Where would a win over Creighton rank in UNT Basketball history?

Cerebus · October 24, 2012

Didn't we almost get Spud Webb to play here?

As I kid I saw Spud play at Midland College, a few years later I saw Grandmama play at Odessa College... West Texas Hoops Represent!

http://youtu.be/VwGnE3bnYkA

TheTastyGreek · October 24, 2012

Bigger win this season. KSU? Creighton? or St. Louis?

If I could pick one and only one of the three, I'd pick K-State. They aren't preseason ranked like Creighton, but that would be a bigger win to me. One, because of casual name recognition. Two, because it would mean winning our pod of the P-NIT and going on to NYC. And years from now, I think that one will register more because of the power conference affiliation and historical success (ignoring their offseason coaching change) than a win over Creighton might.

Anything you have to explain about the value of a Creighton win to a very casual basketball follower ("No, they're actually ranked! They have a preseason all-american! Omaha. Missouri Valley. No, it's actually a great basketball conference. Wait, come back!") feels less valuable to me than beating a more well-known KSU program.

KoldBeer · October 24, 2012

I think it would be very, very illuminating if anyone who thinks this would be The Biggest Win would also identify what game they feel would be bumped down to 2nd place.

And I think it might be pretty educational if anyone who thinks it wouldn't would mention what they feel was a bigger one.

I did a little research (which was harder than I thought since I couldn't find a media guide online). I did find the Fact and Record Book for UNT basketball. The best win would probably be in 1968 when UNT beat #8 Wichita St in Wichita. It's the program's only win over a Top 10 team. North Texas hasn't beaten a ranked team since 1975 (against #15 Louisville). It looks like UNT was 5-90 all time against ranked teams going into last year.

https://admin.xosn.com/pdf8/796621.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=1800&KEY=GJVWIVSPEAOYDAP.20111109144336 (page 50)

Cooley · October 24, 2012

Didn't we almost get Spud Webb to play here?

Spud verbally committed to play for Coach Blakeley. Blake was fired and we brought in Tommy Newman. Newman felt that Spud would not fit into his slow ass brand of ball. Spud went on to Juco before signing with Jimmy Valvano and North Carolina State; winning a National Championship.and having lucrative NBA career. Newman was fired after failing to ever get the ball up court.

Censored by Laurie · October 25, 2012

Newman was fired after failing to ever get the ball up court.

47 feet of heat?

GRN-WHT · October 25, 2012

The biggest win of the season will be the one that gets us into the tourney. Unless we go undefeated and lose in the conference tournament championship, chances are the Belt is still a 1 bid league.

Stix · October 25, 2012

Spud verbally committed to play for Coach Blakeley. Blake was fired and we brought in Tommy Newman. Newman felt that Spud would not fit into his slow ass brand of ball. Spud went on to Juco before signing with Jimmy Valvano and North Carolina State; winning a National Championship.and having lucrative NBA career. Newman was fired after failing to ever get the ball up court.

They way I heard it, is that Blakely didn't think Spud was ready for Div I, and had him go JUCO, intending to bring him in as a Junior. But then Valvano noticed him, and he decided to go to NC State (not surprisingly).

Looking at Spud's wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spud_Webb (yeah, I know, but I'm just looking for the factual info), he was at Midland College for 81-82, and NC State for 83-85. Then according to the NT Basketball page http://en.wikipedia....39;s_basketball, Blakeley was gone at the end of 82-83, and Newman started in the fall of 83.

So it could be true that Newman turned him away. But if it's true that Blakeley sent him to Midland, then that was also a mistake. I do remember hearing about Spud possibly coming to NT well before 1983.

CMJ · October 25, 2012

My Mom wrote for the Daily back in the 70's and knew Blakeley quite well. Trust me, he wanted Spudd Webb very badly. Newman turned Webb away.

Edited October 25, 2012 by CMJ

Green P1 · October 25, 2012

I will be happy if we can beat UTA

As would I.

Harry · October 25, 2012

My Mom wrote for the Daily back in the 70's and knew Blakeley quite well. Trust me, he wanted Spudd Webb very badly. Newman turned Webb away.

As I recall wasn't Blakely Spuds sports agent? I doubt he would have had that gig having turned Spud away.

golfingomez · October 25, 2012

I think both of our wins that got us into the NCAA tournament have to be the biggest wins of UNT's history because they did some big things... if UNT beats Creighton, that's great, but other than a week of publicity it might not get us anywhere...

if it at the end of the season if we are in the tourney and got a 12 seed bid or something like that, then I think we view it in a different light, but for right now, I'll say it would just be top 5

UNTLifer · October 25, 2012

Newman was fired after failing to ever get the ball up court.

This sir, is a HOF worthy post.

UNTLifer · October 25, 2012

47 feet of heat?

I think it was more like 47 feet of lukewarm.

Newman would have been better suited to the old women's game where three played on each end of the court but were forbidden from cross midcourt.

greenminer · October 25, 2012

Were Newman's teams really that terrible?

GrayEagle · October 25, 2012

They way I heard it, is that Blakely didn't think Spud was ready for Div I, and had him go JUCO, intending to bring him in as a Junior. But then Valvano noticed him, and he decided to go to NC State (not surprisingly).

Looking at Spud's wiki page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spud_Webb (yeah, I know, but I'm just looking for the factual info), he was at Midland College for 81-82, and NC State for 83-85. Then according to the NT Basketball page http://en.wikipedia....39;s_basketball, Blakeley was gone at the end of 82-83, and Newman started in the fall of 83.

So it could be true that Newman turned him away. But if it's true that Blakeley sent him to Midland, then that was also a mistake. I do remember hearing about Spud possibly coming to NT well before 1983.

Cooley's right. Spud didn't look at NC State until after Blakeley was fired. Bill tried to get Newman to honor Spud's commitment but was told that he didn't fit his style of play.

Edited October 25, 2012 by GrayEagle