Can UNT win one conference game with Benford as coach?

UNT90 · January 23, 2017

Looking at the schedule, the chances are good that UNT goes winless in conference play.

Both FAU and FIU are awful, but UNT is equally or more awful and plays both these teams on the road, where UNT has won 1 time in the last 19 (?) tries.

There isn't another winnable road game on the schedule, if any road game could be considered winnable at this point.

As far as home games, the most winnable is UTEP. I don't think UNT will be favored in any other of the remaining games. Charolette ain't great, but they score a lot of points and UNT won't be able to keep up.

Look for yourself. Try to find a win. It isn't easy:

http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/ntex-m-baskbl-sched.html

Are you ok going winless with Tony Benford finishing out the season?

Edited January 23, 2017 by UNT90

Army of Dad · January 23, 2017

Can UNT win one conference game? Yes.

With Benford at the helm? Yes.

Is it likely? No.

I am not ok with any likely scenario left to us this season that includes Benford remaining at the head coach for the season.

UNT90 · January 23, 2017

4 minutes ago, Army of Dad said:

Can UNT win one conference game? Yes.

With Benford at the helm? Yes.

Is it likely? No.

I am not ok with any likely scenario left to us this season that includes Benford remaining at the head coach for the season.

It's really really hard to pull on 0-fer in conference play. The odds are that at some point, some visiting team will be tired or simply underestimate UNT.

But, if the players quit (already signs of this occurring), 0-18 is a very real possibility.

MeanGreen_MBA · January 23, 2017

this whole paradox of is firing Benford now or the end the season best for the University is certainly analogous to the Schrodinger's Cat theory.... Is the team both dead AND alive???

untjim1995 · January 23, 2017

I think one win is the most we can hope for. The team has quit on him already--and its hard to blame them for that. Many of us said earlier this season that once it becomes clear that Benford won't be retained--and that basically became obvious in the first week of conference play--the players' efforts will pull back. Its just the nature of the beast, that when a team knows their coach is a lame duck or DOA, the effort usually drops. Its what we are seeing now.

UNT90 · January 23, 2017

49 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

I think one win is the most we can hope for. The team has quit on him already--and its hard to blame them for that. Many of us said earlier this season that once it becomes clear that Benford won't be retained--and that basically became obvious in the first week of conference play--the players' efforts will pull back. Its just the nature of the beast, that when a team knows their coach is a lame duck or DOA, the effort usually drops. Its what we are seeing now.

Which is going to make it exceedingly difficult to win a conference game.

TheWestie · January 24, 2017

4 hours ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

this whole paradox of is firing Benford now or the end the season best for the University is certainly analogous to the Schrodinger's Cat theory.... Is the team both dead AND alive???

Were they ever alive?

Has there been any point in Benford's time here after he ran off Johnny's players that we've had a team that gelled together and played well as a team?

Benford's whole time here has been a revolving door of recruits who never pan out or who are such basket cases that he's never had a team that could find itself as a team. It seems like every October we find that half the starters are new and there's always some additional new guy who will hopefully become eligible at the semester break and solve all the problems.

Aquila_Viridis · January 24, 2017

The answer to your question, is 'probably not'. Send him and his old man back to Lubbock!

southsideguy · January 24, 2017

we will one, hard to go undefeated and the opposite is all true. one win will not get it done. I have now lost faith in the new AD.

Edited January 25, 2017 by southsideguy

Hunter Green · January 24, 2017

17 hours ago, UNT90 said:

Which is going to make it exceedingly difficult to win a conference game.

I hear ya 90, but it is what it is. I recommend something else to occupy your mind until the situation is fixed.

Edited January 24, 2017 by Hunter Green

NT1978 · January 24, 2017

13 hours ago, southsideguy said:

we will one, hard to go undated and the opposite but one win will not get it done. I have now lost faith in the new AD.

If you offer to take them to a UNT Basketball game, it is not hard at all to go undated..

UNT90 · January 24, 2017

29 minutes ago, Hunter Green said:

I hear ya 90, but it is what it is. I recommend something else to occupy your mind until the situation is fixed.

I'll have plenty of free time in future winters if this isn't dealt with before the end of the season.

Maybe I'll start attending UTA or TCU games. I like college basketball, more than college football, actually, so if UNT confirms to me they don't care, I'll move along.

Until that time I'll continue the fight. Will it matter? Time will tell.

Green Lantern · January 24, 2017

30 minutes ago, UNT90 said:

I like college basketball, more than college football, actually, so if UNT confirms to me they don't care, I'll move along.

Until that time I'll continue the fight. Will it matter? Time will tell.

Right there with you in the above bolded statement. I understand that to many on the board, basketball is a distant 2nd to football, but as has been stated a number of times by numerous posters on this basketball forum, they actually prefer basketball to football (but support both). It seems that this football first mentality pushes the current narrative that would keep the status quo through the end of the season because "we don't have any good options" and "the support has already dwindled, oh well". Letting this situation continue to play out is just maddening.

Did we have good options in the Dodge or Mac situations either? When you appoint an interim, it's inherently going to be a crap shoot. What if they happen to get something out of the team though? ie. Canales after he took over for Dodge. Don't see realistic outcomes that could be appreciably worse.

I'm not interested in going to the lengths you're describing like attending other universities basketball games in the future, however, I am monitoring this situation with great interest. I doubled my MGC donation last year when we hired Littrell because I was satisfied with the process and wanted to show positive support. I'm in the situation to do the same thing again this year if I choose to. So far, I haven't seen much to be impressed with in the handling of the basketball program. We'll see.

southsideguy · January 25, 2017

9 hours ago, NT1978 said:

If you offer to take them to a UNT Basketball game, it is not hard at all to go undated..

yeah yeah, the spell caught me and I did not notice it. thanks for noticing lol.

untjim1995 · January 25, 2017

On ‎1‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 9:41 AM, UNT90 said:

I'll have plenty of free time in future winters if this isn't dealt with before the end of the season.

Maybe I'll start attending UTA or TCU games. I like college basketball, more than college football, actually, so if UNT confirms to me they don't care, I'll move along.

Until that time I'll continue the fight. Will it matter? Time will tell.

I'm exactly like you are 90--I prefer college hoops to college football, and I really enjoy college football. But college hoops is my passion--I love it more than any other sport. I gre up a huge Kansas fan, due to family being up there and loving to play hoops.

I used to love going to the Super Pit for games, particularly when JJ had us finally going in the right direction. But I went o lots of games when I was in school, too, with Jimmy Gales, Tim Jankovich, and Vic Trilli as coaches, seeing some really good play (under Jank) and some really awful play (under Trilli). But I won't watch Benford teams--the play is terrible, the crowd of empty seats is embarrassing, and the acceptance of the losing to just save dollars or to let a few big donors have a toy--they all combine to me going away. Just like it has for thousands of others.

But college hoops is the rare animal that can see huge turnarounds really quickly. It takes one good player and a solid coaching staff to get back to being a winner. It can be done very quickly--at least at other places it has been done quickly. If Baker can get the right guy here and he can use the talent that is here to gel, this thing could be competitive again next year--maybe not top of CUSA solid, but .500 or better in CUSA play is possible.

UNT90 · January 25, 2017

Baker's judgement is in question with me if he fails to fire Benford. I have zero hope that he would make the proper hire under that scenario.

KingDL1 · January 25, 2017

15 minutes ago, UNT90 said:

Baker's judgement is in question with me if he fails to fire Benford. I have zero hope that he would make the proper hire under that scenario.

But couldn't it be that Benford is just about to break out of his shell?

Army of Dad · January 25, 2017

22 minutes ago, KingDL1 said:

But couldn't it be that Benford is just about to break out of his shell?

Just have to wait until he gets his guys in here.

UNT90 · January 25, 2017

24 minutes ago, KingDL1 said:

But couldn't it be that Benford is just about to break out of his shell?

He would have already if it wasn't for all those cancerous players.

#chemoinbulk

KingDL1 · January 25, 2017

I still believe in Wren. In the long run does it matter if it is a Mid Season Fire or an End of the season Fire?

I expect that we would not be able to announce a new coach until the end the regular schedule? Do the tournaments play into that at all?

forevereagle · January 25, 2017

Just now, KingDL1 said:

I still believe in Wren. In the long run does it matter if it is a Mid Season Fire or an End of the season Fire?

I expect that we would not be able to announce a new coach until the end the regular schedule? Do the tournaments play into that at all?

Depends on the hire, if a coach is in the tournament, they will likely not leave until that is done.

KingDL1 · January 25, 2017

4 minutes ago, UNT90 said:

He would have already if it wasn't for all those cancerous players.

#chemoinbulk

I heard about those them excuse for players crazy.

UNT90 · January 25, 2017

46 minutes ago, KingDL1 said:

I still believe in Wren. In the long run does it matter if it is a Mid Season Fire or an End of the season Fire?

I expect that we would not be able to announce a new coach until the end the regular schedule? Do the tournaments play into that at all?

Kind of the pattern emerging is that it matters to basketball fans and doesn't matter to those that aren't into college basketball, which makes sense.

If you really don't care about something, why would you care what happened to it? Human nature.

Edited January 25, 2017 by UNT90

MeanGreen_MBA · January 25, 2017

24 minutes ago, KingDL1 said:

I still believe in Wren. In the long run does it matter if it is a Mid Season Fire or an End of the season Fire?

I expect that we would not be able to announce a new coach until the end the regular schedule? Do the tournaments play into that at all?

Can't even talk to other coaches under contract until the season is over. Not too many unemployed coaches I see going after, unless you want Larry Brown...we would win in short term, just before going on probation...

Army of Dad · January 25, 2017

23 minutes ago, MeanGreen_MBA said:

Can't even talk to other coaches under contract until the season is over.

That's not entirely true. You might have to get permission, but you can talk to coaches while they are under contract. A search firm may not have the same constraint.