Winning a National Title

meangreenbob · March 22, 2023

Coach McCasland can win a National Title right here at North Texas.
He is on the threshold of doing just that as this next recruiting class should be off the charts. He has invested 6 years to get to this level.
True, the support from the University and the fans has been disappointing but I believe that will change.
True, Tech can pay him enough money to uproot his entire family and settle in West Texas.
True, as the World seems to be spinning recklessly out of control maybe living in a remote place like Lubbock is a good thing. I don’t know.

But, taking a school like North Texas, an underdog, to the pinnacle of college basketball would be an incredible achievement. Second to none

Keep Grant McCasland here at all cost.

CMJ · March 22, 2023

I think it's possible that he could eventually turn us into a Gonzaga type school, but it won't happen fast. There's also no guarantee it will and if things turned south he'd probably always regret that he never jumped when he had the chance. The Mark Few's of the world are rare indeed. People thought he was going to leave Spokane for about ten years...until it became apparent he never was.

Jason Howeth · March 22, 2023

47 minutes ago, meangreenbob said:

Coach McCasland can win a National Title right here at North Texas.
He is on the threshold of doing just that as this next recruiting class should be off the charts. He has invested 6 years to get to this level.
True, the support from the University and the fans has been disappointing but I believe that will change.
True, Tech can pay him enough money to uproot his entire family and settle in West Texas.
True, as the World seems to be spinning recklessly out of control maybe living in a remote place like Lubbock is a good thing. I don’t know.

But, taking a school like North Texas, an underdog, to the pinnacle of college basketball would be an incredible achievement. Second to none

Keep Grant McCasland here at all cost.

I get being optimistic about these things, but this goes a bit far. You make it sound like doing well in a second-tier tournament makes us a legitimate ti contender next year. Sorry, but ask the main superpowers how hard it is to win the NCAA championship even 1 time. You see Duke, UNC, Nova, Cuse, Kansas, Kentucky, etc. Winning back-to-back all the time? Even they can't do it despite their recruiting classes.

Sports are tough. Sometimes the best players never get close to a championship (see Mike Trout) because injuries happen, or they have an off night shooting and get knocked out. There's something like 330 basketball programs--at best for us, around 150 that have shots to make the tourney. Every single one is gunning for 1 championship.

All that said, we do not have any legitimate shot at the national title anytime soon. Elite 8 and Final Four, maybe. But a championship would take decades.

greenjoe · March 22, 2023

Why not North Texas

meangreenbob · March 22, 2023

36 minutes ago, Jason Howeth said:

I get being optimistic about these things, but this goes a bit far. You make it sound like doing well in a second-tier tournament makes us a legitimate ti contender next year. Sorry, but ask the main superpowers how hard it is to win the NCAA championship even 1 time. You see Duke, UNC, Nova, Cuse, Kansas, Kentucky, etc. Winning back-to-back all the time? Even they can't do it despite their recruiting classes.

Sports are tough. Sometimes the best players never get close to a championship (see Mike Trout) because injuries happen, or they have an off night shooting and get knocked out. There's something like 330 basketball programs--at best for us, around 150 that have shots to make the tourney. Every single one is gunning for 1 championship.

All that said, we do not have any legitimate shot at the national title anytime soon. Elite 8 and Final Four, maybe. But a championship would take decades.

And Coach MacCasland has already invested 6 years of a decade and we are now getting known on the national stage.

It doesn’t take decades. It takes a coach who proves to young athletes that he knows what he’s doing and the consistency and record to back it up. Coach McCasland has done just that.

We only need a few more gifted basketball players, not decades, to jump on board with a proven Coach to take this program to a National Title.

Think small, be small. Think big, be big

Edited March 22, 2023 by meangreenbob

CMJ · March 22, 2023

8 minutes ago, meangreenbob said:

And Coach MacCasland has already invested 6 years of a decade and we are now getting known on the national stage.

It doesn’t take decades. It takes a coach who proves to young athletes that he knows what he’s doing and the consistency and record to back it up. Coach McCasland has done just that.

We only need a few more gifted basketball players, not decades, to jump on board with a proven Coach to take this program to a National Title.

Think small, be small. Think big, be big

The time line is different for everyone. That said, Gonzaga still is waiting for National Title #1. Winning it all takes a lot of luck in addition to the quality of your team. Sometimes it's having teams you don't match up well against be upset, sometimes it's having a role player have the game of his life, sometimes it's just avoiding that crucial injury.

Titles are HARD.

Cougar King · March 22, 2023

McCasland is doing great things, but if you think this team is on the cusp taking down Gonzaga, Texas Alabama, Miami, Creighton, or us, then either you're too geeked up over the NIT or just simply don't know anything about basketball.

Again, the NIT is a great accomplishment but you truly don't realize that the deep rounds of the real tournament is a whole different monster.

Can UNT get there? Sure. Are they anywhere near that level now? No. Not at all.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Cougar King

NorthTexasWeLove · March 22, 2023

1 hour ago, CMJ said:

I think it's possible that he could eventually turn us into a Gonzaga type school, but it won't happen fast. There's also no guarantee it will and if things turned south he'd probably always regret that he never jumped when he had the chance. The Mark Few's of the world are rare indeed. People thought he was going to leave Spokane for about ten years...until it became apparent he never was.

Or, he could fizzle out at Tech like JJ at LSU.

I don't say this to sound ungrateful, but I don't think GM is a lock to succeed at Tech if he goes.

1. He recruits HIS type of guy that are 100% willing to play HIS type of ball.

2. If he goes Big12 he will undoubtedly be forced to recruit outside of his comfort in order to keep up with the Jones'.

3. His style of play, which is what has made him successful HERE, will not be near as consistent or successful. By that, I think he'll get tempo'd out of his comfort by the better teams in the leauge.

4. And lastly, no Russ Hodge manipulating that defensive prowess behind the scenes.

CMJ · March 22, 2023

Take Houston since Cougar King just dropped by --- arguably the best program in college basketball history without a title. Only school that really competed with UCLA during Alcindor's era. Couldn't win with Phi Slama Jama.

It is HARD to win it all. Even when teams are dominant -- they're hard.

meangreenbob · March 22, 2023

10 minutes ago, Cougar King said:

McCasland is doing great things, but if you think this team is on the cusp taking down Gonzaga, Texas Alabama, Miami, Creighton, or us, then either you're too geeked up over the NIT or just simply don't know anything about basketball.

Again, the NIT is a great accomplishment but you truly don't realize that the deep rounds of the real tournament is a whole different monster.

Can UNT get there? Sure. Are they anywhere near that level now? No. Not at all.

Read my post again. I clearly stated we would need a few more gifted basketball players to jump on board with a proven head coach. Right?

Edited March 22, 2023 by meangreenbob

NorthTexasWeLove · March 22, 2023

7 minutes ago, Cougar King said:

McCasland is doing great things, but if you think this team is on the cusp taking down Gonzaga, Texas Alabama, Miami, Creighton, or us, then either you're too geeked up over the NIT or just simply don't know anything about basketball.

Again, the NIT is a great accomplishment but you truly don't realize that the deep rounds of the real tournament is a whole different monster.

Can UNT get there? Sure. Are they anywhere near that level now? No. Not at all.

Well, FAU, a team that we had on the ropes twice this year and let them squirt away is right there in these "deep rounds" you speak of. Matter of fact, they beat a team that literally just beat your cougs. This is an elitism post and nothing more. If you don't think that UNT could go toe to toe with Princeton, FAU, Creighton, Xavier, SDSU and even Tennessee then you haven't been paying attention. And if we're shooting it well on any given night + our D, you could add 3 or 4 more from the current sweet 16 field. Teams that scare me are the ones that have true length at all 5 spots and athleticism, much like UH, but also UCONN, UCLA, Bama, and Texas.

MrAlien · March 22, 2023

Houston is another example of what is possible...

basketball recruiting has changed a lot recently, the very best players are expecting to turn pro with in a year, and everyone else is constantly looking to transfer, the mid majors might actually have an advantage when it comes to keeping players.

Cougar King · March 22, 2023

6 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Well, FAU, a team that we had on the ropes twice this year and let them squirt away is right there in these "deep rounds" you speak of. Matter of fact, they beat a team that literally just beat your cougs. This is an elitism post and nothing more. If you don't think that UNT could go toe to toe with Princeton, FAU, Creighton, Xavier, SDSU and even Tennessee then you haven't been paying attention. And if we're shooting it well on any given night + our D, you could add 3 or 4 more from the current sweet 16 field. Teams that scare me are the ones that have true length at all 5 spots and athleticism, much like UH, but also UCONN, UCLA, Bama, and Texas.

Having someone on the ropes twice are still 2 losses no matter which way you try to stretch it.

Sure, anybody has a puncher's chance on any given night, hence why we play the games, but I don't think UNT would be favored against any of those 6 teams you named. Maybe a push with Princeton.

NorthTexasWeLove · March 22, 2023

1 minute ago, Cougar King said:

Having someone on the ropes twice are still 2 losses no matter which way you try to stretch it.

Sure, anybody has a puncher's chance on any given night, hence why we play the games, but I don't think UNT would be favored against any of those 6 teams you named. Maybe a push with Princeton.

Well, we weren't favored last night. Won't be favored vs Wisconsin. And I'm not referring to a punchers chance, as in a magical game. We'd bog down those 5 or 6 I mentioned and get them into our style of play. Once we do that, which I think we would, then it's anyones ballgame.

meangreenbob · March 22, 2023

4 minutes ago, Cougar King said:

Having someone on the ropes twice are still 2 losses no matter which way you try to stretch it.

Sure, anybody has a puncher's chance on any given night, hence why we play the games, but I don't think UNT would be favored against any of those 6 teams you named. Maybe a push with Princeton.

Look. Just because Houston and some quality programs have never won a National Title doesn’t mean UNT can’t.
It seems you are trying more to persuade us from even trying and deep down hoping we never do.

greenminer · March 22, 2023

Please give me reason to believe his next recruiting class should be off the charts.

not trying to be argumentative, but his recruiting hasn’t budged even with the amazing success already behind us. So still, it’s been, that I feel it is the biggest mystery of Grants tenure.

Cougar King · March 22, 2023

2 minutes ago, meangreenbob said:

Look. Just because Houston and some quality programs have never won a National Title doesn’t mean UNT can’t.
It seems you are trying more to persuade us from even trying and deep down hoping we never do.

Persuade you from not trying? None of us are in control of the athletic department.

NorthTexasWeLove · March 22, 2023

2 minutes ago, greenminer said:

Please give me reason to believe his next recruiting class should be off the charts.

not trying to be argumentative, but his recruiting hasn’t budged even with the amazing success already behind us. So still, it’s been, that I feel it is the biggest mystery of Grants tenure.

I think GM looks for things in kids that we can't see or understand. And it works here, and I think this is one of the biggest risks Tech will take if GM leaves. It's a definite unknown as to how his recruiting game evolves/succeeds at a place like Tech.

UNTcrazy727 · March 22, 2023

Talking National Title hopes just because we beat a few teams that would have been seeded 11-16 in the NCAA Tourney might be a stretch...

meangreenbob · March 22, 2023

20 minutes ago, Cougar King said:

Persuade you from not trying? None of us are in control of the athletic department.

Ok. So what you’re really saying is….oh, I so hope they don’t try or that they should even believe for second it could happen at UNT.

Listen, thank you for being honest and for clarifying your position.

Edited March 22, 2023 by meangreenbob

greenjoe · March 22, 2023

He must read every post on GOMEANGREEN.com. Do the rest of you rest the Houston fan board ? I don’t even know what it’s called. How else would one respond to, in depth, to a thread titled, “Winning a National Title” ?

See everyone in Las Vegas. Check out the buffet.

Cr1028 · March 22, 2023

3 hours ago, meangreenbob said:

He has invested 6 years to get to this level.
True, the support from the University and the fans has been disappointing but I believe that will change.

After a CBI title, our only NCAA tourney win, 2 regular season CUSA titles, 1 CUSA tournament title,and 5 20-win seasons in 6 years, why would things change now? You get a ridiculously big raise at work or pick the right lotto numbers?

2 hours ago, meangreenbob said:

We only need a few more gifted basketball players, not decades, to jump on board with a proven Coach to take this program to a National Title.

What we need is in the lyrics of this old WWE entrance theme.

We need NIL money and LOTS of it to compete on the national stage. UH is doing a great job with that in basketball while SMU is doing great with it in football. We sit here talking about how our programs should be better without throwing in the millions in NIL money outside the AD books that it would take to be better. We need a big-time bagman, we need a modern day Sherwood Blount.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Cr1028

UNTLifer · March 22, 2023

1 hour ago, Cougar King said:

McCasland is doing great things, but if you think this team is on the cusp taking down Gonzaga, Texas Alabama, Miami, Creighton, or us, then either you're too geeked up over the NIT or just simply don't know anything about basketball.

Again, the NIT is a great accomplishment but you truly don't realize that the deep rounds of the real tournament is a whole different monster.

Can UNT get there? Sure. Are they anywhere near that level now? No. Not at all.

You're definitely an idiot and to compound the problem, you have an issue with reading comprehension.

CMJ · March 22, 2023

Also need more fan support. All things being equal, people want to be where the support is. I mean, maybe you don't want the headache of Big Blue Nation, but otherwise yeah.

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · March 22, 2023

1 hour ago, Cougar King said:

Having someone on the ropes twice are still 2 losses no matter which way you try to stretch it.

Sure, anybody has a puncher's chance on any given night, hence why we play the games, but I don't think UNT would be favored against any of those 6 teams you named. Maybe a push with Princeton.

You don’t have to be favored to play good basketball. It’s clear that any team can get hot, and against our defense, it would be harder to score.

It’s about skill, but also a whole lotta luck