Do you think Benford will have a better record in 2013-14?

[Eagle61]

I said "I think" and you aren't supposed to know about the machine. But you point is well taken. I think (again) that this site would be much less damaging if conjecture was eliminated. But then, most posters would disappear. Yes, much better.

[CMJ]

I said "I think" and you aren't supposed to know about the machine. But you point is well taken. I think (again) that this site would be much less damaging if conjecture was eliminated. But then, most posters would disappear. Yes, much better.

JJ hadn't had a team with a losing record in years. I think it's conjecture to think we would have faceplanted with him at the helm last season.

[MeanGreenTexan]

I make no claims or comparisons, just facts. (from my previous post)

I wasn't running down the JJ era. I agree, it was our best ever from a competitive standpoint within our conference. We had about 3 good teams under Spika, in a conference that just overmatched us, and Blakely had 3 good teams. We were ranked #20 for a short time. and that's all since I came to NT in 1961. I think Johnny would have had about the same record with last year's team considering the player losses. Tony was the same player under both coaches.

Are you serious? These statements are laughable.

[forevereagle]

I said "I think" and you aren't supposed to know about the machine. But you point is well taken. I think (again) that this site would be much less damaging if conjecture was eliminated. But then, most posters would disappear. Yes, much better.

So your conjecture is ok, but others is not?

[GrandGreen]

One of Trilli's recruiting classes was rated about 20 - 25 in the nation. Jhonny won 15 with them. How many games did you see then? If you don't know who Dexter is, you don't know that time period.

Sorry, I think you are the one that needs to review your facts if you think JJ inherited anything but a horrible team. The leading players from the prior year were Chris Davis, Jason Miller who transferred before JJ arrived, and Brian Lucas a former NT QB who graduated. This was a 12-20 team who lost 2 of the best three players and nearly all of their inside game.

There was some talent, obviously Chris Davis and also Leonard Hopkins who barely played his freshman year because of injuries. Will Smith, Jerome Rogers, and Kenneth Mangrum also turned out to be sound if not spectacular players.

If you think Dexter Tennell was still around when JJ took over, you are years off. He was dismissed after his sophomore year.

Again, I see no comparison with last year teams, that returned basically everyone. I am not sure why we are debating this, JJ took a bad team and make them significantly better, Benford took an at least average if not better team and make them a bottom level team. Also there is a great difference between where the program was between the two. Trilli and Helwig took the NT bb team to maybe the lower point ever, JJ left a program that almost everyone viewed at a very good state.

[GrandGreen]

Here is an alphabetical list of Trilli's last and best team:

Wes Allen

Kyle Crawford

Chris Davis

Deginald Erskin

Sam Funches

Brandon Gilbert

Tyler Helwig

Bryan Lucas

Kenneth Mangrum

Unjel Masters

Jason Miller

John Mulvaney

Dexter Tennell

Calvin Williams

Davis, Erskin, Mangrum, Miller, Tennell, and Williams were exceptional players. Had JJ been able to talk Erskin and Miller into staying, North Texas basketball history could have improved greatly. Erskin did very well at Texas and Miller so-so at Okie State. Tennell, in spite of averaging more than 30 points his senior year in high school, stayed in Trilli's doghouse and was a dud. Davis was one of our better players ever and Mangrum and Williams were way above average. I also thought that Masters had possibilities.

That team had more potential than the team that Benford inherited but defections really hurt. I realize that injuries did adversely affect last year's team but those that did play had poorer statistics than their previous year in most cases. Extremely disappointing.

Not sure where you are getting that line up but it definitely is not Trilli's final year. Most of these guys were long gone before JJ arrived including Allen, Crawford, Tennell, Mulvaney, Lucas, Gilbert, Williams Funches, and Erskin. Miller had already made up his mind to leave and I am not sure that Masters was still around either.

Mangrum, Hopkins, and Will Smith turned into good players, but not exceptional? The only exceptional player during that period was Davis and maybe Erskin who was not even here in Trilli's last year.

Edited May 8, 2013 by GrandGreen

[Grant.UNT]

I think I will get about 15 minutes more of Benford than I have had in 4 months or will have for another 6 months.Good luck covering tonight, Tony. I love Jordan Case's getherings, but you can leave T.B. at the village.

[GangGreen]

Trilli's 00-01 Team:

Jason Miller

Bryan Lucas

Chris Davis

Kenneth Mangrum

Josh Richardson

Jerome Rogers

Will Smith

Terence White

Jeremy McFall

Wes Allen

Mike Ritchie

Marcellus Wright

Leonard Hopkins

Antonio McKenzie

Johnny Jones 01-02 Team:

Chris Davis

Jermaine Green

Kenneth Mangrum

Will Smith

Jerome Rogers

Leonard Hopkins

Unjel Masters

Lee Green

Terrence White

Adrian Awasom

Andy Blount

Rusty Chiles

Antonio McKenzie

[UNT90]

By contrast, after 5 seasons, Johnny was 63-78. Second season was a 7 win season. He inherited our 2nd all-time leading scorer, Chris Davis. And Dexter. The cupboard wasn't bare. Trilli was a pretty good recruiter. And please, no "best team ever", that has been mentioned about 1000 times here. I know it will be mentioned by one poster, but I have him blocked, so at least I won't see it there. I make no claims or comparisons, just facts.

One thing I will say for sure was that Benford inherited the "most hyped team ever".

And one other thing. I haven't seen anything but mediocre in either basketball or football since Blakely and Fry. Sometimes it rises to "good mediocre", but still mediocre. 15 or 16 seeds aren't good teams. And I still go to all the home games and listen to the away games

000-01 Vic Trilli 4-24 1-15 (6th)*

2001-02 Johnny Jones (LSU, 85) 15-14 8-7 (4th)*

2002-03 Johnny Jones 7-21 2-13 (6th)*

2003-04 Johnny Jones 13-15 8-8 (3rd)*

2004-05 Johnny Jones 14-14 6-9 (T4th)*

2005-06 Johnny Jones 14-14 6-9 (T4th)*

2006-07 Johnny Jones 23-11 10-8 (3rd)*!

2007-08 Johnny Jones 20-11 10-8 (3rd)*

2008-09 Johnny Jones 20-12 11-7 (2nd)*

2009-10 Johnny Jones 24-9 13-5 (1st)*!

2010-11 Johnny Jones 22-11 8-8 (4th)*

2011-12 Johnny Jones 18-14 9-7 (4th)

Keep on ignoring the fact that EVERY SINGLE BASKETBALL COACH in this conference picked us to win the West.

It's what you do best.

[Greendylan]

Top 25 may have been a stretch, but how many of you were warning that our lack of outside shooting was going to land us outside of the top 100? Top 200?

I don't recall a single person here, in the media, or anywhere else warning that we were a Brandan Walton injury away from a 245 RPI finish.

[gksmith]

If Tony can recruit there is no reason NT can't have a better record.

[Army of Dad]

If Tony can recruit there is no reason NT can't have a better record.

Big East caliber center who is the most improved player on the team. Former SEC recruit pg played 20 minutes a game and left town as fast as he could.

I don't think Benford can possibly recruit well enough to compensate for how bad he is at coaching basketball. Based on the only recruits that he got on campus so far, not sold on his recruiting ability either.