Our conference title defense began on December 22nd, 2007 with a trip to face the Denver Pioneers. The Mean Green got off to a horrendous start from the field and fell into an early hole. Josh White came off the bench and led a run to keep us with striking distance. At the break we trailed by 7. Collin Dennis was our high scorer with 14, but it wasn’t enough as Denver was clutch from the line in the 2nd half, repelling every run we threw at them. The Pioneers escaped with a 63-59 win, and we were left to seek revenge later in the campaign.

We stepped out of Sunbelt action one last time as we ended 2007 destroying the Dustdevils of Texas A&M International. North Texas grabbed 71 rebounds in the affair led by Justin Howerton’s 13. Every player on the roster had at least 2 points and 1 rebound (Quincy led the way with 13). It was an all around great confidence booster for the rest of the season & we stayed undefeated at home.

The Belt scheduling committee did us no favors in early league play as we again went on the road. This time the Troy Trojans were awaiting our visit and one of the more compelling endings of the season unraveled. Trailing by 6 with less than a minute to go in regulation Dez Willingham cut the lead in half. Then after Troy missed on the front half of a one and one we had a chance to tie. Josh White’s shot was blocked, but on the scramble for the loose ball Collin Dennis hit a trey with under 5 seconds to go. Off the overtime we went. The extra frame was all us initially as NT went up 86-79. Troy then proceeded to go on a 9-0 run to take 88-86 lead. Wooden tied the game at 88, but O’Darien Basset hit three late free throws (he had a game high 30) as the Trojans were victorious 91-88.

Returning home was just what we needed as on January 7th we hosted the Warhawks of Monroe. We jumped on them early and never let up as we posted a 78-57 win. Josh White and Dez Willingham led 5 players in double figures as we shot 51.9% from the field and 55% from behind the 19’9. The Mean Green drained 11 treys in total, one of our higher marks of the season. We improved to 8-0 at the SuperPit, and more importantly got our 1st league win.

North Texas again went on the road for the next game. Arkansas State was seeking payback for losing to us in the SBC Final last year. It was not to be as we led wire to wire, winning 74-63. Collin Dennis lit up the Indians for 30 points – the most by a Mean Green player since the days of Chris Davis. Two others got into double figures and we out rebounded ASU by 12. At one point in the second half we were up 18 and despite surrendering some of the advantage, this game us the tantalizing suggestion that perhaps our road woes were over. This unfortunately turned out to be a mirage.

In our next contest we hosted Division leader ULL. This was a game we desperately needed to get back in the West race, and both sides played like it was a championship type affair. The first half was close throughout, with 6 ties and six more lead changes. The teams walked off the floor square at 35 after Ben Bell hit a remarkable 3 at the buzzer. We controlled the first ten minutes of the second stanza eventually going up 56-46. The Ragin’ Cajuns responded with a 19-8 run, retaking the lead 65-64. The last 8 points of the game would belong to us as we pulled away late 72-65. Quincy led the way with 18 huge points. Despite the lackluster opening, we were now back in the Sunbelt West race. In what would become a common theme this season, every time we thought we knew where we were headed – a change of plans was in the offing.

A flu bug swept thru the Mean Green lineup before UNO came calling. In recent years the Privateers have been a bit of a nemesis for the NT, and this night would be no different. On a night when Sunbelt legend Bo McCalebb would become the conference’s all time leading scorer, we just had nothing left for the second half as UNO dismantled us 83-61. The Mean Green gamely fought the Privateers in the first half, trailing by only 5. But the effects of the flu took their toll near the midway point of the 2nd as McCalebb and company took a 3 point lead and expanded it to 29 with 5:33 to go in the game. This was as crushing a defeat as we’ve suffered in the SuperPit during the Johnny Jones era. Back to the drawing board time.

It was back to the road as we traveled to Boca Raton, Florida to play the Owls of FAU. Josh White was injured late in the first half, but that seemed to fuel Dez and Ben. Bell actually had a career high of 26 in this game as he almost willed us to victory. Likewise, Willingham had 21 in relief of Josh and played arguably his best game of the season. With just over ten minutes remaining Ben hit a 3 to put us up a dozen. However FAU wouldn’t go away. The Owls used a late 18-5 run to erase an 8 point deficit at the 4:23 mark. Final score: FAU 86-81.

We hoped to end the skid when we arrived in Murfreesboro to play MTSU. Things started off well as Josh was back and Dez sparked a 11-0 right out of the gate. At half we were up a bucket and a sense of dread was in the air with our recent meltdowns. The Blue Raiders made a run right after the break, but we quickly retook the advantage. Kevin Kanaskie hit 4 treys – leading a 20-7 late run as MTSU retook the advantage and cruised to 69-60 win. Our 3 game win streak had been supplanted by a 3 game losing streak. With conference leading (and undefeated in SBC play) South Alabama visiting the SuperPit next, the season looked on the brink of unraveling totally.

Despite the familiarity everyone has with the OSU program, the best win of the ’07-08 campaign was January 31st when USA invaded the SuperPit and was turned away 70-68. We showed the kind of play that too rarely came out. There were a handful of times when this team clicked on all cylinders – and when we did we were tough. Dez Willingham got pile drived into the basket early on, and was out for the year - with a torn ligament in his knee. Keith and Quincy both got into early foul trouble.

It didn’t matter.

Out bench outscored USA’s by 20 – led once again by Collin Dennis. USA led by 10 early in the first half but we were within six at intermission. In the 2nd NT shot 50% from the floor and quickly took the lead at 42-41. After briefly going up 47-41 a few minutes later, the game ratcheted up in intensity. Neither squad led by more than 5 till the buzzer. After tying the game for the 8th time at 63, NT got a slight advantage. Then Collin Dennis hit a 3 pointer with 1:37 to go to put us up 5 and it looked like we might escape. USA quickly responded and with seconds remaining Demetric Bennett had a shot to win, but it was off the iron. North Texas had just defeated the Jaguars and given hope for saving the season.

At the midway point in league play we stood at 4-5(13-7 overall). But with the attrition in the West we were still very much in the division race, and with a favorable draw come tournament time anything was possible. We had just shown we could beat anyone by knocking off the Jaguars. The season was still very much for the taking.

The annual convention was held Sunday-Wednesday of this week with several headlining speakers in several sports. I had to come back to Abilene on Tuesday, but I listened to some good speakers on Monday.

Tom Inman, Plano HS Basketball

I got three plays from Inman, but the thing that stood out was his comments on the AAU system. He warned to watch out for AAU coaches, that they have an agenda that does not include what is best for the kids. He said that school coaches have an AD, principal, superintendent, and school board over them, while AAU coaches have nobody to answer to. He said that not all AAU coaches were bad, but they were all self serving. I have made it clear on here before, but I agree completely with his assessment, and I am sure the vast majority of coaches do as well. He recommended that school coaches be allowed to coach their kids for twenty days over the summer, and that would coincide with the time period college coaches can make contact over the summer. This would put the recruitment process back in the hands of coaches with ethics and regulations instead of AAU coaches like it currently is. I wouldn't be opposed to that idea. It would mean even more unpaid work, but we aren't in it to get paid, and it would be best for the kids.

Dana Altman, Creighton Basketball

Altman had the podium for two hours, and was a feature speaker flown in by Nike. Altman was very funny, and you could tell he was struggling to reign in his language. He had several stories that were funny, but spent most of his time with X's and O's. He talked about his offense and why it fits Creighton. Altman gave his ten keys to offense in basketball. He also noted that Creighton not having football was "a good thing" because the basketball program got whatever they wanted. The second hour was focused on defense, and Altman mostly outlined his pressure strategy. He uses a 1-2-2 full court both soft and tight, as well as a half court trapping system. A question was asked if his base defense was man or zone, and he said both, depending on his personnel and the flow of the game.

John Valenzuela, Madison HS Basketball

Valenzuela was probably the best speaker I saw on Monday. He gave several lists he uses in his program, and went into detail on all of them. Among them were the 5 expectations of players, 4 types of players, 5 things to never say, 4 steps to be a champion, 5 coaches struggles, and 7 ways to score. The only one I will unveil is the 5 truths in his program:

1) Do not limit God.

2) God has the answer even if you don't see it.

3) Magnify God, not your problem.

4) Fight the good fight of faith.

5) Let God do it his way, it is better than our way.

This was the only list that dealt with faith, but there is a reason I posted it. Having just read Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy, this list made even more sense to me. I have said several times since reading Dungy's book, that it is the future of coaching. Screaming, cussing, tearing down players doesn't work well, and it shouldn't. Modeling good morals, faith, composure, and intelligence is a much more productive approach. Not only will it lead to more success as a team, it will instill values and lessons that players can carry with them for the rest of their life. You may hear coaches say that is the real reason they coach and think they are just blowing smoke. Some may be, but I am serious when I say that is why I am in education, and part of that is coaching. I care more about helping to mold young men who will be good husbands, fathers, workers, and members of their community later in life than winning games. Another book about this style of coaching is Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx.

Back to Valenzuela, he was very prepared and gave an excellent presentation. While I was watching him, the rest of our staff was watching Bobby Bowden. They said he seemed ill prepared, and were let down by his lecture. They also saw Don Byrd, of Alamo Heights football give a talk on the quick passing game that produced NT recruits Sam Dibrell and Giovanni Vizza. I also listened to about half of Jill McDill from Rockwall basketball after making the rounds in the exhibit hall. While I was only able to be there for one day, it was worth it. I got several inbounds and set plays to use and some good program guidelines from Valenzuela.

The Sun Belt Tournament got underway on February 28th. Games were to take place on the higher seed’s home floor for the first round(not counting the three byes for division champs and next best conference mark) with the eight remaining teams moving onto Lafayette.

North Texas, as the 5th seed hosted Louisiana Lafayette the 12 seed in this initial round contest. Kendrick Davis jumped out of the box with a huge effort, putting up 21 points in the opening stanza(on his way to 24 for the evening). The Mean Green got up by 19 points midway thru the first half, but the Ragin’ Cajuns cut it to 9 before the break. Lafayette continued their charge after intermission, pulling to within 4, but from there Harold Stewart spearheaded a run to put the game away. When the buzzer sounded we had reached the 20 win plateau for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Between the Wednesday game, and the trip to Lafayette for the remainder of the tourney Coach Jones had his team practice cutting down the nets. This was just one of the many buttons JJ was able to push along the way.

Next up was the 4 seed - the War Hawks of Monroe. ULM had led the Western Division through most of the season, but a late tailspin forced them out of one of the byes. Still, they figured to be a formidable opponent. We looked bad out of the gate as ULM jumped on us. Kendrick Davis was ill, and we seemed lost without him. The War Hawks took a 12 point lead into the break. Harold Stewart once again led a 2nd half run, this time getting us back in the game, before finally taking over the lead with 8 minutes remaining. The teams traded baskets, and dreams, in a dramatic stretch run as clutch shot after clutch shot was drained on both sides. Ben Bell(in a huge game for our Point Guard) stole the ball at the end of regulation thwarting a ULM attempt at the win. Free basketball yet again! In the extra session, we dug down deep and pulled away, hitting our free throws at the end. In Davis’s near absence Calvin Watson led the team with 19, but once again Stewart off the bench was the true story as his double double proved critical to the cause.

MTSU upset South Alabama, so we got a break drawing the 9 seed in the conference semi-final. Much like the game in Denton earlier in the season, North Texas led through most of the contest. KD sat out the game but Bell once again came up huge, with 15 points pacing the squad. Sturns and Watson both chipped in with 11, as North Texas weathered several Blue Raider rallies. In the end though, MTSU only led in the opening moments, and we knocked off MTSU 59-52. This tied the most wins in school history, dating back in the glory years of Coach Bill Blakely. We were now just one win from the Big Dance. But to do so we’d have to knock off the ASU Indians, who we were 0-2 against on the year.

The Tuesday clash would have a national audience on ESPN2. Calvin Watson seemed to know the spotlight was on as he came out shooting lights out. He would have 24 by game’s end leading the Mean Green. We led through most of the 1st half but the Indians closed to within 1 at halftime. Early in the second half NT pushed the advantage to 6, but ASU responded, eventually taking a short lived one point lead. Ben Bell took over from there as a junior point guard scored 7 of our next 13 and threw a stunning alley-oop pass too Rich Young, to seal the victory. Final Score NT 83-75. The Mean Green were going to the NCAA Tournament!

Over the next week we were the toast of the DFW market. The NCAA selection announcement drew a huge crowd as our team and fans went nuts when we drew the Memphis Tigers in New Orleans. All the local news agencies ran stories on the Mean Green, whether they be newspaper, television, or radio. The National media did features on Rich Young’s military service and the Dallas Morning News had daily video diaries, that gave excellent insight into the team. It was a wonderful time to be part of the Mean Green nation.

Game day finally arrived. Most experts gave us little chance, and honestly this was deserved. Only four times had a 15 seed defeated a 2 seed in the Tournament. We’d have to play a perfect game to get it done. For awhile we did just that. The Mean Green jumped on Memphis at the start as we were hitting everything we threw up. We kept a tenuous hold on the lead through over half the opening 20 minutes. We were the “Look in” game at several points in the coverage as CBS would break away from other regionally significant games to show footage of a David going toe to toe with Goliath. Memphis used a late 14-2 run to take a 9 point lead into the break. We refused to wilt after the break staying within striking distance. The turning point occurred about 7 minutes into the stanza when Calvin Watson missed a dunk and Memphis responded with a run to push the lead to 17. Despite closing the gap under 10 on acouple of occasions, but we could not get over the hump. The final score was Memphis 73-58, in a game that was probably closer than the margin showed.

North Texas finished the season at 23-11, marking a program high water mark for wins. Obviously the great squads we had in the 60’s and 70’s didn’t play as many games, but this was still a historic season by the Mean Green. It was only the 2nd time in school history we reached the “Dance” and only the 5th time we had reached 20 victories. In my 20 years of following NT basketball, I truly believe this was the best team(and most talented) we’ve seen. Kendrick Davis, Rich Young, and Calvin Watson each put their stamp on the North Texas basketball program that will be remembered for some time to come.

However, we still have much of the nucleus returning for next year. JJ has seemingly gotten some great additions for our ’07-08 campaign, so the future appears brighter than ever. Will our W’s down low continue to develop? Will Harold Stewart live up the the promise he teased us with at the SBC tournament? Will the “Thrill McCoy’s” play integral roles? Is Collin Dennis’s jumper as good as advertised? Can Mangrum return from his shoulder surgery and dent the regular rotation? Will Tristan Thompson live up to his billing? If even half of these questions are answered in the affirmative we are gonna be in for a helluva ride. I can’t wait for next season. Go Mean Green!

We started the second half of our conference slate with a trip to South Alabama. USA was leading the Eastern division of the Belt, so this figured to be a good measuring stick to where we stood. Another battle commenced as the Mean Green and Jaguars slugged it out. The first half was end to end play as we scored 49, and the Jags put up 45 of their own. In the second stanza play slowed just a touch and was tied with a minute in regulation. Ben Bell stroked a 3 pointer with 55 seconds remaining, but Demetric Bennett answered with one of his own. USA then had a chance to win in regulation, but Harold Stewart came up with a blocked shot as time expired. Another overtime game was upon us. The OT session was also back and forth. With the contest deadlocked at 89 and time running out, Daon Merritt drove to the bucket and was fouled. He made one of two free throws giving the Jags the one point win. This was a tough defeat to swallow for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being our balanced attack. We had 6 players in double figures on the night led by Quincy Williams.

The Mean Green returned home to host the Troy Trojans. What followed was an historic annihilation of Troy 98-57. The last time North Texas had defeated a conference mate by that much was 51 years ago. Everything worked in the contest. KD and Watson each had 19. We out rebounded the Trojans by 21. We had 21 assists and shot nearly 60% from the floor. It was one of the best games we played all season.

Western Kentucky made a return visit to the SuperPit in our next contest. This was perhaps our best game of the season as we outlasted the Toppers 74-70. After feeling them out in the opening minutes, we jumped on Western and built the lead up to 21 points midway thru the second half. The crowd was large(by our standards) and raucous. However, Keith Wooden was knocked out of the game with a broken nose and we went ice cold. The Hilltoppers went on a final charge and they wiped away the deficit, eventually taking the lead with under a minute. Kendrick came up with a clutch jumper to regain the lead with 22 seconds. We forced two Western misses, Rich Young hit some free throws, and NT celebrated a season sweep of Western Kentucky.

Next up was the Privateers of New Orleans. The early moments both teams probed looking for an advantage, but then UNO went on a 9-0 run near the end of the first stanza to gain a working margin they held through most of the second. Bo McCalebb continued to be a Mean Green killer as he knocked down 25 points. Keith Wooden sported a new mask to protect his nose…and a fiercer attitude in the paint putting up his first double-double of the season. We put on a late charge at the end and KD hit down two big shots in the waning seconds to give us our first lead since the 6 minute mark of the first half. McCalebb tied the game with a free throw, but Ben Bell seemingly gave us the win with a mad dash prompting a foul. He calmly sank his 2 from the strip with 2 seconds remaining. In a oft criticized move JJ called a timeout and left no one on the man throwing it in. McCalebb drained a 3 pointer at the buzzer giving the Privateers a 2 point win. This was a crushing defeat(and our first at the SuperPit since the UTA game), but NT still had a lot to play for as we were still in second place in the division race.

Our following game was a tilt with West leading Louisiana-Monroe. The Mean Green opened strong and led by 8 at the break. The War Hawks stormed back in the second with a 13-3 run to take the lead. The two teams traded runs in a dramatic see saw affair. Calvin Watson and Michael Sturns both had 14 to spearhead our attack. With just over 3 minutes remaining we held onto a three point cushion, but Monroe went on a 5-0 run. KD tied the game with 54 seconds left, but ULM responded as Tony Hooper drilled a shot with 31 seconds left. KD’s attempt at the equalizer rimmed out, and the War Hawks hit their free throws to preserve the win.

The team and the fans needed a win after those devastating contests. NT got it when we traveled to play Denver. The Mean Green led throughout coasting to a 78-65 victory. Five players scored in double figures as our depth wore the Pioneers down. Sturns led the way with 13.

Calvin Watson became the all time 3 point shooter in school history in our next game against Arkansas-Little Rock. More importantly we avenged out earlier loss to the Trojans 74-69. The senior did it in style as he led the way with 16. Williams and Wooden both had monster games as they dueled with all conference forward Rashad Jones-Jennings in the paint. Our bench play, led by Sturns also proved instrumental as we outscored the Trojans by 11 in that category.

Arkansas State visited Denton on Senior night. The seniors Davis, Young, and Watson were all honored for their terrific work for Mean Green. When the game started Watson exploded for 26, including six 3’s as we took an 11 point lead into the break. The Indians fought back though, using 24-13 run of their own to tie the contest. From there, the game went back and forth, until ASU used a late 8-0 run to take a 5 point lead with under a minute. Though we closed the gap, we could not get over the hump losing 74-71.

We closed the regular season in Lafayette against the Ragin’ Cajuns. We had never had much success in Lafayette, but the conference tournament was soon to be held there, so it was a good time to get the jinx’s over with. Another tight game was on the docket this night. How tight? Neither school led by 6 through the course of the game. There were 9 ties and 11 lead changes. Heck even the halftime score was tied. Kendrick Davis hit a 3 pointer with 2.2 seconds left(our 1st of the game) to pull the game out 72-70. With the win we received the 5th seed in the Sun Belt Tourney and a match-up against these same Ragin’ Cajuns; this time…in the SuperPit.

It had been an up and down season to this point. We’d seen players getting to milestones. Thrilling games, both won and lost. We had 19 wins on the season, our most since the Blakely era. Now however, the moment was upon JJ and the team. Though we had not folded down the stretch some believed that if we were one and done in the conference tournament, JJ should be shown the door. People were skeptical, and rightly so. Most fans at least wanted to win at least 1 game, since we had not since JJ’s first season. We would win that one, and keep on going….

Conference play opened on December 16th, 2006 in the Crescent City. The Privateers and Mean Green battled in a classic double overtime thriller. Unfortunately for NT, we came out on the losing end of a 97-93 score. Bo McCalebb paced the Privateers with 39 huge points. Michael Sturns led the way for the Mean Green with 28 off the bench. Anxiety was high after this loss among much of the fanbase, with Western Kentucky next and a likely 0-2 start in league play.

The Hilltoppers had never lost to North Texas, so we had good reason to worry. Kendrick Davis was still hurt, we were playing in Diddle(perhaps the toughest arena in the Belt to play), and we were just coming off a heartbreaking defeat. North Texas held a 10 point lead in the 2nd half, but the Toppers, led by Courtney Lee’s 20 – fought back. It was really a tough contest, evidenced by seven ties and 13 lead changes. When Keith Wooden banked in a lay up with 5.7 seconds left, we had beaten the historic heavyweight of the league 86-85.

After the five game road swing NT headed back to Denton with a 3-2 mark. Jumping out of Sun Belt play, we took on Jarvis Christian, destroying them 94-70. The Mean Green had five players in double figures in the confidence building contest. We ended our non conference slate by hosting Bellhaven. The biggest news was KD finally returning. He seemed rusty, only scoring two(though he led the team with four assists). Led by Watson’s 23 and huge all around game by Quincy Williams, we dismantled an overmatched squad 93-66.

The Denver Pioneers came calling in our final game of 2006. Once again, a balanced attack led to the victory as the Mean Green had five players in double figures. Davis broke out with 18, but our guys in the paint; Williams and Wooden really led us to victory. Denver was hot shooting in the 1st half, draining 8 3-pointers, but the W’s down low wore them out, as we prevailed 91-79. Quincy continued to rack up blocked shots, as thru this three game stretch he moved into NT’s top 10 all time in that category.

Another road swing was in store as we went to Arkansas. We met the Trojans of Little Rock to open up the New Year. Though the Mean Green played well offensively, we could not stop UALR, as they hit 10 3 pointers and shot over 60% from the floor. The 11 point defeat stalled any momentum we thought we had, but the next game nearly sent Mean Green nation into panic mode. In Jonesboro, we played arguably the worst game of the season as the Indians thrashed us 84-60. ASU led by nearly 20 points the entire second half as they hit nearly 70% from the floor. It was truly a debacle in every sense of the word.

North Texas returned to Denton as he hosted the Ragin’ Cajuns. What followed was another overtime struggle. Kendrick Davis led the way with 22 including 2 clutch three point plays, one to send the game into OT, and the other to win. Neither team led by more than eight, but ULL had just such a lead near the end of regulation. A furious comeback in the last five minutes forced overtime, and then Davis’s heroics won the contest. It was a huge win after the Arkansas disaster, and evened our conference mark at 3-3.

Up next was a trip to Miami to play FIU. Another nail biter commenced in a game full of runs. Unlike the last game which was mostly nip and tuck, this one had wild swings of momentum till the last few minutes. In the final sixty seconds however, the contest was tied when Keith Wooden hit a bucket. Alex Galindo of FIU hit a heartbreaker from behind the arc with 15 seconds remaining and FIU stole the ball when we were trying to put up a game winner. The 67-66 defeat was frustrating, but so many of our games were decided at the wire(good and bad), it came to be expected.

The Mean Green returned home to host the Owls of Florida Atlantic. We shot horribly in the 1st stanza, and were down by four at the break. After KD put us ahead at the start of the second, we never looked back taking it 76-59. Watson hit a career high six 3’s, leading the 2nd half scoring barrage(we shot 60% in the half). Also noteworthy was our defense, as we forced 20 turnovers. Next up was Middle Tennessee. We led wire to wire over the Blue Raiders, and though they closed the deficit to two 7 minutes into the second half, this was an relatively easy victory by our standards this season. Watson continued to play well, pouring in 21 on the night.

We were now halfway through conference season. We trailed Louisiana-Monroe, but we were within striking distance. Our home record was sparkling, but we couldn’t beat anyone on the road, so we weren’t exactly sure what was in store. Some predicted a swoon, and others the opposite. Reasonable fans took a wait and see approach.

Thankfully however, the best was yet to come…