Prairie View A&M (12/23/14)

Mean Green Matt · December 24, 2014

I would love to know how that went down to be honest....

After his post game interview saying how embarrassing the loss was I envision something similar to the "they are who we thought they were, and we let them of the hook" speech.

Andrew · December 24, 2014

After his post game interview saying how embarrassing the loss was I envision something similar to the "they are who we thought they were, and we let them of the hook" speech.

I'm guessing it was a bit more intense. Hopefully something along the lines of your going to make 100 free throws tomorrow before we even start our workouts. Then your going to run yourself into the ground until you decide failure is not an option. Then we turn around and beat tech (wishful thinking)

UNT90 · December 24, 2014

After his post game interview saying how embarrassing the loss was I envision something similar to the "they are who we thought they were, and we let them of the hook" speech.

Not

Even

Close

I envisioned a guy trying to say what he thought a basketball coach should say, but not doing it well... At all.

Mean Green Matt · December 24, 2014

Not
Even
Close
I envisioned a guy trying to say what he thought a basketball coach should say, but not doing it well... At all.

Maybe. I actually thought he sounded legitimately embarrassed. The key though is building off of that. Saying after losses that you don't accept losing and that the loss was embarrassing becomes irrelevant if the losses keep piling up. Things need to get turned around soon, because there are some solid teams in CUSA.

UNTFan23 · December 24, 2014

Can you enlighten us in the difference between JJ and Benford when it comes to free throws? I would love the information here...
There are vast differences in offensive schemes and defenses between the two coaches.
Free throws.... I would really love the information you have to share from first hand experience in this one.

In Jones' last season the team shot .712 for the season. Right now the team is shooting .642. I wonder if there is a difference regarding the importance of free throws between the two coaches?

2013-2014 - .680 (16-16)

2012-2013 - .708 (12-20)

2011-2012 - .712 (18-14)

2010-2011 - .750 (22-11)

2009-2010 - .719 (24-9)

2008-2009 - .732 (20-12)

2007-2008 - .719 (20-11)

2006-2007 - .657 (23-11)

2005-2006 - .662 (14-14)

I would say good teams take care of business at the line. Shooting above 70% certainly didn't hurt us in getting to 20 wins for 4 of 5 seasons under Johnny.

Andrew · December 24, 2014

In Jones' last season the team shot .712 for the season. Right now the team is shooting .642. I wonder if there is a difference regarding the importance of free throws between the two coaches?
2013-2014 - .680 (16-16)
2012-2013 - .708 (12-20)
2011-2012 - .712 (18-14)
2010-2011 - .750 (22-11)
2009-2010 - .719 (24-9)
2008-2009 - .732 (20-12)
2007-2008 - .719 (20-11)
2006-2007 - .657 (23-11)
2005-2006 - .662 (14-14)
I would say good teams take care of business at the line. Shooting above 70% certainly didn't hurt us in getting to 20 wins for 4 of 5 seasons under Johnny.

Stats are not going to show that a coach outs anymore or less importance on free throws. Every team practices free throws and every coach preaches capitalizing at the line. I refuse to believe that Benford tells his guys to miss free throws and not practice them.

Clearly free throws are an issue but it's not like they do not shoot them in practice. They have to fall eventually. I would be more concerned about defense and figure out how to cover the hot hand and stay poised.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Andrew

CMJ · December 24, 2014

Even good shooting teams can have off nights at the line. Remember when Syracuse beat Kansas for the National Title back in 2003? The Jayhawks were something like 73% for the season but shot about 40% from the line that night...and lost by three. Sometimes it just happens. You never want it to happen in a spot THAT big though.

Ben Gooding · December 24, 2014

Benford is done. Regardless of contractural agreements and regardless of when he is done, he's done. It's not a matter of if he gets fired, it's when he gets fired. Every fan and player knows that he won't be here for the long haul. He's a ticking time bomb walking around in an oversized suit. He'll try to run back to his big east assistant coaching roots and finish out his career as basically a career assistant with an embarrassing short tenure as a HC. We all realize that and that's why attendance has plummeted. It is what it is what it is. Not a thing we can do about it except try and make the powers that be realize it.

NT80 · December 24, 2014

Hahahahha.....hahahahaha.....hahahahabab....benfordwd. ...hahahaha

Contract extension???

TheWestie · December 24, 2014

In Jones' last season the team shot .712 for the season. Right now the team is shooting .642. I wonder if there is a difference regarding the importance of free throws between the two coaches?
2013-2014 - .680 (16-16)
2012-2013 - .708 (12-20)
2011-2012 - .712 (18-14)
2010-2011 - .750 (22-11)
2009-2010 - .719 (24-9)
2008-2009 - .732 (20-12)
2007-2008 - .719 (20-11)
2006-2007 - .657 (23-11)
2005-2006 - .662 (14-14)
I would say good teams take care of business at the line. Shooting above 70% certainly didn't hurt us in getting to 20 wins for 4 of 5 seasons under Johnny.

I can't even count the number of games under Johnny where we battled in the 2nd half and it all came down to us making those critical end of game FTs when every play involves a foul. Win by 1 or 3 and it was because Tristan or Odufua or Quincy or Ben Bell or Micah Bracy made a FT and the other team didn't.

Brett Vito · December 24, 2014

MGB late-night hoops rewind:

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2014/12/late-night-hoops-rewind-prairie-view-am-70-unt-67.html/

GRN-WHT · December 24, 2014

Not sure who I want to go away more- Benford, RV or the dumb fake "Andrew" gimmick account. Tired bit.

UNTLifer · December 24, 2014

In order to turn this thing around we need to change it up on defense and have consistency on offense.

Fire the coach. Edited December 24, 2014 by UNTLifer

Maduro · December 24, 2014

i'm just glad i'm not the only one still awake and stewing over tonight's dumpster fire.

James329 · December 24, 2014

Anyone who thought the Creighton game meant anything, or was a positive reflection of this program is a clueless homer.

Army of Dad · December 24, 2014

First loss I could find against a SWAC team since 12/3/03, a 75-58 away loss to Southern.

First loss I could find against a SWAC team at home since 12/4/89, a 83-66 loss to Texas Southern (granted we did not play SWAC teams as frequently in the 1990s.

My caveat is I literally just skimmed past schedules. Nothing scientific so I could have missed something.

That sounds about right from what I remember reading on the game notes.

Quoner · December 24, 2014

Stats are not going to show that a coach outs anymore or less importance on free throws. Every team practices free throws and every coach preaches capitalizing at the line. I refuse to believe that Benford tells his guys to miss free throws and not practice them.
Clearly free throws are an issue but it's not like they do not shoot them in practice. They have to fall eventually. I would be more concerned about defense and figure out how to cover the hot hand and stay poised.

It's true. That's why I believe Coach K and Benford are equals and I'm sick of statheads who have never seen both of them run practices trying to tell me otherwise. They both teach everything just as well, but Joe Q. McDoesn'tAttendTheGame keeps trying to tell me stuff about numbers and records. Preach!

I do like your last point, though - we should be really concerned about the larger things a coach is supposed to teach from day one (and promised to emphasize) rather than fine tuning anything more specialized after 2+ seasons.

MeanGreenHoops · December 24, 2014

Stats are not going to show that a coach outs anymore or less importance on free throws. Every team practices free throws and every coach preaches capitalizing at the line. I refuse to believe that Benford tells his guys to miss free throws and not practice them.
Clearly free throws are an issue but it's not like they do not shoot them in practice. They have to fall eventually. I would be more concerned about defense and figure out how to cover the hot hand and stay poised.

Stop already. The basketball program is a joke. The win over Creighton was basically like Texas Southern surprising Michigan State. Out of six wins, all at home and are over Arkansas-Monticello, Nicholls, State. Delaware State, Mississippi Valley State, :Langston, and then the luck game Creighton. I cancelled my season tickets after the 1st season of Benford and won't be back until he's gone. I forgot we were even playing Creighton that's how much I don't care anymore.

We took a gamble on Benford, and I don't blame anyone for that. The fact we are being made to live with it, I won't pay to watch.

Censored by Laurie · December 24, 2014

In order to turn this thing around we need to change it up on defense and have consistency on offense.

so...basketball?

that's some top-notch analysis.

Andrew · December 24, 2014

Stop already. The basketball program is a joke. The win over Creighton was basically like Texas Southern surprising Michigan State. Out of six wins, all at home and are over Arkansas-Monticello, Nicholls, State. Delaware State, Mississippi Valley State, :Langston, and then the luck game Creighton. I cancelled my season tickets after the 1st season of Benford and won't be back until he's gone. I forgot we were even playing Creighton that's how much I don't care anymore.
We took a gamble on Benford, and I don't blame anyone for that. The fact we are being made to live with it, I won't pay to watch.

I enjoy basketball and love north Texas. Nothing wrong with that.

oldguystudent · December 24, 2014

Years from now, how many of those who stayed home for this watershed moment in UNT basketball history will claim they were in attendance?

UNTFan23 · December 24, 2014

I enjoy basketball and love north Texas. Nothing wrong with that.

Even bad basketball against teams we should beat??? Question, no info.

Andrew · December 24, 2014

Even bad basketball against teams we should beat??? Question, no info.

Yes. It's impossible for bad basketball to exist. I enjoy basketball and nothing is wrong with that. Personally I rather watch us lose to a d2 school then watch any football game. I like football as well but not even a quarter as much as I like basketball. I grew up going to every UNT game and watching the mavs every night. I watch as much basketball as my wife will allow still.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Andrew

outoftown · December 24, 2014

ahhh...such a pitty. There we were. Some of us - me included - really want to believe Benford can turn it around despite all the evidence to the contrary. We wanted a reason to care, to buy tickets, or listen to KNTU or buy the access at C-USA all access to watch the game on tv.... So the win over Creighton had me and probably also several others really thinking, well...maaaaaay beeee...he doesn't need to get booted asap, maybe with the momentum it can get turned around. Then this game comes around and reminds us, that this is the coach that lost to a DII team when having an NBA player on the roster, and midway through his third season of puting his imprint on this program his team is not mature enough to put a bottom feeder of the SWAC away.

If you love basketball and support the players no matter what, please keep doing so, there always needs to be a ground socket of support for the program to merely survive and I get that. But for those of us who are not always sure whether we care enough about Bball to go to games, or even turn on the tv, etc, this kind of thing will scar us for the next time we think a turnaround may be coming.

Edited December 24, 2014 by outoftown

UNTFan23 · December 24, 2014

Yes. It's impossible for bad basketball to exist. I enjoy basketball and nothing is wrong with that. Personally I rather watch us lose to a d2 school then watch any football game. I like footnall as well but not even a quarter as much as I like basketball. I grew up going to every game and watching the mavs every night. I watch us much basketball as my wife will allow.

I think I see where your eternal optimism comes from. That said we played pretty bad last night, which you even acknowledged:

I redact my statement about our free throws improving as the season goes on!
Free throws..... Terrible
Rebounding...... Terrible
Shooting percentage..... Terrible
Defense....... Terrible

While it's nice that you'll be there regardless of how good or how bad NT basketball is, most people don't want to see bad basketball.