Friday Basketball Thoughts

[Mean_Green09]

Let’s talk some UNT basketball today. It’s been an interesting season so far. One game UNT looks like a top 5 team in CUSA the next game they look like a bottom feeder. Right now I have UNT ranked 12th in MGN’s basketball power rankings. It’s not that I think UNT is that bad, because believe me the talent is there to be a top 5 team. The reason they are ranked so low is the inconsistent play and poor execution at times. One minute you see great ball movement, the next minute it’s stale. One minute you have good defense, the next you have a guy getting beaten off the dribble and no help defense. It really is frustrating. With that let’s get into some topics. I’ve got 3 areas that I want to get to 1. The Players 2. The Schedule 3. The Coaching.

Read the Rest Here: Friday Basketball Thoughts

Hope all you guys enjoy the Super Bowl and I hope its a safe one for you and your family.

[UNTFan23]

Good stuff.

[Army of Dad]

I have to quibble with this:

"Fast forward to this year and he has already almost matched that win total with 10 games left to play and against tougher competition."

Has it really been tougher competition this season? We had to get a waiver because of the number of games against teams below the D1 level. I am also not sure how much of a step up CUSA is this season.

[CMJ]

Last year, the Sunbelt's RPI rank was 15th - this year CUSA's is 14th. Basically a wash, but slightly stronger.

[Harry]

Man enjoy reading these and appreciate the effort that goes into it. I know that you indicated a role player can be a PTP and I think that CJ fits that perfectly. He is potentially so much more than just a role player for this squad although I understand why you placed him there for now. In my mind, if CJ plays like he did against UAB we are a top 5 C-USA team. He has the potential to be one of the best point guards in the entire conference but the question is will he be?

[Mean_Green09]

I have to quibble with this:

"Fast forward to this year and he has already almost matched that win total with 10 games left to play and against tougher competition."

Has it really been tougher competition this season? We had to get a waiver because of the number of games against teams below the D1 level. I am also not sure how much of a step up CUSA is this season.

I get where your belief is, but the numbers lead me to believe that we have played tougher this year than last.

You look at last years non conf opponents they ended up with a winning % of 52% compared to 58% this year so far. You look at our SOS from last year it was around 251 based on which ranking site you trust. This year its 218. Plus I do believe the competition in our conference is much tougher. Instead of a 1 bid league we could possibly see 2.

[CMJ]

I get where your belief is, but the numbers lead me to believe that we have played tougher this year than last.

You look at last years non conf opponents they ended up with a winning % of 52% compared to 58% this year so far. You look at our SOS from last year it was around 251 based on which ranking site you trust. This year its 218. Plus I do believe the competition in our conference is much tougher. Instead of a 1 bid league we could possibly see 2.

We were in a 2 bid league last season.

[Mean_Green09]

We were in a 2 bid league last season.

Correct, but going into the conf tourney most believe MTSU was going to get the bid. There wasn't 2 teams who you could say that had a great chance of getting automatic bids. This year you have La. Tech and USM who are capable of getting automatic bids and who knows about where UTEP ends up. So who knows CUSA could come away with 3 bids. I'm pretty sure the Sun Belt is going to come away with only one bid this year.

[BillySee58]

We were in a 2 bid league last season.

Dang. Almost forgot about the MUTS getting an at large.

As for our current conference, I said I thought UTEP would win the regular season crown when Greg came out with that power ranking last week. The top 3 teams are all close but UTEP is playing really well and have the length and athleticism that puts them over the top for me. They've got things figured out with their current roster configuration without the guys who got dismissed. Could you imagine if UTEP still had those guys and Isaac Hamilton had ended up at El Paso after signing with them? Their depth is a little concerning without those guys though.

When I watch teams like UTEP play it just makes me that much more anxious to finally see Greg Wesley and Jeremy Combs put on a Mean Green uniform. Can't wait for that (please happen!).

[TIgreen01]

Good post. That last point you made in regards to coaching is definitely true. This team plays harder and gives more effort consistently than they did last year. You also don't see the looks of total frustration and desperation on the players faces that we saw all of last year. It's also been good to see Benford stick with the zone more when it is working. I think it's pretty clear that the players are more confident in it than they were last year. All things considered, in the last few weeks, the team is showing signs of life that just flat out didn't exist in the first year and a half of Benford's tenure.

I'm still not sure Benford is the answer at HC, but I also think that there is now evidence that he is not AS TERRIBLE as I (and nearly everyone else) previously believed. I think last year's enormous expectations were too much for him to handle given the style he wants to play and the players he had on hand. It was just a really bad fit.

[CMJ]

Correct, but going into the conf tourney most believe MTSU was going to get the bid. There wasn't 2 teams who you could say that had a great chance of getting automatic bids. This year you have La. Tech and USM who are capable of getting automatic bids and who knows about where UTEP ends up. So who knows CUSA could come away with 3 bids. I'm pretty sure the Sun Belt is going to come away with only one bid this year.

My current guess is, USM is the only school that'll get in without winning the conference tournament...and should they win we'll be a 1 bid league. Things could change though. It's still early.