UAB knocks off 16) UNC 63-59

NT03 · December 2, 2013

Game was @ UAB

Andrew · December 2, 2013

If only UTEP could have knocked off Kansas....

Edited December 2, 2013 by Andrew

Andrew · December 2, 2013

Wow UAB also took number 19 New Mexico into double overtime. This conference is definitely a step way up in basketball even without the likes of Memphis.

Edited December 2, 2013 by Andrew

NT03 · December 2, 2013

If only UTEP could have knocked off Kentucky...

I think you mean Kansas

Andrew · December 2, 2013

Just saw that middle is tied for the second longest home winning streak in NCAA basketball. Pretty Solid.

Edited December 2, 2013 by Andrew

UNTFan23 · December 2, 2013

Wow UAB also took number 19 New Mexico into double overtime. This conference is defiantly a step way up in basketball even without the likes of Memphis.

Apple is such a horrible speller. Defiantly instead of definitely. Your instead of you're.

chrisfisher · December 2, 2013

Does UAB deserve a Top 25 ranking? They've taken one ranked opponent to double overtime and beat consistently nationally ranked program in UNC.

Mean Green Matt · December 3, 2013

It would be cool if UAB was ranked when they came to town. I can't remember the last time we hosted a ranked team at the Super Pit. Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but I think it would have been at least a decade.

Mean Green Matt · December 3, 2013

It would be cool if UAB was ranked when they came to town. I can't remember the last time we hosted a ranked team at the Super Pit. Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but I think it would have been at least a decade.

I decided to not be lazy and find the answer myself. According to the media guide the last time we played a ranked opponent at the Super Pit was 12/30/1999 against #25 Tulsa (113-77 L). NT is 5-92 all time against ranked opponents with the last win coming @ #15 Louisville by a score of 79-73 on 2/27/1971. For those of you keeping score, that is almost 43 years. The last time NT beat a ranked opponent at home was 2/10/1970 with a 93-81 win over #11 Drake. Current streak is 44 straight losses. Page 58 of the below link has our all time results vs. AP top 25 teams. In the last 25 years NT has had two games at home against Top 25 teams.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ntex/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2013-14/misc_non_event/2013_Fact_And_Record_Book.pdf

Green92 · December 3, 2013

Wow, that kind of makes me sad.

untjim1995 · December 4, 2013

I decided to not be lazy and find the answer myself. According to the media guide the last time we played a ranked opponent at the Super Pit was 12/30/1999 against #25 Tulsa (113-77 L). NT is 5-92 all time against ranked opponents with the last win coming @ #15 Louisville by a score of 79-73 on 2/27/1971. For those of you keeping score, that is almost 43 years. The last time NT beat a ranked opponent at home was 2/10/1970 with a 93-81 win over #11 Drake. Current streak is 44 straight losses. Page 58 of the below link has our all time results vs. AP top 25 teams. In the last 25 years NT has had two games at home against Top 25 teams.

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ntex/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2013-14/misc_non_event/2013_Fact_And_Record_Book.pdf

In December of 1999, we were in the middle of Year 3 of VIc Trilli's tenure. This Tulsa butt-kicking would drop the team to 2-7. 4 days later, we went down to Ft. Worth and lost a bran-burner to TCU, 134-91. We went on to win 5 more games, to finish 7-20, which looked awesome compared to the 4-22 record we posted in 1998 and the 5-21 season we posted in 1997. So, Vic Trilli, a guy known as a terrific recruiter, but had no Division 1 head coaching experience, would go 16-63, with a winning % of .203 in three years as the head coach. Surely, the university would make a change, right? Nope. Vic Trilli got a 4th year, since he could be bought out after that year was done, in which he finished off an amazing career as a head coach by going 4-24. Trilli's final record in 4 years was 20-87, with 53 of those 87 losses by more than 15 points (i.e., ass-kickings).

Fast forward to today. What makes things so frustrating is that we all knew by the end of season 2 that Trilli was in way over his dome-haired head. But we couldn't/didn't do anything about it. We all feel basically the same way today. So far, Benford is 17-25, 14-24 when you take out D-2 competition. HIs 14 remianing wins are over these powerhouses: Lamar, IUPUI, Jackson St, SE LA (twice), Troy (twice), South Alabama (he gets credit here), FAU (twice), FIU, Arkansas State, Nicholls State, and Portland. This isn't even counting the fact that he took over the most talented team UNT has ever had.

All that said, I have absolutely no doubt that Tony Benford will be our coach in the 2014-2015 season, with a very strong probability of being our head coach in 2015-2016, too. After that, he will bought out--because we can afford it then. And, almost more amazing, is the fact that RV, who was the AD during the time that Todd Dodge, Shanice Stephens, and Tony Benford were all hired, will still be the AD and will be the one to hire the next coach.