Thoughts on the game

emmitt01 · December 24, 2005

1)Teams that can rotate the ball on the perimeter will have a lot of open looks against us this year unless there is a defensive philosophy change.

2)Houston is a donut team. There is NOTHING in the middle. Had we actually attacked them down low all day long we could have fouled out their big men...including #25 who hit us with the 3-ball all day long.

3)We are a very athletic and hungry team. A vast improvement over years past. Any of the Trilli teams and the first few JJ teams would have been blown out in this game.

4)We are not yet a "smart" team. As I mentioned the interior game was handed to us on a silver platter but we wouldn't take it. Furthermore, and probably more importantly, we don't know how to work the clock looking for a good shot. Down by 5 with over a minute left we heave up a bad 3 pointer. Smart teams realize that you drive for 2, either getting the bucket or the foul.

5)Houston is a good team. Given a decent look they will bury one in your mug.

6)I look forward to the year ahead. I think with just a little momentum we could make some noise in conference.

7)We don't have fans. We have ticket holders with spare time on their hands. Houston's crowd was loud, together, and knew when and where to get into the game. We were made to look bad fan wise on our home floor. You can say "they had a bowl game tonight" all you want. You can say "the students were home for the holidays" all you want. You can even complain that it was a weekday at 1pm. You can't, at least not while being honest with yourself, say that even with perfect circumstances we would have looked like a 1A crowd. We don't know what colors to wear. We don't know how to stand. We aren't loud. We were embarrassed today.

UNTSportsGuy · December 24, 2005

7)We don't have fans. We have ticket holders with spare time on their hands. Houston's crowd was loud, together, and knew when and where to get into the game. We were made to look bad fan wise on our home floor. You can say "they had a bowl game tonight" all you want. You can say "the students were home for the holidays" all you want. You can even complain that it was a weekday at 1pm. You can't, at least not while being honest with yourself, say that even with perfect circumstances we would have looked like a 1A crowd. We don't know what colors to wear. We don't know how to stand. We aren't loud. We were embarrassed today.
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Amen.

GrandGreen · December 24, 2005

7)We don't have fans. We have ticket holders with spare time on their hands. Houston's crowd was loud, together, and knew when and where to get into the game. We were made to look bad fan wise on our home floor. You can say "they had a bowl game tonight" all you want. You can say "the students were home for the holidays" all you want. You can even complain that it was a weekday at 1pm. You can't, at least not while being honest with yourself, say that even with perfect circumstances we would have looked like a 1A crowd. We don't know what colors to wear. We don't know how to stand. We aren't loud. We were embarrassed today.

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ADLER · December 24, 2005

7)We don't have fans. We have ticket holders with spare time on their hands. Houston's crowd was loud, together, and knew when and where to get into the game. We were made to look bad fan wise on our home floor. You can say "they had a bowl game tonight" all you want. You can say "the students were home for the holidays" all you want. You can even complain that it was a weekday at 1pm. You can't, at least not while being honest with yourself, say that even with perfect circumstances we would have looked like a 1A crowd. We don't know what colors to wear. We don't know how to stand. We aren't loud. We were embarrassed today.[/size]
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A fan base is something that you have to cultivate. It involves promoting the right events to the right people. You want those people to have a great time so that they want to continue coming to more games. We REFUSE to do that.

As ar as the protocol of college basketball, there is a huge void at North Texas. NONE of the North Texas spirit groups are educated in collegiate basketball protocol, and those are the very people that should be leading the other fans (if we actually bothered to cultivate some).

Overall, Johnny and the team did their part. Others failed by continuing to do what's always brought failure in the past. They try to hide this constant failure by recruiting PIPs, church groups, school groups, and corporate bulk seating to pad the horrendous attendance numbers. Nothing against those people and I have nothing against them being at the games, but THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT NORTH TEXAS BASKETBALL, AND THEY WILL NEVER SPEND ONE DIME OF THEIR OWN MONEY TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM.

Today was embarrassing because key people decided not to do what SHOULD have been done.

Oh well, go mean green.

drex · December 24, 2005

This was potentially a watershed game for the basketball program. My congratulations to the athletic department for not realizing it and doing nothing to promote the game other than a lame email one day prior to the game. Sure, they mailed out tickets to the game to season ticket holders. Was anything said about Houston beating LSU and I think Arizona...No. Were there any promotions at local banks who would have been happy to supply tickets to customers. Was there a Santa Claus at the game for kids? Was there even an attempt made to have cheerleaders and a full pep band at the game? My hat is off to Johnny Jones and the team for playing such a great game that the athletic department managed to make a home game for the Cougars. Had we had even 2,000 of our own people at the game we might have given our kids the home team advantage that they deserved and we might just have pulled off the upset. Oh well, it ain't football, so apparently it doesn't deserve any help from the athletic department. Sure it is close to Christmas, but I bet there were a lot of people who would have dropped by to see the game if they realized who we were playing and the importance of the game to the basketball program.

greenjoe · December 24, 2005

NT appeared to be the visiting team at our own gym today. The Houston crowd owned the band and yelled wildly when NT was at the line. When Houston went to the line, I felt like we were in church.

We have a good team this year. Better than our fans.

ADLER · December 24, 2005

We have a good team this year. Better than our fans.
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We have a lot of potential fans. We have done NOTHING to entice them to get involved.

At North Texas, Promotions means giving away a dozen Wendy's tee shirts and an Outback steak dinner.

FirefightnRick · December 24, 2005

Ditto everything ADLER has stated. Hardly no college age people in Green in attendance at all. It just amazes me that there are that few college basketball fans attending school at North Texas?

About the game, if we have one shooter on the team, we win this game. Someone help me remember when the last good shooter was, Jesse Ratliff? It was incredible to see this team keep up, and actually take the lead after getting down by 10, with mostly layups. We need someone, anyone that can accurately shoot the ball. ANYONE!

Rick

NTEagle08 · December 24, 2005

Ditto everything ADLER has stated. Hardly no college age people in Green in attendance at all. It just amazes me that there are that few college basketball fans attending school at North Texas?
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You really can't blame the average college student for not attending this game. Especially since this was a pretty much non advertised moved game on a Friday afternoon 3 days before Christmas during the Winter Break. I would have attended the game, but I am here in Houston for the break.

Rudy · December 24, 2005

You really can't blame the average college student for not attending this game. Especially since this was a pretty much non advertised moved game on a Friday afternoon 3 days before Christmas during the Winter Break. I would have attended the game, but I am here in Houston for the break.
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Sorry Matt, I gotta call BS on that. I understand people like yourself were out of town, and that is acceptable. However, I know for a fact that there are fans and students that live in or very near Denton that were not with family or shopping during the game. And even if they were shopping, you can take 3 hours off to go to the game. The stores are open until like 10pm anyways. As far as being with family, if the family is together near Denton or in the metroplex, why not take the clan to the game. What is so wrong about parents, siblings, grandparents, in-laws, and cousins going to share a part of their family member's college experience?

NTEagle08 · December 24, 2005

Sorry Matt, I gotta call BS on that. I understand people like yourself were out of town, and that is acceptable. However, I know for a fact that there are fans and students that live in or very near Denton that were not with family or shopping during the game. And even if they were shopping, you can take 3 hours off to go to the game. The stores are open until like 10pm anyways. As far as being with family, if the family is together near Denton or in the metroplex, why not take the clan to the game. What is so wrong about parents, siblings, grandparents, in-laws, and cousins going to share a part of their family member's college experience?
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Thing is though that unless you had gone to a game a week or two previous to this game or kept up with the schedule, you had no clue until today(assuming that you read the newspaper) that this game was in Denton. That's the problem, all the printed advertisement(posters, programs, etc) had this game in Houston today and not in Denton.

PerryG2480 · December 24, 2005

I guarantee you that VERY few students even knew this game was taking place.

eulesseagle · December 24, 2005

Disagree with all of you!!

1. Coach Penders knew that there would not be anyone in Houston if they played in Houston and that is why he moved the game to UNT to cohabitate with the Fort Worth Bowl. (smart move).

2. UNT had the chance to win the game until they could not make a basket during the last 4 minutes of the game.

3. IMHO, Houston made some "incredible pull 'em out of your as_ shots" throughout the game.

4. Houston was 50% from behind the arch.

5. The Houston crowd that was next to me was saying that they could not believe a "Sun Belt" team was that good and it would devistate their program if a "Sun Belt" team beat them. I reminded them of South Alabama and they laughed.

6. If UNT played UH 10 times we would win at least 1/2 of the games. I thought we matched up really well player for player.

7. JJ has the "best" team that he has had since he has been here!! The amount of steals that this team has game after game is amazing!! This teams plays with tenacity throughout the entire game.

*****For those of you complaining about our attendance:

1. IT'S DECEMBER 23RD.....ALL THE STUDENTS ARE AT HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES INCLUDING THE CHEERLEADERS AND ALL BUT 5 OF THE DANCERS.

2. THE ATYPICAL UNT ALUM CROWD "SILENTLY" SHOWED UP AND WAS REMINDED BY THE UofH CROWD WHAT THE "OLD PIT" USED TO BE LIKE.

3. MERRY CHRISTmas.

Coach · December 24, 2005

Adler, I am with you all the way. Those are great points that are right on.

Buford_Julep · December 24, 2005

Unfortunately, I had to miss my first home game since November of 1998.

Here are Tom Penders' thoughts via the DRC:

Houston coach Tom Penders called the victory a quality win for the Cougars, not only because it ended their losing streak, but also because it came against what he expects will be a solid UNT team.

"I think that North Texas is a very nice basketball team," Penders said. "They can shoot it, their big guys are like warriors inside and they are a cohesive team. ... Unless they fall apart, I think they have a chance to win their conference."

Edited December 24, 2005 by Buford_Julep

UHCOOGFAN · December 24, 2005

Just wanted to drop by the Mean Green message board and say that UNT is a good team... I enjoyed watching the game at the Super Pit yesterday afternoon... nice arena. I was glad the Cougars were able to get the W against a good Mean Green team... your kids in the paint are athletic... glad we shot the ball well enough to win. Good luck in the Sun Belt. I look forward to watching your team from a distance for the remainder of the season. When the students return to campus from the holiday break, get them out to support the Mean Green.

Go Coogs. Peace.

UNT_92_Fan · December 25, 2005

you're right emmitt i did wear the wrong color shirt to to the game...Came stright from the rents and picking up my friend from tech that came out to the game...I apologize...and will never suck at life again....

I will add that it was am embarrasment to know that i was at a home game but feel like i was unwanted in the stands....When i couldnt even hear our band playing because fo the coog fans...which i applaud for being there and being so damn loud....it was slightly embarrassing and I tried to explain it to my friend from tech that they were only out in full force cause of their bowl game but she was wondering where our fans were....the answer to that...i couldnt bullshit her...they just werent there...

The ones that were there...were QUITE loud when the game got real tight and we made our move but we neeed to be on that team like we were for those 3 or 4 minutes for 40 minutes of basketball!

thought i would throw down my .02 before i pass out and let santa bring me a sold out super pit for xmas....

NT80 · December 25, 2005

Just wanted to drop by the Mean Green message board and say that UNT is a good team... I enjoyed watching the game at the Super Pit yesterday afternoon... nice arena. I was glad the Cougars were able to get the W against a good Mean Green team... your kids in the paint are athletic... glad we shot the ball well enough to win. Good luck in the Sun Belt. I look forward to watching your team from a distance for the remainder of the season. When the students return to campus from the holiday break, get them out to support the Mean Green.
Go Coogs. Peace.
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Thanks for the post. It was a fun game, I always enjoy when the visitors bring a lot of fans, and spirited ones. I wish more NT students would have been there, they missed a good one. Good luck to the Coogs.

gruu · December 25, 2005

What? Basketball season already? Dang... as a football season ticket holder... I'd thought UNT might send me an invitation to some BB games... Hmmm... Then again... why would they? I've only had BB season tickets only 3 or 4 times in the last 12. So... never mind... must not be worth the stamp.

Edited December 25, 2005 by gruu