A.J. Lawson

UNTLifer · March 7, 2017

First Team CUSA All Freshmen Team.

http://conferenceusa.com/news/2017/3/7/MBK_0307170526.aspx

Harry · March 7, 2017

Just now, UNTLifer said:

First Team CUSA All Freshmen Team.

http://conferenceusa.com/news/2017/3/7/MBK_0307170526.aspx

That is awesome!

UNT90 · March 7, 2017

Better hope he doesn't transfer.

drex · March 7, 2017

There is also a 3% chance of final judgement, UNT 90.

UNT90 · March 7, 2017

4 minutes ago, drex said:

There is also a 3% chance of final judgement, UNT 90.

I think there is a greater than 3% chance Lawson leaves. New coach will have to sell him to get him to stay. Lawson will have other opportunities.

Mean_Green09 · March 7, 2017

31 minutes ago, UNT90 said:

I think there is a greater than 3% chance Lawson leaves. New coach will have to sell him to get him to stay. Lawson will have other opportunities.

If he leaves so be it. It won't make or break next year. Same thing for Combs. No one on this roster is irreplaceable.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Mean_Green09

UNT90 · March 7, 2017

4 minutes ago, Mean_Green09 said:

If he leaves so be it. It won't make or break next year. Same thing for Combs. No one on this roster is irreplaceable.

Well, this would be a MUCH better team with both. I think Combs leaving is a done deal.

MeanGreenTexan · March 7, 2017

4 minutes ago, UNT90 said:

Well, this would be a MUCH better team with both. I think Combs leaving is a done deal.

I think the only way Combs comes back is if bigger programs are afraid of the injury history.

UNT90 · March 7, 2017

If he gets his degree, he will be eligible immediately next year. He isn't going to want to spend his final season on a team struggling to rebuild.

He will have options in the WCC, the AAC and several other conferences that aren't P5s, but are huge steps above CUSA. That will raise his profile for professional contracts. Maybe not NBA, but definitely overseas contracts for really good money.

MeanGreenTexan · March 7, 2017

1 minute ago, UNT90 said:

If he gets his degree, he will be eligible immediately next year. He isn't going to want to spend his final season on a team struggling to rebuild.

He will have options in the WCC, the AAC and several other conferences that aren't P5s, but are huge steps above CUSA. That will raise his profile for professional contracts. Maybe not NBA, but definitely overseas contracts for really good money.

I think even those programs may be spooked by using one of their scholarships on a 1-year guy with injury history.
When he's on, there's no doubt he can contribute on a high level, and any of those schools would love to have him. Heck, I bet SMU/TCU would love to have him... but he's been rode hard, and that ankle is now a concern.

UNT90 · March 7, 2017

Just now, MeanGreenTexan said:

I think even those programs may be spooked by using one of their scholarships on a 1-year guy with injury history.
When he's on, there's no doubt he can contribute on a high level, and any of those schools would love to have him. Heck, I bet SMU/TCU would love to have him... but he's been rode hard, and that ankle is now a concern.

If it was for more than one year, I would agree with you. But it isn't. Negligible gamble for a big payoff.

MCMLXXX · March 8, 2017

2 hours ago, UNT90 said:

If he gets his degree, he will be eligible immediately next year. He isn't going to want to spend his final season on a team struggling to rebuild.

He will have options in the WCC, the AAC and several other conferences that aren't P5s, but are huge steps above CUSA. That will raise his profile for professional contracts. Maybe not NBA, but definitely overseas contracts for really good money.

Is there anything you are not an expert on? Did you actually attend any games this year? Have you ever personally talked to Jeremy?

Army of Dad · March 8, 2017

3 minutes ago, MCMLXXX said:

Is there anything you are not an expert on? Did you actually attend any games this year? Have you ever personally talked to Jeremy?

Let's look at the post you quoted:

"If he gets his degree, he will be eligible immediately next year."

This is a fact. Is there something here that you disagree with?

"He isn't going to want to spend his final season on a team struggling to rebuild."

This is an opinion, but a fairly reasonable one. It's not unusual for talented graduates to want to try someplace new. This seems to be more often the case when a losing team is in the rebuilding process or a player feels like they aren't getting the playing time they want/deserve. Combs is very talented and it's unlikely next year's team will be competing for a conference title.

"He will have options in the WCC, the AAC and several other conferences that aren't P5s, but are huge steps above CUSA. That will raise his profile for professional contracts. Maybe not NBA, but definitely overseas contracts for really good money."

This is another opinion, but once again a fairly reasonable opinion. It might be a stretch for some of the teams in those conferences, but Combs is pretty talented and playing well at a higher level conference would likely help his pro prospects.

I guess I'm not seeing why you had such a problem with that post.

untjim1995 · March 8, 2017

Combs will be gone if he gets a degree and we hire someone that nobody has ever heard of, which is most likely. Besides, he could go play at a real basketball program in front of more than 1000 people in non-conference.

UNT90 · March 8, 2017

26 minutes ago, Army of Dad said:

Let's look at the post you quoted:

"If he gets his degree, he will be eligible immediately next year."

This is a fact. Is there something here that you disagree with?

"He isn't going to want to spend his final season on a team struggling to rebuild."

This is an opinion, but a fairly reasonable one. It's not unusual for talented graduates to want to try someplace new. This seems to be more often the case when a losing team is in the rebuilding process or a player feels like they aren't getting the playing time they want/deserve. Combs is very talented and it's unlikely next year's team will be competing for a conference title.

"He will have options in the WCC, the AAC and several other conferences that aren't P5s, but are huge steps above CUSA. That will raise his profile for professional contracts. Maybe not NBA, but definitely overseas contracts for really good money."

This is another opinion, but once again a fairly reasonable opinion. It might be a stretch for some of the teams in those conferences, but Combs is pretty talented and playing well at a higher level conference would likely help his pro prospects.

I guess I'm not seeing why you had such a problem with that post.

I think it's because he knows deep down odds are I have a very good chance of being right here, and it pisses him off that Combs will be gone.

Its always easy to kill the messenger, and it's a proud tradition at UNT.

MCMLXXX · March 8, 2017

1 hour ago, Army of Dad said:

Let's look at the post you quoted:

"If he gets his degree, he will be eligible immediately next year."

This is a fact. Is there something here that you disagree with?

"He isn't going to want to spend his final season on a team struggling to rebuild."

This is an opinion, but a fairly reasonable one. It's not unusual for talented graduates to want to try someplace new. This seems to be more often the case when a losing team is in the rebuilding process or a player feels like they aren't getting the playing time they want/deserve. Combs is very talented and it's unlikely next year's team will be competing for a conference title.

"He will have options in the WCC, the AAC and several other conferences that aren't P5s, but are huge steps above CUSA. That will raise his profile for professional contracts. Maybe not NBA, but definitely overseas contracts for really good money."

This is another opinion, but once again a fairly reasonable opinion. It might be a stretch for some of the teams in those conferences, but Combs is pretty talented and playing well at a higher level conference would likely help his pro prospects.

I guess I'm not seeing why you had such a problem with that post.

I never thought quoting a post meant you have problem with it. I asked three questions. The first was connected to the collective statements from thousands of posts. It is simply a yes or no question. The next two are simply designed to determine the basis for his opinion. If you have spoken to the player you may have inside information. I would not personally disclose a personal conversation but some folks might. Attending games might be enlightening as to non verbal actions that lead one to an opinion. All people have opinions including experts. Some opinions are better than others based on the information available. There are a lot more questions that could assist in evaluating an opinion. I never disagreed with any fact or for that matter disagreed with any opinion.

Mean_Green09 · March 8, 2017

If you want Combs to stay and Brice to flourish then go hire Darrin Horn from UT

GMG24 · March 8, 2017

4 hours ago, UNT90 said:

If he gets his degree, he will be eligible immediately next year. He isn't going to want to spend his final season on a team struggling to rebuild.

He will have options in the WCC, the AAC and several other conferences that aren't P5s, but are huge steps above CUSA. That will raise his profile for professional contracts. Maybe not NBA, but definitely overseas contracts for really good money.

There ain't a damn thing to rebuild other than winning games. The team he assembled was easily a 20 win team.

BillySee58 · March 8, 2017

4 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I think the only way Combs comes back is if bigger programs are afraid of the injury history.

I've noticed with Vito's blog posts recently that when mentioning players who might transfer he no longer brings up the grad transfer route for Combs and instead mentions that Combs still has his redshirt available to sit out a year. Maybe both are still options, but it sounds like Vito has backed off of the grad transfer possibility and is indicating that he would have to do a conventional transfer and sit out a year. His remaining redshirt is irrelevant if being a grad transfer were an option.

If that is the case, that's a huge difference, both for the appeal of transferring to Combs and the appeal of Combs to teams who may pursue him.

Edited March 8, 2017 by BillySee58

UNT90 · March 8, 2017

10 minutes ago, GMG24 said:

There ain't a damn thing to rebuild other than winning games. The team he assembled was easily a 20 win team.

Absolutely ZERO way to know what this team is. You may be right, you may be dead wrong. These guys have been so poorly coached for so long, there is no telling what they are. Is there talent? Some. I would bet you and I disagree completely on Brice. He needs A LOT of work to be a contributing bench player in CUSA. Lawson looks like the real deal, but does he stay? Everyone else is pretty meh.

35 minutes ago, MCMLXXX said:

I never thought quoting a post meant you have problem with it. I asked three questions. The first was connected to the collective statements from thousands of posts. It is simply a yes or no question. The next two are simply designed to determine the basis for his opinion. If you have spoken to the player you may have inside information. I would not personally disclose a personal conversation but some folks might. Attending games might be enlightening as to non verbal actions that lead one to an opinion. All people have opinions including experts. Some opinions are better than others based on the information available. There are a lot more questions that could assist in evaluating an opinion. I never disagreed with any fact or for that matter disagreed with any opinion.

That first statement was a shot, not a question. But I don't hate ya. It's ok, I know you were just jumping on the dog pile and using me as a punching bag for your frustration of Combs being wasted for 3 plus years while UNT failed to act.

Yes, I went to A game this year. One. Combs didn't play.

No, I would never disclose a conversation with a player or player's parent on this board. Ever.

UNT90 · March 8, 2017

16 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

I've noticed with Vito's blog posts recently that when mentioning players who might transfer he no longer brings up the grad transfer route for Combs and instead mentions that Combs still has his redshirt available to sit out a year. Maybe both are still options, but it sounds like Vito has backed off of the grad transfer possibility and is indicating that he would have to do a conventional transfer and sit out a year. His remaining redshirt is irrelevant if being a grad transfer were an option.

If that is the case, that's a huge difference, both for the appeal of transferring to Combs and the appeal of Combs to teams who may pursue him.

Interesting. That would be great news for whoever the new coach turns out to be.

Mean_Green09 · March 8, 2017

22 minutes ago, GMG24 said:

There ain't a damn thing to rebuild other than winning games. The team he assembled was easily a 20 win team.

That's a bit of a stretch. You can't just patch together a team at the mid major level and expect 20 wins.

This team wasn't more talented than

MTSU

La Tech

ODU

Rice

UAB

WKU

UTEP

The job is rebuilding a program. I'd hate to see the next guy come in and try to assemble teams the same way Benford did. We may win a few more games, but won't ever climb to the top of CUSA.

We should be around.500 next year, but competing for a CUSA title is 3 to 4 years away if we hire the right guy.

Army of Dad · March 8, 2017

54 minutes ago, MCMLXXX said:

I never thought quoting a post meant you have problem with it. I asked three questions. The first was connected to the collective statements from thousands of posts. It is simply a yes or no question. The next two are simply designed to determine the basis for his opinion. If you have spoken to the player you may have inside information. I would not personally disclose a personal conversation but some folks might. Attending games might be enlightening as to non verbal actions that lead one to an opinion. All people have opinions including experts. Some opinions are better than others based on the information available. There are a lot more questions that could assist in evaluating an opinion. I never disagreed with any fact or for that matter disagreed with any opinion.

While it's not always easy to get the nuances I took your post as confrontational and if you're going to call out 90 there are loads of other posts far more ripe for questioning.

Since you chose that post out of all of the others I took your meaning to include that your questioning was based out of issues with that post.

UNT90 · March 8, 2017

20 minutes ago, Mean_Green09 said:

That's a bit of a stretch. You can't just patch together a team at the mid major level and expect 20 wins.

This team wasn't more talented than

MTSU

La Tech

ODU

Rice

UAB

WKU

UTEP

The job is rebuilding a program. I'd hate to see the next guy come in and try to assemble teams the same way Benford did. We may win a few more games, but won't ever climb to the top of CUSA.

We should be around.500 next year, but competing for a CUSA title is 3 to 4 years away if we hire the right guy.

For a spin free, outsider assessment, just look where other conference coaches thought UNT would finish this year:

http://conferenceusa.com/news/2016/10/6/MBK_1006161210.aspx

Now, the argument could be made that the other coaches knew that Benford was an awful coach and rated UNT accordingly, but it also says something about the talent on this roster.

336 out of 352 in RPI.

Lots of evidence this team won't be a 20 win team next year.

Instead of worrying about Combs, the new coach better get busy convincing the Desoto kid not to try and get a release from his LOI.

Mean_Green09 · March 8, 2017

5 minutes ago, UNT90 said:

For a spin free, outsider assessment, just look where other conference coaches thought UNT would finish this year:

http://conferenceusa.com/news/2016/10/6/MBK_1006161210.aspx

Now, the argument could be made that the other coaches knew that Benford was an awful coach and rated UNT accordingly, but it also says something about the talent on this roster.

336 out of 352 in RPI.

Lots of evidence this team won't be a 20 win team next year.

Instead of worrying about Combs, the new coach better get busy convincing the Desoto kid not to try and get a release from his LOI.

I think it's a 15 win team +/- 2 in either direction.

20 wins could happen with some luck.