MGB: Full UNT men's basketball schedule

Army of Dad · August 7, 2015

The difference was JJ groups won those, TB not so much

and they played in front of growing crowds whereas Benford ball has seen dwindling attendance.

Andrew · August 7, 2015

The difference was JJ groups won those, TB not so much

they were still not impressive games. Especially in the earlier seasons.

Beatings teams like Sam Houston State and Jackson State by 2 and 5 at home is no great a feat then when Benford barley wins games. The schedule was set up for JJ to win just like it is set up for Benford. Benford has not won games but his schedules are on paper actually seem more difficult. Yes JJ did always seem to play a top 25 on the road but last year we had some very difficult games at home and on the road. All Benford needs is a 20 win season. His schedules in my opinion are better(CUSA helps that), and he can recruit just as well as JJ. He just needs to do the most important thing WIN! I will back him until he is here no longer. It just gets old when people whine about the schedule, because they clearly never went to games before Benford.

and they played in front of growing crowds whereas Benford ball has seen dwindling attendance.

True but it's not due to the schedule. Unless Henderson State and Texas a&m international were big names...

It is about winning and packing the pit will help. Like him or not the schedules are not that bad and the recruits are good as well. We just need to win.

not been a fan long huh..... Below is UNTS home schedule drom 07 to 12 when Benford arrived. And this got you excited.....
07-08
Cameron, Oklahoma State, Indiana State, Hartford, Southern, Centenaey, and Texas A&M-International (not Texas A&M)
08-09
Cameron, Jackson State, Sam Houaton State, New Mexico State, Houston Baptist, and UTA
09-10
Cameron, Jackson State, University of the Southwest, Southeastern Louisiana, and Texas Southern

10-11
Henderson State, Texas Tech, UTA, Grambling, Jackson State, Texas State, and Oklahoma Panhandle State

11-12
Oklahoma City, Saint Gregory's, Sam Houaton State, Jackson State, Grambling, LSU, and New Orleans

@UNT90, @emmitt01, @GMG24' @

Which of these home schedules excited you the most......

http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/ntex-m-baskbl-sched.html
Just search through the years. It gets worse. Much worse!

Anyone know why it's merging all my posts...?

ColoradoEagle · August 7, 2015

not been a fan long huh..... Below is UNTS home schedule drom 07 to 12 when Benford arrived. And this got you excited.....

Since 2004. You?

Andrew · August 7, 2015

Since 2004. You?

I think we started going to games around 94' but I was a student in 04. My point is the schedule has been pretty consistent regardless of the coach.

KRAM1 · August 8, 2015

The difference was JJ groups won those, TB not so much

So...it is all peachy keen to schedule "patty cakes" in basketball as long as you beat them, but the same isn't true in football? Seems many here would rather see UNT get their rear ends handed to them at home in Apogee in front of a visiting team crowd as long as the butt whipping came from some big time program team. But, not so much in BB, huh?

GMG24 · August 8, 2015

So...it is all peachy keen to schedule "patty cakes" in basketball as long as you beat them, but the same isn't true in football? Seems many here would rather see UNT get their rear ends handed to them at home in Apogee in front of a visiting team crowd as long as the butt whipping came from some big time program team. But, not so much in BB, huh?

no, I would rather win games, and lots of them in BBALL, than have 5 home games 1 vs an fcs team, and not have a winning record. If we were winning and going bowling year in year out like JJ was doing with tournaments I'd still have something to gripe about but not near what I have now. :-) come on you know this.

KRAM1 · August 8, 2015

no, I would rather win games, and lots of them in BBALL, than have 5 home games 1 vs an fcs team, and not have a winning record. If we were winning and going bowling year in year out like JJ was doing with tournaments I'd still have something to gripe about but not near what I have now. :-) come on you know this.

You obviously we're not around during the first few years of JJ's tenure when we were not winning much and going to the post season. Like lots of folks here, memories are short. Some of us sat through those early years until JJ built the team and program the way he wanted and started winning fairly consistently. However, he always loaded up the early out if conference schedule with a bunch of lower division and easy mark teams. Folks seem fine with JJ doing this, and contrary to some folks, he did not always win those games in the early years either. So, yes, I know that, but some seem OK, like you, with this strategy in BB, but not in football. Bill Snyder at K State made a career out of playing these "patty cake" teams as has Baylor and others the last few years. This idea about wanting to get your butt handed to you at home by big powerhouse schools is, in my opinion, just plain nutty. While there are more games in a BB season as opposed to football, getting your butt handed to you at home is not my idea of having fun watching your team. Nor, in my opinion, does it build a fan base. Wins seem to help build crowds more than losses to anyone. But, again...just my opinion.

UNT90 · August 8, 2015

You obviously we're not around during the first few years of JJ's tenure when we were not winning much and going to the post season. Like lots of folks here, memories are short. Some of us sat through those early years until JJ built the team and program the way he wanted and started winning fairly consistently. However, he always loaded up the early out if conference schedule with a bunch of lower division and easy mark teams. Folks seem fine with JJ doing this, and contrary to some folks, he did not always win those games in the early years either. So, yes, I know that, but some seem OK, like you, with this strategy in BB, but not in football. Bill Snyder at K State made a career out of playing these "patty cake" teams as has Baylor and others the last few years. This idea about wanting to get your butt handed to you at home by big powerhouse schools is, in my opinion, just plain nutty. While there are more games in a BB season as opposed to football, getting your butt handed to you at home is not my idea of having fun watching your team. Nor, in my opinion, does it build a fan base. Wins seem to help build crowds more than losses to anyone. But, again...just my opinion.

comparing JJ's early years to Benford's first 4 years is a fool's errand. JJ took over a major rebuilding project. Benford took over a team picked to win the conference title.

But you know this. It just doesn't fit your "protect RV at all costs" narrative.

Edited August 8, 2015 by UNT90

Army of Dad · August 8, 2015

You obviously we're not around during the first few years of JJ's tenure when we were not winning much and going to the post season. Like lots of folks here, memories are short. Some of us sat through those early years until JJ built the team and program the way he wanted and started winning fairly consistently. However, he always loaded up the early out if conference schedule with a bunch of lower division and easy mark teams. Folks seem fine with JJ doing this, and contrary to some folks, he did not always win those games in the early years either. So, yes, I know that, but some seem OK, like you, with this strategy in BB, but not in football. Bill Snyder at K State made a career out of playing these "patty cake" teams as has Baylor and others the last few years. This idea about wanting to get your butt handed to you at home by big powerhouse schools is, in my opinion, just plain nutty. While there are more games in a BB season as opposed to football, getting your butt handed to you at home is not my idea of having fun watching your team. Nor, in my opinion, does it build a fan base. Wins seem to help build crowds more than losses to anyone. But, again...just my opinion.

K State and Baylor already get major powerhouses at home a couple times every season. They didn't need to schedule OOC powerhouses while they were trying to be programs on the rise.

GMG24 · August 8, 2015

You obviously we're not around during the first few years of JJ's tenure when we were not winning much and going to the post season. Like lots of folks here, memories are short. Some of us sat through those early years until JJ built the team and program the way he wanted and started winning fairly consistently. However, he always loaded up the early out if conference schedule with a bunch of lower division and easy mark teams. Folks seem fine with JJ doing this, and contrary to some folks, he did not always win those games in the early years either. So, yes, I know that, but some seem OK, like you, with this strategy in BB, but not in football. Bill Snyder at K State made a career out of playing these "patty cake" teams as has Baylor and others the last few years. This idea about wanting to get your butt handed to you at home by big powerhouse schools is, in my opinion, just plain nutty. While there are more games in a BB season as opposed to football, getting your butt handed to you at home is not my idea of having fun watching your team. Nor, in my opinion, does it build a fan base. Wins seem to help build crowds more than losses to anyone. But, again...just my opinion.

I agree that it is not a fair comparison but for a totally different reason, name the last non power conference or at worst non recognizable team who won a major bowl. I would say Boise before they blew up, but even then people knew who they were. In basketball you can build some substantial programs and have great teams that can compete with (almost excluding Kentucky) anyone on the court any given night. In football it is just not possible. That is one reason I am slightly more ok with the amount of lower teams scheduled in BBALL, most of the time, the opponent is actually a quality-ish opponent. In football however as we saw, playing a Nichols state helps us in no way other than notching a win, which I am also ok with. Would I prefer we bring in some more name recognizable teams and playing a good game/see a good product in the field you are darn right I would. The quicker you slay the giant in college football, the quicker you get people's attention that your program is here. Don't believe me check the Utah types, boise, western Michigan, on and on. Again, I don't have a problem with a Nichols state type if we 1. Have 6 home games every year, and 2. Are attempting to bring in some name recognizable teams in. You want to see recruits heads turn, bring in a team they know and kick the dog out of them. At some point you can't keep feeding kids the same story line, you have to show you can do it.

On on a separate note, Tennessee has 2 freshman DTs, our interior OL better eat their wheaties before we go up there. I will have to find the videos I saw of them dominating their OL in 1 on 1s

KRAM1 · August 8, 2015

comparing JJ's early years to Benford's first 4 years is a fool's errand. JJ took over a major rebuilding project. Benford took over a team picked to win the conference title.

But you know this. It just doesn't fit your "protect RV at all costs" narrative.

Did not compare anyone to anyone. Just stating the facts folks now seem to want to ignore. As I recall you were not there for the early JJ years. But you know this. It just doesn't fit your narrative of all bad all the time. Facts are facts. As much as you would like to change history you just can't do it....even to fit your narrative.

UNT90 · August 9, 2015

Did not compare anyone to anyone. Just stating the facts folks now seem to want to ignore. As I recall you were not there for the early JJ years. But you know this. It just doesn't fit your narrative of all bad all the time. Facts are facts. As much as you would like to change history you just can't do it....even to fit your narrative.

Jesus, Mark. I know what JJ inhereted, and I know what Benford inherited. So does EVERYONE ELSE.

Just stop. Maybe you should demand results from the AD instead of taking on the impossible task of defending him at every turn.

But either way, we will have a beer September 19. Two full weeks after other teams have opened their season.

KRAM1 · August 9, 2015

Jesus, Mark. I know what JJ inhereted, and I know what Benford inherited. So does EVERYONE ELSE.

Just stop. Maybe you should demand results from the AD instead of taking on the impossible task of defending him at every turn.

But either way, we will have a beer September 19. Two full weeks after other teams have opened their season.

Jesus, Mike, just stop. Stop talking trash about everything that is UNT. You want change? Fine. Work for it. Just bitching about everything and withdrawing support is not getting you very far, is it? You think that way over-hyped team Benford inherited was so great...fine. You think Mitchell was the next coming of Michael Jordan...fine. But, that doesn't make everything at UNT bad and worthy of your constant bitch-fest.

As to September 19th...beer yes, and if you stop whining and bitching so much I might bring you a Yuengling or two!

greenit · August 10, 2015

Jesus, Mike, just stop. Stop talking trash about everything that is UNT. You want change? Fine. Work for it. Just bitching about everything and withdrawing support is not getting you very far, is it? You think that way over-hyped team Benford inherited was so great...fine. You think Mitchell was the next coming of Michael Jordan...fine. But, that doesn't make everything at UNT bad and worthy of your constant bitch-fest.
As to September 19th...beer yes, and if you stop whining and bitching so much I might bring you a Yuengling or two!

Something just doesn't sound right about that last sentence...

UNT90 · August 10, 2015

Jesus, Mike, just stop. Stop talking trash about everything that is UNT. You want change? Fine. Work for it. Just bitching about everything and withdrawing support is not getting you very far, is it? You think that way over-hyped team Benford inherited was so great...fine. You think Mitchell was the next coming of Michael Jordan...fine. But, that doesn't make everything at UNT bad and worthy of your constant bitch-fest.
As to September 19th...beer yes, and if you stop whining and bitching so much I might bring you a Yuengling or two!

I'll stop whining and bitching when the AD is held to any standard of success at this university. Until then, I'll continue to air grievances and not have a private "explanation" for continued failure.

Fair enough?

Caw Caw · August 10, 2015

I wish I still had the recording... I covered men's basketball his first season here for the NT Daily. There was a quote in there from my first interview with him ever telling me about how he wanted to get tougher non-con schedules, like the one we had that year, so that we'd get noticed more on the national level. What a great sound bite that would be right now.

Caw Caw · August 10, 2015

Sorry for the back to back posts, here are some Bendford quotes from my stories i think are great with current context:

Off the court, he said the team’s changes can be summed up in their new motto “B.A.I.L.,” created by the players. It stands for “be accountable in life.”
Benford’s slogan, “Don’t cheat yourself, don’t cheat your teammates,” is a constant reminder of why accountability is important.
“No team can be successful without accountability,” Benford said. “That’s what we’re about. I have to be accountable to the players as the leader of this program. They have to be accountable to themselves and one another.”

“We’re disappointed with where we’re at,” Benford said. “Like I just told our guys, the rest of the teams in the league aren’t going to feel sorry for you.”

Benford said the tournament is an opportunity for a whole new season.
“The thing is, everybody is 0-0,” Benford said. “One difference maker we have is Tony Mitchell. If he shows up and plays like he’s capable of playing, he can get 20-20 in a night.”

After losing hardwick and overlander to transfer:

“You never want to lose kids, but I want them to be happy,” Benford said. “You have to be like a Boy Scout when you’re a coach. You always have to be ready. I tell my guys you have to recruit year round, and we are. We’ll get some quality players.”

Edited August 10, 2015 by Caw Caw

untjim1995 · August 10, 2015

So...it is all peachy keen to schedule "patty cakes" in basketball as long as you beat them, but the same isn't true in football? Seems many here would rather see UNT get their rear ends handed to them at home in Apogee in front of a visiting team crowd as long as the butt whipping came from some big time program team. But, not so much in BB, huh?

Its tough to compare the two, since we play several more OOC games in hoops versus football. Basketball is always easier to schedule a decent name or two to play a series with than it is in football, at least in these parts. Unless you are KU, UK, UNC, Duke, Indiana, or UCLA, football rules the roost.

We have been fairly fortunate in my lifetime as a UNT fan, back to 1990, to have seen these teams play here in Denton: Indiana, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, Colorado, Baylor, TCU, SMU, Oklahoma State, Creighton, Wyoming, Texas Tech, Tulsa, and UH. And they have all been enjoyable and make the games against Tarleton State, Wayland Baptist, Langston, Jackson State, Prairie View A&M, Houston Baptist, and Northwood understandable, considering we have gotten to see those other teams. Its not like in football where we have seen our only home OOC game in two separate years be FCS teams only or get told that SMU and Army are "premier" opponents. That would be like telling us that our premier home games at the Super Pit would be UTA and Air Force...

KRAM1 · August 11, 2015

I'll stop whining and bitching when the AD is held to any standard of success at this university. Until then, I'll continue to air grievances and not have a private "explanation" for continued failure.

Fair enough?

And, I will stop countering your bitch and whine fest when you stop. So...get used to it. Unless of course you stop the high constant whine. You find everything to bitch about and I'll keep trying to shed a bit of positive light on things you refuse to acknowledge through your broken record bitch fest. Man, you sound more like an SMU or Texas grad every day.

Fair enough?

UNT90 · August 11, 2015

Texas wins, and wins consistently. And you don't have to just shrug your shoulders and say "well, I guess we just aren't supposed to be any good ever. Isn't that RV a swell fella?" If you are a UNT fan.

Expect more.

untjim1995 · August 12, 2015

Expect more.

As a fan of UNT, why would you? There is almost no historical reason to expect more from a school that has made it abundantly clear how they feel about athletics.

You care about winning at revenue sports way more than the BOR or administration does...RV being here for 14 years, with the records we have, the coaches we have hired and had to fire, the OOC scheduling in football, and the increase in the MGC of about 800 people in the same time that almost 80k have graduated from here tells you this.

Today, you, I, and the others on gmg.com have chosen the road MUCH less traveled, the road of UNT Sports fans. About 2% of UNT graduates care enough about UNT sports to follow the teams, attend games, and support with dollars. The other 98% absolutely don't care and most likely never will--they have other colleges they follow closer as their adopted teams or they are fans of pro ball.

I tried the "expect more" bit for 25 years around here, always thinking the sleeping giant was ready to wake up and run. Instead, I've realized that the giant is in an institutionally-induced coma, from which the caretakers just want the proceeds from keeping the giant alive, but not alert. Tony Benford getting a 4th year to spare us all to death is just another layer of financial proof that we don't care about winning, we care about costing.

I expect that we will make yet another coaching change in a revenue sport, this time in basketball, and we will hire whoever wows RV in the interview process, whether its thru talking, with a binder, or some other accessory. And going by his track record, RV will be making another hire for the football team in 2017 and another mens basketball hire in 2020, which would be a great way to celebrate (and encapsulate) what will be his 20th year at UNT as our AD.

KRAM1 · August 12, 2015

Expect more.

And bitch less! It's unbecoming of an adult male.

Edited August 13, 2015 by KRAM1

GrandGreen · August 13, 2015

Basketball scheduling has the same problems as football. The "bigs" are seldom going to sign home and home series, or play anybody capable of beating them on the road. If you look at the vast majority of schedules, you are not going to see many tough home oc games for anybody.

Playing a couple of good home oc games a year is about as good as it gets.

NT1978 · August 14, 2015

Did not compare anyone to anyone. Just stating the facts folks now seem to want to ignore. As I recall you were not there for the early JJ years. But you know this. It just doesn't fit your narrative of all bad all the time. Facts are facts. As much as you would like to change history you just can't do it....even to fit your narrative.

And the facts are, you can compare an apple to an orange.