Cooley's All Time UNT Basketball Team

[Cooley]

Re-post!

Cleaning out the garage. Ran across this post from a year or two ago.

Position - Player - Height - Season(s) - Hometown/School

First Team

PG - Walter "Weasel" Johnson - 6 0 - 76-77 - Houston Waltrip/McClennon JC

BG - Jon Manning - 6 3 - 78-79 - Pontiac, Mich./Ok City transfer

SF - Kenneth Lyons - 6 7 - 80-83 - Ft Worth Trimble Tech

PF - Melvin "Lurch" Davis - 6 8 - 75-78 - Greenville, TX

C - Kenneth Williams - 6 7 - 75-78 - Dallas South Oak Cliff

Second Team

- - - -

PG - Donnell Hayden - 6 1 - 1991 - N. Mesquite/Baylor Univ. Transfer

BG - Carl Jones - 6 2 - 74-76 - Wichita Falls

SF - Fred Mitchell - 6 7 - 75-78 - Amarillo Palo Duro

PF - Terry Bailey - 6 8 - 76-76 - Crandall, TX/Trinity Valley CC

C - Ronnie Morgan - 6 8 - 88-90 - Dallas South Oak Cliff

Third Team

PG - Furmia Nealy - 6 1 - 80-83 - Ft Worth Dunbar

BG - Delonte Taylor - 6 3 - 81-82 - Washington DC/TCU Transfer

SF - Jesse Ratliff - 6 6 - 91-94 - Biloxi, MS

PF - Adam Smith - 6 8 - 94-95 - Transfer

C - Sean Riley - 7 0 - 96-97 - Houston, TX

Honorable Mention

PG - Deon Alexander - 5 10 - 86-87 - Waxahachie, TX

SF - Waymond Lister - 6 3 - 76-79 - Dallas South Oak Cliff

SF - Tony Worrell - 6 7 - 85-88 - Goldsboro, NC

PF - David Miller - 6 5 - 95-97 - Lancaster, TX

BG - Chris Davis - 6 5 - 00-03 - Dallas Kimball

SF - Deginald Erskin - 6 5 - 99-00 - Gonzales, TX

Others Receiving Votes

PG - Pat Hicks - 6 1 - 80-83 - Houston, TX

PG - Ricky Roberson - 6 2 - 87-89 - Dallas Roosevelt

BG - Charles McMillian - 6 3 - 77-78 - Dallas South Oak Cliff/Tyler JC

BG - Chad Elstun - 6 3 - 96-97 -

C - John Horrocks - 7 0 - 82-84 -

C - Greg Grisson - 6 11 - 82 -

C - Graeme Anstey - 6 11 - 99 - Australia

C - Thomas Gipson - 6 9 - 91-92 - Sequin, TX/UT Transfer

Best Team: 22-4 (1975-1976) Head Coach: Bill Blakely

Asst Coaches: Jimmy Gales

Billy Tubbs

[GrayEagle]

It's a great list but I assume that you must have had the '74 season as the starting point because a number of great players were left off. I don't have a basketball media guide but a few that I can recall were Fred Hopkins, Joe Hamilton, Jim Mudd, John Savage and Bobby Smith.

[CMJ]

I don't go back that far, but it was nice to see some folks in the last 10 or so years on the list.

[Cerebus]

I haven't been here very long, so haven't seen most of those players, but I was surprised to see Chris Davis so far down the list.

[IronMan4]

Yeah Chris should probably move up, but I would have to ask my dad about those other guys...

Something that kinda shows the current state of NT hoops:

My first semester was January 2001, and I have seen only one of those guys play.

[CMJ]

I've followed the squad since the late 80's/early 90's when I was still just a kid. Still there's a *whole* lot of folks I never saw.

[Cooley]

I started this list from the 1975-76 season. (My junior year) Joe Hamilton would have been on my first team. I remember watching him on the local broadcast of UNT games. Bobby Iverson would have also been 1st team.

The best I could do for Chris Davis was list him as HM. Guys, we recruited and signed the very best players in the state. Most were recruited nationally as well.

Our only sell out was standing room only in 1976 against SMU. (10,500) We also had several crowds in the 7-8 range.

[UNTLifer]

Our only sell out was standing room only in 1976 against SMU. (10,500) We also had several crowds in the 7-8 range.

What about our game against DePaul with Mark Aguirre in the late 70's/early 80's. I was there and that was definitely a sellout.

[GrandGreen]

My Teams going back to 1967:

First Team:

C Willie Davis 6'8

PG Joe Hamilton 5'10

G Crest Whitaker 6'1

F Ken Lyons 6'7

F Bobby Iverson 6'6

Second Team:

C Terry Bailey 6'8

PG Deon Hunter 5'9

G Carl Jones 6'2

F Leroy Winfield 6'2

F Al Shumate 6'5

Third Team:

C John Horracks 7'

PF Walter Johnson 6'

G Chris Davis 6'5

F Adam Smith 6'8

F Jessie Ratliff 6'6

HM:

F Melvin Davis 6'8

F Fred Mitchell 6'7

C Ken Williams 6'7

C Ronnie Morgan 6'5

C Stanley Blackman 6'7

F Tony Worrell 6'7

G Delonte Taylor 6'3

G George King 6'5

Never got the ball I didn't shoot team

Donnel Hayden

Jon Manning

K. Dubose

[Cooley]

Grand Green, I yield to you on anything before 1975, but I have to respectfully ask you to put that bottle down.

Now, Deon Hunter is my homeboy (SOC) but did you mean to put him ahead of Weasel Johnson? He does not make my list! John Horrocks ahead of Kenneth Williams? Lurch Davis? GG, you have your UNT Hall of Famers on the third team!

Excellent job! I appreciate your input! Hell, I thought I was the only one on this board that watch NT basketball before the year 2000. Anyway, I'm glad they finally took those orange seats out. Ya think that may have contributed to vision problems with your rankings? (Just kidding)

A closer look at my case:

UNT's Hall of Fame

JESSE RATLIFF -- It didn't take long for Jesse Ratliff to find the path to stardom at North Texas, where he lettered in basketball from 1990-91 to 1993-94. Seven games into his freshman season, Ratliff was inserted into the starting lineup - a role he never relinquished. Four years and 114 games later, Ratliff left as the school's No. 2 all-time scorer with 2,130 points. After earning Freshman of the year honors in the Southland Conference, Ratliff was a three-time All-Southland Conference performer in his final three seasons. Perhaps the greatest stretch in Ratliff's career came during his sophomore season where he combined to score 63 points and grab 31 rebounds in league games against McNeese State and Nicholls Stats, for chi he was named Player of the Week by Sports Illustrated. Although Ratliff was an explosive scorer, he was also a powerful rebounder who totaled 913 career rebounds, good enough to rank him No. 3 in school history.

BILL BLAKELEY -- The Mean Green’s head basketball coach from 1975-76 to 1982-83, Blakeley owns the second-most coaching victories in school history (134) and his career .612 winning percentage (134-85) is fourth-best in school history. He coached the Mean Green to three consecutive 20-win seasons, from 1975-76 to 1977-78. With victories over Arizona State, Kansas State, TCU, Baylor, SMU and Texas during his eight seasons at North Texas, Blakeley also led the Mean Green briefly into the Top 20 national rankings for the only time in school history.

TONY WORRELL -- A four-year letterman from 1985-88, the 6-7 forward is North Texas' No. 5 all-time leading scorer with 1,516 points. He was twice named first team All-Southland Conference and, with a conference-leading 20.2 scoring average as a senior in 1987-88, Worrell led the Eagles to Southland Conference regular-season and tournament titles and a berth in the 1988 NCAA championship tournament.

KEN WILLIAMS – A four-year letterman in basketball from 1975-78, Williams is the Eagles’ most dominating rebounder in history. He led the entire nation with 14.7 rebounds per game in 1977-78 and led the Eagles in rebounding in three of his four years. He is the school’s all-time leader in career rebounds and also holds the top two single-season totals for rebounds in North Texas history. 1st team All-State @ Dallas SOC. Lead team to state finals back to back.

KENNETH LYONS – He led North Texas in scoring and rebounding all four years with the Eagles. Establishing himself as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,291 points, Lyons also holds the school mark for single-game scoring and points scored in a season.

Walter "Weasel" Johnson - All-Conference Juco (MCC)

The most exciting and quickest player @ UNT.

Jon Manning - NAIA All-American (Oklahoma City) Could play for any school in the country. Very much a team player. Would score 40 if needed or play the point position when needed (Sr year) Outstanding shooter!

Melvin "Lurch" Davis - 1st Team All-State (Greenville High) The total package

Donnell Hayden - All-State (Leading scorer @ Baylor) Unstoppable! Kid had a run of over 30 pts at only 6-0. Only played his Sr season at UNT. Good enough to make my list!

Carl Jones - 1St Team All-State (Tx HS All Star Game) Along with Manning, best pure shooters I have ever seen (anywhere)

Terry Bailey -JUCO All-American (TVCC/ formerly Henderson County JC)

Ronnie Morgan -1st Team All-State (All Conference 1st team) Average 16 pts and 12 rebounds. Runner up to Player of the Year. Played overseas

Delonte Taylor - High School AA. Average 16 pts @ UNT. Drafted by San Antonio in the 1988 NBA draft. Son (Delonte Taylor, Jr) is currently the #11 ranked recruit in the Washington DC/MD area (MM Washington HS) # 4 is 6-7 Patrick Ewing, Jr.

Waymond Lister - 1st Team All-State (MVP-Texas HS All-Star Game)

Charles McMillian -All-State, Juco All-American (Tyler JC) Along with Lister, the best leapers ever at NT.

Thomas Gipson -1st Team All-State (McDonald's All-American)

UT Signee

[CMJ]

What about our game against DePaul with Mark Aguirre in the late 70's/early 80's. I was there and that was definitely a sellout.

My mom wrote for the Daily in those days(mid to late 70's). I believe she told me that that game was a sellout as well.

If not, it musta been damn close.

As far as the SMU game, wasn't that one on January 22nd 1977? Or did we host the Mustangs two years in a row? I only ask because my mom was at that game, and had to leave at the half, because she went into labor with my brother.

Edited September 4, 2003 by CMJ

[GreenBat]

Never got the ball I didn't shoot team

Donnel Hayden

Jon Manning

K. Dubose

Don't forget Pat Nash, played around the time as Hayden. If he was in the building, he thought he was open.

[GrandGreen]

Hey this is fun, Cooley. Yes drinking does help. My critique of your selections. Agree with you that Weasel was as fast as any player I've seem. However he also tended to be out of control a lot of time. Definitely led the nation in balls thrown into the stands. Ken Williams was a good player but was not an offensive threat and his rebound totals benefited from Blakeley run and gun style. I enjoyed Blakeley type of play but he inherited the nucleous of his successful early teams and never was able to come close to recruiting that kind of talent level. The Gene Robbins recruits for the year he was fired included. 3 all state players based on a 5 man selection not the masses that are currently named to all state teams. Melvin Davis and Fred Mitchell were first team all state and Kenneth Williams a second team slection. Add to that JC All American Terry Bailey and standout transfer Carl Jones. Bobby Iverson actually left after his junior year are he would have been available for Blakeley first team.

Blakeley early teams also played a very easy schedule and this hurt them in the ratings despite having 20 win seasons. IMHO Blakeley teams could not have competed with Dan Spika's Missouri Valley teams.

Donnel Hayden IMHO was not a true point guard and actually hurt the team by taking almost every shoot. Agree McMilliam was a greap leaper but I wish you could have seen Leroy Winfield who jumped center at 6'2.

Sorry for the rambling but I enjoy the exhange.

[Greenblood94]

Great list, Cooley. My NT watching experience extends back to the NCAA team of '87-'88, but I will take your word on those who were there before me. I was a bit surprised to see that Deon Hunter didn't even receive any "votes", despite your otherwise high opinion of him. I thought he'd be at least worthy of an Honorable Mention.

Ronnie "Ro Mo" Morgan, Tony Worrell, Jesse Ratliff, Chris Davis and Deon Hunter were probably the best "five" that I saw during my years at the Super Pit.

[Cooley]

Scheduling Creates Hassle for Blakeley

By Neil Horn (Daily Reporter)

“Unbelievable.” That was head basketball Coach Bill Blakeley’s description of the problems he has faced in trying to schedule opponents for next year, following the most successful basketball season in NT history.

“I’m not implying that teams are afraid to play us,” Blakeley said Tuesday. “But something’s wrong.”

Blakeley has found that verbal agreements made with teams earlier have not been honored when the time to draw up written contracts rolls around.

Among the teams that Blakeley had tentatively scheduled for next year, but which backed out, are Alabama, Oklahoma, Long Beach State and Pan American.

Blakeley said he is not “popping off” to embarrass teams that refuse to play North Texas. “I just want to play,” he explained.

“I went to Philadelphia (site of the NCAA basketball finals) just to try and schedule games,” Blakeley said. “I must have corned 45 people in the hotel lobby begging for games. I even got down on my knees for one coach begging for a game.”

He said the only results from his search for games with topnotch competition have been a few tentative verbal agreements.

“YOU’VE GOT to experience what I’ve experienced to know what’s happening,” he said.

Among the teams that North Texas is scheduled to play next year are SMU, Baylor, TCU, Kansas State, Oral Roberts, Centenary, Tulsa, West Texas State, San Diego State, UT-Arlington, Northwestern Louisiana, Fresno State, Lamar, Arkansas State, Samford, Houston Baptist, Stetson and Texas Wesleyan College.

[Cooley]

Mean Green Ruffs Buffs in 88-69 Win

By Art Chapman (Sports Editor)

With the aid of the most emotional display of basketball spirit perhaps ever witnessed at North Texas, the Mean Green strapped a 19-point loss on the West Texas State Buffaloes Monday night. A near capacity crowd watched the Eagles as they ran their season record to 22-4, the best record ever in the history of the university. Senior guard Carl Jones paced the fast moving Eagles with 22 points. Junior guard Walter (Weasel) Johnson was next with 19. It was Johnson who almost single-handedly worked the Eagles’ impressive stall against West Texas in the closing minutes of the game. He wheeled and dealed in and out of the Buffs defense, and when he successfully drew them out, he would make one of his patented behind-the-back passes, setting up easy buckets. But it was sophomore forward Fred Mitchell who stole the show when with 10 seconds remaining on the Coliseum scoreboard he intercepted a wayward West Texas pass. He quickly threw the ball to sophomore forward Ken Williams, who crammed it into the basket.

Although the points were not important at that time, the shot did bring the 8,800 Coliseum fans to their feet and the noise they made must have made the ghosts of the neighboring “Old Pit” raise up and take notice. The 19-point licking was the worst handed to the Buffaloes this season and it may have decided once and for all the “Battle of Texas.” Senior forward Terry Bailey played an exceptionally physical game on the inside, hitting for 17 points and dragging down 11 rebounds, a team high.

Bailey’s point total brought his season record to 501, placing him ninth in the NT record book. His career-scoring total now rests at 907 for an 11th place slot. He also has 201 field goals in a single season for sixth place. “It was a rough game”, Coach Blakeley said. “The officials weren’t calling it very close but I do think they called a good game.”

Senior guard Earl King did not get into the game but Blakeley had praise for him also. “King didn’t play tonight but he did a fantastic job all season, on and off the court,” he said. Blakeley said the crowd was extremely helpful, citing the missed free throws of West Texas as a result of the cheering crowd. “It would be great if we could fill it up (Coliseum) all the time.” He said. In the past the first-year coach had said that for each thousand fans, the team gained a one-point advantage. Monday night they gave him two points per thousand. As a result of the Eagle victory, North Texas now stands a good chance for an NCAA playoff bid. Asked where he wanted to go. Blakeley said, “We’ll go anywhere, even Snook, TX; if that’s where we have to.” North Texas must await a decision from the NCAA, which will be forthcoming Thursday.

[Greenblood94]

"Although the points were not important at that time, the shot did bring the 8,800 Coliseum fans to their feet and the noise they made must have made the ghosts of the neighboring “Old Pit” raise up and take notice."

When was the last time we had HALF a crowd of 8,800 in the Super Pit??? That place would really ROCK if there were 8,800 people in it, even if not all of them were cheering for the Mean Green.

[Mo Green]

Bobby Iverson from Oklahoma should be on the team. He was special if I remember right he stopped playing ball to be a Pasteur up in OK. He was here around '70?

[Graddean]

John Savage played in the early 60's.  He came from Detroit,.Tx and had reportedly played on a dirt court.  He played when NTSU did not have Avery good team.  He was a star in the Missouri Valley Conference when it was referred to as the VALLEY OF DEATH.  conference champ Cincy was national champs his sophomore year and runner up his junior year.

[DeepGreen]

On 9/3/2003 at 2:02 AM, GrayEagle said:

It's a great list but I assume that you must have had the '74 season as the starting point because a number of great players were left off. I don't have a basketball media guide but a few that I can recall were Fred Hopkins, Joe Hamilton, Jim Mudd, John Savage and Bobby Smith.

That’s what I was thinking. And who could forget Rubin “the Rube” Russell, Joe Hamilton, and others. Lee Winfield(the guy could jump 10 ft from a standing position!).

Edited December 26, 2017 by DeepGreen

[Cooley]

1 hour ago, DeepGreen said:

That’s what I was thinking. And who could forget Rubin “the Rube” Russell, Joe Hamilton, and others. Lee Winfield(the guy could jump 10 ft from a standing position!).

Haven't seen this in a while but yes, this list started from 75-76

[Hunter Green]

5 hours ago, Cooley said:

Haven't seen this in a while but yes, this list started from 75-76

So, how would you rate the '74 team from HCJC??

[Eagleisland]

On 9/3/2003 at 11:27 PM, GrandGreen said:

My Teams going back to 1967:

 

First Team:

C Willie Davis 6'8

PG Joe Hamilton 5'10

G Crest Whitaker 6'1

F Ken Lyons 6'7

F Bobby Iverson 6'6

 

Second Team:

C Terry Bailey 6'8

PG Deon Hunter 5'9

G Carl Jones 6'2

F Leroy Winfield 6'2

F Al Shumate 6'5

 

Third Team:

C John Horracks 7'

PF Walter Johnson 6'

G Chris Davis 6'5

F Adam Smith 6'8

F Jessie Ratliff 6'6

 

 

HM:

 

F Melvin Davis 6'8

F Fred Mitchell 6'7

C Ken Williams 6'7

C Ronnie Morgan 6'5

C Stanley Blackman 6'7

F Tony Worrell 6'7

G Delonte Taylor 6'3

G George King 6'5

 

Never got the ball I didn't shoot team

Donnel Hayden

Jon Manning

K. Dubose

Absolutely, no all-time list would be complete without Willie Davis.

[Texas Stranger]

Shouldn't Josh White be somewhere on this list?

[greenminer]

@Cooley @GrandGreen

Out of curiosity, do y'all have a top 3 or top 5 coaches list? How about beat writers? I know of Galloway, but he was way before my time as a fan.