MGB: UNT announces HOF class

[Brett Vito]

MGB:

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/09/unt-annouces-hof-class.html/

 

[NorthTexan95]

Long overdue for Whetzle.  Good group. 

[untcampbell]

Told this story before but in January 1980, at my first North Texas athletic event, Pat Hicks hit an OT 3-point bomb from about (my memory says) 35 feet to beat the University of Texas, the school from which I had just transferred.

Mr. Hicks is permanently etched in my brain pan for giving me my first win as a North Texas fan.

GMG

[greenjoe]

I was there as well.  UNT Campbell's memory is correct except that Pat Hicks put up the shot from the Fouts Field parking lot.  

 

Thanks for one of my favorite Mean Green memories Pat Hicks.  Congratulations.

 

GO MEAN GREEN

[untcampbell]

@greenjoe refresh my memory but I recall Pat was one of the best assist guys ever at North Texas. Great passer....not so much a great shooter. But that shot....nothing but the bottom of the net! 

 

GMG

[GrandGreen]

Funny, I was there too, the sad part of maybe the best bb game I have ever seen at NT; was that most of the large crowd was long gone when that shot happened.  I am sure I don't remember exact numbers, but NT trailed about 10 points with less than 2 minutes to go and Hicks tied the score at the buzzer and NT went on to win in OT.    This was before the 3 point shoot, and a great comeback.

Before everyone wonders why NT can't get another home game with UT, it was under very unusual circumstances.  NT had signed Victor Mitchell (6'10" brother of NT hof Fred Mitchell) and UT came in late and wanted NT to release him to go to Texas.  NT agreed but demanded a home game with UT in exchange.  

[greenjoe]

Hicks was more of a passer but his talent was leading the team.  He was probably the best floor director that I've ever seen.  I remember his playing against somebody and the opponent's player made a mistake.  Hicks pointed to his own head as if to say, "Use your head."

 

That team was my all time favorite at NT.  Hicks, Fermia Neeley, DeLonte Taylor and my all time favorite player, Kenneth Lyons.  It was a perfect storm.  The right players with the right coach playing at least one of the most notable teams in college basketball.  If I recall, and it's been almost 100 years, the game was on a Tuesday night.  My Kiwanis Club meets on Wednesday mornings.  At the time we were meeting at the old Holiday Inn.  When I went into the dining room, Abe Lemons was sitting there eating and reading the news paper.  I visited with him for a minute and he was very gracious.

 

Here's a quick aside-

 

My wife was a huge Bill Blakely fan.  She went to watch him first and the team second.  We never missed a game.  Among our favorites were Furmia Neeley and DeLonte Taylor.  She was pregnant at the time and we kidded that we were such fans that if our first born was a boy, we were going to name him Fermia DeLonte Holland.  This story got back to my Mom and it nearly caused her a heart attack.  I assured her that if a boy, we'd name him Joe.  Which we did.  We still laugh about that.  Thanks for listening.  I'll be quiet. 

[FirefightnRick]

Congrats to Scott "Big Daddy" Bowles and Andy Brewster and all the inductees.

 

Rick

[Brett Vito]

MGB: Picks update. E-mail me at bvito@dentonrc.com or send me a PM

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/09/unt-to-announce-team-captains-picks-update.html/

[JesseMartin]

John Baker has been one of those that I've been watching for years to see when he got inducted.  I expected it to be sooner, but I guess punters don't tend to get inducted as quickly as "headline" players, even when they're one of the best in the country.  We've had such solid punters AND place kickers almost non-stop since the early to mid 90s.  Plenty before then too, but it's been really impressive how consistently we've been able to get such great ST guys with great feet.

[Army of Dad]

Pretty cool story about Pat/his induction to the HOF.

https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/commercial-real-estate/pat-hicks-named-to-unt-hall-of-fame-49664#ath 

With a neat little tidbit surrounding the 35 footer @untcampbell, @GrandGreen, and @greenjoe were remembering.