McNeese State (12/9/17)

Andrew · December 10, 2017

7 minutes ago, Mean Green Matt said:

Assuming he is deemed eligible (which I realize is a risky assumption for us because the NCAA hates us) does he get significant minutes? Is he practicing with the team right now?

He cannot practice with the team, however he can go into the rec and play with the guys on their own time. That’s what Mitchell did.

Andrew · December 10, 2017

2 hours ago, Matt from A700 said:

The AD needs to make an event out of these basketball game. I know this season is just getting started, but throw the kitchen sink at the home opener in 2018. Come up with some incentives for mass amounts of students to show up like the UTSA football game, and if you win the game (especially by a big margin like Eureka), I'm sure you'll get a good amount of students interested and ready to return to the Pit.

Years ago they gave away something like 10k if you hit a half court shot and they had a free contest that my father competed in where the winner got a decent amount of money as well. The free throw contest stretched on for a few months. They should bring that stuff back and let more than college students compete in them.

BillySee58 · December 10, 2017

17 minutes ago, Mean Green Matt said:

Assuming he is deemed eligible (which I realize is a risky assumption for us because the NCAA hates us) does he get significant minutes? Is he practicing with the team right now?

Good question. He can't practice right now, but neither could Jorden Duffy prior to his return from injury and he played the first game of the year before returning to practice. So there is some precedent for Mccasland working a guy into game action before he has had much practice time.

I think he would eventually get significant minutes since he is one of two stretch 4s on this roster (he and Temara), and since we are so depleted at guard, we need Lawson playing more 3 and less 4.

GrandGreen · December 10, 2017

1 hour ago, Ryan Munthe said:

Benford is a completely different disaster.

Want to know why I bailed? My father flew in from NY to come see us get out-hustled by UTA in our supposed Cinderella year. Tony Mitchell was horrible. I hyped it up considerably...and we left early.

That season was painful. It wasn’t even about that we tanked. It was that prior to that point, basketball was UNT’s calling card with sports and IT FINALLY LOOKED like we were going to break through with a national spotlight. It was the birth of what SMU is now.

Jones was loyal and only left because his alma called, so we went out, spent REAL money for a REAL big time coach...even Fraschilla was in the mix. We were going to explode.

And then it all imploded. Our big draft pick stopped giving a shit. Meanwhile, football continued to grow in popularity so students shifted attention that way.

Our presentation was boring, our students dwindling, and the Super Pit being a dark, depressing outdated albatross (seriously) to watch absolutely embarrassing on-court action for a team that was supposed to be a breakthrough.

And despite utter despair and it being PAINFULLY obvious we were destroying our program we KEPT BENFORD AROUND. To make things worse, Benford could recruit. I kept thinking “maybe this will be the year!” Meanwhile SMU did what we should’ve done.

It was a nut-kick of immense proportion that nearly ran me off from UNT entirely. Our football team was great so I focused it all there. And then, to make it worse, football got nuked. Had we not hired Littrell, can’t say I’d still be an active fan.

THAT is why it will take a lot for me to give a shit, and that is why Benford singlehandedly torpedoed UNT athletics.

Call me a fake fan, whatever. I was one of the students who used to go to Hot Springs and lived on the front row. So take your BS somewhere else.

I read this and still don't see a reason for not attending a current game. Following this logic, you should never attend a football game after the Dodge hire, which was a much bigger reach than Benford.

Funny you mentioned that albatross Super Pit. At the UTA game, I was just thinking why anyone would want to replace the SP with a facility like that one.

If anyone doesn't want to go to watch NT basketball that is obviously their decision. I just don't follow what RV, Benford or Tony Mitchell has to do with it.

Ryan Munthe · December 10, 2017

10 minutes ago, Andrew said:

I would consider anyone a fake fan who stops attending games when the team is bad. Your no different than the UT T-shirt fans or the Clemson bandwagon fans. You would never have survived during the pre JJ years. I show up to support the school and the athletes regardless of who the coach and AD are. The players deserve better fans than guys like you. This team is fun to watch and your missing out. Even hitting .500 or a game over is a huge step in the right direction for this team.

Lol.

I never stopped supporting our football team in lean years.

Basketball was a special set of circumstances, and clearly most of our fanbase feels the same considering we have a solid 40 people at most games.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Ryan Munthe

DeepGreen · December 10, 2017

3 hours ago, BillySee58 said:

He can't sit on the bench right now while his eligibility is being determined. He usually sits in the first rows right behind the bench. Apparently the ruling is about to be determined this week, one way or the other.

Also, bonus points to you for typing his name instead of referring to him as "the Russian"

Thanks for noticing. I took the time to look up the correct spelling of his name, rather than simply referring to Tikhonenko as “the Russian”. It’s called respect.

BillySee58 · December 10, 2017

6 minutes ago, Andrew said:

I guess the NBA must really have disrespected Dirk when they were calling him the dunking deutschman. Guys like Chris Paul should also feel disrespected when people say CP3, or perhaps it’s iust that nicknames are easier than trying to get your phone to stop auto correcting a name to Tickmaster a half dozen times.... I dislike typing on a phone, but that’s all I have. If you prefer Tickmaster I guess my phone will let me roll with that. Haha

I have actually spelled his name out before, but it took over a minute of messing with my phone and clicking to get it to actually stay.

Big difference is, those are actual nicknames. "The Russian" is just lazy. Typing "Tikhonenko" is the same amount of characters. If you just type out the letters then hit the left suggested name in auto correct, it will leave it.

Shark84 · December 11, 2017

I wouldn't expect much from him this year. I think he's a interesting project that needs to gain some weight and a year of practice under this good coaching staff. Wonder if he has a red shirt available?

BillySee58 · December 11, 2017

2 hours ago, Shark84 said:

I wouldn't expect much from him this year. I think he's a interesting project that needs to gain some weight and a year of practice under this good coaching staff. Wonder if he has a red shirt available?

Yes he has a redshirt available. He's a true freshman. Wouldn't be a bad thing to redshirt, but I think we could really use him this year given that he adds two things we could really use another of (a stretch 4 and another three-point shooter).

We only have 9 healthy scholarship players right now. I'm willing to bet we'll be in a better situation in terms of depth four years from now (when he'd be a redshirt senior). Maybe he could benefit from more time in the weight room, but he's on the skinny side and he likely will be for the rest of his college career, with or without an extra year.

If, big if, he is cleared this week then I think it makes more sense to play him in a year where we are short-handed. Would also give him a chance to grow into the Temara's role and step into the 4 spot next year once Temara graduates. Redshirting wouldn't be a bad thing either though.