NIT

[Coach Andy Mac]

[ADLER]

On 3/3/2021 at 10:15 AM, UNTLifer said:

In 1980/81, we hosted the #1 Depaul team with Mark Aguirre.  I don't recall Drake ever being ranked #1....in anything.

North Texas great Kenneth Lyons shoots over top ranked DePaul's Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings in the North Texas Super Pit.

[emmitt01]

I’m pulling for the Toppers to win the NIT*
 

 

 

 

 

*Because every team they beat, I assume we must be better than

[Coach Andy Mac]

St. Mary’s looks pretty stout.  Toppers will have their hands full tonight!

[RiseUNT]

Looks like WKU is going through the motions. I think we took more than just the championship from them.

[CMJ]

Richmond looked lost early too...came back to win by ten.  

 

WKU steadied themselves after awhile.  Looking pretty good now.

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

1 hour ago, ADLER said:

North Texas great Kenneth Lyons shoots over top ranked DePaul's Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings in the North Texas Super Pit.

Where can I find old pictures of games like this? I wonder if there is a picture of the SMU game at the Pit that still holds the attendance record

[Marty]

On 3/2/2021 at 11:11 PM, greenminer said:

@Cooley ok. Not sure what I’m getting it confused with.

shows we beat Drake Jan 30, 1969 in Denton, doesn't show if they were ranked #1 though:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968–69_Drake_Bulldogs_men's_basketball_team#Schedule

[GrandGreen]

5 minutes ago, Marty said:

shows we beat Drake Jan 30, 1969 in Denton, doesn't show if they were ranked #1 though:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968–69_Drake_Bulldogs_men's_basketball_team#Schedule

I don't think they were top 10 ranked when NT beat them 118-99 in Denton, NT lost big at Drake.

Drake did end up number 11 at the end of the year and went 3 deep in the NCAA tourney.

[CMJ]

WKU survives and advances.

[GrandGreen]

2 hours ago, ADLER said:

North Texas great Kenneth Lyons shoots over top ranked DePaul's Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings in the North Texas Super Pit.

Was at gane, Lyons elbowed Aguirre and knocked him over their bench.   Melee started, but no one ejected if my memory is right.  These days Lyons would have been thrown out and been lucky to play again that year. 

[Marty]

Go Toppers!

[greenminer]

Toppers advance

[ADLER]

1 hour ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

Where can I find old pictures of games like this? I wonder if there is a picture of the SMU game at the Pit that still holds the attendance record

I don't know of any database. This particular 11x14 photograph is in my own collection, and the negative had been disposed of decades ago by the photographer.

The Daily may have archived photographs, but I seriously doubt they've put in that effort, or that they would have anyone that's even aware of what is significant to retain.

Rick Yeatts Photography would probably be your best source for archived material but I don't know what year he started covering our teams.

[ADLER]

19 hours ago, emmitt01 said:

I’m pulling for the Toppers to win the NIT*

*Because every team they beat, I assume we must be better than

So true, but I'd also like to see Boise make a very short run in another bracket. 🙂

(Boise opens against SMU)

 

.

Edited March 18, 2021 by ADLER

[Wag Tag]

Getting a lot of comments how great the court looks. Great idea on hosting!

[Mean Green Matt]

On 3/14/2021 at 10:09 PM, CMJ said:

Some nice games at the Super Pit.  Not many school that have won National Titles have played at NT, so I'd definitely try and catch NC State's game if I still lived in the area.

As far as North Texas opponents in Denton with a national title, I think the list is only six (6) though I may have missed something. Oklahoma State, San Francisco, Cincinnati, UTEP, Louisville, UNLV. 
 

It still amazes me UTEP is the only Texas school to have won it. 

[CMJ]

I didn't even know (or if I know, I forgot) that UNLV ever came to Denton.  When was this?

[Mean Green Matt]

29 minutes ago, CMJ said:

I didn't even know (or if I know, I forgot) that UNLV ever came to Denton.  When was this?

I didn’t actually go back to look on that. I just assumed we played them in the Big West. 

[CMJ]

I believe they left the year we joined the Big West.

[Mean Green 93-98]

37 minutes ago, CMJ said:

I believe they left the year we joined the Big West.

I remember the football team coming to Denton with John Robinson on the sidelines.  I assume that was a conference game, but I really don't remember.

[CMJ]

19 minutes ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

I remember the football team coming to Denton with John Robinson on the sidelines.  I assume that was a conference game, but I really don't remember.

It was not.  UNLV had been out of the league several years by that point.

[Mean Green Matt]

14 minutes ago, CMJ said:

It was not.  UNLV had been out of the league several years by that point.

So...UNLV played at the Snake Pit on 12/22/69. Was a 98-91 North Texas win. 
 

Edit: Does it count if the matchup was before their national championship?

Edited March 18, 2021 by Mean Green Matt

[DeepGreen]

Looking at that old picture of the Super Pit, it is good that we got rid of the orange seats.

[CMJ]

28 minutes ago, Mean Green Matt said:

So...UNLV played at the Snake Pit on 12/22/69. Was a 98-91 North Texas win. 
 

Edit: Does it count if the matchup was before their national championship?

I'll accept it.  Louisville hadn't won a title yet we they played here either.

 

 

Well, not an NCAA title anyway.  They won an NIT championship in 56 and that was back when the NIT was arguably still as prestigious as the NCAA title.  It was around that time when the NCAA got more and more recognition, but the NIT was still a pretty big deal because they had MSG and the New York press.  I remember seeing an interview with some old time players from the 50's that said they preferred the NIT for that reason.

Edited March 18, 2021 by CMJ