNT will face in the Hedrick’s Hallowell Chevrolet Classic. Segal called the tournament the toughest UNT will play in this season. The Mean Green appears to be adjusting to the level of competition it has faced throughout the season. UNT knocked off Oklahoma State earlier this month and also beat UTEP on Saturday. UNT is hoping a schedule that includes a game against No. 1 UCLA will make the competition in the Sun Belt Conference seem easy by comparison. "We are getting better every game we play," Segal said. "We played well and got a big win against Oklahoma State. We are looking forward to the beginning of conference play." UNT will open league play April 10 at Florida International. Basketball UNT men look to rebuild, women return standouts A season filled with promise came to an abrupt end for the North Texas men’s basketball team on Sunday, leaving the Mean Green with a rebuilding project for next season. UNT entered the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on a roll, having won two of its last three games, but fell short in double overtime to New Orleans, 91-89, at E.A. Diddle Arena, in Bowling Green, Ky., in the first round. The UNT women also lost their opening round game to Middle Tennessee, 81-66, on Sunday. "We came a long way since December," UNT men’s coach Johnny Jones said. "We made great strides to get into the tournament and played well toward the end of the season. We hope it is something we can build on." The Mean Green will begin its rebuilding project without three starters who played their last game in the tournament, including third-team All-Sun Belt selection Shawnson Johnson. The 6-9 forward set a Sun Belt Tournament record with 21 rebounds and tied another with eight blocks against New Orleans. UNT will also lose starting point guard Jerome Rogers and forward Michael DeGrate. All three starters finished the season averaging double figures in scoring and led the Mean Green to a 13-15 record. Johnson played just 23 games with UNT after transferring from LSU, but made a big impact. He blocked 69 shots, shattering the school single-season record of 53 set by Thomas Gipson in the 1991-92 season. Johnson sat out the first five games of the season to fulfill NCAA transfer rules before coming back to average 11.2 points a game. Rogers added 10.3 points a game, while DeGrate came on at the end of the season to average 10.1 points a game. While UNT lost several key players, the Mean Green will return Leonard Hopkins, the team’s leading scorer who averaged 14 points a game. The UNT women will also lose one of their top players in Kim Blanton after finishing with an 11-17 record. The senior forward averaged 11.6 points a game and finished just outside of the top 10 in both career points and rebounds at UNT. The Lady Eagles will return the rest of their major contributors, including junior guard Jill Medlock, who averaged 10.9 points a game, and sophomore forward Jamie Armstrong, who averaged 10.2 points a game. Medlock hit four 3-point shots in UNT’s loss to Middle Tennessee to push her season total to 61, breaking the school record of 60 set by Ashley Norris in the 1995-96 season. Armstrong scored 19 points in UNT’s loss to Middle Tennessee, while Medlock added 12. Point guard Erika Bobo will return for her third season as UNT’s starting point guard. Freshman post player Mia Ajekwu will also be back after starting in her first year playing for the Lady Eagles. UNT has already signed three players who will join the team next season. Erica Howard, a 6-3 post player from Morrilton, Ark., 6-2 forward Amber Jackson and point guard Amanda Quattrocchi of Indianapolis, Ind., form what UNT coach Tina Slinker characterized the group as one of the team’s best recruiting classes in recent years. "I feel pretty good about where we will start next year," Slinker said. "We are returning most of our players who will all have more experience next season. One of the reasons we didn’t win some games was because we were a young team." Football Awasom, Brewster named to watch list for Lombardi Defensive end Adrian Awasom and center Andy Brewster have been named to the watch list for the 2004 Rotary Lombardi Award, which goes to the nation’s top lineman. A total of 54 players were named to the list. Brewster and Awasom were both named first-team All-Sun Belt Conference last season. Steve Subia, an offensive lineman from New Mexico State, is the only other player from the Sun Belt Conference on the Lombardi Award watch list. Brewster helped clear the way for running back Patrick Cobbs to win the national rushing title with an average of 152.7 yards a game. Awasom finished with 44 tackles and four sacks. "When there are only 54 players nominated for UNT to have two is a statement for our program and a sign of the respect people across the country have for those two guys," UNT coach Darrell Dickey said. Player of the week Shawnson Johnson made his short time with the North Texas men’s basketball team a memorable one. The 6-9 senior grabbed a Sun Belt Conference Tournament record 21 rebounds and tied another tournament record with eight blocked shots in the Mean Green’s 91-89 double overtime loss to New Orleans in the first round of the league tournament on Sunday. Johnson also scored 10 points and fell just short of a triple-double. Johnson finished the season with 69 blocks, shattering the school record of 53 set by Thomas Gipson in the 1991-92 season. Johnson sat out the first semester of the school year while fulfilling NCAA transfer rules and reached the mark in just 23 games. Johnson was also named third-team All-Sun Belt Conference. For his efforts, Johnson is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s UNT Player of the Week. Athlete profile Full name: Heather DeNeece Bostic Nickname: Bostic High school (city and state): Mustang (Mustang, Okla.) Born (and where): March 17, 1985 (Oklahoma City) Family (with ages): sister Tiffany, 19; brother Christopher, 16, brother Andrew, 15 Sport, statistics: Softball, .296, four runs, seven RBIs Major: Recreational and Leisure Studies When I graduate, I plan to: Coach softball If I could get four tickets to any sporting event in the world, it would be: The Super Bowl Three people I would take to the event, living or dead, would be: Patrick, Roy and Ana My favorite sports movie is: Gladiator, it gets me pumped up before games My favorite pro sports team is: The Green Bay Packers The person who most influenced my life is: My dad The best summer I ever spent was: 2003 at the AFA National Tournament when we finished third If I was not going to school at UNT, I would be: Playing softball at another school My goal for this year is to: Win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament My dream for this year is to: Have a high GPA If I could say one thing in the newspaper, it would be: Go Mean Green! 7-day slate The following events are on top in the next week at UNT. THURSDAY – Football spring game, Fouts Field, 7 p.m.; *Softball vs. Oregon State, 3 p.m., tennis at TCU, 2 p.m. FRIDAY – *Softball vs. UCLA, 11 a.m.; *softball vs. Fresno State, 7 p.m. SATURDAY – *Softball vs. San Diego State, 1 p.m.; *softball vs. Long Beach State, 5 p.m. SUNDAY — *Softball vs. Utah, 11 a.m. MONDAY – Tennis at Florida International, 2 p.m. TUESDAY – Tennis at Florida Atlantic, 2 p.m.

Full speed ahead for UNT's Hopkins Junior guard puts injuries behind him, is ready for Sun Belt run 10:02 PM CST on Saturday, March 6, 2004 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle DENTON – North Texas men's basketball coach Johnny Jones knew Leonard Hopkins was headed for a big finish to the season right about the time he had to quit teasing his starting shooting guard about his vertical leap. Hopkins had not been able to dunk with two hands, but the former Lincoln star is soaring again. He spent much of the last five years battling back from two major injuries. He appears to have regained his form in time for this week's Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Bowling Green, Ky. Hopkins has had at least 19 points in five of his last seven games and leads the Mean Green in scoring with 13.5 points a game. "I never got down when I was injured; I just kept working hard," he said. "Injuries are part of playing sports. If you love the game, you have to keep on playing." Hopkins will have the chance to cap his junior season in style when UNT takes on New Orleans today in a first-round game. The Mean Green (13-14) has won almost twice as many games as it did last season and enters the eight-team tournament as the No. 6 seed. Jones attributed the turnaround following a 7-21 campaign partly to Hopkins. "Leonard's a tough player to stop," Jones said. "He is explosive and can take it to the basket, but he is also a good shooter." Those talents helped Leonard join his brother Bryan among the elite high school players in Texas. Leonard was rated among the top 10 prospects in Texas as a sophomore when he suffered a stress fracture in his left tibia. The injury prevented him from playing as a junior and senior. Soon the letters that had come in bunches from Duke and Cincinnati stopped arriving and attention turned to Bryan, who plays at SMU along with Ryan – the third of the Hopkins brothers. "Some other schools backed off, and it came down to Texas Tech and North Texas," Hopkins said. "I liked the staff here and they told me they were going to give me the ball and let me play, so I came here." That plan only lasted a few days into Hopkins' freshman season. He talked with Jones and decided to red shirt so he could adjust to playing competitively again. Hopkins played as a redshirt freshman in 2001-02 and appeared to be back on track when he averaged 11.5 points a game. Unfortunately for Hopkins, his career was interrupted again nine games into his sophomore season when he broke a bone in his left foot against Colorado. "I took my second injury better than my first," Hopkins said. "I knew everything was going to be all right. I couldn't wait to get back on the floor." Hopkins hit his stride in early February – when he had at least 22 points in three straight games. Now that he has regained his form, Hopkins is hoping to lead UNT to new heights at the Sun Belt tournament. UNT has beaten the top three seeds. "There are a lot of great teams in the tournament," Hopkins said. "We feel like if we play our best, we can compete with any of them." UNT is all the more confident now that Hopkins has regained his form – not to mention his ability to soar to the rim. "At the beginning of the season, I was not that aggressive," he said. "I feel like I am capable of putting up good numbers again."

Women's basketball: Seniors to rely on lessons learned in tourney 08:48 AM CST on Friday, March 5, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer College basketball Sun Belt Conference Women’s Tournament: No. 5 North Texasvs. No. 4 Middle Tennessee, 11 a.m., Sunday, KNTU 88.1-FM Kim Blanton learned just what it takes to be successful in college basketball from a pair of North Texas legends a few years ago. The senior studied Jalie Mitchell and talked to Rosalyn Reades during the Lady Eagles’ run to a pair of NIT berths when she was a role player as a freshman and sophomore. To Blanton, that is what makes her senior season with the Lady Eagles all the more baffling. UNT has nearly all the assets Mitchell and Reades named as being critical for a college team, but has fallen short of its goals on the court. Blanton’s last chance to lead the Lady Eagles to the heights she always imagined they would attain this season will come at 11 a.m. on Sunday when UNT takes on Middle Tennessee in the first round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. "I know that we have what it takes to play well," Blanton said. "Our young players are talented. We just need to come together." The Lady Eagles have been inconsistent throughout the season and enter the Sun Belt tournament having lost four of their last six games. UNT will look to Blanton and fellow senior Karolyn Haskin to help the team turn the corner at E.A. Diddle Arena on the campus of Western Kentucky University. "There is a window of opportunity with the conference tournament," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "We have a chance to put it together. Our seniors have a chance to be a big part of that." UNT looks to Blanton and Haskin to help the team in different ways. Blanton is the Lady Eagles’ top scorer and rebounder. When the 6-1 forward plays well, the Lady Eagles seem to follow. Blanton averages 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds a game and was named honorable mention All-Sun Belt Conference on Thursday. Haskin’s contributions are harder to assess. The senior forward is averaging 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds a game, but has become one of UNT’s vocal and emotional leaders. Both players have grown into those roles after playing small parts on UNT’s top teams of a few years ago. Blanton averaged 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds a game as a freshman and 3.8 points and 2.7 rebounds a game as a sophomore. Haskin’s best season during the Lady Eagles’ run to a pair of NIT bids came when she averaged 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds as a sophomore. The duo helped UNT win 19 games in the 2000-01 season and a school-record 21 games in 2001-02. UNT has struggled to reach those heights ever since. The Lady Eagles won 12 games last season and enters this season’s Sun Belt Tournament with an 11-16 mark. Slinker attributed UNT’s struggles in part to the loss of what turned out to be one of the top classes of players she has signed. "We graduated a very special group of young ladies," Slinker said of the group headed by Mitchell and Reades. "We lost a lot of leadership with that class." UNT retired Mitchell’s and Reades’ jerseys. UNT’s roster has been in flux ever since. The team lost guard Heather Trout to a career-ending injury before the beginning of the season. The team then lost Kennethia Wilson to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her knee in a game at TCU on Dec. 31. The sophomore forward was averaging 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds a game and appeared to be coming into her own at the time of the injury. Losing Trout and Wilson only slowed UNT’s search for a stable lineup and players to fill leadership roles. "The only difference between those teams and the team we have now is leadership," Blanton said. "We have a lot of young players. Karolyn and I have fallen into that group instead of stepping up and saying this is what we need to do." UNT has 10 freshmen or sophomores on its roster, plus junior college transfers Jill Medlock and Dorota Klat, who are in their first season with the team. Blanton and Haskin will try to provide that group of young players the leadership it needs to finally reach its potential this weekend. "We are getting into our prime at the right time," Haskin said. "We know what we need to do. It’s just a matter of coming out and doing it." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

UNT notebook: Jones sees tourney as wide open 08:17 AM CST on Wednesday, March 3, 2004 The Middle Tennessee men’s basketball team seemingly did North Texas a big favor Monday night. The Blue Raiders hammered Florida International, 60-42, to earn the fifth seed in this weekend’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament and push UNT to No. 6 in the seedings for the eight-team event. Dropping one spot appears to have given UNT a much easier path to the tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Mean Green will face New Orleans in the first round at 8 p.m. on Sunday. UNT beat New Orleans on the road 84-81 on Feb. 26 and narrowly missed out on winning the first game when the Privateers pulled out a 77-76 win in overtime. Had UNT earned the No. 5 seed, it would have faced Western Kentucky on the Hilltoppers’ home floor in the first round. The Mean Green also avoided a potential matchup with top-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette in the semifinals. While UNT seemingly has an easier path to the tournament finals as the No. 6 seed, Mean Green coach Johnny Jones said the balance in the league makes any matchup tough. Each team in the tournament has split a pair of games with their first-round opponent. "I am excited to end up in the tournament, period," Jones said. "I don’t think it matters who you play because you are going to have to play your best." The key to UNT’s first-round matchup with New Orleans could be how UNT’s guards perform. Guards Jonnell Smith and Bo McCalebb both scored in double figures in each of New Orleans games against UNT. Forward Billy McDade also scored in double figures in each of the team’s games this season. The 6-8 sophomore did most of his damage against UNT from the perimeter. McDade has hit seven 3-point shots against UNT this season, including five the last time the teams faced off. "We have to try to control and slow down their perimeter guys to give ourselves a chance," Jones said. "That’s a tough task because that is not something that anyone has done all year consistently." Both teams feature a balanced scoring attack. Smith is averaging 13.1 points a game to lead three players averaging double figures for New Orleans. UNT has four players averaging double figures led by junior guard Leonard Hopkins, who is scoring 13.5 points a game. Women’s basketball Edwards finding form Freshman Kelsie Edwards is quietly posting a standout season for the Lady Eagles. Edwards ranks fourth among UNT players with an average of 7.8 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. The forward is one of the first players off UNT’s bench and provides the Lady Eagles instant offense. Edwards scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in a 61-50 loss to South Alabama on Saturday. Edwards has scored 210 points on the season, the top total for a UNT freshman since the 1998-99 season. While Edwards is UNT’s top freshman, she is not the only Lady Eagle who is having an impact in her first season on the college level. Forward Mia Ajekwu is averaging 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. Edwards and Ajekwu have combined to average 21.5 points and 13.2 rebounds a game in the Lady Eagles last four games. Lady Eagles look to remain perfect in opening round The first round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament has been no problem for UNT. The Lady Eagles have won all three of their first round games since joining the league. Extending the streak could be a challenge for UNT, which will face Middle Tennessee in the first round at 11 a.m. on Sunday at Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. Middle Tennessee (20-7) is the fourth seed in the tournament and has already beaten UNT 64-55 this season. The Lady Eagles (11-16, 7-8) are the fifth seed. Track and field Schmidt leads UNT at meet Jessica Schmidt entered the Sun Belt Conference’s indoor track meet as an unknown commodity. She left as the Women’s Outstanding Track Performer of the event. Schmidt capped her outing by winning the 5,000-meter run in a time of 17:25.91, 39 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. The junior also won the 3,000-meter run and finished third in the mile run. Schmidt scored 26 points and became the first UNT female athlete to win multiple events at an indoor championship. Schmidt’s performance was impressive considering she missed part of the cross country season with a stress fracture in her foot. Schmidt led the UNT women to a second-place finish in the women’s team standings, while the UNT men finished fifth. Senior David Turner led the UNT men. He broke the school record in the 400-meter dash with a time of 47.73 Turner also teamed with Arthur Cox, Derek Logan and Andre Douglas to finish second in the 1600-meter relay in a time of 3:12.53. Middle Tennessee won both the men’s and women’s team titles. UNT coach Rick Watkins said the meet represented a solid end to the indoor season for both the men’s and women’s teams. The teams combined to have 28 athletes who posted season-best times in the meet. "It was a successful indoor season," Watkins said. "The good thing was the women were disappointed that they didn’t win. They expect to win now." Softball Mean Green continues tough road trip The North Texas women’s softball team will continue a tough road trip this week when it heads to the Hillenbrand Classic in Tucson, Ariz. UNT (6-22) will open the event on Friday with games against Arizona and Georgia Tech. Arizona is ranked No. 2 in the NFCA/USA Today Top 25 poll. Georgia Tech is not ranked, but is in position to move into the poll after knocking off No. 7 Michigan State and No. 16 Fresno State over the weekend. UNT had lost six straight games before knocking off Oklahoma State on Tuesday. All six of the losses came in the Frost Cutlery Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. Junior Stephanie Cranmer hit .412 for the week to pace UNT. Freshman Katy Maxey also posted a solid weekend when she posted a 3.32 ERA in 31 2/3 innings pitched. Player of the week North Texas senior forward Michael DeGrate is heating up just in time for the Sun Belt Conference tournament this weekend. UNT’s starting power forward scored a career high 20 points and tied for a team-high nine rebounds in the Mean Green’s win over New Orleans on Thursday. DeGrate came back to score a team-high 17 points and grab seven rebounds in a loss to South Alabama on Sunday. DeGrate also hit an 88-foot buzzer-beating shot against UNO. DeGrate’s performance in the final week of the season helped UNT clinch the sixth seed in the Sun Belt tournament. DeGrate improved his scoring average to 10.0 points a game, a total that ranks fourth on the team. The 6-8 senior also ranks second on the team with an average of 5.5 rebounds a game. For his performance, DeGrate is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s UNT Player of the Week. 7-day schedule The following events are on tap in the next week at North Texas FRIDAY: Softball at Arizona, 5 p.m. softball vs. Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. SATURDAY: Softball vs. UTEP, 11 a.m.; softball vs. Indiana, 1 p.m. SUNDAY: Sun Belt Conference Tournament: Middle Tennessee vs. women’s basketball, 11 a.m.; softball vs. Northern Iowa, 1 p.m.; New Orleans vs. men’s basketball, 8 p.m.

Women's basketball: Lady Eagles hungry for another try at MT 08:27 AM CST on Tuesday, March 2, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The North Texas women’s basketball team let a chance to knock off Middle Tennessee slip through its fingers earlier this year. The mistake is one the Lady Eagles hope to avoid this weekend in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. UNT will face the Lady Raiders in a first-round game at 11 a.m. on Sunday at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky. UNT jumped out to an 11-point lead at halftime of its first meeting with Middle Tennessee before the Lady Raiders rallied for a 64-55 win at the Murphy Center. "We played well against them down there," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "They are a very athletic team, but we match up well with them." UNT’s starting backcourt of Jill Medlock and Erika Bobo led the Lady Eagles in their first meeting with Middle Tennessee. Medlock led UNT with 13 points, while Bobo had 11. Sophomore guard Jamie Armstrong added 10 points off of the bench. Slinker said UNT will need to take advantage of its interior tandem of Kim Blanton and Mia Ajekwu to knock off Middle Tennessee in the teams’ second meeting. Blanton leads UNT with an average of 11.8 points a game, while Ajekwu is scoring five points a game. Ajekwu stands 6-3, while Blanton is 6-1. Krystle Horton is the only player on Middle Tennessee’s roster who is taller than 6-1. The freshman is 6-2. Blanton scored eight points in the first meet between the teams, while Ajekwu added five points. UNT’s game against Middle Tennessee could be one of the most interesting in the first round. The Lady Raiders are the fourth seed in the tournament, while UNT is the fifth seed. Spencer is considered UNT’s best draft prospect. The three-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection was named the Most Valuable Player of the Gray team during the Blue-Gray Classic on Dec. 25. Spencer also participated in the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis earlier this month. The 6-3, 230-pound middle linebacker posted a solid performance at the combine that included a 4.62 second 40-yard dash. Spencer said he was happy with his performance at the combine and will only go through a few drills designed to test players’ agility today. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Posted on Fri, Feb. 27, 2004 UNT Notes Key win shows men's postseason capability By Scott Mccoy Special to the Star-Telegram The men's basketball team's come-from-behind win over conference-leading Louisiana-Lafayette on Monday might have answered any doubts about the Mean Green's postseason potential. UNT received key contributions from reserve forward Mike Jones and walk-on point guard John Franklin in the second half to slow down the top scoring team in the conference. "I think it's a huge confidence booster for us," coach Johnny Jones said. "To have the ability to come back showed we had numbers on the bench." On Thursday, the Mean Green (13-13, 8-6) clinched a berth in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament with an 84-81 road victory over New Orleans (14-13, 8-6). The victory also moved North Texas into a two-way tie with New Orleans for second place in the West Division of the conference. North Texas closes out the regular season Sunday at South Alabama. Track and field test The UNT track and field team will compete in the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships this weekend in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Freshman pole vaulter Desiree Hill, an Arlington Bowie graduate, broke the school record for the third time this season Saturday at the Oklahoma Indoor. Her height of 11 feet, 3 inches is the third-best in conference this season. Jarrod Stone, from Crowley High School, owns three of the top 10 field-event marks in conference. But without much depth, Stone and others may need to do even better. "If we're going to have a chance to win the championship, we're going to have to win several individual events," coach Rick Watkins said. "That's going to have to be our mind-set going in. Second and third place won't get it done." Middle Tennessee has won both the men's and women's titles the past three years. Softball takes local showdown Junior outfielder Stephanie Cranmer and freshman infielder Heather Bostic earned all-tournament honors at North Texas' Betlin Round-up last week. Cranmer delivered the key blow in what coach Stacey Segal called the highlight of the young season. In the eighth inning against UT-Arlington on Sunday, Cranmer drove in freshman Katy Maxey for the game-winning run in a 4-3 victory. Maxey picked up her third win of the season, allowing seven hits over eight innings. "I told my squad right before we started that, obviously, conference would be the most important games, but besides that when you have the chance to play someone in the same area that competes for recruiting rights, that's the most important game we've played so far," Segal said. UNT went 3-3 at the tournament. "Their confidence is high, but with any sport it can go from really high to really low real quick," she said. ONLINE: www.unt.edu/meangreen

UNT women in league tourney By Scott Mccoy Special to the Star-Telegram DENTON - New Orleans didn't have the benefit of North Texas forward Kim Blanton's scouting report of teammate Jill Medlock. "You have to guard Jill out there on the Wells Fargo sign," Blanton said referring to the bank advertisement painted on the floor well outside of the 3-point arc. Medlock picked an opportune time to snap out of a shooting slump, hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers in a 67-56 victory Thursday at the Super Pit. The win coupled with an Arkansas-Little Rock victory over New Mexico State clinched a spot for UNT (11-15, 7-7) in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. "It's a relief, really," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "Every game is so close, it at least let's you not look back and if, if, if, if." Medlock hit a 3-pointer with 1:50 to play to put UNT up 61-56. "Even when they don't go in I'm still encouraged to shoot it, but it's hard for me to feel comfortable when they're not going in," Medlock said. "It felt good tonight, especially that last one." It came after the Privateers (10-16, 5-9) couldn't convert on back-to-back chances to tie the game, including a pair of missed free throws by guard Monique Taylor. UNT finished the game on a 9-0 run. Medlock also sent the Lady Eagles into halftime with a 3-pointer from about five feet behind the arc as time expired in the first half to put UNT up 40-34. Blanton provided the offense around the basket with 17 points and 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. She also led the team with six turnovers. The Lady Eagles had been taking better care of the basketball in recent weeks. The failure to do so against New Orleans almost cost UNT the game. The Lady Eagles turned the ball over 24 times as the Privateers cut what was once a nine-point lead to two with 3:09 to play. "Usually in these situations in the games that we've lost we went the last three or four minutes without scoring," Blanton said. "We knew this game was important. I don't know why we like to put pressure on ourselves but we always let it come down to making the tournament or not making the tournament before we really play hard." BREAKDOWN WHY NORTH TEXAS WON The Lady Eagles had a balanced offensive attack, going 4-of-7 from 3-point range and scoring 28 points in the paint. WHY NEW ORLEANS LOST The Privateers used pressure defense to force turnovers, but they rarely did anything with them. New Orleans scored just six points off 24 turnovers. NOTABLE • UNT guard Jill Medlock needs three 3-pointers to tie Ashley Norris for the single-season school record. • New Orleans defeated UNT 80-78 in January despite a career-high 27 points from senior forward Kim Blanton. • The Lady Eagles made 6 of 8 free throws in the final 1:09 to ice the game.

Men's basketball: UNT hopes to make case for higher seed Play of late has Jones believing in tourney chances 08:39 AM CST on Thursday, February 26, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones always felt like he had the players he needed to make a run toward the top of the Sun Belt Conference standings this season. A win tonight against New Orleans would go a long way toward proving Jones’ assessment correct. UNT pulled off one of its most impressive wins of the season Monday when the Mean Green rallied from an 18-point deficit to knock off Louisiana-Lafayette, 71-68. The Ragin’ Cajuns entered the game with the best record in the Sun Belt Conference. The win not only sent UNT into its game against the Privateers on a roll, it put the Mean Green in position to improve its chances of earning a top seed in the Sun Belt tournament. "It was a huge confidence booster for us," Jones said of his team’s win over Louisiana-Lafayette. "It shows that we are able to compete with the top teams in our league." UNT will try to build on its win over the Ragin’ Cajuns when it takes on New Orleans in what shapes up to be a key game in the Mean Green’s season. UNT enters the game in third place in the Sun Belt Confer-ence’s West Divi-sion standings, one game be-hind New Orle-ans. A win over the Privateers would move UNT into a tie for second place in the division and give the Mean Green a chance to grab one of the top seeds in the postseason tournament March 6-9. UNT has looked capable of improving its seeding in the tournament at times over the last two weeks. The Mean Green beat Middle Tennessee, 69-64, on Feb. 12. UNT had four shots at either tying the game or taking the lead in the final minute of its game against Western Kentucky two days later before falling 80-78. Louisiana-Lafayette and Western Kentucky were picked to win the Sun Belt’s West and East Divisions, respectively. Middle Tennessee was picked to finish second in the East. Jones attributed UNT’s recent success in part to a series of role players who have made key contributions in recent games. Junior forward Michael Jones tied his career high with 13 points and added a career-high nine rebounds against Lafayette. Marqus Mitchell scored in double figures for just the third time this year when he posted 10 points against Middle Tennessee. Jones also cited John Franklin’s performance defensively as a key to UNT’s win over Lafayette. Franklin joined the Mean Green this year as a walk-on. "Every game someone new has had the ability to step up and get rebounds or hit shots for us," Jones said. UNT has 11 players who are averaging at least 3.5 points a game, giving Jones plenty of options when he turns to his bench. The Mean Green combines its depth with a trio of players who are averaging double figures. Leonard Hopkins has scored at least 19 points in four of UNT’s last five games and leads the Mean Green with an average of 13.1 points a game. Senior forward Shawnson Johnson (11.7) and Jerome Rogers (10.7) are also averaging double figures. Hopkins and Rogers both scored in double figures in UNT’s first meeting with New Orleans on Jan. 29 when the Privateers edged the Mean Green 77-76 in overtime. UNT missed six straight free throws in the extra period. Bo McCalebb scored 18 points to lead UNO in its win over UNT, while Johnell Smith added 17. Both players are averaging 12.2 points a game to pace New Orleans. Jones is expecting another tough game when UNT faces the Privateers today. "New Orleans has been a very difficult opponent for us," Jones said. "We have played them close in the past. We are looking forward to it. Both teams have a lot to play for." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Women's basketball: Highly motivated Move to bench has caused UNT’s Armstrong to step up her game 08:48 AM CST on Thursday, February 26, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas women’s basketball coach Tina Slinker tried every trick she could think of to help Jamie Armstrong meet her potential this season. Slinker encouraged and lectured the sophomore forward before finally pulling her from the starting lineup three weeks ago. The change seemed to spark Armstrong, who enters the Lady Eagles’ game against New Orleans tonight at the Super Pit coming off of one of the best games of her career. DRC/Hiroyuki Komae North Texas forward Jamie Armstrong, left, goes up for a shot against Denver guard Tasha Jones in the first half of the Lady Eagles’ 67-58 loss at the Super Pit Thursday. Armstrong has scored in double figures in three of the four games since moving to the bench. Armstrong came off the bench to score 17 points and pull down a career-high 13 rebounds in a 74-70 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday. "Jamie definitely has the talent to be a top player but has not fulfilled it yet," Slinker said. "If she focuses on playing good defense and rebounding, her offense will come." Armstrong finally took Slinker’s message to heart when she was removed from the starting lineup for a game against New Mexico State on Feb. 7. Armstrong played sparingly against the Aggies and finished with two points. Armstrong has scored in double figures in three of four games since and ranks third on the team with an average of 10.2 points a game. "I am coming off the bench right now because coach wants to motivate me to come in and work really hard," Armstrong said. "When I was starting, coach didn’t feel like I was working as hard as I should." Armstrong’s inconsistent effort resulted in an up-and-down campaign. The 5-11 forward opened the season with an 11-point game against Indiana State, but scored just two points against Indiana the next day. Armstrong posted another two-point performance in a loss to Denver on Feb. 19 before she bounced back with her breakout game against Louisiana-Lafayette. UNT seems to follow Armstrong’s lead. The Lady Eagles are 8-8 when Armstrong scores in double figures, but are just 2-7 when Armstrong fails to score 10 points. Slinker is hoping Armstrong’s performance against Lafayette is a sign that she will play well in the final week of the regular season, which will be critical to the Lady Eagles’ hopes of advancing to the Sun Belt Conference tournament. UNT enters its game against New Orleans in third place in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division standings. A win over the Privateers would all but ensure UNT of advancing to the Sun Belt’s eight-team postseason tournament March 6-9 in Bowling Green, Ky. "Jamie is a great player," UNT senior forward Kim Blanton said. "When she is penetrating no one can stop her. She takes a lot of pressure off of our post players." The challenge of meeting her potential is one Armstrong says she is ready to for after adapting to her new role as a reserve. "I just decided that it is time to really play hard," Armstrong said. "It’s crunch time. We need to get to the tournament and every team we are going to face is good. We have to come with our A-game." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Men's basketball: On the rise Mean Green seniors hope roller-coaster ride turns up at season’s end 07:45 AM CST on Monday, February 23, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer When Johnny Jones took over the North Texas men’s basketball program three years ago, he knew a monumental challenge awaited. Fortunately for Jones, Will Smith and Jerome Rogers were there to help him meet it. Both players were sophomores when Jones took over for Vic Trilli in 2001. Each helped smooth the transition for Jones, who is still in the process of rebuilding UNT’s program. DRC/Hiroyuki Komae UNT's Jerome Rogers Both Rogers and Smith have played four tough years at UNT and will reach a milestone in their careers tonight when they play their final home game against Louisiana-Lafayette (15-7, 10-2). The pair has seemingly seen it all in four years, from a 15-game losing streak under Trilli to a solid first year under Jones when UNT went 15-14. "We have been up and down like a roller coaster," Rogers said. "We are looking to bring it back up at the end." UNT (11-13, 6-6) enters the Sun Belt Conference contest in the thick of the race for one of eight spots in the league’s postseason tournament with three games left in the regular season. Rogers and Smith helped UNT arrive at that spot not only by playing this season but also by sticking with the team through a coaching change and a series of disappointing campaigns. "Those two guys have been through a lot," Jones said. "They helped their teammates and the staff and were very productive. They gave us stability and also helped us in recruiting." Both Smith and Rogers were recruited by Trilli, UNT’s former coach who led the team from the 1997-98 season through the 2000-01 campaign. UNT endured some tough seasons under Trilli, including a 4-24 campaign in his final year. "It was tough to work so hard and loose so many games at the end," Smith said. "Those games were tough." Jones has gradually rebuilt UNT’s program since taking over for Trilli. UNT posted a winning season in Jones’ first year and appeared as if it would cruise to an even better finish this season before falling into a funk the last three weeks. The Mean Green has lost five of its last seven games. UNT has just three games left in the regular season and could improve its chances of earning a berth in the Sun Belt’s postseason tournament with a win or two to close the season. UNT is tied for third place in the Sun Belt’s West Division. The top two teams from each division, plus the teams with the four next best records, will advance to the tournament. The Mean Green enters its game against Lafayette in a logjam in the middle of the conference standings. UNT is among four teams in the league with 6-6 records. Those four teams are in position to grab the fifth through eighth seeds in the tournament. New Mexico State is looming just one game back at 5-7 and could make a late run to get into the tournament. DRC/Hiroyuki Komae UNT's Will Smith "I want to make sure that we finish strong so that we can have a winning season," Rogers said. "We have a chance to finish well if we practice hard and bring it to the game." UNT will need a solid performance to knock off Louisiana-Lafayette. The Ragin’ Cajuns lead the Sun Belt’s West Division and were the first team in the league to clinch a conference tournament berth. Lafayette is one of the most athletic teams in the conference and has seven players averaging at least nine points a game. Antoine Landry is leading the Ragin’ Cajuns with an average of 13 points a game. UNT struggled to contain Lafayette in a 94-81 loss in the first meeting between the teams, when the Ragin’ Cajuns used their athletic ability to get into the open floor and score points in transition. Changing its fortunes against Louisiana-Lafayette could be a challenge for UNT, but not nearly as daunting as the task Rogers and Smith faced while trying to help rebuild the Mean Green’s basketball program. UNT lost its final 15 games of Trilli’s last season and six of the first seven games of Jones’ first campaign. Rogers’ performance has helped bring the Mean Green back from the depths of that skid to move into position to post a solid 2003-04 season. UNT’s starting point guard is averaging a career high 10.6 points a game and leads the team with 60 assists. Smith has started 12 games and has provided a key spark off the bench late in the season. He is averaging 4.0 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. What has been even more satisfying for Rogers than his career season is the state of the team. "The program is in a lot better shape than when I came," Rogers said. "We are going forward and are improving." Rogers and Smith are hoping to put that improvement on display tonight and help the Mean Green secure a spot in the Sun Belt Tournament with a win or two in the final two weeks of the season. "I am looking forward to our last home game," Rogers said. "I want to give fans a great memory of Jerome Rogers." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

UNT women start key series at Super Pit 01:29 AM CST on Saturday, February 14, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The chance the North Texas women's basketball team has waited an entire season for arrives tonight. The Lady Eagles played seven of their first 10 Sun Belt Conference games on the road. UNT's schedule will balance out when the Lady Eagles play their final five games of the regular season at home. UNT will begin the stretch run of its season with a 7 p.m. game against Western Kentucky at the Super Pit. "We need to take advantage of this stretch," UNT coach Tina Slinker said. "We are the only team in the conference with five games at home at the end of the season." UNT (9-13, 5-5) enters the series tied for second place in the Sun Belt's West Division. The Lady Eagles have a chance to make a run up the standings to secure a berth in the conference tournament, but could also fall out of contention quickly, during the next two weeks. The top two teams in each division of the Sun Belt, plus the teams with the next four best conference records will make the league's postseason tournament on March 6-9 in Bowling Green, Ky. Western Kentucky (12-11, 6-3) is the only team UNT will face during its next five games that it has not already played on the road this season. The Lady Eagles have beaten two of the teams it will face during its season-ending run. All four games were decided by three points or less. UNT's players consider its solid record on the road against its next five opponents as a good sign. "We are familiar with everyone except Western," UNT guard Erika Bobo said. "That is an advantage, playing a team for a second time. We will know their personnel, what they like to do and who their go-to people are." UNT is hoping to use those advantages to overcome an up-and-down conference campaign. The Lady Eagles have followed each of their last three wins with a loss and have not won consecutive games since winning three straight games from Jan. 15-22. "It would be great to get a good win over Western," Slinker said. "They are one of the better teams in the conference." Bobo said one of the keys to getting off to a good start against Western Kentucky will be to avoid the second-half woes that have plagued the team this season. UNT has been outscored in the second half of each of its last four games. UNT's struggles after inter-mission were especially costly in a loss to Middle Tennessee on Thursday. The Lady Eagles led 32-21 at halftime before collapsing in a 64-55 loss. "We need to finish off games," Bobo said. "The first five minutes of the second half are key. We have to build on our leads." UNT will turn to a trio of players who are averaging double figures in scoring to reach that goal. Senior forward Kim Blanton is averaging 11.7 points a game to lead the team. Junior guard Jill Medlock is adding 11.4 points a game, while sophomore forward Jamie Armstrong is posting 10.1 points. UNT prepared for its home stretch in its last game at the Super Pit, a 54-52 win over New Mexico State on Feb. 7. The Lady Eagles are hoping to pick up where it left off at home tonight. "Our last win against New Mexico State we had a pretty good crowd and we felt comfortable," Slinker said. "Hopefully, we can refer back to that." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com. SBC standings West Division Conference Overall South Alabama 6-4 17-5 La.-Lafayette 5-5 11-10 North Texas 5-5 9-13 Denver 4-6 11-11 New Mexico State 4-6 10-12 New Orleans 4-6 9-13 East Division Conference Overall Arkansas State 8-2 16-6 Middle Tennessee 6-3 16-6 Western Kentucky 6-3 12-11 Florida International 5-5 11-12 Ark.-Little Rock 1-9 8-15 Thursday's results Middle Tenn. 64, North Texas 55 La.-Lafayette 52, S. Alabama 49 Western Kentucky 73, Denver 53 Arkansas State 69, Arkansas-Little Rock 53 N. Orleans 76, N.M. St. 73 (2 OT) Saturday's games W. Kentucky at N. Texas, 7 p.m. La.-Lafayette at N. Orleans, 3:30 p.m. S. Alabama at N.M. St., 8:05 p.m. Closing run The North Texas women's basketball team will cap its season with five straight home games. The following is a list of the games and the result from previous meetings. Date Opponent Score Tonight W. Kentucky none Feb. 19 Denver W, 70-68 Feb. 21 La.-Lafayette L, 53-50 Feb. 26 New Orleans L, 80-78 Feb. 28 S. Alabama W, 53-51

Men's basketball: Mitchell plays unlikely role as Mean Green beats Blue Raiders 01:15 AM CST on Friday, February 13, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Marqus Mitchell didn't appear to be a likely candidate to play a key role in the North Texas men's basketball team's game against Middle Tennessee on Thursday. Then again, not much played out as anticipated during the Mean Green's 69-64 win over the Blue Raiders at the Super Pit. Mitchell entered the game averaging 4.1 points a game, a total that ranked 10th on the team. The junior nearly doubled that total in the second half alone when UNT held off a late Middle Tennessee comeback and ended a two-game losing streak. Blue Raiders guard Mike Dean missed a 3-point shot that could have tied the game with 10 seconds left. Junior guard Leonard Hopkins then hit a pair of free throws to ice the victory. "This win puts us one step closer to where we want to be," said Mitchell, who scored seven points in the second half. "We're just trying to get our foot in the door at the [conference] tournament." UNT (11-11, 6-4) needed all the points it could get from Mitchell to move closer to that goal. The Mean Green entered its game against the Blue Raiders (12-10, 4-5) in a three-way tie for second place in the Sun Belt's West Division standings with New Orleans and Denver. UNT earned that spot in the standings in large part because of the play of Shawnson Johnson. The senior forward entered the game averaging 12.8 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. The Mean Green's game against Middle Tennessee shaped up to be a showdown between Johnson and Blue Raiders' guard Tommy Gunn, who was averaging 17 points a game. Both players struggled in the face of defenses that were designed to slow them down. Johnson missed all four of his shots from the field and finished with three points. Gunn didn't fare much better, scoring six points. UNT was able to overcome an off night by Johnson with a balanced scoring attack and some key contributions from its bench. "This was a great team effort," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "A lot of guys came in and played positive minutes for us." Jones cited the play of Mitchell as one of the keys to UNT's win. The junior spent part of the night guarding Gunn and helped limit him to five shots. Mitchell also hit three shots from behind the 3-point arc. "Coach told us that if we could guard Gunn, we would have a good chance to win," Hopkins said. Hopkins and Mitchell not only shared the duty of guarding Gunn, but also excelled offensively. Hopkins led UNT with 22 points. Senior forward Michael DeGrate scored 17 points and nearly doubled his season average of 8.9 points a game. Senior guard Jerome Rogers added 10 points. Rogers and Hopkins both got off to a quick start in the opening moments of the game when UNT appeared as if it might pull out to a comfortable lead. Each hit a 3-point shot to help give UNT a 10-2 lead. "It helped get us going early in the game when we made a few outside shots," Hopkins said. "It gave us momentum." Middle Tennessee responded with a 13-0 run in a game that remained tight through the early stages of the second half. UNT cranked up its defensive pressure in the late stages of the game and pulled out to a 66-56 lead with 2:28 left in the game. Dean began Middle Tennessee's comeback with a 3-point shot. The Blue Raiders pulled to within 67-64, but saw their rally come up short. "Our bench really played well," Jones said. "It was a strong defensive battle. We were just able to hold on." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

Men's basketball: Mean Green gets second shot to knock off Aggies 09:08 AM CST on Saturday, February 7, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones knows this is no time to let a loss linger. UNT missed out on a chance to move into a tie for first place in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division standings Thursday when the Mean Green lost to Louisiana-Lafayette. UNT will have a chance to bounce back today in a game at New Mexico State. "We are ready to play again," Jones said. "We know the importance of bouncing back. We are looking forward to it." UNT (10-10, 5-3) remained in second place in the conference standings, but now has some company in Denver (13-7, 5-3). UNT can solidify its place just behind the Ragin’ Cajuns in the SBC standings with a win over New Mexico State (9-10, 3-5). The Mean Green can also avenge a 70-67 loss to the Aggies in UNT’s league opener Jan. 10. UNT has developed dramatically as a team since that loss. Senior forward Michael DeGrate and freshman guard Calvin Watson have moved into the starting lineup. Those changes have helped spark UNT offensively. The Mean Green has scored at least 80 points in four of its last five games. UNT had not yet developed the balanced scoring attack it now features the first time the Mean Green faced NMSU. Junior guard Leonard Hopkins scored 19 points to lead UNT the last time it faced the Aggies. Senior forward Shawnson Johnson added 18 points, while senior guard Jerome Rogers scored 13. The problem UNT ran into was it didn’t have another player score more than six points. All five of UNT’s starters are now averaging at least eight points a game, a total each reached against Lafayette. That balance could pay off against NMSU, which has failed to live up to expectations. The Aggies were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt’s West Division, but are buried at the bottom of the league’s standings after losing five of their last seven games, including a 68-54 setback against Denver on Thursday. Forward James Moore is averaging 15.2 points a game, while guard Duane John is adding 14.9 points a game. NMSU has struggled offensively despite having two players who rank among the Sun Belt’s top 10 scorers. The Aggies rank ninth in the Sun Belt in scoring offense with an average of 66.2 points a game. NMSU exceeded that total the first time it faced UNT because a pair of role players came up with impressive performances. James Felder scored 13 points, while Kelsey Crooks added 11. The Aggies combined a solid night from Felder and Crooks with a typical performance from Moore and John to edge the Mean Green at the Super Pit. UNT is hoping its newfound offensive balance will help it change its fortunes against the Aggies — not to mention put the Mean Green back on the winning track. "We can get back on track against New Mexico State," Shawnson Johnson said. "We have to put this loss behind us." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Women's basketball: UNT looks to stay in tight race 09:09 AM CST on Saturday, February 7, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer The North Texas women’s basketball team lost out on its battle for first place in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division standings Thursday. Today, the Lady Eagles will try to hang on to the next best thing: second place. UNT (8-12) enters a 7 p.m. game against New Mexico State (10-10) at the Super Pit tied with NMSU for the second slot in the SBC West. Both teams have 4-4 marks in league play entering what could be a key point in their seasons. The winner of UNT’s tilt with the Aggies will make a move back toward the top of the conference standings. The loser will lose ground in a tight race for the division title. South Alabama and Louisiana-Lafayette are both 5-3 in division play, one game in front of UNT and NMSU. The Lady Eagles had a chance to improve their spot in the standings on Thursday, but failed to convert in a 53-50 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. UNT coach Tina Slinker called the loss a significant one, especially since it was a game the Lady Eagles had plenty of chances to win. UNT will have to recover quickly if it is to keep its place among the teams bunched toward the top of the conference standings. "The race is too close to get down after a loss on the road," Slinker said. Even after the loss, the Lady Eagles are in position to control their own destiny heading into the stretch run of the season. UNT will play six of its last seven games at home. The Lady Eagles will play their last regular season road game on Thursday against Middle Tennessee. UNT had a chance to build momentum for its season-ending home stretch, but failed to convert against Lafayette. The Lady Eagles had three chances to either tie the game or take the lead in the final minutes, but failed to convert each time. Jill Medlock scored 15 points on five 3-point shots for UNT, but saw her shot at a sixth fall short in the final seconds of the game. Lafayette shadowed Medlock on UNT’s final play of the game and forced her into an off-balance attempt. "We were confused at the end," Medlock said. "We didn’t execute the play." The miss spoiled a late comeback attempt fueled by 3-point shots by Medlock and freshman forward Kelsie Edwards. Senior forward Kim Blanton is averaging 12.2 points a game, while Medlock is adding 11.2 points per contest. New Mexico State features two players who rank among the top 10 scorers in the Sun Belt. Princess Moore is averaging 16.5 points a game to lead NMSU, while preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection Sinnamonn Garrett is adding 15.2 points a game. NMSU won its first meeting with UNT, 83-72, but has struggled since. The Lady Aggies have lost four of their last seven games. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Top Tech officials meet over Knight incident 03:37 AM CST on Tuesday, February 3, 2004 By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News Texas Tech officials discussed Bob Knight's future as their men's basketball coach Monday night, hours after he and university chancellor Dr. David Smith had a heated argument at a Lubbock-area grocery store during lunch. Sally Post, Tech's interim director of news and publications, confirmed that the men got into a loud exchange about noon Monday at Market Street, a popular lunchtime restaurant inside United Supermarket on 50th Street and Indiana Avenue. Mrs. Post said all top-level university officials met to discuss the situation, which comes a little more than a month after Mr. Knight used several profanities in a nationally televised interview. When asked if they were considering firing Mr. Knight, a high-ranking school official said the situation was fluid because it was a personnel issue. Also online Bob Knight chronology Randy Farley, who serves as Mr. Knight's spokesman, did not return phone messages Monday. Dr. Smith said: "I'm sure that in the course of the next few days, more will come out. But I can't comment on it right now." Bob Black, chairman of the Tech board of regents, said he received a full report on the situation. He declined to comment on what actions, if any, would be taken. "This is a personnel matter that's being handled internally within the university," Mr. Black said. Tech is expected to issue a formal statement today, Mrs. Post said. Texas Tech, ranked 19th nationally, plays at home tonight against Baylor. The high-ranking school official said Dr. Smith walked up to athletic director Gerald Myers, who was with Mr. Knight at the store, and commented on how well Mr. Knight had behaved lately. Mr. Myers said Dr. Smith should tell Mr. Knight himself. Dr. Smith walked over to Mr. Knight and reiterated his statement, the official said. Mr. Knight became angry immediately and began shouting. Dr. Smith walked away, and Mr. Knight followed him into the parking lot. At that point, Mr. Myers stepped in and restrained Mr. Knight. He ushered the 63-year-old coach to a vehicle. There was no physical contact between the two, the official said. Mr. Myers did not return repeated phone messages Monday. Dan Sanders, chief marketing officer for United, said he interviewed at least a half-dozen people at the store. All gave different versions of the incident, but the common thread was that Dr. Smith and Mr. Knight had an argument. There was no damage at the store, Mr. Sanders said. "In terms of our facility, it's really inconsequential to the issue between Mr. Knight and Dr. Smith. It's regrettable," Mr. Sanders said. Mr. Knight's contract does not have any clause pertaining to behavior; he has the standard contract all Tech coaches receive. Tech does have the right to terminate Mr. Knight's contract without cause at any time. After this season, Mr. Knight will have two years remaining on a contract worth $750,000 annually. Mr. Knight's behavior led to his downfall at Indiana University, where he coached for 29 seasons. In March 2000, the university investigated Mr. Knight after former player Neil Reed said he was choked in a 1997 practice. Two months later, Mr. Knight was placed on a "zero-tolerance" policy and fined $30,000 and suspended for three games. In September 2000, Mr. Knight allegedly grabbed a student by the arm and lectured him about manners after the student allegedly said, "Hey, Knight, what's up?" Former Indiana president Myles Brand fired Mr. Knight for what he termed "a pattern of unacceptable behavior." Tech hired Mr. Knight in March 2001. The school hoped the Hall of Fame coach would raise the profile of the university and its sports programs. It worked. Tech reached the 2002 NCAA Tournament in Mr. Knight's first season, and the Red Raiders finished third in the National Invitation Tournament in 2003. This season, Tech is 16-4. Things have not been as smooth off the court. On Dec. 22, Mr. Knight used multiple profanities during an interview with ESPN. The network bleeped out the profanities but aired the interview 'round the clock. The next day, Mr. Knight apologized for his remarks, but the university did not levy any punishment. E-mail brdavis@dallasnews.com

Knight, Tech chancellor in grocery store incident 09:17 PM CST on Monday, February 2, 2004 By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News An incident occurred at a Lubbock-area grocery store around noon Monday between Texas Tech chancellor Dr. David Smith and basketball coach Bob Knight, a university spokeswoman said. Sally Post, Tech's interim director of news and publications, could not give specifics about the incident and said it was a confidential personnel matter. But she said the incident occurred at Market Street, a division of United Supermarkets, which is located at 50th Street and Indiana Avenue. Athletic director Gerald Myers and a fourth party were witnesses, she said. Neither Smith nor Knight could be immediately reached for comment. Myers did not immediately return a phone message. Brian Chandler, a manager on duty at Market Street, referred all questions about the incident to United's corporate office in Lubbock. Dan Sanders, United's director of marketing, was unavailable. Top Tech administrators met late Monday to discuss the issue, Post said. When asked whether school officials were talking about firing Knight, Post said: "Not to my knowledge. I haven't been privy to the discussions." As of 6 p.m. Monday, no news conference was scheduled. E-mail brdavis@dallasnews.com

Men's basketball: UNT men enjoying hot streak Tied for first in West, team faces 11-6 ASU 08:23 AM CST on Saturday, January 24, 2004 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer JONESBORO, Ark. — For Michael DeGrate and the rest of the North Texas men’s basketball team, the game just seems easier these days. Shots fall more often and rebounds appear easier to grab. Winning, it turns out, was not only the Mean Green’s goal, but its cure. UNT won a pair of Sun Belt Conference contests at home and then played one of its best games this season on the road Thursday night in a win over Arkansas-Little Rock. The Mean Green hopes to carry the momentum it built while winning three straight games into today’s Sun Belt game against Arkansas State (11-6,2-4). UNT (8-8, 3-1) enters the contest tied for first place in the SBC’s West Division with Louisiana-Lafayette and New Orleans. "You build confidence when you win," DeGrate said. "The game feels a lot easier. The monkey is off of our shoulders now that we have won a few games." UNT enters its game against ASU in the midst of its longest winning streak since late in the 2001-02 season when the Mean Green also won three consecutive games. The streak is a milestone for UNT, which won just two conference games all of last season and finished in last place in its division. "The first couple of years I was here, we took a lot of losses," UNT junior guard Leonard Hopkins said. "It’s a great feeling to be rewarded for all of our hard work now." UNT coach Johnny Jones attributed the Mean Green’s run in part to the continuity the team has developed over the last few weeks. UNT has four playerswho are new to the team, including senior forward Shawnson Johnson. The LSU transfer didn’t play with the Mean Green until the end of the first semester and needed time to find his form after missing the first five games of the season. Johnson leads the team with an average of 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds a game. Freshman guard Calvin Watson also missed the first 11 games of the season with a broken foot. And as if that were not enough, starting point guard Scott Roniger left the team after nine games for personal reasons. UNT seems to have worked through those issues and become comfortable playing together just in time for the key part of the season. "Just having time to play together has helped us," Jones said. "Our chemistry is starting to come together." That was never more evident than in UNT’s 82-77 win over Arkansas-Little Rock. The Trojans entered the game as the leader in the Sun Belt’s East Division and had lost just one game at home all season. The only other team to beat UALR at the Alltel Center this season is Mississippi State. The Mean Green was able to join the exclusive club after Jerome Rogers made a series of key plays late. The senior guard scored UNT’s last seven points, including a 3-point shot with 31 seconds left that proved to be the difference in the game. "We are playing better and making what I consider progress," Jones said. "It encourages me that we won on the road against a quality opponent." Building on that win could be a challenge against Arkansas State. The Indians don’t have the top record in the Sun Belt, but they posted a series of impressive wins in non-conference play. The Indians beat Mississippi (74-69), Southern Mississippi (78-71) and TCU (64-58) before floundering early in Sun Belt play. ASU lost its fourth straight game Monday when it fell to Denver 66-65. All four losses have come by 10 points or less. ASU is a threat to break out of that slump any time, thanks to its high-scoring duo of J.J. Montgomery and Dewarick Spencer. Montgomery, a 6-5 junior guard, was a finalist for the Division I National Junior College Player of the Year honor at Angelina College two years ago and is leading the Sun Belt with an average of 19.5 points a game. Spencer, a 6-4 junior guard and another former junior college All-America selection, ranks second in the league with an average of 18.2 points a game. UNT appears more prepared than ever to face the challenge ASU’s high-scoring tandem will present after winning its third straight game. "We are playing with a lot of confidence after winning three in a row," Hopkins said. "Any time you can win on the road, it helps." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Women's basketball: UNT wants to build on share of division lead Lady Eagles say Arkansas State will be tough to handle 08:26 AM CST on Saturday, January 24, 2004 By Chuck Cox / Staff Writer After a wild night in the Sun Belt Thursday the North Texas Lady Eagles find themselves enjoying the view from the top of the conference’s West Division standings. UNT’s 63-41 trouncing of Arkansas-Little Rock, coupled with Middle Tennessee’s stunning 56-55 victory over South Alabama, moved the Lady Eagles into a tie with the Jaguars at 3-1. South Alabama had won 14 straight games. DRC/Hiroyuki Komae North Texas forward Kim Blanton, left, holds onto a loose ball against Arkansas-Little Rock forward Katrina Crawford, right, as UALR guard Jocelyn Love watches during Thursday’s game at the Super Pit. The Lady Eagles host Arkansas State today at 7 p.m. The Lady Eagles (7-9) will look to maintain their lofty standing and win their fourth straight game in the process when East Division leader Arkansas State (11-5, 3-1) rolls into the Super Pit tonight for a 7 p.m. tip. "They’re going to be tough," said UNT senior forward Kim Blanton. "But everybody’s more comfortable at home and it’s where we like to play. We need to get our tradition back at home." Against UALR, the Lady Eagles built a double-digit lead by taking advantage of some poor shooting by the Trojans (15 percent) from the field in the first half. Once the Lady Eagles established the big lead, they continued to use solid defense to make sure the big lead did not vanish. UNT forced 21 turnovers and did not allow UALR to make a shot from beyond the 3-point line on 13 attempts. The Trojans have 67 treys this season. And with the exception of a poor first half of shooting by UNT (25 percent), Lady Eagles head coach Tina Slinker felt like her team played a solid game and continued to build momentum and confidence with the win. Additionally, UNT’s current winning streak, which includes two conference road wins, is a big step for a team that took its lumps during a seven-game losing streak earlier this season that included games against Texas, Texas A&M, Houston, SMU and TCU, three of which are nationally-ranked. "I don’t think they really understand that until you get into a situation where it’s paying off," Slinker said. "I’m glad they see that, too. You look back to Binghamton and SMU — we lost by two and four. You’d rather not lose any of them, but if you’re going to lose you want it to pay off now, and it has." The proof is in the pudding for UNT, which won just six conference games all of last season. "That’s what those games are for — playing those top 25 teams," said Blanton, who is averaging 11.5 points and a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game. "All of those games are tough. In most of those games we hung in there the best we could. They really prepared us for the Sun Belt. We should dominate." As winning tends to do, the last three victories have started to bring the Lady Eagles together as a team. "We’re starting to believe in each other a lot more," said UNT forward Jamie Armstrong, who led all scorers with 16 points Thursday night and is averaging 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds. "We’re starting to pull together. I think the best thing and the most important part is we’re believing in our coaches and our teammates a lot more." UNT might also be catching ASU at the right time. The Lady Indians come into the game after suffering their first conference loss of the season — a 66-63 setback at Denver Thursday. The Lady Eagles started their win streak with a victory at Denver. "It’s always good to be at home because you have the crowd behind you and it gets you more momentum," Armstrong said. "They [ASU] are a tough team." Junior Jill Medlock leads the Lady Eagles in scoring with 11.9 points per game and assists with 3.0 per contest. Amber Abraham leads the Lady Indians in scoring with 12.3 points per game, followed by Catriece Webster with 10.9 and Rudy Sims with 10.7. ASU has two players averaging more than six rebounds per game — Vanessa Schrock with 6.9 and Adrianne Davie with 6.3. UNT will embark on a three-game road swing to New Orleans, South Alabama, and Louisiana-Lafayette following Saturday’s game. CHUCK COX can be reached at 940-566-6872. This text is invisible on the page, but this text is affected by the in