UNT Alum Danny Kaspar article in USA Today

Harry · January 30, 2013

Danny Kaspar's recruiting pitch to players is simple: The campus at Stephen F. Austin is 61 % female.

"That'll get them interested," Stephen F. Austin's 12-year coach said with a laugh.

The other thing he preaches: Defense. The Lumberjacks lead the country in scoring defense, limiting their opponents to less than 50 points per game. Essentially, Kaspar is the general to an army of Bruce Bowens

"This isn't the most talented team I've ever had, but it's definitely the best defensive team," Kaspar said.

Despite the nation-leading statistic, it's been difficult for Kaspar's Stephen F. Austin team to turn heads while playing the woods of Nacogdoches, Texas, particularly when other Texas schools—Texas Tech, UT, Baylor, Texas A&M, SMU—take all the headlines.

Sure, it's easy to dismiss a 17-2 team that competes in the Southland Conference, a respected, yet unspectacular mid-major league. And four of the team's wins have come against non-Division I teams. Then factor in a recent loss to Northwestern State on Saturday in a clash between the nation's top scoring defense and offense (NW State averages close to 85 points per game).

Here's where you might remember this team from: Despite its notoriety as a defensive stopper, SFA made SportsCenter in 2008 for beating North Dakota State 112-111 in triple OT. North Dakota State's Ben Woodside scored 60 points in that game, which is currently more than the Lumberjacks allow entire teams to score this season.

Here's why Stephen F. Austin deserves to be noticed this season: The Lumberjacks' lone loss in the non-conference season came on the road against a Texas A&M team that beat Kentucky. They've beaten top

BCS programs during non-conference action, edging Oklahoma 56-55 and routing Tulsa by 16 points. The Lumberjacks are still in first place in the Southland and appear poised to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2013/01/28/mid-major-coach-diary-how-stephen-f-austin-has-nations-top-defense/1866357/

DeepGreen · January 30, 2013

And the guy we have yet to offer a job at UNT.

curtisdaa · January 30, 2013

And the guy we have yet to offer a job at UNT.

Can't make an offer to someone you refuse to talk to.

Green P1 · January 30, 2013

Lets start a list of guys we've refused to offer jobs at UNT.

MeanGreenTexan · January 30, 2013

Lets start a list of guys we've refused to offer jobs at UNT.

I'll start: Zombie Tom Landry.

greeninok · January 30, 2013

I'm about 95% sure we would be minimum .500 with him on the bench

Army of Dad · January 30, 2013

I'm about 95% sure we would be minimum .500 with him on the bench

In conference.

drex · January 30, 2013

Can't hire him, as he is a North Texas grad. All decision making at the university are in the hands of vandals and interlopers.

UNT90 · January 30, 2013

Don't y'all understand? All the players would have transferred if we had hired anyone but Benfird. We wouldn't have even been able to field (or court?) a team, as everyone would have left. Only Benford could have talked any of them into staying.

Y'all just don't get it.

untjim1995 · January 30, 2013

Danny Kaspar's recruiting pitch to players is simple: The campus at Stephen F. Austin is 61 % female.

"That'll get them interested," Stephen F. Austin's 12-year coach said with a laugh.

The other thing he preaches: Defense. The Lumberjacks lead the country in scoring defense, limiting their opponents to less than 50 points per game. Essentially, Kaspar is the general to an army of Bruce Bowens

"This isn't the most talented team I've ever had, but it's definitely the best defensive team," Kaspar said.

Despite the nation-leading statistic, it's been difficult for Kaspar's Stephen F. Austin team to turn heads while playing the woods of Nacogdoches, Texas, particularly when other Texas schools—Texas Tech, UT, Baylor, Texas A&M, SMU—take all the headlines.

Sure, it's easy to dismiss a 17-2 team that competes in the Southland Conference, a respected, yet unspectacular mid-major league. And four of the team's wins have come against non-Division I teams. Then factor in a recent loss to Northwestern State on Saturday in a clash between the nation's top scoring defense and offense (NW State averages close to 85 points per game).

Here's where you might remember this team from: Despite its notoriety as a defensive stopper, SFA made SportsCenter in 2008 for beating North Dakota State 112-111 in triple OT. North Dakota State's Ben Woodside scored 60 points in that game, which is currently more than the Lumberjacks allow entire teams to score this season.

Here's why Stephen F. Austin deserves to be noticed this season: The Lumberjacks' lone loss in the non-conference season came on the road against a Texas A&M team that beat Kentucky. They've beaten top

BCS programs during non-conference action, edging Oklahoma 56-55 and routing Tulsa by 16 points. The Lumberjacks are still in first place in the Southland and appear poised to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2013/01/28/mid-major-coach-diary-how-stephen-f-austin-has-nations-top-defense/1866357/

Nice article--another guy that would have been a good hire here at UNT, you know, since he has actually coached before. Anyway, did anyone else laugh at the fact that the wirter said SFA doesn't get much attention because the headlines always get stolen by Texas, A&M, Tech, Baylor, and....SMU? Other than hiring Larry Brown, when was the last time their hoops program was even mentioned in a headline in this area, much less the entire state. Either the journalist meant TCU (since they are now in the Big XII) or SMU's name recgonition really does warrant being in the Big East. If the latter is really true, then that old SWC reputation really goes beyond the Texas borders. We've had a better basketball program than them for years. Heck, we could probably only lose to them by 10 under Benford, which means we would beat them by at least 10 with JJ as the coach.

UNT90 · January 30, 2013

Nice article--another guy that would have been a good hire here at UNT, you know, since he has actually coached before. Anyway, did anyone else laugh at the fact that the wirter said SFA doesn't get much attention because the headlines always get stolen by Texas, A&M, Tech, Baylor, and....SMU? Other than hiring Larry Brown, when was the last time their hoops program was even mentioned in a headline in this area, much less the entire state. Either the journalist meant TCU (since they are now in the Big XII) or SMU's name recgonition really does warrant being in the Big East. If the latter is really true, then that old SWC reputation really goes beyond the Texas borders. We've had a better basketball program than them for years. Heck, we could probably only lose to them by 10 under Benford, which means we would beat them by at least 10 with JJ as the coach.

Most writers nowadays know them strictly because of the ESPN 30 on 30 special. Best thing that ever happened to the program.

Had to wait 30 years, but the cheating is finally paying off.

Hunter Green · January 30, 2013

Don't tease us, Harry. :unsure:

forevereagle · January 30, 2013

Had to wait 30 years, but the cheating is finally paying off.

Except, you know, all the winning they did while cheating.

GoMeanGreen1999 · January 31, 2013

why again did he not interview here?

GRN-WHT · January 31, 2013

why again did he not interview here?

Because RV's man the entire time was Benford.

MeanGreenTexan · January 31, 2013

Don't y'all understand? All the players would have transferred if we had hired anyone but Benfird. We wouldn't have even been able to field (or court?) a team, as everyone would have left. Only Benford could have talked any of them into staying.
Y'all just don't get it.

Pretty sure we would have lost Tony, and maybe Chris and/or Jordan. Remember, most were on board with this hire (I know I certainly was).

Fast forward to today: we may lose them anyway, and have a losing season to show for it as well... at least Kaspar probably would have won more.

UNT90 · January 31, 2013

Pretty sure we would have lost Tony, and maybe Chris and/or Jordan. Remember, most were on board with this hire (I know I certainly was).
Fast forward to today: we may lose them anyway, and have a losing season to show for it as well... at least Kaspar probably would have won more.

We wouldn't have lost any of them. People thought we were going to lose them we we hired Benford. We didn't.

I don't care what their twitter accounts said, 2 of them were not going to sit out 1 1/2 years and the third wasn't going to risk being a 2nd round draft pick, plain and simple.

Edited February 1, 2013 by UNT90

Mean Green Matt · January 31, 2013

Because RV's man the entire time was Benford.

Because our leadership obviously knew what was best for us.

Green_dude · January 31, 2013

We wouldn't have lost any of them. People thought we were going to lose them we we hired Benford. We didn't.
I don't care what tgeir twitter accounts said, 2 of them were going to sit out 1 1/2 years and the third wasn't going to risk being a 2nd round draft pick, plain and simpler.

Ummm, and you know this how? They confided in you? You are an authority on basketball in general and this team specifically, how?

Bitch less, give more....

UNT90 · February 1, 2013

Ummm, and you know this how? They confided in you? You are an authority on basketball in general and this team specifically, how?
Bitch less, give more....

Maybe you should just give, eh?

MeanGreenTexan · February 1, 2013

We wouldn't have lost any of them. People thought we were going to lose them we we hired Benford. We didn't.
I don't care what their twitter accounts said, 2 of them were not going to sit out 1 1/2 years and the third wasn't going to risk being a 2nd round draft pick, plain and simple.

Correct, because the guys liked Benford. He had a previous relationship via recruiting with Tony & Jordan for sure, and maybe even Chris.

...as for the second part, maybe you forgot what you were like as a 18-19 yr old? Or were you always this logical?

UNT90 · February 1, 2013

Correct, because the guys liked Benford. He had a previous relationship via recruiting with Tony & Jordan for sure, and maybe even Chris.
...as for the second part, maybe you forgot what you were like as a 18-19 yr old? Or were you always this logical?

Oh, I haven't forgotten. But I also know these kids have family members MUCH older than 18 or 19 that would have been involved.

Like I said when everyone was freaking out after Johnny left, after we hired a new guy and that new guy talked to the players, all would stay. The argument could be made that if the current head coach could manage that, any coach worth his salt would have.

That is such a bogus reason for this hire, it's not even funny.

Edited February 1, 2013 by UNT90