Why I Feel This Team Is Struggling

UNT90 · January 7, 2010

The past three years, the current one, and next season (if not beyond).
These are good times. Even if we don't manage that big breakthrough step, these are still good times. We can hope for the attention-grabbing success while still enjoying the ones that are so significant to our program.
There's plenty of stuff about this athletic program to be angry or frustrated or disappointed about. Men's Basketball isn't one of them.

Not angry, frustrated, or disappointed, but I expect better.

Well, maybe a little disappointed.

Edited January 7, 2010 by UNT90

NT03 · January 7, 2010

If Basketball was treated like Football we would be a bowl team every year and everyone would be happy . Problem is there are 347 DI BB basketball programs in the country and just 104 teams (29%) make the postseason whereas in football 68 of the 120 teams ( 56%) make the postseason.

TheTastyGreek · January 7, 2010

If Basketball was treated like Football we would be a bowl team every year and everyone would be happy . Problem is there are 347 DI BB basketball programs in the country and just 104 teams (29%) make the postseason whereas in football 68 of the 120 teams ( 56%) make the postseason.

Exactly.

If Todd Dodge goes out and has three consecutive 8-5 seasons, people are going to kick down his door to measure him for a statue. Even though we already had similar success earlier this same decade.

Meanwhile, this basketball program is a disappointment.

It boggles the mind.

UNT90 · January 7, 2010

Exactly.
If Todd Dodge goes out and has three consecutive 8-5 seasons, people are going to kick down his door to measure him for a statue. Even though we already had similar success earlier this same decade.
Meanwhile, this basketball program is a disappointment.
It boggles the mind.

Complete difference in facilities, easy to build a basketball program as opposed to a football program (no BCS to deal with), and I would NOT be satisfied with an 8-5 record in football, unless it included a Sun Belt crown and a win over a top 30 program.

Comparing basketball to football is apples and Oranges. We have one of, if not the best, basketball venue in the Belt. We are in a major media center with lots of high school talent available. Easier to get recruits to a smaller conference bball school than to a smaller conference football school.

I just don't understand why everyone is satisfied with winning 20 games if it means no post season. Are those really your standards for this program? I can see this program with a shot to be nationally ranked and winning at least a couple of games in the NCAA tournament. Can you not? And, if you can, why are you satisfied with where we are at?

Edited January 7, 2010 by UNT90

TheTastyGreek · January 7, 2010

Complete difference in facilities, easy to build a basketball program as opposed to a football program (no BCS to deal with), and I would NOT be satisfied with an 8-5 record in football, unless it included a Sun Belt crown and a win over a top 30 program.
Comparing basketball to football is apples and Oranges. We have one of, if not the best, basketball venue in the Belt. We are in a major media center with lots of high school talent available. Easier to get recruits to a smaller conference bball school than to a smaller conference football school.
I just don't understand why everyone is satisfied with winning 20 games if it means no post season. Are those really your standards for this program? I can see this program with a shot to be nationally ranked and winning at least a couple of games in the NCAA tournament. Can you not? And, if you can, why are you satisfied with where we are at?

It's not easier to build basketball than football. Many might argue that it's harder. It may be FASTER, sometimes. But it is not easier.

We also have one of the best, if not the best, basketball programs in the Belt. The only one that's been better than us the past three years is WKU, and they're also the only team to end our season before a postseason bid the past two years.

TCU and SMU are also in major media centers with lots of high school talent available. TCU hired a guy with Kansas coaching experience who came here and did a whole lot of nothing. Then they poached a coach from the MAC, and maybe, someday... He'll get them to OUR LEVEL RIGHT NOW. SMU spends (I believe) 3/4ths of a million dollars per year on the former head coach at North Carolina. He's probably going to finish with less than 10 wins this year. This, despite the fact that at least one of their alums runs an AAU organization and tries to steer recruits to the Mustangs. They've got everything we've got, plus success in other sports and a better conference affiliation to point to. Both schools spend more money. Neither school is anywhere close to where our program is.

It may or may not be easier to get recruits to a smaller conference basketball school than it is for football. But it's undeniable that there are almost THREE TIMES AS MANY SCHOOLS competing for those recruits willing to consider a smaller program.

If it's such a no-brainer slam dunk and we're all settling for low expectations... Why is it that TCU and SMU can't seem to pull off what we've been doing for the past 3 years and counting?

NT03 · January 7, 2010

Complete difference in facilities, easy to build a basketball program as opposed to a football program (no BCS to deal with), and I would NOT be satisfied with an 8-5 record in football, unless it included a Sun Belt crown and a win over a top 30 program.
Comparing basketball to football is apples and Oranges. We have one of, if not the best, basketball venue in the Belt. We are in a major media center with lots of high school talent available. Easier to get recruits to a smaller conference bball school than to a smaller conference football school.
I just don't understand why everyone is satisfied with winning 20 games if it means no post season. Are those really your standards for this program? I can see this program with a shot to be nationally ranked and winning at least a couple of games in the NCAA tournament. Can you not? And, if you can, why are you satisfied with where we are at?

How is it easier , because of fewer players ?

I really don't think DFW has that deep of pool of BB talent. This is a football 1st , 2nd & 3rd state. I have no idea on the numbers , but i would like to see the number of DFW BB recruits to DI schools over the past several years. The big names of course , Williams , Bosh , etc.... but I would bet that DFW is not the 1st choice of major recruiters like football is. More and more any decent player winds up at these preps schools which reek of nothing but NCAA violations everywhere , which makes it even more difficult for smaller schools.

FirefightnRick · January 7, 2010

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see how the talent pool in the area recruited, the money spent, the facilities etc...., has a thing to do with not running a press, pulling players right after they start to make shots in a game, recruiting people who couldn't guard a stop sign while in high school, not playing blister-burning-in-your-face-hustle defense, not calling time-outs to change momentum during an opponents run etc.......and all that.

Rick

calvin · January 7, 2010

Well Rick, what coach can we get that fits your expectations ? Obviously you got all the answers and are not satsified with our program, so who do we go get ? I came to a game in the mid 90s and we were terrible. I was in college during the Trilli years and remember losing to Maryland by 75 points. I have a media guide and I have seen the history of our program and I see how dismal it is. I also see that the first 3 years the Pit was opened it averaged over 3K fans a per game and that has happened again until the last 3 years. We had most wins in school history a few years ago and we have followed that up with 2 more 20 win season. Why are you so negative about everything ?

FirefightnRick · January 7, 2010

Well Rick, what coach can we get that fits your expectations ? Obviously you got all the answers and are not satsified with our program, so who do we go get ? I came to a game in the mid 90s and we were terrible. I was in college during the Trilli years and remember losing to Maryland by 75 points. I have a media guide and I have seen the history of our program and I see how dismal it is. I also see that the first 3 years the Pit was opened it averaged over 3K fans a per game and that has happened again until the last 3 years. We had most wins in school history a few years ago and we have followed that up with 2 more 20 win season. Why are you so negative about everything ?

We are 4 pages into this thread full of people explaining their frustrations with this team yet I'm the one being negative and you don't like it?

Rick

chrisfisher · January 9, 2010

I've wondered recently given our scoring difficulties if it might be worthwhile to try Shorter as the point and move Josh over to the 2 so that Josh can focus on scoring.... Shorter ran the point for stretches againt UTA and did a great job bringing the down the court. I know Shorter can be turnover prone, but with more time at the point that might improve... Just an idea...