why do what the current players think matter that much?

THOR · April 24, 2012

someone posted in a thread earlier that some of the players weren't happy with the hire of benford... so i ask...why does that matter??? yes, we have three really good young players...granted, two of them weren't eligible for their entire freshman year due to academics and one could go pro when he wants...but we are looking out for the long term good of the university so how much should we really care about what they think???

i hope all players stay and buy into what benford teaches, but these players are just a flash in the pan in terms of basketball at north texas....

Edited April 24, 2012 by THOR

UNT90 · April 24, 2012

Because of twitter.

It makes grown men hang on every word of a 19 year old kid.

It's the new afternoon soap opera for men.

unt_rocket09 · April 24, 2012

I think we are all prisoners of the moment. But my deal is, if they want to leave, don't let the door hit ya! Everyone will need to buy into Benford, and when everything settles down it will all be find. IMO

Rudy · April 24, 2012

Because of twitter.

It makes grown men hang on every word of a 19 year old kid.

It's the new afternoon soap opera for men.

Today on As the Twitter Turns...

greenfan · April 25, 2012

Pretty simple why you should care what current players say. With them, chances for success are high next year. A win in the dance changes things for our basketball program dramatically. Wins means attendance, more competitive recruiting, more donors, better facilities, etc. This program is on the verge of tremendous opportunity, but only wins will allow accomplishment.

I'm not saying you allow the committed to run the asylum, but you have to walk that fine line. There has to be discipline, structure and coaching. However, the players deserve to be heard.

Even the best coaches believe is ain't the x's and o's, but the Johnnys and Joes. If you think Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky, and the rest of the power programs win because of game coaching you are wrong. Coaches make a difference in games, but players win games. The coaches who don't pay attention aren't able to recruit the best and won't win.

NT03 · April 25, 2012

Now a days players seems to stick around longer than coaches. We've just been lucky.

Does it seem wrong that the players had to find out via twitter who their new coach was. Shouldn't there have been a team meeting before hand ? Or am I just old school ?

rjmunthe · April 25, 2012

The current players matter that much because as of right now, we have the best squad UNT has ever fielded with perhaps the best coach as well as the most momentum UNT basketball (and perhaps UNT) has ever had. On the brink of a rise to CUSA, this is our moment to shatter the glass ceiling. Recruits in FB and BB will go, "Tony Mitchell is from UNT, right? He's a superstar. Took them deep into the NCAA tournament. That's right, North-freaking-Texas! I want to play there and do that! Look at the way the fans responded." Everyone wants to be the hero. These players leave, we just bounce off the ceiling and back to irrelevance, as SMU and TCU's punching bag.

Edited April 25, 2012 by rjmunthe

GreenGuy123 · April 25, 2012

Hoping the players stay and better themselves, as well as the university. No matter what, I'm putting all my marbles in the basket of Coach Benson. Although he's never been a head coach, he has major skins on the wall, is a proven recruiter, and has the experience under grade A coaches such as Buzz Williams. And by the way, Marquette is no slouch. Like I've said before...players or no player, UNT is on the rise and will reach success.

Green P1 · April 25, 2012

short answer..... cuz they good.

BigDanTeague · April 25, 2012

"What do voluntary mean?"

Green Dozer · April 25, 2012

Now a days players seems to stick around longer than coaches. We've just been lucky.

Does it seem wrong that the players had to find out via twitter who their new coach was. Shouldn't there have been a team meeting before hand ? Or am I just old school ?

Good point. But maybe Benford was not in town today. The women did not meet Petersen until he walked in the room for his press conference. I heard a few comments that they could have at least met him in another room before the press conference.

GrandGreen · April 25, 2012

This is not an usual hire for NT, it matters greater how he handles the current team. Normally, and always for NT until this year for both men and women; coaches have been terminated and someone is brought in the rebuild.

The situation facing RV was to find someone for NT, who could keep the team together and win with probably the best team ever assembled at NT. The players can't run the show, because I doubt anyone could win with that no matter how talented the team is but you definitely don't want to start over. In this day and time, successful coaches are going to go for the gold; so it is possible that the players may out last the coach.

I really believe is this team stays together and eligible; this could be very well the best team that Benford ever coaches at NT.

angel1972 · April 25, 2012

I am not liking the way unt is conducting business right now as far as the players are concerned. They should have known beforehand who their new coach was going to be...instead being strung along thinking Shawn was gonna get the job or head coach with experience. Nothing against hiring benford I just feel as a parent they should have let them know at least before ESPN and twitter..as far as I'm concerned as a player I would think its a slap in the face to hire an assistant over an assistant who helped Johnny Jones over 4 years build this program. I hope everything works out for the new coach players and fans. I still have faith in the mean green

NT03 · April 25, 2012

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I am not liking the way unt is conducting business right now as far as the players are concerned. They should have known beforehand who their new coach was going to be...instead being strung along thinking Shawn was gonna get the job or head coach with experience. Nothing against hiring benford I just feel as a parent they should have let them know at least before ESPN and twitter..as far as I'm concerned as a player I would think its a slap in the face to hire an assistant over an assistant who helped Johnny Jones over 4 years build this program. I hope everything works out for the new coach players and fans. I still have faith in the mean green

Agree. Hopefully everything blows over and everyone is back on the same page tonight

UNTLifer · April 25, 2012

Who released the information to Twitter and ESPN? I don't think it was NT. Unfortunately, in this day and age of social media these things happen and could be out of our control.

MeanGreen61 · April 25, 2012

“If Tony didn’t commit to Missouri, he would have gone to Marquette because of the relationship he built with coach Benford at the time,” said Nick Smith, Mitchell’s coach at Pinkston. “Tony would love to play for him during his first go-around as a head coach.”

eulessismore · April 25, 2012

Who released the information to Twitter and ESPN? I don't think it was NT. Unfortunately, in this day and age of social media these things happen and could be out of our control the horse is out of the barn.

Fixed it.

UNTP1 · April 25, 2012

someone posted in a thread earlier that some of the players weren't happy with the hire of benford... so i ask...why does that matter??? yes, we have three really good young players...granted, two of them weren't eligible for their entire freshman year due to academics and one could go pro when he wants...but we are looking out for the long term good of the university so how much should we really care about what they think???

i hope all players stay and buy into what benford teaches, but these players are just a flash in the pan in terms of basketball at north texas....

Two of the big 3 were only ineligible for roughly half of their freshman year due to academics, not the entire year.

kalebschumann · April 25, 2012

Today on As the Twitter Turns...

The Tweets of Our Lives

KRAM1 · April 25, 2012

I am not liking the way unt is conducting business right now as far as the players are concerned. They should have known beforehand who their new coach was going to be...instead being strung along thinking Shawn was gonna get the job or head coach with experience. Nothing against hiring benford I just feel as a parent they should have let them know at least before ESPN and twitter..as far as I'm concerned as a player I would think its a slap in the face to hire an assistant over an assistant who helped Johnny Jones over 4 years build this program. I hope everything works out for the new coach players and fans. I still have faith in the mean green

Way to try to make a mountain out of a molehill. These things happen fast...really fast when it comes down to the final stages...the information was not sent out by UNT to the folks, but by CBS sports, ESPN, etc. You simply cannot keep this stuff private...players were scattered all over the place...hopefully many were in class qwhen this stuff broke. Everyone wants to feel "entitled" and trys to claim they are being "disrespected" these days...good grief......

This sense of "entitlement" is getting a bit old!

MeanGreenTexan · April 25, 2012

Way to try to make a mountain out of a molehill. These things happen fast...really fast when it comes down to the final stages...the information was not sent out by UNT to the folks, but by CBS sports, ESPN, etc. You simply cannot keep this stuff private...players were scattered all over the place...hopefully many were in class qwhen this stuff broke. Everyone wants to feel "entitled" and trys to claim they are being "disrespected" these days...good grief......

This sense of "entitlement" is getting a bit old!

I agree with the bolded stuff. There's really no way to keep the lid sealed on something like this with so many eyes peeled for any sliver of information...

I think the mockery of the "entitlement" argument is a little overboard though as obviously the UNT Athletic Department should care what the players think. In fact, they ARE entitled to hear this news first. And it was probably planned that way, but it just didn't work out as planned.

When you have arguably the best collection of talent we have seen at UNT, ever, you would think their opinions matter. Obviously, the AD agrees since it appears that coach Forrest was a finalist for the job. In the end though, a tough decision needed to be made, and RV believes he made that decision with not only the University's best interest in mind, but also the players. Time will tell if he is correct, but if he can't get it done with these guys, he's going to have a tough time next year and beyond.

Green P1 · April 25, 2012

Way to try to make a mountain out of a molehill. These things happen fast...really fast when it comes down to the final stages...the information was not sent out by UNT to the folks, but by CBS sports, ESPN, etc. You simply cannot keep this stuff private...players were scattered all over the place...hopefully many were in class qwhen this stuff broke. Everyone wants to feel "entitled" and trys to claim they are being "disrespected" these days...good grief......

This sense of "entitlement" is getting a bit old!

Totes bro.

There's really no way to keep the lid sealed on something like this with so many eyes peeled for any sliver of information...

Especially when your associate athletic director for media relations gets all excited and rushes to twitter the night before the signing is announced...... right?

Edited April 25, 2012 by Green P1

Green Dozer · April 25, 2012

As for as gathering them and letting them know first who the coach is would have been great. I would hope Benford has or will meet with them before the press conference. But as for the timing of the announcement yesterday, I would not have wanted a guy penalized for having to leave class for a meeting, especially when they are trying to maintain eligibility. Some profs don't allow somebody to leave class after it starts, and will count them absent if they do. We have made great strides in athletics over the past few years, but we have only taken only baby steps with what still is an apathetic faculty when it comes to athletics.

MeanGreenTexan · April 25, 2012

Especially when your associate athletic director for media relations gets all excited and rushes to twitter the night before the signing is announced...... right?

Well, yeah. That would necessitate a hand-slapping for sure!