Arkansas State (2/26/09)

[Censored by Laurie]

A "raise the bar" opinion:

Is demanding a true point in the same league as getting a BCS pro-style QB to UNT? There are lots of pass-happy kids out there, I just wonder if some coaches don't look as hard as they could. JJ may or may not be that case...

Did anyone see WV and Cinci play? WV had a kid named Ruoff that was making unbelievable passes in and around those Bearcats. Bob Knight was loving him.

UTEP has had a great tradition of these kind of guys, oddly this year almost being an exception. Julyan Stone is taking care of the ball and has that fantastic ass-turnover ratio but doesn't see the floor as good as I'd like. Before him there was Filibito Rivera, probably the greatest college PG I've ever seen, and certainly the most unheralded on the national scale.

Johnson may be the best we've had in a while? I didn't really know much about basketball when I first started following UNT (Chris Davis era), so I don't recall. Maybe getting that true PG is not a priority with JJ?

But now that I know what a good PG can do for a team, I can - with all due respect to how good this team is gelling - say we don't have him on the roster. I think having a kid like that could take us on a long Belt streak and some more NCAA trips.

Alex Ruoff is a real treat to watch...the SBC actually has two poor-man's Ruoffs in Kevin Kanaskie and Nate Rohnert...they're excellent shooters and while they don't play the point, their playmaking ability dictates that the offense runs through them from the 2/3. If we can find a kid like this (I think WKU may've stolen one from Argyle in Caden Dickerson) then Dom is the perfect fit at the 1...a superior ballhandler to get into the set...then he can worry more about scoring than passing.

I remeber watching Rivera play...solid and flashy at the same time...really kinda like most of the Latin American guards you see...Carlos Arroyo, Pepe Sanchez, Gervais Vazquez ect.

I still contend Ben was the best point of the JJ era...then Isaac, he just didn't have the complete talent around him to really elevate the team. Dom is good...and he's growing on me. I don't want any of this discussion read as an indictment on DJ...just how I, and others, see where roster improvements could be made to have this program take a serious step forward.

[UNT90]

A "raise the bar" opinion:

Is demanding a true point in the same league as getting a BCS pro-style QB to UNT?

No, finding a true point is much easier. Now, finding a true Center is the equivalent of finding the BCS Pro-Style QB.

As far as former UNT point guards, give me Deon (referenced in previous post) from the 1988 tournament team.

[chrisfisher]

Christ you guys are taking this personally. I probably have been the most vocal in the "need a point guard" community...early in the season the play at the point was suspect, at best...the biggest part of that was JJ trying to figure out who his point guard would be, Josh or Dom...the NMST game settled that discussion...a game Dom went 6:1 assist to turnover. Since he's had some stellar performances, but also some very mediocre games (UALR) and some very questionable decision, especially late in games. I'm fine with chalking the inconsistancy to it being his first year in a new system...and I agree with you guys that Dom could be a very nice lead PG here with a full season under his belt.

However...Dom could be an amazing combo off the bench...McCoy/Dennis-esque scoring ability paired with the ability to more than aptly run the point...that is a rare and valuable weapon. I made the reference to the small backcourt b/c it does put us at a disadvantage, offensivly, but especially defensivly. Adding a big, true point guard...like Marcus Brister at Weatherford College (whom we have offered) would give you a guy who relishes his role as a playmaker and passer and it would give you the ability to still play Dom and Josh for 25-30 minutes a night while at the same time minimizing the time you have two sub-5'10" players on the floor at the same time.

I also made reference to Josh and Collin's shooting this season...a point guard doesn't just pass, but he sets up scorers...Ben was great at getting Collin and Josh the ball in spots where they had clean looks and didn't have to create their own shots as much as they are this season, as it is not their strength...unlike McCoy and Thompson.

I believe I'm at the point where I'm OK with moving forward next season with Dom on the ball...I still think we'll be really good with his and others continued development. But I think this team could really be something special with a Brister-like player added to this roster...not just a premier SBC team, but a team in the top tier of mid-major programs in the country.

Good points. I thought the size would be more an issue and it appeared to be early in the season, but it doesn't seem to be as much a factor... you really don't see Josh or Dom getting isolated so that a bigger guard can beat up on them... it doesn't mean this won't happen, and probably would if we made it to the NCAA tourny. Oh, and by the way, my name is Chris, but Christ will do.

[Censored by Laurie]

Good points. I thought the size would be more an issue and it appeared to be early in the season, but it doesn't seem to be as much a factor... you really don't see Josh or Dom getting isolated so that a bigger guard can beat up on them... it doesn't mean this won't happen, and probably would if we made it to the NCAA tourny. Oh, and by the way, my name is Chris, but Christ will do.

You'll see it Sunday if we play man all night...Denver's offense will force switches and last time Joe Scott was great at getting either Rohnert (6'5"), Stafford (6'3") or Hallam (6'5") iso'd against Josh or Dom inside 12 feet.

[foutsrouts]

I do think that Johnson is developing into an adequate point guard, but I still wish that he and Josh weren't on the court together so often. They're frequently having problems getting off their shots on the offensive end, and defensively they are getting shot over way too often. Dennis isn't exactly a defensive giant, but I'm more comfortable having him in there against bigger guards than I am with Josh. As Christ said in the previous post, size was more problematic early on, but from what I saw at the Little Rock game, Josh and Dom together are probably going to continue to be jumped on by some of our bigger and more athletic opponents. So happy that we have a couple of big guards in a surging McCoy and TT to help alleviate some of those matchup problems.

[GrandGreen]

No, finding a true point is much easier. Now, finding a true Center is the equivalent of finding the BCS Pro-Style QB.

As far as former UNT point guards, give me Deon (referenced in previous post) from the 1988 tournament team.

[/quote

Well you only had to go back 20 years to name Deon. Who was indeed good but was a shoot first point guard. If you want to go back another 20 years, Joe Hamilton was not only the best point guard but probably the best player in NT history. Neil Adams was the consummate pass first high assist pg that many seem to equate with good point guard play.

In reference to other posts, Ben Bell played as hard as any player I have witnessed, but I don't think he had above average pg skills. Hines was a great rebounder for the position and probably would have put up even better numbers than he did with a better supporting cast. I think you can certainly make a case that either or both were better than the junior Johnson. However, it certainly is not obvious to me from watching them play that they were significant better than Johnson and the statistics certainly don't bear that out. I think Johnson gets a bad rap primarily because of some bad shoot selections he made in a couple of close games. It is forgotten that he also won a couple of games by making the same kind of decisions. I hope and think he has learned from those mistakes. I frankly can't remember that much about Hines but I do remember Bell making a lot of similar bad decisions at the end of ball games.

I don't understand the infatuation with Brister other than at one time it was reported that NT offered him a scholarship. He did average 5 or 6 assists at God Academy and was highly regarded in NT terms, but he looks far from a sure better pg solution than Johnson. He is 6'3 or 4 but the concept that you have to have a tall pg to make up for a very short off guard is puzzling. I think adding another junior to next year's team would be a big mistake unless he is definite star quality.

[Censored by Laurie]

I don't understand the infatuation with Brister other than at one time it was reported that NT offered him a scholarship. He did average 5 or 6 assists at God Academy and was highly regarded in NT terms, but he looks far from a sure better pg solution than Johnson. He is 6'3 or 4 but the concept that you have to have a tall pg to make up for a very short off guard is puzzling. I think adding another junior to next year's team would be a big mistake unless he is definite star quality.

I'm simply using Brister as an example b/c UNT has offered him...he's also averaging about 13 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists at Weatherford College and was once a scholarship player in the Big 12. I've never seen the kid play...and have heard mixed reviews from those who have...but on paper he seems like a nice find...especially considering I know for a fact that UNT is looking for perimeter help with its last scholarships and I'm hoping that we don't just bring in another wing.

I also never said that you HAVE to have a tall PG next to Josh. Clearly this season we don't and we've shown flashes of excellent basketball. However, you can't tell me that Josh White at 5'8" trying to defend lets say ULL's Travis Bureau at 6'7" doesn't leave us at a disadvantage. A big point guard would be highly beneficial...and I think the versitility and talent of a 1/2 backcourt combination of White, Johnson and a Brister-like player would be exceptional.

As for adding another junior...I'm torn. Looking at this roster, this team should peak either next season or '10-11. I think if you stack the cards now...as in add a junior point guard and maybe a D-1 transfer forward like the kid from GW and bank on a significantly higher level of success in those seasons then you can afford to look to restock for after this sophomore class graduates after your success has made you more appealing to some of the more talented local kids we're currently missing out on (Chris Babb, Nick Russell) or getting as transfers (Collin Dennis, George Odufuwa). That may be a huge gamble, or just flawed logic.

[e-bone ver2.awesome]

Well guys, name one point in recent NT history that you think is better than Johnson.

As a true PG? How about our last 2, Bell and Hines?

[CMJ]

I actually think Dom is night and day better than he was in November. Back then I thought he was a shooting guard pretending to be a point. He's taken ownership of the position in the last couple of months though, and we're playing really well as a result. If he didn't have a case of "last minute hero-itis" - we'd all be alot higher on him than we already are. We'll be solid with him at the one next year.