Hoops Scoop ranks UNT Signees #29

[MeanGreen61]

Mean Green Basketball Early Signing Class Gets Good Reviews From Hoop Scoop

Courtesy: University of North Texas

Release: 11/11/2005

DENTON (11/11/05) -- The North Texas men’s basketball team’s 2005-06 early recruiting class received recognition from HoopScoop.com as one of the best recruiting classes in the country as the website ranked the Mean Green’s class among the top 30 in the nation.

Including Arizona State transfer Keith Wooden, the five-player signing class ranks 29th in the nation for the early signing period. That is is the highest any North Texas signing class has been ranked by Hoop Scoop since the 1997-98 class that included 12 players was ranked 21st. Without Wooden, the 2005-06 class still ranks 53rd in the country.

North Texas’ 29th ranking with Wooden and 53rd ranking without the 6-9 forward are both the highest among all Sun Belt Conference school’s.

In addition to Wooden, the Mean Green’s 2005-06 signing class includes Howe (TX) High Scool’s Collin Mangrum, San Jacinto (TX) College’s Ben Bell and Mineral Area (MO) College’s Curtis Muse and Jonathan Jackson.

Wooden ranked 100th nationally by Hoop Scoop when he signed with Arizona State two years ago. Muse is ranked among the top 25 junior college players in the country by the Street & Smith’s Preseason Yearbook. Jackson ranked eighth in blocks among all players in Region 16. Bell was named the NTJCAC Freshman of the Year last season with Weatherford College. Mangrum was an all-state selection last year as a junior.

North Texas head coach Johnny Jones earned his stripes as one of the country’s top recruiters while he was an assistant and associate head coach at LSU from 1984 through 1997. While with the Tigers, Jones recruited and coached the likes of NBA superstar and College Player of the Year Shaquille O’Neal, two-time All-American Chris Jackson (now known as Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) and former national high school player of the year Randy Livingston

Edited November 11, 2005 by MeanGreen61

[Stan R]

wow!

[PlummMeanGreen]

As an outsider (who hasn't been to many Mean Green BB games in recent seasons) looking in, I applaud Mean Green Coach Johnny Jones and his staff for what seems to me to be the highest rated NT basketball recruiting haul in our school's history. I don't think ex NT Coach Coach Robbin's recruitment of Fred Mitchell, Kenny Williams and Melvin Davis ever got these high of grades nationally; that is, if they were keeping such recuiting rankings during that era.

Still getting over this flu which doesn't seem to want to turn me loose, but I did tell one of our most ardent BB supporters on GMG.com last year that I will be trying to make some of our weekend games this year (and that is my goal).

Congrats, Coach Johnny Jones!

GMG!

Edited November 11, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

[class84]

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but Vic Trilli had a top 25 class that didn't work out too well for us. I respect JJ's coaching ability a lot more, so I'm definitely encouraged by what we're starting to put together on the court.

[Cowtown]

However, Trilli had top 25 hair.

[Zeke]

I don't want to be a wet blanket, but Vic Trilli had a top 25 class that didn't work out too well for us.  I respect JJ's coaching ability a lot more, so I'm definitely encouraged by what we're starting to put together on the court.

←

As I mentioned on the bball board: Vic's Top class was ranked so highly due to each player he signed getting X number of points. Signed 12 players------> Much more points than most programs. Same scale this year but with only 5 signed players.

[Coffee and TV]

As I mentioned on the bball board:  Vic's Top class was ranked so highly due to each player he signed getting X number of points.  Signed 12 players------> Much more points than most programs.  Same scale this year but with only 5 signed players.

←

How did he sign 12 players, did he kick everyone off the team from the previous year?

[Zeke]

How did he sign 12 players, did he kick everyone off the team from the previous year?

←

Pretty much.

[GreenBat]

Allen , Wes - 6'3 - G

Brown , Jamal - 6'0 - G

Davis , Chris - 6'5 - F

Erskin , Deginald - 6'6 - F

Funchess , Sam - 6'8 - F

Gilbert , Brandon - 6'8 - F

Hardie , Dominic - 6'4 - G

Jones , Anthony - 6'3 - G

Mangrum , Kenneth - 6'4 - G

Nelson , Faheem - 6'7 - F

Tennell , Dexter - 6'6 - G

Williams , Calvin - 5'11 - G

I hope this years class is better than Trilli's highly-rated class, which is listed above.

I believe Williams, Funchess, Davis and Mangrum are the ones who used all of their eligibility at NT. Allen got hurt, Erskin transfered, Tennell quit. I don't remember any of the others playing any amount of time.

I want to give credit to Cooley for the list of players.