ULM men overcome 15 point deficit to beat UNT

Harry · February 15, 2013

It looks like the Warhawks just have North Texas’ number this season.

ULM overcame a 15-point second half deficit and scored the most points of
any game this season in an 85-73 win over the Mean Green on Thursday
night at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

ULM (4-17, 3-12) snapped a nine-game losing streak. The last game the Warhawks

won was also against North Texas (9-18, 4-12) on Jan. 5. The 81 points the Warhawks
posted in that contest had been the most points scored before Thursday’s
game.

“I’m happy for these players who have been working hard and have actually played some good basketball

in the last month but just haven’t been able to enjoy a win,” said ULM coach Keith Richard.

The Warhawks entered the second half trailing 42-33. The Mean Green only
built on their lead, which reached as high as 15 points at the 16:41
mark.

Read more: http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20130215/SPORTS/130215002

MeanGreenD · February 15, 2013

ULM has 4 wins on the season....50% of those wins are againt us. Things cannot get any worse, but mercifully, the season is almost over.

Greendylan · February 16, 2013

ULM has 4 wins on the season....50% of those wins are againt us. Things cannot get any worse, but mercifully, the season is almost over.

THIS season is almost over . . . but then there will be two or three more just like it (or likely much worse) unless RV does something to stop the hemorrhaging. Allowing this program to bottom out--at what was publicly billed as its highest point--for a few years would be effectively presenting a self-imposed death penalty.

If, as some of you have indicated, we do not have the ability or will to prevent this disasterous scenario, then we will be broadcasting a very strong message about the feeble condition of our athletic program and the ineptness of its leadership.

To regional/national recruits, area high school coaches, members of the media, UNT almuni, potential big donors etc., the situation probably looks something like this: "Wow, even when that school somehow manages to stumble upon top-notch players, they find a way to bungle the hiring of a new coach and still suck. And, they don't seem to care enough to do anything about it." Let's instead show them that we are dedicated to the realistic advancing of our athletic programs...

UNT90 · February 16, 2013

THIS season is almost over . . . but then there will be two or three more just like it (or likely much worse) unless RV does something to stop the hemorrhaging. Allowing this program to bottom out--at what was publicly billed as its highest point--for a few years would be effectively presenting a self-imposed death penalty.

If, as some of you have indicated, we do not have the ability or will to prevent this disasterous scenario, then we will be broadcasting a very strong message about the feeble condition of our athletic program and the ineptness of its leadership.

To regional/national recruits, area high school coaches, members of the media, UNT almuni, potential big donors etc., the situation probably looks something like this: "Wow, even when that school somehow manages to stumble upon top-notch players, they find a way to bungle the hiring of a new coach and still suck. And, they don't seem to care enough to do anything about it." Let's instead show them that we are dedicated to the realistic advancing of our athletic programs...

If Houston can get rid of a terrible coaching hire mid season, we better be able to get rid of an even more disastrous hire after a full year.

If you don't think this will affect future recruiting, pay attention to what is going on in the basketball recruiting forum. It is already starting. We still have two 2013 scholarships left. Just wait and see who we sign.

Benford needs to be fired immediately after this season. The next 5-8 years of this basketball program depend in that happening.

If RV is blinded by pride (I have no idea if he is or isn't) and chooses to convince himself that this is all the players' fault and keeps Bemford for next season, he should be fired when we fail to win 8 games next year.

Decisions should have consequences, even in UNT athletics.

Green Dozer · February 16, 2013

If Houston can get rid of a terrible coaching hire mid season, we better be able to get rid of an even more disastrous hire after a full year.
If you don't think this will affect future recruiting, pay attention to what is going on in the basketball recruiting forum. It is already starting. We still have two 2013 scholarships left. Just wait and see who we sign.
Benford needs to be fired immediately after this season. The next 5-8 years of this basketball program depend in that happening.
If RV is blinded by pride (I have no idea if he is or isn't) and chooses to convince himself that this is all the players' fault and keeps Bemford for next season, he should be fired when we fail to win 8 games next year.
Decisions should have consequences, even in UNT athletics.

I am not disagreeing with you or Greendyland, but both of you know the dollars just aren't there. Houston has much deeper pockets than we do. If you make a change, you are on the hook for Benford's salary plus the salary of a new coach. And if you are suggesting making a change in AD, which I assume is the consequences, then you have to buy that contract out in addition to a new AD's salary. Maybe somebody else can speak to this, but I bet the present AD's contract is longer than 5 years. I think you already know all of this anyway. So, and just hypothetically ONLY, would you delay the start of a few things such as baseball to make this change or changes?

Edited February 16, 2013 by Green Dozer

UNT90 · February 16, 2013

I am not disagreeing with you or Greendyland, but both of you know the dollars just aren't there. Houston has much deeper pockets than we do. If you make a change, you are on the hook for Benford's salary plus the salary of a new coach. And if you are suggesting making a change in AD, which I assume is the consequences, then you have to buy that contract out in addition to a new AD's salary. Maybe somebody else can speak to this, but I bet the present AD's contract is longer than 5 years. I think you already know all of this anyway. So, and just hypothetically ONLY, would you delay the start of a few things such as baseball to make this change or changes?

OR, we could act like a university that gave 2 craps about athletics and find the money to do what needs to be done.

I understand where you are coming from, but that line of thinking is what has put us in the position we are in.

If UNT isn't committed to their athletics program, why should I (or anyone else, for that matter) be committed?

If you want to do athletics on the cheap, be honest with yourself and your fans and drop down to FCS. Otherwise, man up and do what other big boys (and I'm talking Houston, not freaking UT) would do.

I know your right and we won't do this, because nothing in our history suggests that we (UNT, that is) EVER will honestly care about athletics.

Edited February 16, 2013 by UNT90

Greendylan · February 16, 2013

I am not disagreeing with you or Greendyland, but both of you know the dollars just aren't there. Houston has much deeper pockets than we do. If you make a change, you are on the hook for Benford's salary plus the salary of a new coach. And if you are suggesting making a change in AD, which I assume is the consequences, then you have to buy that contract out in addition to a new AD's salary. Maybe somebody else can speak to this, but I bet the present AD's contract is longer than 5 years. I think you already know all of this anyway. So, and just hypothetically ONLY, would you delay the start of a few things such as baseball to make this change or changes?

You make an excellent point, and I think this is a critical question: Just how broke are we? Because I don't know the answer to that question, I am not calling for RV's head. He may very well be in a more difficult position than any of us realize. Concerning a buyout, my argument is and always has been that we will lose more money in the long run by NOT committing to an immediate buyout. If we have to borrow money from somewhere else or delay baseball for a year, we do it. I really don't think allowing ourselves to fade into complete irrelevance in a major sport for several years (potentially a decade) is acceptable, and I don't think that any respectable, large university would follow such a path.

UNT90 · February 16, 2013

You got to love yourself before you can expect anyone else to love you.

And we just paid 410k for a no return game in football.

We are only as broke as we want to be.

Edited February 16, 2013 by UNT90

Greendylan · February 16, 2013

And, we never will "have enough donors to be able to afford buyouts" if we continue to suck at football and basketball year after year, decade after decade (even when the aforementioned donors have given massive amounts of money to help build new facilities just so that we won't continue sucking).

GreenMachine · February 16, 2013

You make an excellent point, and I think this is a critical question: Just how broke are we? Because I don't know the answer to that question, I am not calling for RV's head. He may very well be in a more difficult position than any of us realize. Concerning a buyout, my argument is and always has been that we will lose more money in the long run by NOT committing to an immediate buyout. If we have to borrow money from somewhere else or delay baseball for a year, we do it. I really don't think allowing ourselves to fade into complete irrelevance in a major sport for several years (potentially a decade) is acceptable, and I don't think that any respectable, large university would follow such a path.

Don't be fooled by some that want everyone to think we are still the little teachers college with low earning alum. We have some deep pocketed alum that are willing to give and have given in the past. We need to keep promoting our business and engineering departments so we can have more and more of these type alums.