OldTimer

The *Telegram had a blurb this morning that Guard Mark Wilson, JC recruit from Highland CC in Freeport Ill had left the team for personal reasons. He will be missed.

UNT teams hope help on way Lady Eagles add seasoning; Mean Green embraces newcomers 09:46 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle NEW ORLEANS – North Texas women's basketball coach Tina Slinker has seen her team practice together only a few times, but she can already see the difference a year could make for the Lady Eagles. UNT struggled through a learning process last season when it featured a series of young players. Several of those players will return this year to give the Lady Eagles a more experienced team. Slinker and UNT men's coach Johnny Jones both talked about their teams' prospects Wednesday during the closing session of the Sun Belt Conference's basketball media days. "Our young players have not only come back more confident, they are not overwhelmed like they were last year with the early morning practices and the work ethic it takes to play college basketball," Slinker said. "They have matured overall." Whereas the UNT women will be depending on a group of veteran players, the men's team will rely largely on a talented group of newcomers. The Mean Green lost three starters from last season's team, which struggled with injuries and lost its last seven conference games. Lady Eagles senior forward Kim Blanton was the lone member of either UNT team to be named to the preseason all-conference team. UNT hopes the combination of Blanton and a stronger supporting cast will help the Lady Eagles return to the top of the Sun Belt. The Lady Eagles finished fourth in the Sun Belt's West Division last season with a 6-9 record. The UNT men will also be looking to bounce back this season after going 2-13 in Sun Belt play. The Mean Green brought in four transfers, including Shawnson Johnson, a 6-9 forward from LSU who UNT hopes can help the team exceed expectations. The Mean Green was picked to finish fifth in the Sun Belt's West Division. "We have a lot more depth and quality players," Jones said. "The main concern I have right now is the chemistry we will have." Briefly ... The North Texas men's team's home game against New Mexico State on Jan. 10 and the Lady Eagles' home game against South Alabama on Feb. 28 will be broadcast as part of the Sun Belt's television package with ESPN. E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

Basketball: North Texasopens basketball practice 08:05 AM CDT on Sunday, October 19, 2003 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer< Marqus Mitchell could feel the pressure Saturday afternoon, even though there was nothing more than pride on the line during the North Texas men’s basketball team’s scrimmage during Mid-Day Madness. The junior guard went to the free throw line for three shots with no time on the clock and his White Team trailing by two points. Mitchell hit all three shots to lift the White Team to a 34-33 win over the Green Team at the Super Pit. "That was a lot of pressure," Mitchell said. "I had to make those shots to show that we have the ability to make them at the end of games." Mitchell’s performance in the clutch highlighted a solid performance by a host of players who are new to UNT this year. Mitchell led the White Team with 11 points, while Mark Wilson had 11 points for the Green Team. Both players are in their first season with the Mean Green. Mitchell transferred to UNT from State Fair Community College, while Wilson played last season at Highland Community College. "I thought some of our new guys played well," UNT coach Johnny Jones said. "I was really impressed with them." Mitchell and Wilson are just two of several newcomers the Mean Green will depend on this year. Shawnson Johnson and Michael Jones also made their debuts during the scrimmage. Jones scored eight points, while Johnson posted seven. Johnson has one semester of eligibility remaining and will not play in his first game with UNT until the spring semester. UNT’s players believe the addition of four transfers and freshman Calvin Watson will help the team have a solid season. "We have a lot of potential," Wilson said. "We have a lot of guys in different positions who have talent." UNT will open its season with a home game against Northwestern Oklahoma State on Nov. 21. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Mitchell Leads White Team To 34-33 Victory In Green And White Scrimmage DENTON (10/18/03) – Junior transfer Marqus Mitchell proved that he can deliver under pressure, hitting three free throws with time expired to lead the White team to an exciting 34-33 comeback victory over the Green team in the intersquad scrimmage that wrapped up Mean Green "Mid-Day Madness" on Saturday afternoon. Mitchell, who finished with a team-high 11 points in the 20-minute scrimmage, took an inbounds pass with seven seconds remaining and dribbled the length of the floor before being fouled as time expired on a three-point shot. The 6-0 guard calmly stepped to the line and sank all three shots to give the White team a one-point victory. The White team trailed 20-27 with just over four minutes left in the game, but Mitchell scored seven of his 11 points over the remainder of the game to pace the comeback effort. Mitchell hit a three-point shot with 43 second left to tie the score at 31-31 before Michael DeGrate put the Green team back on top with a layup that setup Mitchell’s charge down the court and last second shot. The second leading scorer for the White squad was Shawnson Johnson, finishing with seven points. Mark Wilson, also a junior transfer, led the Green team with 11 points in 16 minutes played. Wilson went 5-5 from the floor, including 1-1 from beyond the arc. Michael Jones added eight points, four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal for the Green squad. The Green team, which outrebounded the white team 14-8, was led on the boards by DeGrate with five rebounds. Both teams shot at least 50 percent from the floor and were solid from the line. The White squad hit 8 of 11 free throws, while the Green team connected on 12 of 14 attempts. The "Mid-Day Madness" festivities also included three-point and dunk contests. The outing began with the three-point competition, won by senior guard Jerome Rogers. Rogers, tied for fifth all-time at North Texas in three-point field goals made, hit 19 of 22 attempts in the first round of the competition to send him to the finals against Jones. In the finals, Rogers connected on 16 attempts in one minute to claim the title. The dunk contest was won by Mitchell with a score of 27 from a panel of three judges, which included former Mean Green standouts Brandon Gilbert, Sam Funches and Kenneth Mangrum. All three-judges gave Mitchell a nine after he completed his three dunks. The Mean Green will open its 2003-04 season at home against Northwestern Oklahoma State on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.

NORTH TEXAS Mean Green hosting 'Mid-Day Madness' DENTON – The North Texas men's basketball team will host "Mid-Day Madness" on Saturday to kick off preparation for the 2003-04 season. The workout will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Super Pit and will include a scrimmage. The event is open to the public and will be part of UNT's homecoming festivities, which include the football game against Utah State at 3 p.m. at Fouts Field. Brett Vito

He did not feel he needed to attend. Punishment was supposed to be no tickets to the final 4 this season. Per *Telegram AP release.

Circuit judge sides with Indiana in Knight suit 01:05 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 7, 2003 Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS – A judge Monday sided with Indiana University in Bob Knight's breach-of-contract lawsuit over his firing as the school's basketball coach three years ago. Monroe Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Todd granted the university's motion for summary judgment, effectively dismissing Knight's lawsuit without a trial. "The university from the start has said that it followed the provisions of the contract and fulfilled its obligations, and the court has agreed," school spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said. Messages seeking comment from Knight's attorney, Russell Yates, were left at his office and home in Denver. Knight, the Texas Tech basketball coach, was fired in 2000 for violating a "zero tolerance" behavior policy by grabbing the arm of a student who he said greeted him by his last name. Knight sued two years later, claiming the university violated his employment contract. Knight, who was at Indiana for 29 years and won three national championships. Knight's lawsuit claimed the firing cost him more than $2 million in media and clothing contracts as well as endorsements and camps. Last month, university attorneys argued the school fulfilled its obligation to Knight by continuing to pay him after his firing.

Softball: Fall tourney could be valuable for UNT softball New program plays first home games Saturday 08:18 AM CDT on Saturday, October 4, 2003 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer Stacey Segal had a good idea of the characteristics she wanted in her players when she began rebuilding North Texas’ softball program earlier this year. Segal wanted athletes with more than just talent. She wanted players with character who were willing to lay the foundation for a new team. "The most important thing is that it’s easy to find good athletes," Segal said. "It’s hard to find the players who are willing to work hard to lay the foundation for a new program." Segal ought to know. UNT’s coach started programs at Northwood University and Navarro Junior College before coming to UNT. Segal’s latest start-up team will play its first home game since the program was disbanded in 1988 in the Mean Green Fall Classic tournament, which begins Saturday at Denia Park. UNT will take on Texarkana College at noon in the first round of the 16-team tournament that will feature Division I and II teams, along with a few junior college and top-level club teams. Texas Woman’s University will also play in the event. The Pioneers will face Midwestern State in their first tournament game at 10 a.m. UNT prepared for the Mean Green Fall Classic by playing in another event in Oklahoma earlier this fall. Segal has been happy with what she has seen from her team so far this season. "This is a fantastic group of kids," Segal said. "They have all done a fine job." UNT’s roster is filled with players with experience on the junior college level and former high school standouts. Several of the players decided to come to UNT because of the opportunities playing for a new program provided. "It was exciting to get a chance to play for a new program," said Brittiny Chapman, a junior who transferred to UNT from Central Arizona Junior College. "I will get a chance to set a few records since this is the first year for the team." UNT’s players believe they have the opportunity to make their first season a successful one. "I definitely think coach Segal has put us in the position to be successful," Chapman said. "We have all the talent we need." Amber Wood knows just what Segal has in store for her first team. Wood played for Segal at Navarro and decided to follow her to UNT. "Coach Segal is hard to play for, but she makes you a better player," said Wood, who pitched on Sanger High School’s 2001 state championship team. "I was excited to come here and play for her again." Part of what made the opportunity to become UNT’s head coach attractive to Segal was a chance to recruit players like Wood from the Dallas area. "We are in a hotbed for softball," Segal said. "The [Dallas-Fort Worth] Metroplex is an incredible area to recruit from." Segal believes that talent base and the support the UNT athletic department has given the new program will allow the team to be successful. "The university has a winning tradition," Segal said. "We want to follow that tradition." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. North Texas Fall Classic Saturday’s schedule Field 1 8 a.m. — UT-Arlington vs. Texas Wesleyan 10 a.m. — UT-Arlington vs. Texarkana Noon — North Texas vs. Texarkana 2p.m. — UT-Arlington vs. Western Texas 4 p.m. — North Texas vs. Cisco 6 p.m. — North Texas vs. Texas Wesleyan Field 2 8 a.m. — Midwestern State vs. Texas A&M-Commerce 10 a.m. — Texas Woman’s vs. Midwestern State Noon — Texas Woman’s vs. Alvin 2 p.m. — Seminole vs. Midwestern 4 p.m. — Texas Woman’s vs. Texas A&M-Commerce 6 p.m. — Western Texas vs. Sudden Impact Field 3 8 a.m. — Seminole vs. Impact Gold 10 a.m. — Seminole vs. Howard Noon — Howard vs. Impact Gold 2 p.m. — Alvin vs. Texas Elite 4 p.m. — Texarkana vs. Sudden Impact 6 p.m. — CF Intruders vs. Cisco Field 4 8 a.m. — CF Intruders vs. Sudden Impact 10 a.m. — Texas A&M-Commerce vs. Texas Elite Noon — Cisco vs. Western Texas 2 p.m. — CF Intruders vs. Texas Wesleyan 4 p.m. — Texas Elite vs. Impact Gold 6 p.m. — Alvin vs. Howard

Mean Green player charged Center allegedly took part in fight; police question two players in separate incident 07:01 AM CDT on Friday, October 3, 2003 By Donna Fielder and Brett Vito / Staff Writers Two recent incidents involving University of North Texas football players have resulted in two police investigations and charges against one team member. UNT coach Darrell Dickey and police say they don’t see real problems with the team and look at the two reports as isolated incidents. The incidents took place at private after-game parties during the past three weeks. Police say they won’t file charges against two players involved in one of the incidents, in which a man standing in the back of a player’s truck fired several shots. The man who fired the shots is not affiliated with the team. The second incident involved a fight at a party. Junior center Andy Brewster surrendered to police on a charge of Class A misdemeanor assault Wednesday and was released on a personal recognizance bond. "I don’t think they’re related," said Detective Sgt. Roger White. "I’m sure there was alcohol involved. But we see reports like these all the time. I don’t think it shows we have a problem with the football team. In both instances, they turned themselves in, and they and the university have cooperated fully." Mr. Dickey said the team investigates any incidents involving players on a case-by-case basis. "I look at them as two isolated incidents," Mr. Dickey said. "Our policy is to look at each individual situation. I don’t think we have an ongoing problem." Mr. Dickey said any disciplinary action would be taken once all the facts regarding the incidents are known. The shooting incident happened about 3:30 a.m. Sunday after Saturday’s 44-23 win over Louisiana-Lafayette. According to a Denton police report, officers responded to a complaint of a loud party at the Cantina del Sol restaurant in the 400 block of South Elm Street. There were about 100 people in the parking lot, and the music was loud, according to an officer. He went from vehicle to vehicle, asking people to turn down the music and leave. An officer heard a gunshot and looked up to see a man standing in the back of a pickup pointing a gun in his direction, the officer reported. The man pointed the gun upward and fired several more shots. Then the truck sped away. Officers chased the truck for several blocks, and the driver eventually turned around and started back to the scene, the sergeant said. The truck stopped, but the man with the gun was no longer in the back. Police approached the truck with their pistols drawn and told the driver to step out. The driver laughed and said he was a UNT quarterback and he had done nothing wrong, according to the report. But he got out of the truck when the officer asked again. The driver was identified as UNT quarterback Andrew Smith. The passenger was identified as Charles Dupree, who signed with UNT and practices with the team but has not played for academic reasons. They told police they knew the man in the back of the truck only by his first name and had not known he had a weapon. "We have no indication that they [smith and Dupree] had any kind of criminal culpability at all," Sgt. White said. "Smith said he didn’t know the shots were fired from the back of his truck, and when he heard the shots, his first instinct was to get out of there." Detective David Stewart investigated the incident and identified the suspected man in the back of the truck. Dominick Thomasis Williams surrendered Wednesday to Denton police on a Class A misdemeanor charge of deadly conduct and is free on $500 bail. The second incident happened about 3:30 a.m. Sept. 14 after UNT’s loss to the Air Force Academy. According to a police report, a UNT student brought his girlfriend, a teaching assistant at the university, to a party at a house in the 1400 block of Sandy Creek Drive. Another woman at the party complained that the teaching assistant gave her a D. The teaching assistant and her boyfriend decided to leave. Another male guest called the teaching assistant a profane name, according to the police report. The boyfriend of the teaching assistant became angry, and the male guest then hit the boyfriend once in the face with his fist, the victim reported. Detective Stewart also investigated this incident, which resulted in a warrant to arrest Mr. Brewster, who police say is the man who threw the punch. Mr. Smith and Mr. Brewster declined to comment on the incidents.

Forward commits to UNT basketball team 09:00 PM CDT on Friday, September 26, 2003 DENTON – Quincy Williams, a 6-7, 206-pound senior forward at Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Okla., confirmed that he has given an oral commitment to play for North Texas. Williams averaged 10 points and seven rebounds last year for Midwest City. Williams also was recruited by Texas State, Providence and Virginia Commonwealth.

Volleyball: UNT rolls past UTEP in tourney Mean Green wins third straight match 07:52 AM CDT on Saturday, September 20, 2003 Staff report The North Texas volleyball team began play in the Mean Green Classic Friday night by securing its third straight victory with a 30-21, 30-24, 30-25 win over UTEP at the Snake Pit. Not only was the victory the Mean Green’s (8-6) third straight, it was its third consecutive sweep. North Texas has swept five opponents this season. The Mean Green’s eight victories this season are the program’s most through 14 matches since starting the 1995 season at 9-5. "Our defense opened up our offense tonight," said North Texas head coach Cassie Headrick. "I thought we did a good job defensively and we gave them some problems in the middle of the court." Sophomore middle blocker Brittney Gregory gave UTEP (5-7) most of the problems, recording a match-high 18 kills and career-high .625 hitting percentage. Outside hitters Corina Marginas and Jill Ruskowski also tallied double-figure kills with 16 and 14, respectively. Marginas finished with a double-double, piling up a season-high 24 digs. Amber Clearman finished with a career-best 14 digs. Kristin Sheppard tallied a match-high 44 assists and narrowly missed a double-double with nine digs. North Texas, searching for its first Mean Green Classic title, will face Oral Roberts and LSU tomorrow in the tournament’s final day of action. The Mean Green Classic get’s back under way at 11 a.m. with a match between UTEP and LSU. Oral Roberts defeated LSU 3-1 in the tournament’s only other match on Friday. Orieta Zuzich led Oral Roberts with 17 kills. Kimberly Snow added 13 kills. Regan Hood had 25 kills for LSU. 2003 Sports Magic/Comfort Suites Mean Green Classic at the Snake Pit Gym, UNT Friday’s results Oral Roberts def. LSU 30-26. 28-30, 30-22, 30-27 North Texas def. UTEP 30-21, 30-24, 30-25 Saturday’s matches UTEP vs. LSU, 11 a.m. North Texas vs. Oral Roberts, 1:30 p.m. Oral Roberts vs. UTEP, 4:30 p.m. North Texas vs. LSU, 7 p.m.

Fowler out for season Senior outside hitter Brieanne Fowler will miss the rest of the season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, according to UNT assistant sports information director Jerry Scott. The injury occurred during pre-game warm-ups for UNT’s match with Tulsa last Wednesday. Before the injury, Fowler was averaging nearly three kills per match for the Mean Green. — Matthew Postins Loving the noise The Mean Green volleyball team wants to make the Snake Pit more of a home court advantage this season. Last Wednesday’s home opener may have set the tone. Along with the usual loud music that accompanies most sporting events these days, an above average crowd of 284 attended the match in the sweep over Tulsa. At times the crowd produced enough noise to make UNT’s players feel like they had an advantage. "This is the best crowd we’ve had since I’ve been here," said senior Jill Ruskowski. "We want to get as many people here as possible. There were times tonight when I couldn’t hear other players talk, and that’s something you want during a match. You want the crowd to be in it." UNT gets another chance to stoke the home crowd this weekend during the Mean Green Invitational, which starts Friday. — Matthew Postins Cross country coach pleased with team North Texas cross country coach Rick Watkins was pleased with his team’s performance at the UNT Invitational last week. Jessica Schmidt finished fifth in the women’s five-kilometer race with a time of 18:10, while Matt Gieringer was 15th in the men’s eight-kilometer race with a time of 26:34. "I was happy with the way we competed," Watkins said. Both the UNT men and women finished fifth in a loaded five-team field that included Oklahoma, Baylor, SMU and TCU. — Brett Vito UNT tennis team to host tourney The North Texas tennis team will host an alumni tournament from 1-3 p.m. Sept. 27 at the North Texas Tennis Courts. The tournament featuring current and former UNT players will take place in the middle of a three-week break from intercollegiate competition for the Mean Green. UNT played in the Lady Razorback Invitational on Sept. 12-14. Its next official tournament will take place Oct. 3-5 in Houston. Eight of UNT’s 10 players participated in the Lady Razorback tournament. Six UNT players picked up at least one win in the tournament. Freshmen Kelli Royer and Megan Schmulbach each won two matches to pace UNT. — Brett Vito Player of the week North Texas goalkeeper Briana Buchanan has come through in impressive fashion for the Mean Green early this season. The junior posted a shutout Sunday to lead UNT to a 1-0 win over Texas Tech in a home match. The shutout was Buchanan’s fourth of the season. All of the Mean Green’s wins this season have come in game in which Buchanan has posted a shutout. "Shutouts are great, but I just concentrate on making saves," Buchanan said. "If one gets by, we just regroup as a team." Buchanan has not let too many balls slip by her this year. She has allowed just eight goals on the season for a tiny 1.31 average per game. For her performance, Buch-anan is the Denton Record-Chronicle’s North Texas Player of the Week. — Brett Vito UNT 7-day schedule Athletics events for North Texas for the next seven days: Friday – Drury at soccer, 7 p.m.; UTEP at volleyball, 7 p.m. Saturday – Football at Arkansas, 6 p.m.; Oral Roberts at volleyball, 1:30 p.m.; LSU at volleyball, 7 p.m. Sunday – Nicholls State at soccer, 1 p.m. Monday – Men’s golf at Kansas Invitational Tuesday –Volleyball at Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m., men’s golf at Kansas Invitational Athlete profile * Melinda Renee Pina Full name: Melinda Renee Pina. Nickname: Meli. High school: Duncanville High School. Born: Jan. 23, 1982 (Dallas). Family: Mother, Carmen; father, Miguel, brother, Tony. Sport: Soccer. Pina leads UNT in goals with six and points with 12. Major: Rehabilitation studies. When I graduate I plan to: Go to graduate school at UNT and try to play soccer professionally. My worst (or best) superstition: none. I am sick of athletes that: Yell negative things nonstop. If I could get four tickets to any sporting event in the world, it would be: A game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Three people I would take to the event, living or dead, would be: Family and friends. My favorite sports movie is: Love and Basketball. My favorite sports team is: Real Madrid. The person who had the most influence on my life is: My family. The best summer I ever spent was: In Florida. If I wasn’t going to school at UNT, I would be: Sitting at home doing nothing. My goal for this year is to: Score 10 or more goals and win the conference title. My dream for this year is to: Make the NCAA Final Four. If I could say one thing in the newspaper, it would be: I would want to acknowledge all of the people who have helped me in life.

UNT notebook: Mean Green keeps eye on Notre Dame Soccer team wants to be on roll for trip to South Bend 06:59 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 The North Texas soccer team would like nothing more than to have a little momentum heading into one of its biggest games of the season. The Mean Green will face Notre Dame, one of the top teams in the country, Sept. 28 in Sound Bend, Ind. UNT has three games left to get ready to face the Fighting Irish, starting with a home match against Drury at 7 p.m. Friday. The match marks the beginning of a three-game homestand for UNT. "Our goal is to win our next three games and head to Notre Dame with a 7-2 record," UNT coach John Hedlund said. "These next three games are a chance to fine-tune our game." UNT has been solid defensively, but would like to improve its offensive production. The Mean Green has scored 11 goals in six games. UNT goalkeeper Briana Buchanan has posted shutouts in each of the Mean Green’s four wins this season. "We are getting chances in front of the goal," Hedlund said. "We have to start putting them in." North Texas’ offense was expected to be one of the team’s strengths this year. Forward Melinda Pina has scored six goals on the season, while Marilyn Marin has added three. UNT is hoping to find its groove this week. "We want to start scoring more goals," Pina said. "We want to be playing well when we go to Notre Dame." — Brett Vito Mean Green’s scoring average up

UNT department given endowment worth more than $2 million 07:10 AM CDT on Thursday, September 11, 2003 By Matthew Zabel / Staff Writer The University of North Texas’ Department of Behavior Analysis received an endowment worth between $2 million and $4 million to establish a new research program, university officials announced Wednesday. Dr. Beatrice H. Barrett, who died last week in Massachusetts, left part of her estate with UNT to allow the department to advance its research. UNT President Dr. Norval Pohl said the gift is one of the largest endowments the university has received and that it would help UNT expand one of its "pioneer programs that is recognized throughout the nation for the quality of its faculty and graduates." "We hope this will be the first of a series of research endowments that will allow us to move our research forward," Dr. Pohl said in an announcement Wednesday. More than 100 students and university employees gathered for the announcement Wednesday outside the department’s offices on the second floor of Chilton Hall. University officials won’t know exactly how much the gift is worth until the estate is settled, Dr. Pohl said. Dr. Sigrid Glenn, chairwoman of UNT’s Department of Behavior Analysis, said the gift would allow researchers to build on Dr. Barrett’s work. Dr. Barrett, who spent several years as a research fellow at Harvard Medical School, gathered information about people’s moment-to-moment behavior, Dr. Glenn said. She studied how people reacted to their environment and how the behavior changed as the environment changed. Dr. Barrett conducted much of her research at Fernald State School in Massachusetts, and retired in 1992. Dr. Glenn said she met Dr. Barrett in 1978 after reading her research on the topic. Dr. Barrett’s research has already helped counselors and social workers deal with many behavior problems, Dr. Glenn said. Building on that research, Dr. Glenn wants to study the brain activity as it happens and how it correlates with one’s behavior, a study Dr. Barrett considered the next step in her research. "We have a way to very precisely measure behavior," Dr. Glenn said. "Now, we need to develop an accurate way to measure what’s going on in the brain and correlate that with the behavior changes." Dr. Glenn said it’s hard to predict what the research would teach scientists, but she hopes it can further expand on the principles Dr. Barrett has already provided. As part of the estate, UNT will receive Dr. Barrett’s 35,000 hours of research data. UNT’s digital project department, part of the Willis Library, will help archive the data into a digital form, making it accessible to people worldwide. "I think this is a wonderful project for the behavior and analysis folks, and I’m happy we can be a part of it," said Cathy Hartman, who directs the digital lab. Dr. Pohl said the university could take some of the money from the gift in order to pay for some of the initial costs of the project. Then the money would be invested, so the interest could pay for a full-time researcher. Dr. Glenn said she soon would begin searching for that researcher. Many other members of the behavior analysis faculty will contribute to the research project, she said. MATTHEW ZABEL can be reached at 940-566-6884.

Soccer: UNT soccer off to smoking start 06:57 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 10, 2003 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer For North Texas soccer coach John Hedlund, the best part of the Mean Green’s 3-1 start to the season is that he thinks they have room to get even better. The Mean Green beat Texas State last week and then knocked off Rice in the first meeting between the teams. UNT will look to continue building on its performance early in the season Wednesday when the Mean Green faces Stephen F. Austin on the road. UNT will return home to face Texas Tech on Sunday. "I am happy right now with where we are, but we need to continue to improve," Hedlund said. UNT’s coach would like to see his team start to put games away early. The Mean Green has played several close games, including a 1-0 win over Rice on Sunday. The Mean Green will try to build on its win over Rice against Stephen F. Austin. UNT has won its last 18 games against Southland Conference teams and has beaten the Ladyjacks each of the eight times they have played. Junior goalkeeper Briana Buchanan enters the game having posted three shutouts in UNT’s four games this season. The Mean Green has also proven to be a potent offensive team behind Melinda Pina and Marilyn Marin. Both players extended their point streak to four games during last week’s games against Texas State and Rice. Pina pushed her career point total to 64 last week, the seventh-best total in UNT history. Cross country coach happy with progress North Texas cross country coach Rick Watkins was pleased with the performances of Matt Gieringer and Jessica Schmidt in the UTA Invitational on Saturday. Gieringer finished sixth in the four-mile race in a time of 21:00, while Schmidt finished sixth in the two-mile race in a time of 11:23. "Schmidt ran a really smart race," Watkins said. "She held back a little early. We will cut her loose a little more this week." UNT hosts the UNT Invitational on Saturday. Dickey pleased with crowd North Texas football coach Darrell Dickey thanked the fans that packed the stadium for UNT’s 52-14 win over Baylor in its home opener Saturday. UNT set a home attendance record with 29,437 fans, breaking the previous record of 28,315, set in the 2000 season also in a game against Baylor. UNT has now drawn more than 20,000 fans to Fouts Field eight times in its history. BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. 7-day schedule The following is on tap for the UNT athletics in the next seven days. Wednesday – Tulsa at volleyball, 7 p.m.; Soccer at Stephen F. Austin, 7 p.m. Friday – Volleyball at Wichita State Tournament (9 a.m. San Diego State, 2 p.m. Oral Roberts) Saturday – Cross country at UNT Invitational, 8 a.m.; Football at Air Force, 1 p.m.; Volleyball at Wichita State Tournament (noon Wichita State, 5 p.m. Nicholls State) Sunday – Texas Tech at soccer, 1 p.m. Tuesday – Volleyball at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. 7 p.m. Search

Just read the post linking the MG official Nt preview..Interesting information: Nt made 10 first downs against OU. Smith took 28 snaps and Hall took 30 snaps...fairly even. Hall was under center for 7 first downs, Smith was under center for 3 first downs. Again...Baylor hopefully will be a better game for both of them and for NT.

Calvin, you are entitled to your opinion. Others are entitled to these. If you look at the QB poll....60 % of the posters believe Hall should start, 30 % feel Smith should start. At least one of the Smith voters said he/she voted for Smith because he did not want Smith to have so few votes. Right now the only "poll" is DD and we will still what works out in the games. IF going into the season they were ranked equal by DD and he started Smith at OU, then in all fairness Hall should be the starter against Baylor. If you go by who moves the chains, who made the interception you could interpret the stats to support Hall. Yes, he made mistakes, both of them did. How many of "mistakes" were due to the OU # 1 in the nation defense and against both QB's. Both players are winners. We shouldn't be cutting ourselfs up over an issue that DD will decide and upon which his career is being judged.

Ruskowski Named Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week Jill Ruskowski (Richmond, Tex.), a senior outside hitter on the North Texas volleyball team, was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after helping lead the Mean Green to the Lamar Cardinal Classic championship with a 3-0 record. The senior standout posted double-figure digs in every match and collected a team-best 50 total digs for a 4.2 average per game. Ruskowski collected a career-high 24 against Lamar in the tournament's championship match and a match-high 15 digs against Lehigh in the Mean Green's season opener. Ruskowski finished the tournament with one double-double, 30 kills, five service aces and three blocks. She now has 308 career digs in two years with the Mean Green.

Mean Green Volleyball Opens Season With Victory Over Lehigh BEAUMONT (8/29/03) -- The North Texas volleyball team (1-0) began its 2003 season with a victory over Lehigh (0-1) on Friday afternoon, defeating the Mountain Hawks 3-0 (30-22, 30-18, 30-18) in its first match at the Lamar Cardinal Classic. Three North Texas players recorded double-figure kills and two posted double-double’s to lead the Mean Green to the shutout victory. Five of the seven North Texas players that saw action in the match hit at least .400 and the team hit .328, while Lehigh could only manage a .104 attack percentage. Dating back to last season, six of North Texas’ last eight victories have now been by a 3-0 score. The match also marked the Mean Green’s first season-opening victory since 1997. "It was a good start to the season," said North Texas head coach Cassie Headrick. "I thought we had some jitters at first, but we settled down and were able to get into a flow. Lehigh is a good defensive team, but our offense was able to get some one-on-one situations and we took advantage of that." North Texas posted better numbers than Lehigh in attacks, attempts, hitting percentage, assists, service aces, digs and blocks. Senior’s Corina Marginas (Brasov, Romania) and Brieanne Fowler (Odessa, Tex.) both finished with a double-double for kills and digs. Marginas tallied a match-high 14 kills and had 11 digs, while Fowler finished with 10 kills and 10 digs. Brittney Gregory (Klein, Tex.) recorded 12 kills and Kristin Sheppard (Texarkana, Tex.) posted a match-high 40 assists. Marginas moved into second place all-time at North Texas for career digs with 854 to her credit and needs just 21 more to overtake Jessica Brown (1996-99) as the school’s record holder. Fowler now has 669 career digs and broke into the program’s all-time top-10 list for digs. Jill Ruskowski (Richmond, Tex.) led North Texas defensively with 15 digs and Gregory was tough at the net with a match-high five blocks. The Mean Green defense didn’t allow any Lehigh players to reach double figures for kills and held three to a negative hitting percentage. The Mountain Hawks, who won 21 matches last season, were led by Jeannette Singleton with nine kills. North Texas will wrap up play in the Cardinal Classic on Saturday, playing UT-Pan American at 12 p.m. and host-school Lamar at 7 p.m. -Click here for match stats-

Basketball: Brooks leaving for UTEP 08:13 AM CDT on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 By Brett Vito / Staff Writer North Texas assistant basketball coach Alvin Brooks is leaving the Mean Green for a similar job at UTEP, head coach Johnny Jones said Tuesday. Brooks was in his third year with the Mean Green, who went 7-21 last season. "Coach Brooks has been a great asset because he brought a great deal of experience to the staff," Jones said. "He was good coaching the team on the floor." Brooks was the head coach for five years at the University of Houston, where he also served as an assistant coach. Brooks has also worked as an assistant coach at Texas Tech and Lamar. Jones said he plans on hiring a new assistant coach in the next few days. "It’s a good opportunity for coach Brooks," Jones said. "UTEP is getting a great guy." BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

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This article was posted on the "other Mean Green Board" by Scottie, but the following article I pulled off the NT Daily web site. Interesting comments by RV quoted. Opportunities for women athletes increase with Title IX compliance Sandie Taylor Assistant Managing Editor July 31, 2003 The arrival of 14 women's softball players, who will have their scholarships in the bank, will mark the beginning of the NT athletics department's compliance to Title IX legislation this fall. In the last year, the athletics department has undergone a series of changes by recruiting women players, hiring female coaches and purchasing extra facilities to equalize gender representation in the department. "I believe we need to give our female athletes as much opportunity as we can," Dr. Bonita Jacobs, vice president for student development, said. "Whether it is extracurricular activities, athletics or in the classroom, it's definitely in our best interest to be honest and fair with all students." All of the recent hustle and bustle within the athletics department has been caused by NT's concern about satisfying the legislative piece that was passed over 30 years ago, which states that a federally-funded educational facility may not discriminate or exclude on the basis of gender. The criteria for certifying a school as Title IX compliant has been revised over the years and now NT is trying to make changes to meet those demands, Jacobs said. "Softball is just the last piece in the puzzle," athletics director Rick Villarreal said. "Increasing the number of female athletes in all sports throughout walk-on programs has also been instrumental in our progress." Jacobs said the university has to balance the number of men and women's teams and players to be compliant, and those figures have to be somewhat equivalent to the population and gender ratio of the entire campus. "In addition to adding softball, we have worked with men's sports to be aware of the number of participants in football, track, golf and basketball during each year and do a better job of managing those numbers," Villarreal said. Jacobs said it's incredibly complicated to stay in compliance. "We've spent just about every dollar [from the athletics fee] on women's athletics this year," he said. While Villarreal said there is an artist's rendition of a future football stadium, the athletics department has no plans to build a new stadium at this time. "We made a commitment to students that we would upgrade women's athletics and that's what we have done." The university is in the process of purchasing Liberty Christian School, located at 1500 S. Bonnie Brae St., for $5.1 million to use primarily as a women's athletics facility. Liberty Christian School will provide the university with a place for women's softball, soccer, volleyball and possibly women's tennis. In addition, the buildings will be used for meeting rooms and for other departments such as the School of Kinesiology. The cost will be split between several NT departments, including athletics, which will contribute $2 million toward the purchase using money from the athletics fee and private donations. The university has a four part payment schedule with Liberty Christian, which will be completed on June 1, 2004. At this time, the university will acquire the facility and begin building a softball stadium on the land where the current school's softball park already exists. Villarreal estimates this renovation to cost anywhere from $600,000 to $1 million. Until the expected stadium is finished in Fall 2004, the women's softball team will play its inaugural season at Denia Park. "It's a really exciting time for women's sports," Jacobs said. "They are gaining respect they haven't had before." This year, the softball team will play its first season since its disbandment in 1988. Director of compliance, Cinnamon Sheffield, said the official season of softball starts in Spring 2004. However, NT has provided 14 scholarships for the softball team members that will start in Fall 2003. The scholarships are provided for by the general scholarship fund, advertising money, the Mean Green Club and the athletics fee, Villarreal said. With the popularity of softball in this area, Villarreal thinks it will attract a lot of local fans, as well as many students, faculty and staff. "We should be very competitive the first year, so I hope it will catch on quickly."

Interesting...I just checked the sports section of the *Telegram and could find no mention of this item.

More allegations made against Baylor assistant Dennehy's mother says coach drove player to Waco last year 07/24/2003 By JEFF MILLER and LEE HANCOCK / The Dallas Morning News A Baylor University assistant men's basketball coach identified as telling player Patrick Dennehy that he would "take care" of some of his financial needs also drove him from Albuquerque, N.M., to Waco last year when he transferred from the University of New Mexico, Mr. Dennehy's mother said. That drive, which Mr. Dennehy's mother said was made by assistant coach Rodney Belcher, would be a violation of NCAA rules concerning extra benefits provided to athletes. The player's father, Patrick Dennehy Sr., told The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday that, according to his son, Mr. Belcher also had assured the player that the school would help him pay for tuition and living expenses after he gave up his scholarship for a year at the request of the basketball staff. Colleges Video: Rebecca Lopez reports Read the affidavit (.pdf) 07/24: Grim task for family in Waco 07/24: More allegations made against Baylor assistant 07/23: Coach arranged pay for Dennehy, father says 07/23: Search intensifies for Dennehy's body 07/23: For Dotson, fall from grace was swift 07/23: Blackistone: Don't blame Bliss for this tragedy 07/22: Waco police say former teammate confessed 07/22: Friend's revelation 'just crushing' 07/20: Behind friendship, a mystery Patrick Dennehy bio (from baylorbears.com) More Baylor Baylor athletics spokesman Scott Stricklin said Wednesday that department and coaching staff would not comment on the latest allegation by Valorie Brabazon, Mr. Dennehy's mother, that the assistant coach drove her son and his belongings from New Mexico to the Central Texas school. Baylor announced Tuesday that it had begun an internal inquiry independent of the athletic department to examine the father's claims about the financial arrangement, which also would violate NCAA rules. Mr. Belcher, who was an assistant at New Mexico when Mr. Dennehy played there, could not be reached for comment. Dennehy family members described him as a mentor to the player who heavily influenced his decision to transfer to Baylor. "They were very close, extremely close," the elder Mr. Dennehy said. In a related development, a New Mexico athletics spokesman said Wednesday that Mr. Dennehy's girlfriend, track athlete Jessica De La Rosa, told school officials within the last 10 days that a Baylor assistant basketball coach paid her $100 to take a cab ride while visiting Mr. Dennehy in Texas. Even though Ms. De La Rosa doesn't attend Baylor, such a payment would still violate the NCAA's extra benefits rules. She has declined to comment about the incident. Ms. De La Rosa didn't name the coach to officials at her school, said New Mexico spokesman Greg Remington. But the elder Mr. Dennehy told The News that Ms. De La Rosa told him it was Mr. Belcher. Mr. Remington said a confirmed violation such as the one detailed by Ms. De La Rosa would be followed by financial restitution and a period of athletic ineligibility for the athlete. He speculated that Ms. De La Rosa, a hurdler who will be in her sophomore season next year, could be ineligible for one or two meets. "While they're all serious," Mr. Remington said of rule violations, "this was a minor deal." Mrs. Brabazon said that, after her son disappeared, Ms. De La Rosa told her that Mr. Belcher was one of at least two Baylor coaches whom Mr. Dennehy went to this spring to say he was being threatened. Mrs. Brabazon said that she then phoned Mr. Belcher and that he confirmed that her son had told him about that. * Rodney Belcher "I talked to Coach Rodney," she said in a recent interview. "He said Patrick had come to him and said that someone was stalking him. He said that ... [Mr. Dennehy] was kind of afraid of what was going on. But the coach said my son never gave him a name. "The coach said Patrick didn't ask him for help. But I said, 'That's a help-me call.' You shouldn't have to say, 'Could you please call the police?' " Head coach Dave Bliss has said no one on the staff was told of such threats. Mr. Dennehy has been missing since mid-June. Carlton Dotson, a teammate and former roommate, has been arrested and charged with his murder. Baylor athletic director Tom Stanton, in a statement released Wednesday about the father's allegations, said: "It is unsettling to learn about these assertions and rumors against Patrick and the university at this particular moment when Patrick is not here to give his side of the story. Patrick's reputation is important to us, and the reputation of our athletic department and its coaches is important to us. "Since last Sunday, when a news reporter informed us of the concerns regarding Patrick's time here, Baylor has begun a vigorous internal inquiry independent of the athletic department to determine the facts in this situation. The investigation will be thorough. We take these issues very seriously. We are hopeful questions about Patrick's first year at Baylor can be resolved quickly." Mr. Stricklin said Wednesday that the school isn't ready to identify members of the body investigating the allegations. The father also said that Ms. De La Rosa told him that a Baylor coach apparently helped Mr. Dennehy get $1,200 to $1,800 to go toward the purchase of a car. He said he was concerned that his son, who had to sit out a year because he was a transfer student, had agreed to give up his scholarship. "I said, 'How are you going to pay your rent, pay your tuition and all these things?' He said, 'I don't know how they're going to do it, but Coach Belcher said they're going to take care of me.' " Mr. Belcher is a Waco native who played basketball at McLennan Community College and the University of North Texas. He coached at high schools in the Dallas area for 11 years before getting into college coaching as an assistant at New Mexico for the 2001-02 season under Fran Fraschilla. That was Mr. Dennehy's second and final season at New Mexico. Before the 2002-03 season, Mr. Belcher and Mr. Dennehy moved to Baylor. NCAA rules dictate that a player transferring between Division I schools must sit out a year before being eligible to play. E-mail jmiller@dallasnews.com and lhancock@dallasnews.com