Veteran Fans Relish Unt's Chance

[MeanGreen61]

Veteran fans relish UNT's chance

They've waited in good times and the bad for today's game

08:43 AM CDT on Friday, March 16, 2007

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Roy Grisham missed out on an opportunity to watch the University of North Texas men’s basketball team play in the NCAA Tournament nearly 20 years ago.

He wasn’t about to let another chance slip away.

Grisham dropped everything on his schedule after the Mean Green beat Ar­kan­sas State University in the finals of the Sun Belt Conference tournament nearly two weeks ago so he could make the trip to New Orleans. UNT takes on the University of Memphis in the first round at 11:30 a.m. today.

The game will mark UNT’s first appearance in the tournament since it lost to the University of North Carolina in 1988 — the only other time the Mean Green has qualified for the tournament.

“I had to work when we made it last time,” Grisham said during a pep rally for the Mean Green at the Astor Crowne Plaza hotel. “I taped it. I am so glad I got to come this time. It will be the first of many under coach [Johnny] Jones.”

Grisham was one of several longtime UNT season ticket holders who made the trip to New Orleans for a milestone event in the history of the program. Several fans said they saw UNT’s performance this season as a sign of long-term prosperity to come.

UNT finished with just 20 wins in four seasons combined in the four seasons before Jones took over the program prior to the 2001-02 season. UNT has exceeded that total this year alone while posting a 23-10 record and setting a school record for wins in a season.

“It’s really exciting,” said George Derr, a 1961 UNT graduate who has been a season ticket holder since Bill Blakeley was the Mean Green’s head coach for eight seasons beginning in the 1975-76 campaign. “We waited so long for a winning team and are invested in the program emotionally.”

UNT senior guards Kendrick Davis and Calvin Watson both thanked the several dozen fans who attended the team’s pep rally and asked for their support today, when the Mean Green will face one of its biggest challenges of the last several seasons.

Memphis is ranked fifth nationally, is the second seed in the South Region and is heavily favored to beat the Mean Green, which is a No. 15 seed. Since the NCAA Tournament expanded its field to 64 teams in 1985, only four of the 88 No. 15 seeds have won their first-round game.

Jones told the crowd that he has been pleased with the way UNT has performed in practice leading up to today’s game and is confident the Mean Green will play well in arguably its biggest game since it last made the tournament.

Several UNT fans said they were anxiously awaiting their opportunity to see the Mean Green end its NCAA Tournament drought.

“I am just so excited for them,” said Lou Ann Bradley, who has been attending games since 1988. “This is such a good group of kids. I can’t tell you how excited I am for us, for them, for everybody.”

Athletic director Rick Villarreal has gotten to know several of the Mean Green basketball team’s loyal fans during his time at UNT and was particularly glad to see them have the opportunity to share in the Mean Green’s success after supporting the team through the lean years.

“For these dyed-in-the-wool fans who have been there for years, it’s been especially sweet,” Villarreal said. “We hope what we accomplished this year encourages more people to come out.”

UNT has already begun to see the impact of the Mean Green’s accomplishments both inside and outside the athletic department.

UNT guard Rich Young was featured on the CBS Evening News because of his background as a Marine, and several other television, radio stations and newspapers have featured the Mean Green.

“It’s priceless,” said Marcilla Collinsworth, UNT’s director of admissions and a longtime Mean Green fan. “I hate to use that word, but it is priceless. You couldn’t buy the type of publicity we have received.”

Several UNT fans who stuck with the program through its down years were just as enthusiastic about the experience they will have today when the Mean Green plays in the NCAA Tournament.

Derr was among those fans

“One of the reasons I came to this one,” Derr said, “is so that I wouldn’t miss out again.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com .

Edited March 16, 2007 by MeanGreen61

[CMJ]

Great article. My folks are both alumns. I remember them both(but Mom especially) talking about the Blakely years and everything when I was a kid. We got ESPN around the time we went in '88 but I don't beklieve we had it installed yet, cause neither recall watching the game. I watched it at the CLC at 1st Baptist Church in Dennton. I was like 9 year old.

ANYWAYS Mom was so excited that we made it this year, but they aren't carrying the game in Phoenix(my folks moved about 10 years ago). They don't have high speed so the March madness on Demand was outta the question. So she hunted around & found a local sports bar that's gonna open up just for her so she can wactch the game in Phoenix.