Middle Tennessee State (1/25/14)

[CMJ]

Do we get to .500 in league play?

[Mean Green Matt]

Maybe. Tonight with the good play and relatively large student crowd felt like a taste of the good ole days. Hopefully we keep the momentum going.

[CMJ]

And this season MTSU is not last year's team.

[KRAM1]

And this season MTSU is not last year's team.

True, but they are still a very good team. This should prove to be a tough game...aren't they all? But Middle is still Middle and they bring in a solid team. Better than UAB, I believe, so the Mean Green will need to again play very well to beat a solid MTSU team. Good news? Game is at the Super Pit and the students are back and supporting the players. I think this really helped the team against UAB. Looking for an even louder and better turnout of students for this game.

Thank you Pit Crew!

[emmitt01]

We will win easily. Benford has figured it all out and he's already at JJ's level.

That is the correct answer after one win over UAB, right?

[Censored by Laurie]

We will win easily. Benford has figured it all out and he's already at JJ's level.

That is the correct answer after one win over UAB, right?

I don't think you get it. We beat a team that beat North Carolina. Therefor...WE'RE BETTER THAN NORTH CAROLINA!!!

JJ never did that. Couldn't even get any players into the NBA.

[KRAM1]

You just can't worry about the haters...cute kids and they try so hard, but haters just gonna hate. Pat 'em on the heads, they'll jump right back on the bandwagon when the wins come...but, they definitely support the players.

Just don't let the players know they said that nice win over UAB was nothing...might put a crack in that "we support the players" crap-o-la.

I think we all know where this team is and what most everyone's attitude toward it is these days. Why knock a nice win and belittle the players and coaching staff after beating a team many felt UNT had little to no chance of beating? Belittling your own player's effort after such a win is really odd. Oh, well, pat 'em on the head and tell 'me it's time for their bath....

[Censored by Laurie]

You just can't worry about the haters...cute kids and they try so hard, but haters just gonna hate. Pat 'em on the heads, they'll jump right back on the bandwagon when the wins come...but, they definitely support the players.

Just don't let the players know they said that nice win over UAB was nothing...might put a crack in that "we support the players" crap-o-la.

I think we all know where this team is and what most everyone's attitude toward it is these days. Why knock a nice win and belittle the players and coaching staff after beating a team many felt UNT had little to no chance of beating? Belittling your own player's effort after such a win is really odd. Oh, well, pat 'em on the head and tell 'me it's time for their bath....

[KRAM1]

No, I can stop when the haters stop...see, this game can work both ways...surprised it has taken you so long to get it...is bath time over already?

[emmitt01]

You just can't worry about the haters...cute kids and they try so hard, but haters just gonna hate. Pat 'em on the heads, they'll jump right back on the bandwagon when the wins come...but, they definitely support the players.

Just don't let the players know they said that nice win over UAB was nothing...might put a crack in that "we support the players" crap-o-la.

I think we all know where this team is and what most everyone's attitude toward it is these days. Why knock a nice win and belittle the players and coaching staff after beating a team many felt UNT had little to no chance of beating? Belittling your own player's effort after such a win is really odd. Oh, well, pat 'em on the head and tell 'me it's time for their bath....

For a guy who constantly questions others' reading comprehension you come across as the hooked on phonics customer they desperately want to hide. Somehow, some way, you managed to TRY to twist a post about how Benford isn't on JJ's level yet into a shot at the players and downplaying their victory.

Clearly In order to return your pat onthe head I'd need to remove your helmet first.

Has anyone seen KRAM'S baseball?

[KRAM1]

For a guy who constantly questions others' reading comprehension you come across as the hooked on phonics customer they desperately want to hide. Somehow, some way, you managed to TRY to twist a post about how Benford isn't on JJ's level yet into a shot at the players and downplaying their victory.

Clearly In order to return your pat onthe head I'd need to remove your helmet first.

Has anyone seen KRAM'S baseball?

I am in full possession of my baseball. Thanks. And the only helmet I have worn recently has been a bicycle helmet. But, thanks for asking. So easy to rile up the youngsters. But young minds are easy to manipulate.

Oh, we can all read and we all comprehend just where the haters are. Try as some may, we all know...we all know. When the youngsters start ragging on Cooley about his basketball knowledge you just know it's gone a bit too far. But, young minds...shallow minds. Never fear, the bandwagon will roll once again...he says as he pats him on the head once more...there there, it will be OK. A warm bath will make it all better.

Edit: this could get fun

Edited January 24, 2014 by KRAM1

[Censored by Laurie]

Edit: this could get fun

It hasn't been fun here in a while.

Also...what's the bath reference?

[greenminer]

No, I can stop when the haters stop...see, this game can work both ways...surprised it has taken you so long to get it...is bath time over already?

The above reads the same as two sibling rivals screaming "He started it!" to their parents.

Benford may be winning more than last year, but it is going to take a lot of turnaround to erase the pain of the last year and half. It is a black eye to a good program, and shouldn't be tolerated in any hires moving forward.

I still don't understand why he subs so much!

[outoftown]

Am I a hater if I do not yet know what to make of this team, and if my worst nightmare for the team is not that they suck, but that UNT basketball is stuck in the middle for years; not quite sucking enough to change things, not quite contending for the C-USA championship? UAB was a nice win, but it's meaning will be decided by the next games. Are the UAB and aTm wins aberrations, a thing that a middle of the road team does every once in a while or signs of great things to come? I just can't decide right now. That question can only be settled on the court. Starting with MTSU.

Edited January 24, 2014 by outoftown

[CMJ]

Benford hasn't won jack yet, and to act like he has figured things out is premature. It's obvious the players are currently responding to him - but that's happened before (this season and last) followed by terrible efforts. Remember last year when we dismantled ASU by 24 and everyone thought that maybe the kids were finally buying in? We turned right around and lost to ULL by the exact same score (74-50).

The team has playing a lot better the last three games. If it continues, we could make noise in El Paso. I'll have no problem admitting that Benford is becoming a better coach. Really, as long as we don't have a late season collapse it'll be obvious the man is doing that. The question then becomes will it be fast enough.

[GrandGreen]

The interest on whether Benford will survive or not should be secondary to how well the team performs.

Right now they are playing pretty well, and I think on those nights when they are shooting well; they can stay with anyone in CUSA.

If any of NT's three bigs could up their play, the team might not be as dependent on good shooting to be competitive. Coleman seems to have regressed from earlier in the year, Gaines is still a "bull in the China Shop" and play is very limited due to fouls, Flanagan is athletic but hasn't played well except in small segments. If NT could get 30 good minutes a game out of the three, it would substantially upgrade the team.

[CMJ]

I do think that should we win this one, the game of looking at conference seeding for El Paso can start to commence. Not because we'll necessarily have a good seed, but because it'll give me hope we can win a game or two given the right match up. The problem is we lost our first two at home. We really can't afford to lose any more at the Super Pit and hope for a decent seed.

[Harry]

I do think that should we win this one, the game of looking at conference seeding for El Paso can start to commence. Not because we'll necessarily have a good seed, but because it'll give me hope we can win a game or two given the right match up. The problem is we lost our first two at home. We really can't afford to lose any more at the Super Pit and hope for a decent seed.

It will be interesting to see if there is more discussion about attending our first C-USA conference tournament this season in El Paso. It would be nice to see our fans get back together again. Still have some nice memories of Hot Springs.

[Mean_Green09]

Rebounding last night was a huge struggle.. thankfully there was a lid on the basket for UAB otherwise the game wouldn't have been close at all.

Without their rebounding effort it would have been a much more lopsided loss. Their offensive glass attack made the game feel a lot closer than it really was. 12-4 on second chance points, plus you have to account in that some of those rebs accounted for free throw points.

[Army of Dad]

The interest on whether Benford will survive or not should be secondary to how well the team performs.

Right now they are playing pretty well, and I think on those nights when they are shooting well; they can stay with anyone in CUSA.

If any of NT's three bigs could up their play, the team might not be as dependent on good shooting to be competitive. Coleman seems to have regressed from earlier in the year, Gaines is still a "bull in the China Shop" and play is very limited due to fouls, Flanagan is athletic but hasn't played well except in small segments. If NT could get 30 good minutes a game out of the three, it would substantially upgrade the team.

I think you can chalk up Coleman's regression to the lack of NAIA schools left on the schedule. Gaines looks like he is still hurting and I think that's why he gets all the fouls, he just can't move like he should be able to.

[BillySee58]

I think you can chalk up Coleman's regression to the lack of NAIA schools left on the schedule. Gaines looks like he is still hurting and I think that's why he gets all the fouls, he just can't move like he should be able to.

We will need them both big-time against Shawn Jones at MTSU. That guy is too dang athletic for Voss to be guarding him, while giving up 2".

Also, Jordan Williams watch. He needs 11 points to get to 900 on his career.

[CMJ]

Jordan is averaging just over 12 a game - so he very well could get there Saturday night.

[Andrew]

It's game day. Hopefully we hit 4k fans? Maybe more?

[KRAM1]

It's game day. Hopefully we hit 4k fans? Maybe more?

Had a bit over 3200 for the UAB game...so 4000 should not be out of the question.

[NT03]

Scrappy

Yesterday at 10:15am

So, rumor has it... the Junior Mean Green Club will be having a birthday party for me at tomorrow's basketball game. The party will start around 6 pm at the Super Pit at Gate F. I also heard there may be some ice cream too. I can't wait!!

I don't do Facebook , so not sure if there is a way to link this, but it's Scrappy's bd.. My kid is excited