For What It's Worth

[drex]

Quick count, as of today is 80.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

I've always held the thought that in college basketball, any season with 20+ wins is at least a "good" season.

I guess "good" may depend on the school and its recent history. Duke, NC, Memphis, etc. could easily justify a 20+ win season as a bad season if they don't get out of the first round of the dance.

[CMJ]

For a school with only six 20 wins seasons in its history - I'd say it qualifies as a good season.

[KRAM1]

I like "20 wins and UNT" in the same sentance. I hope that becomes the "rule" and not the exception in the years to follow. The men's team is looking good for next year and I think we'll see a much improved women's squad.

GO MEAN GREEN!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---20 wins in the regular season only is very tough and impressive. Several (including NT) get there as the result of being in a post season conference tournament. ... which is impressive but not quite as much.

---Congratulations to the basketball team..... lets get the football team to do as well.

--- On a more personal note Midand College (30-3, community college) is representing West and North Texas after winning an eight team regional tournament this week. They were the JC National Champs in 2007, they defeated a 27-4 team in the regional final to get there, which puts them in the final 16. It takes seven consecutive postseason wins to win it all, they now have three. Hope NT keeps on eye on some of the better national JC players. Some former MC ones have been Spud Webb, Mookie Blaylock, and Rickey Grace... all later played in the NBA.... the final pair later started in an NCAA final.

Edited March 11, 2009 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Censored by Laurie]

---20 wins in the regular season only is very tough and impressive. Several (including NT) get there as the result of being in a post season conference tournament. ... which is impressive but not quite as much.

---Congratulations to the basketball team..... lets get the football team to do as well.

--- On a more personal note Midand College (30-3, community college) is representing West and North Texas after winning an eight team regional tournament this week. They were the JC National Champs in 2007, they defeated a 27-4 team in the regional final to get there, which puts them in the final 16. It takes seven consecutive postseason wins to win it all, they now have three. Hope NT keeps on eye on some of the better national JC players. Some former MC ones have been Spud Webb, Mookie Blaylock, and Rickey Grace... all later played in the NBA.... the final pair later started in an NCAA final.

Their star is a kid named Kavon Lytch...a 6'8" 240 PF from Brooklyn, NY who averaged 18ppg, 9.3rpg...but this kid must've had some series eligibility issues as he was a graduating senior in 2006.

Guard Greg Hill (6'2" 215 SG) averaged 15.5ppg and is showing interest from Indiana, Purdue and MTSU

David Terrell (6'5" 215 SF) averaged 11.8ppg.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

For a school with only six 20 wins seasons in its history - I'd say it qualifies as a good season.

If you are going to have a winning program, it has to start somewhere and if you had told me 3 years ago, that JJ would have back to back to back 20 win seasons, I would have taken that in a heart beat.

[calvin]

80 teams seems like a lot but when you consider that there are 330 teams then it looks better. I am glad we are one of the 80.

[CMJ]

If you are going to have a winning program, it has to start somewhere and if you had told me 3 years ago, that JJ would have back to back to back 20 win seasons, I would have taken that in a heart beat.

NT All time 20 win teams:

1925-26 20-5

1975-76 22-4

1976-77 21-6

1977-78 22-6

2006-07 23-11

2007-08 20-11

2008-09 20-12

That's it. Granted schools used to play about 5-6 games fewer a season say twenty plus years ago, but it's still rather impressive that 3 of our 7 ALL-TIME 20 win seasons have come the last three seasons.

Edited March 12, 2009 by CMJ

[foutsrouts]

80 teams seems like a lot but when you consider that there are 330 teams then it looks better. I am glad we are one of the 80.

I'm looking for 25 wins also, but being in the top 25% of anything ain't bad. Especially when you do it three years in a row.

[Buford_Julep]

It sure as hell beats taking 4 seasons to win a total of 20 games. That is the situation NT was in when JJ took over.

[NT80]

NT All time 20 win teams:

1925-26 20-5

1975-76 22-4

1976-77 21-6

1977-78 22-6

2006-07 23-11

2007-08 20-11

2008-09 20-12

That's it. Granted schools used to play about 5-6 games fewer a season say twenty plus years ago, but it's still rather impressive that 3 of our 7 ALL-TIME 20 win seasons have come the last three seasons.

It should be noted that NT was independent during those Bill Blakeley coached seasons, thus they were all regular season wins, no extra conference tourney wins.... just saying.

[CMJ]

It should be noted that NT was independent during those Bill Blakeley coached seasons, thus they were all regular season wins, no extra conference tourney wins.... just saying.

Hence why I mentioned teams play about 5-6 more games a season nowadays.

[NT03]

It sure as hell beats taking 4 seasons to win a total of 20 games. That is the situation NT was in when JJ took over.

Whose situation was more "worse" when they came in ? JJ's or TD's ??

The NIT will host their selection show tonight at 8 on espnU. No , we have NO shot at that , but whom they pick could effect our cbi,cit chances

Edited March 15, 2009 by NT03

[GoMeanGreen1999]

Whose situation was more "worse" when they came in ? JJ's or TD's ??

That is a great question - I would say JJ's was.

[wardly]

while its nice to win 20 games, it won't get you to the ncaa's. i would like us to schedule more difficult teams when possible in order to raise rating, to win more than 11 regular season conference games, and to win the west division. while i appreciate the job jj has done, i feel it is time to increase our level of expetations. aproximately 1/3 of all teams are in post season play, and a number of them did not win 20 games, but had a higher rating than us. in summary, except perhaps for job security, 20 win seasons doesn't seem as imporant as it did before the turn of the century, especially if it doesn't get you into post season play.

[CMJ]

I'm sure we coulda gone to the CIT if we'd really wanted to. We're rated higher than like over half the schools in it, and higher than quite a few in the CBI as well. UALR and MTSU for sure turned down both, so we more than likely did as well.

[H-towngreen]

while its nice to win 20 games, it won't get you to the ncaa's. i would like us to schedule more difficult teams when possible in order to raise rating, to win more than 11 regular season conference games, and to win the west division. while i appreciate the job jj has done, i feel it is time to increase our level of expetations. aproximately 1/3 of all teams are in post season play, and a number of them did not win 20 games, but had a higher rating than us. in summary, except perhaps for job security, 20 win seasons doesn't seem as imporant as it did before the turn of the century, especially if it doesn't get you into post season play.

There are actually like 320 something schools in D1 hoops, football has 120.

[wardly]

347 d1 basketball teams, aproximately 1/3 in post season play, and about 1 in 5 with 20 game wins. to win 20 games, be ranked 4th in conference, and only rated 156 by sagarin says alot about our strength of schedule, as well as the sunbelt conference. my point is that it does us no good to "schedule down" in order to win 20 games if it doesn't get you anywhere. we need to raise the bar.

[CMJ]

The NCAA committee doesn't use the Sagarin rankings at all in their selection. They at least look at RPI, even if not as closely as they used to(the NIT views RPI very closely apparently)..

[GrandGreen]

347 d1 basketball teams, aproximately 1/3 in post season play, and about 1 in 5 with 20 game wins. to win 20 games, be ranked 4th in conference, and only rated 156 by sagarin says alot about our strength of schedule, as well as the sunbelt conference. my point is that it does us no good to "schedule down" in order to win 20 games if it doesn't get you anywhere. we need to raise the bar.

Great idea, how do you propose it be accomplished? Actually, NT sos was not that bad. Being the power conference teams seldom will play non-conference away games, who are also usually the highest ranked, how do you schedule to improve your ranking. I really can't fault NT scheduling. In fact, another game or two against non-division 1 teams may not be bad. Those games are ratings neutral and do not actually hurt your ratings like playing a team like Houston Baptist might even if you win big. I think it would be a big mistake to overload with away games just to play higher rated teams. Playing home and away series with other upper tier so called mid-majors would be an obvious answer, but this too is not that easy. The problem for NT is that although they should have a good team, they do not yet have the reputation of a quality team. Why would a top tier MVC for example play NT when they can schedule other teams that will be a much better draw to their home courts.

[wardly]

like fresno state in football, you must go on the road to increase your power rating, unless ypu are satisfied winning 20 games and staying home. nobody says its easy, but wk went to louisville this year and beat them.

[CMJ]

like fresno state in football, you must go on the road to increase your power rating, unless ypu are satisfied winning 20 games and staying home. nobody says its easy, but wk went to louisville this year and beat them.

That was actually a game on a nuetral floor....it wasn't in Freedom Hall.

And as to your Fresno State comparison, when was the last time they did anything wothwhile in the WAC? That conference is owned by Boise State who actually has made national noise. Hell, so did Hawaii acouple years ago for that matter. Doesn't matter how much you try to prove yourself to the big boys if you can't win your own league- which Fresno State can't.

Edited March 19, 2009 by CMJ

[GrandGreen]

like fresno state in football, you must go on the road to increase your power rating, unless ypu are satisfied winning 20 games and staying home. nobody says its easy, but wk went to louisville this year and beat them.

WKU also lost away to Houston, Murray St. , Evansville, and Miss. State. On neutral sites they beat Louisville and lost to Fla State. They were 5-5 in non conference and did play a strong schedule, but more impressive they were 18-3 against the Belt. WKU is in the tournament because they won the Belt tournament, if they had lost they would most likely be in the NIT. I think a non power conference team is just as likely to get in the NCAA playing a very weak oc schedule and having a great winning percentage as playing a tough oc schedule and having a low twenty win season. NT going 11-7 in the Belt is not going to impress many even if they were perfect in out of conference. When NT can go through the season with 4 or less conference loses then they can start being concerned about power ratings.

I think your Fresno State example is good but remember that the key to their success was the ability to use players that could not qualify at the majority of division 1 schools, they haven't been that successful after changing their admission practices. As mentoned Boise State has been a lot more successful basically playing a very easy oc schedule.

[calvin]

347 d1 basketball teams, aproximately 1/3 in post season play, and about 1 in 5 with 20 game wins. to win 20 games, be ranked 4th in conference, and only rated 156 by sagarin says alot about our strength of schedule, as well as the sunbelt conference. my point is that it does us no good to "schedule down" in order to win 20 games if it doesn't get you anywhere. we need to raise the bar.

This kind of talk ticks me off. I remember sitting in the Pit during the 4 year run where we only won 20 games in those 4 years. So I will take 20 win seasons. I think WKU has won 20 games in 8 out of the last 9 years. I hope this is the same kind of thing we are doing here. I would love to be like WKU. And what has been so bad about our schedule? We played Ark., Houston, OK St., Indiana St (they were a solid team in the MVC) we cant help it they have been down the last 2 years. SHSU and UTA are pretty solid every year so I dont mind those games. TCU, SMU wont play us, we have played Rice and Tulsa the last few years and beat them, so I bet they arent itching to play us. None of the big schools will come to the Pit so why should we go to Maryland, OU, and Bama year after year ? I think the way our schedule is set up right now where we play 2 or 3 big schools a year and the rest mid major schools is fine. The momentum we have going now I will be disappointed if we dont win 24 or 25 games next year.