Unt's Run Is One To Remember

[MeanGreen61]

UNT's run is one to remember

There is always a looming concern when a team like North Texas plays its first game in the NCAA Tournament.

None of UNT's players had been past the first round of the Sun Belt Conference tournament before this season, let alone played on the biggest stage in college basketball. Memphis was ranked fifth in the country and had the nation's longest winning streak.

No one would have been surprised if UNT had been blown out like many teams seeded 15th are each season.

Instead the Mean Green came up with a performance that made UNT's fans and head coach Johnny Jones proud. UNT led early and was within striking distance late before falling to the Tigers 73-58 at New Orleans Arena.

UNT's players thought they could and would win. That goal proved to be out of reach, but the Mean Green represented the university well.

One could argue that this is the most successful team in UNT basketball history and one of the best in the history of the Mean Green athletic program overall. The Mean Green had been to the NCAA Tournament only once before this season and no team in program history has won as many games as this season's team that tallied 23.

On the way home today, I thought back to a conversation I had with Jones earlier in the season when I asked about how players like senior guards Calvin Watson and Kendrick Davis would rank among the greats in UNT history.

Jones said both Davis and Watson are great players, but what would help their legacy would be to lead the Mean Green to a memorable season. People always remember the stars on special teams.

UNT fell short of its goal of winning in the NCAA Tournament, but there is little doubt each member of the team was a part of something special in UNT history.

That's not a bad consolation prize for Davis, Watson and the rest of the Mean Green.

Edited March 18, 2007 by MeanGreen61