Mean Green

North Texas fan and recruiting guru Old Timer made a good point about linebacker A.J. Penson a few days ago that I meant to respond to.

Old Timer is right, Penson is rated as a three-star recruit and No. 40 among middle linebacker prospects. Scout.com gave him that honor. Rivals.com has Penson rated as a two-star recruit.

Recruiting Web sites vary slightly in how they view prospects. Both Rivals.com and Scout.com are highly regarded scouting services. What is of little doubt is that UNT is getting a top-level player in Penson.

At this point, Penson appears to be UNT's top recruit. What recruit excites you the most?

UNT picked up its first tackle prospect in new head coach Todd Dodge's first recruiting class this week when Matt Tomlinson committed to play for the Mean Green.

Tomlinson is a little on the light side for a tackle at 270 pounds but has room to grow at 6-5.

Indiana, UTEP and Rice also offered Tomlinson, who appears as if he could be a key pickup for UNT. The Houston Chronicle has Tomlinson rated among the top 100 recruits in the Houston area. Feel free to weigh in on this blog. What are your thoughts on Tomlinson?

Here is a link to the full Denton Record-Chronicle story, which is part of the weekly all-sports UNT notebook.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/college/stories/DRC_UNT_notebook_1-31.3747f166.html

After a few hours of trying, I finally got Klein offensive lineman Matt Tomlinson on the phone. He has committed to North Texas.

Tomlinson was an All-District 16-5A selection and is a member of the Houston Chronicle's list of the top 100 players in the Houston area.

Tomlinson was recruited as a tackle. For more on Tomlinson, see tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or check out our Web site late tonight at www.dentonrc.com

Rumors ran rampant over the weekend that Lake Dallas running back Justin Hill had backed off his commitment to Rice and was about to sign with North Texas.

Hill said that wasn't the case Monday night. He said he enjoyed his visit to UNT over the weekend but is still going to sign with the Owls.

UNT has two running backs in its class at this point in Micah Mosley of Nederland and JUCO transfer Cam Montgomery.

When all was said and done Sunday, UNT had three commitments in football recruiting -- including from two high school players.

Lufkin linebacker A.J. Penson and Plano West offensive lineman J.J. Johnson both said they had orally committed to play for the Mean Green. UNT has also picked up Greg Garden a former Ryan standout who spent a year at the Naval Academy.

UNT recruited Garden to play in its defensive backfield.

What could be interesting is to see if the addition of a player like Garden helps open up the pipeline from Ryan, Denton and Guyer. UNT has seen a long line of Denton and Ryan players leave town and play for other programs. One can understand seeing players like Herman Johnson and Derek Lokey leave for programs like LSU and Texas, but there is little doubt it would help UNT to keep some of the players who are going to places like Houston and Tulsa home.

UNT is currently courting Lake Dallas running back Justin Hill and trying to get him to change his mind and play for the Mean Green instead of Rice.

What are your thoughts? Will Dodge be able to keep more players like Hill and Garden in town in the future?

The North Texas men appeared as if they were finally going to break through at the Mitchell Center in their game against South Alabama on Sunday.

UNT led late and had a chance to put USA away, only to squander the opportunity. The Mean Green has not won at the Mitchell Center since Johnny Jones' first season at UNT.

The Mean Green has lost a couple of close games in conference play and is still hanging around the middle of the pack in the league standings.

UNT needs to make a run soon if it does not want to have to sweat out the last few games of the regular season in order to get a home game in the first round of the conference tournament.

For more on the game, be sure to check out Monday's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or our Web site later tonight.

Word spread Sunday among North Texas fans that Lake Dallas running back Justin Hill had switched his commitment from Rice to UNT. A member of Hill's family said Sunday that he might commit to UNT but has yet to make a final decision. Hill would be a great pickup for UNT.

He was among the top running backs in the area last season and is a two-star recruit, according to Rivals.com's rankings system.

Duncanville running back Vernon Frazier was as surprised as most North Texas fans on Sunday morning when he saw UNT next to his name on a list of the top college football recruits in the area.

He confirmed on Sunday night that he is still committed to UTEP. It appears to be just a misprint.

North Texas is warming up in preparation for its game against South Alabama and a shot at breaking the Mitchell Center curse. The UNT men have won just once in Mobile, all the way back in Johnny Jones first year as the Mean Green's head coach in 2002.

Former UNT great Chris Davis scored 29 points to lead the Mean Green to the win.

UNT might need another breakout performance to snap USA's hold on the series in games played at the Mitchell Center. The Jaguars have won seven straight and lead the Sun Belt Conference's East Division.

The following is the list of the award winners at the North Texas football banquet on Saturday. Unfortunately, I was on the way to Mobile for UNT's basketball doubleheader against South Alabama. Look for a report from Todd Jorgenson in tomorrow's Denton Record-Chronicle.

North Texas banquet award winners
Odus Mitchell (Team MVP) -- Johnny Quinn
Steve Ramsey (Outstanding Offensive Player) -- Johnny Quinn
JaQuay Wilburn (Outstanding Offensive Back) -- Johnny Quinn
Phillip Armour (Outstanding Offensive Lineman) -- Dylan Lineberry
Abner Haynes (Outstanding Special Teams Player) -- Zach Muzzy
Shawn Kramer (Most Inspirational Player) -- Denis Hopovac
Joe Greene (Outstanding Defensive Player) -- Aaron Weathers
Byron Gross (Outstanding Linebacker) -- Maurice Holman
Bill Brashier (Outstanding Defensive Back) -- Antoine Bush
Bill Bishop (Outstanding Defensive Lineman) -- Jeremiah Chapman

A few names have emerged from various sources when it comes to what prospects are visiting North Texas this weekend for the annual football banquet.

Lufkin coach John Outlaw said a few weeks ago that his standout linebacker A.J. Penson and defensive back Ralph Thomas would visit UNT this weekend. Nothing has come up that appears to have changed those plans. The father of Plano West center J.J. Johnson said he would be in town this week.

Gilmer linebacker Dominique Buchanan could also visit UNT this weekend.

UNT is already in position to land a good class but could help its cause this weekend.

Rivals.com ranks Buchanan No. 50 among outside linebackers and a three-star recruit. He originally committed to Baylor but is back on the market. UNT could take a flyer on Buchanan, who would make its class ranking shoot through the roof. The question is if he is worth the risk after several other schools backed away.

Penson is a two-star recruit on Rivals.com and was offered scholarships by Houston, Iowa State and UTEP but is now down to UNT and Texas State after other schools filled up their scholarship slots for linebackers.

Johnson, a center, is also a highly regarded player and would fill a void in the Mean Green's class that does not yet include an offensive lineman.

Rivals.com ranks Johnson and Thomas two-star recruits

UNT will have several more players on campus and could pull a rabbit out of the hat late in the process. Momentum pays in recruiting and UNT seems to be on a roll at this point. A few prospects that have yet to commit could be swayed by a chance to join a group that now features several highly regarded players from across the state.

It will be interesting to see if UNT can finish strong.

Feel free to weight in on this blog. Can UNT keep its recruiting momentum going? And what does the Mean Green need to make what appears to be a solid class a special one on the final weekend of the recruiting season?

The North Texas men's basketball team reached a milestone of sorts Thursday by beating Middle Tennessee 66-53 to reach the 14-win mark. UNT has won 14 games in each of the last two seasons and has a chance to make a run at its best season in recent memory with nine games left in the regular season.

This time UNT won with a solid defensive performance while handing MTSU its first loss on the road in Sun Belt Conference play after five straight wins. In one of the oddities of this season in the league, MTSU was unbeaten on the road at 5-0, but had lost all four of its home games.

Five out of the Mean Green's last nine regular season games are at home.

UNT's high-water mark under Jones was a 15-14 record in his first year. UNT is 14-6 at this point.

The Mean Green appears to have a shot at a 20-win season. Feel free to weigh in on this blog. What is a realistic goal for UNT in terms of its final record?

Shirley and Al Goldfield gave North Texas a big boost in its pursuit of building a new football stadium during halftime of the Mean Green's game against Middle Tennessee on Thursday.

The couple gave the UNT athletic department $1.5 million toward construction of a new football stadium to replace Fouts Field.

Since San Antonio Alamo Heights quarterback Giovanni Vizza and his decision to play for North Texas is the talk of the afternoon, we decided to go ahead and put our story up early today.

Vizza said he expects to compete for the starting job right away. Feel free to weigh in. Do you like the fact that the freshman is on the record saying he expects to compete for the starting job? I like confidence in a quarterback.

The following is the link to the Denton Record-Chronicle story:

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNTrecruiting_1-26.1beac04a.html

It took a while, but I finally got San Antonio Alamo Heights quarterback Giovanni Vizza on the phone this afternoon.

As expected, he confirmed that he has backed off his commitment to Nevada and will sign with North Texas.

Rice, Army and Air Force also offer Vizza a scholarship.

Getting a commitment from Vizza is a huge win for UNT in recruiting and fills a void in the Mean Green's class that is shaping up to be a solid one.

Vizza said he hopes to compete for the starting job right away this fall. Feel free to weight in on this blog with your thoughts. Does Vizza have a shot to start as a freshman?

For more on Vizza, be sure to check out tomorrow's edition of the Denton Record-Chronicle or our Web site www.dentonrc.com late tonight. If you need a UNT football fix before then, check out Vizza's Rivals.com page. The following is the link:

http://www.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=55402

Will asked earlier today if there are any offensive line prospects UNT is pursuing. I mentioned in a Denton Record-Chronicle story a few days back that Plano West center J.J. Johnson is visiting this weekend.

Johnson is center and a two-star prospect, according to Rivals.com.

A more complete list of players visiting this weekend should be available later this week.

Travis, one of the Mean Green blog's loyal readers, sent in a question today -- a practice we would like to encourage. He wanted to know just how fast new UNT recruit and future Mean Green safety Bron Hager is.

So Travis, here is the best answer we could come up with.

Hager went to a Rivals.com combine event in College Station on April 22 and posted a 40-yard dash time of 5.02 seconds, which ranked 24th out of the 27 linebackers at the combine.

Brandon Herron of Fort Bend Dulles ran a 4.55 40-yard dash to finish second, but he is also the 20th ranked outside linebacker in the nation and a Michigan recruit. Hager had some tough competition.

What could help Hager are his football instincts. From all accounts, Hager is player. Westlake coach Derek Long said Hager "has good instincts for the position and gets to the ball in a hurry."

Only time will tell if Hager (6-1, 210) will fit in as a safety at UNT, but the Mean Green could see him bulk up and become a linebacker. If I had to guess, I would say that is the likely course for Hager considering his size and speed.

We have yet to confirm it with the only source that matters, but it appears as if San Antonio Alamo Heights quarterback Giovanni Vizza could be about to back off his oral commitment to Nevada and commit to UNT.

A UNT source said late Wednesday night that Vizza has told the Mean Green's coaching staff that he is coming to Denton.

Vizza did not return messages seeking comment, but Sam Dibrell, Vizza's teammate and close friend, said that they would be coming to UNT together.

If it all plays out as it appears it will, UNT will have another huge piece in its recruiting class. Vizza is rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com and would be the quarterback Todd Dodge is looking for in his first recruiting class.

Of course nothing is solid until Vizza goes on record as saying that he plans to play for UNT.

Keep checking the Denton Record-Chronicle Web site for recruiting updates. A story on defensive lineman Jordan Scoggins is on the way shortly.

Euless Trinity tight end Jordan Scoggins confirmed on Wednesday that he has orally committed to North Texas, which recruited him as a defensive tackle.

Scoggins said UNT's coaches believe he can put on weight in college and develop into an interior lineman while retaining his quickness.

Scoggins is ranked No. 99 on The Dallas Morning News' area top 100 list and is rated as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. The following is a link to his page on the Web site.

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=48591

North Texas fans want to see some beef in Todd Dodge's first recruiting class.

That wish could soon be granted.

Plano West coach Mike Hughes confirmed on Tuesday that his star offensive lineman J.J. Johnson is visiting North Texas this weekend. The 6-2, 257-pound center has offers from Utah State and Louisiana-Monroe and is also receiving interest from Tulsa. He was an all-league pick in District 9-5A, one of the toughest high school leagues in the state last season.

The following is a link to Johnson's page on Rivals.com:

http://www.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=57246

Of all the recruits North Texas has received commitments from thus far, Bron Hager is one of the most intriguing. He was a solid player at Austin Westlake and a highly rated recruit as a linebacker.

It will be interesting to see is how Hager fits in with UNT's defense. The Mean Green's coaches told Hager they want to turn him into a safety. Hager does not appear to have the speed necessary for the position, but he will play close to the line of scrimmage in UNT's defensive scheme.

Bron's father Britt had a great career in the NFL as a linebacker.

You certainly can't question his background.

Hager, who was offered by Baylor, appears to be a great pickup for UNT. He is a good enough player that he will find a role with the Mean Green at some point.

Feel free to weigh in on this blog. Where would you like to see Hager play for the Mean Green?

For more on Hager, see the Denton Record-Chronicle Web site. The following is a link to the story.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/college/stories/DRC_UNTrecruiting_1-24.13244ace.html

Austin Westlake athlete Bron Hager confirmed on Tuesday that he has committed to North Texas, which recruited him as a safety.

Be sure to check the Denton Record-Chronicle's Web site late tonight for details.

The highest rated recruit to commit to North Texas yet made his decision official Monday. Cam Montgomery, a running back who played at The Woodlands before spending two seasons at Northeast Mississippi Junior College told Rivals.com that he is transferring to UNT at the semester break.

He was among the players who visited UNT over the weekend.

Here is the link to the Denton Record-Chronicle story:
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNT_recruiting_0123.dd9d94d.html

Montgomery is rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and received interest from some impressive teams, including Illinois and Boise State.

Nederland running back Micah Mosley has also committed to UNT. He was an Class 4A all-state selection last season.

UNT now has received 13 commitments for Todd Dodge's first recruiting class.

Feel free to comment on this blog. What's your impression of Dodge's first recruiting class thus far?

North Texas men's basketball coach Johnny Jones confirmed on Monday that Roderick Flemings has left the team and is looking to transfer to a junior college.

The talented but troubled former DeSoto standout started out at Oklahoma State before transferring to UNT, where he stayed less than a year.

For the full story, see the Denton Record-Chronicle Web site. Here is the link:
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNTFlemings_1-23.dd27738.html

Jones took a risk with Flemings, but it was one that was worthwhile. Flemings was one of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school. He had the potential to be a 20-point a game player at UNT.

UNT made a great move when it took Kendrick Davis from Arkansas and Keith Wooden has contributed since transferring from Arizona State. Taking on players from other schools is a risky proposition, but it's one UNT needs to take on a regular basis to be successful.

Feel free to weigh in on this blog. How big a hit is losing Flemings to the program?

While hunting down Euless Trinity wide receiver Marcus King, I had a chance to talk for a minute or two with his teammate and fellow UNT target Jordan Scoggins, a tight end/defensive end prospect.

Scoggins said he was still considering his options. King acknowledged that he will spend the next few days trying to sell Scoggins on UNT. Scoggins is ranked No. 99 among Dallas-area prospects by The Dallas Morning News.

While UNT is still waiting on Scoggins, it did pick up a ranked recruit in Jesse DeSoto. The San Antonio Lee defensive lineman is ranked No. 7 in the San Antonio area and No. 100 in the state by the San Antonio Express-News.

For a recap of Sunday's UNT commitments, see Monday's Denton Record-Chronicle story at :

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNTrecruiting_1-22.87786c6.html

Right after I finished with my blog on UNT's recruits who committed over the weekend another jumped on board.

Wide receiver Jason Martinson of Birdville was planning on weighing his options, but needed just a few hours to decide to play for the Mean Green.

The addition of Martinson gives UNT five six who have committed this weekend with one more thinking about committing tonight.

After a several hours on the phone with recruits who visited North Texas over the weekend, the Denton Record-Chronicle has determined this is where the Mean Green stands: UNT picked up five additional commitments over the weekend, a sixth player is leaning that way as of early this evening, three others are still considering their options and one has committed elsewhere.

The following information was obtained directly from each player.

Players who have committed to the Mean Green after visits this weekend:
Southlake Carroll defensive end Kyle Russo
Atlanta linebacker Marquese Davis
San Antonio Lee defensive lineman Jesse DeSoto
Euless Trinity wide receiver Marcus King
Sommerville wide receiver Sam Roberson

Players who are leaning toward UNT
Brenham cornerback Kevin Ealey

Players who are still considering other options
Austin Westlake LB Bron Hager (still considering UNT and Baylor)
Keller Fossil Ridge OL Ben Leung (visiting the Air Force Academy next weekend)
Birdville wide receiver Jason Martinson

Players who have committed elsewhere:
Brandon Iwuji (Texas State)

For more on UNT's latest commitments, see Monday's editions of the Denton Record-Chronicle or check our Web site at www.dentonrc.com later tonight.

Calvin Watson should be given a hero's welcome the next time he sets foot on UNT's campus -- probably after a well-deserved day off on Sunday.

Watson tied his career high with six 3-pointers -- all in the second half -- to lead the Mean Green to a win over Florida Atlantic in front of a solid crowd at the Super Pit

UNT might not have made it out with a win had it not been for Watson's hot shooting late. The win pushed the Mean Green to 13-6 on the season and evened its record in conference play at 4-4.

After the game Watson said he was feeling good, but was not quite in a zone in the second half. If Watson was not zoned in while going 6-for-7 from beyond the arc after the break, it would be interesting to see how well he could shoot when he gets in one.

It's just too bad the UNT football recruits in the house all left before the show really began in the second half. They were around to see a good crowd and the UNT women finish off FAU to end an extended losing streak, though.

All and all, it was a pretty good night for the Mean Green.

For more on the games, see Sunday's Denton Record-Chronicle sports section.

North Texas picked up a commitment early Saturday from former Rice wide receiver Evan Fentriss. The former Southlake Carroll wide receiver said he has committed to play for the Mean Green beginning in 2008.

For more on Fentriss, see the Denton Record-Chronicle at: http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNTrecruiting_1-21.1ef355e.html

Senior guard Rich Young is expected to return from a trip to Pennsylvania for a family emergency in time to play in the Mean Green's game against Florida Atlantic today.

His return couldn't come soon enough for the Mean Green. Young averages 7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, which might not sound like much, but he also ranks second on the team in both assists (38) and steals (24) and is probably the Mean Green's best overall defender.

UNT's loss to Florida International on Thursday was a disaster, one the Mean Green needs to get over quickly today. That task will be a whole lot easier with Young back. To put it in simple terms, Young is the Mean Green's glue guy.

For more on today's game, be sure to check the Denton Record-Chronicle Web site at www.dentonrc.com.

Louisiana Tech hired longtime North Texas assistant coach Kenny Evans as an assistant coach on its defensive staff on Friday. Evans' exact role has yet to be determined.

Evans was the Mean Green's assistant head coach last season and also served as UNT's defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at different points during his tenure with the Mean Green.

While Evans played several different roles with the Mean Green, he was perhaps at his best as a recruiter. He signed some of UNT's best players through the years and was probably the coach with the best contacts on UNT's staff.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Evans assigned to recruit the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Texas junior colleges for Tech.

For more on Evans, see Tech's press release at:

http://www.latechsports.com/article.php?article_id=2007_01_19_12:36:04

If the North Texas men's basketball team is going to make a run at the Sun Belt Conference West Division title, today appears as if it will have to be the start of the Mean Green's surge. UNT has lost two of its last three, but made it through perhaps the toughest part of its schedule with a 3-3 record in Sun Belt play heading into a game against Florida International.

The Golden Panthers have struggled most of the season and are 7-10 on the year. FIU is the first of three straight conference opponents for the UNT men who are under .500 for the season.

UNT will follow up its game against FIU with home games against Florida Atlantic (8-9) and Middle Tennessee (8-10). The Mean Green will have a tough game after that at South Alabama (12-7), but the catches Troy (8-11) immediately after.

Three straight wins are possible, as is a winning all five games. That is what makes the stretch so critical for UNT. The Mean Green is loaded with seniors and experienced players and was picked to finish in a tie for second in the SBC West.

A run in the next couple of weeks against a few teams working their way through down years would put the Mean Green in position to fulfill expectations. If the Mean Green fails to capitalize, it could be tough to recover. UNT is in fourth place out of seven teams in the SBC West heading into today's games.

It's a perfect position to make a move up, but there is also a chance the Mean Green could dig a big hole pretty quickly.

For more on the Mean Green's trip to FIU, see sure to check out today's preview on the Denton Record-Chronicle Web site at:

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/sports/stories/DRC_UNT-FIUmenadv_1-18.4eb636d2.html

A few North Texas fans have been wondering what impact former head coach Darrell Dickey taking a job as offensive coordinator at Utah State will have on his settlement with UNT.

University spokesperson Deborah Leliaert said Tuesday that Dickey accepting a new coaching position would not impact his buyout of $524,167 for the remainder of his contract at UNT.

North Texas moved on weeks ago, and now former Mean Green head coach Darrell Dickey has as well. The news came Tuesday when Dickey was introduced as the new offensive coordinator at Utah State.

Count me among those who are happy to see Dickey land on his feet and in the coaching profession. Dickey had a rough ending at UNT and alienated more than a few fans and boosters along the way, which led to his departure. But one has to give credit where it is due.

Dickey did a lot for North Texas. He brought the Mean Green four Sun Belt Conference championships and a 2002 New Orleans Bowl win over Cincinnati, not to mention great players like Patrick Cobbs, Jamario Thomas and Johnny Quinn. One of the great personality/players in Mean Green history --Brandon "Booger" Kennedy -- played for Dickey.

UNT's former head coach will be remembered for those good times and the struggles of the last two seasons. That's the way it goes in life, people are remembered for the good and the bad.

While thinking back on the Dickey era today, one comment by new UNT head coach Todd Dodge put Dickey's impact in perspective. Dodge has mentioned more than once that one reason he took the job at UNT is he knows he can win with the Mean Green because others have in the recent past.

UNT's recent past is Dickey.

Would someone else have won the way Dickey did for those four championship seasons late in his nine-year tenure with the Mean Green? No one will ever know. What we do know is Dickey demonstrated that under the right circumstances UNT could produce a winner.

UNT will always owe Dickey a debt of gratitude for that reason alone. The news that Dickey is headed out of town served as a reminder of that.

For those of you who are interested in reading more about former North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey and his move to Utah State, here is the link to the USU release.

http://utahstateaggies.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011607aab.html

Former North Texas head coach Darrell Dickey will be named the new offensive coordinator at Utah State today, sources close to the situation said Tuesday.

Dickey spent nine seasons with the Mean Green before he was dismissed last season.

SMU, perhaps North Texas most hated rival, beat out the Mean Green for two prized recruits over the weekend.

News on the latest came Tuesday morning when Lewisville Hebron coach Brian Brazil said Ryan Leonard has enrolled at SMU. Leonard was one of the Mean Green's recruiting targets last season when he decided to attend the Naval Academy prep school instead of signing with UNT.

Leonard left the prep school shortly after Thanksgiving and was being recruited by both SMU and UNT the past few months. He was a 6-0, 268-pound offensive lineman coming out of high school and would have been a nice pickup for the Mean Green.

UNT also lost one of its top wide receiver targets in Bradley Haynes, who is also headed to SMU. Bradley is the grandson of UNT great Abner Haynes, which makes losing him all the more painful for UNT. He is on The Dallas Morning News Area Top 100 list.

New North Texas head coach Todd Dodge seems to be employing a tried and true tactic early in his tenure with the Mean Green -- recruiting teammates.

UNT has already received commitments from Colleyville Heritage teammates Breece Johnson and Evan Walker. The Mean Green has San Antonio Alamo Heights wide receiver Sam Dibrell in the fold and is also after his teammate Giovanni Vizza, a quarterback who offered a soft commitment to Nevada earlier this winter.

This weekend UNT will host the Lufkin trio of quarterback Jeremy Clayborn, linebacker A.J. Penson and defensive back Ralph Thomas.

Recruiting teammates can help a team's cause. It certainly seemed to help with Walker, who followed Johnson's lead in committing to UNT.

The Mean Green's staff is hoping its strategy will pay off again this weekend with the Lufkin trio. Thomas (Rice) Penson (Houston, Iowa State, UTEP) and Clayborn (Houston, Rice, Tulsa) all have offers on the table from other schools.

If one commits to UNT this weekend, the other two could follow, giving the Mean Green a huge haul from one of the state's top programs.

New North Texas head coach Todd Dodge is quickly picking up all-state players for his first recruiting class. The latest to join the group was Colleyville Heritage wide receiver Evan Walker on Sunday.

Walker was a first-team selection on the Associated Press Class 5A All-State team. Three members of the team have committed to play for the Mean Green thus far in recruiting. UNT has picked up Walker's high school teammate and fellow all-state wide receiver Breece Johnson and Southlake Carroll linebacker Justin Padron. San Antonio Alamo Heights receiver Sam Dibrell was an honorable mention all-state pick in Class 4A.

The interesting aspect of all four players' backgrounds is none were not all that highly rated on a national level in terms of recruiting. Johnson, Padron and Walker only received offers from UNT. Dibrell was offered by New Mexico State and Texas State.

Their background raises an interesting point: What matters more, a recruit's high school production or the evaluation of talent scouts that base their ratings in large part on what colleges are interested in a player?

Chris Hurd, Johnny Quinn and Patrick Cobbs turned out to be a few of the best players the Mean Green has had in recent years, despite the fact they were not highly rated. Jamario Thomas lived up to expectations early in his career, but other more highly regarded players never panned out.

Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on the blog. Is UNT headed in the right direction by taking on some highly productive players who did not receive offers from other programs or does it bother you that some are not all that highly rated because of their size and speed?

The North Texas men's basketball team had the best night of any squad in the Sun Belt Conference's West Division on Saturday. UNT didn't play and sat at home while the rest of the teams in the division fell one by one.

Louisiana-Monroe, Denver and New Orleans lost. Louisiana-Lafayette, Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State did the same, and by the end of the night it was a not-so-clean sweep for the division.

The Mean Green is only 3-3, but is right in the thick of the race for the division title. Only ULM (5-2) has lost less than three games in league play.

The Mean Green seems to be in position to make a move in the conference standings in the next few weeks. UNT had a tough conference schedule to start with road games at Western Kentucky, Arkansas State and Arkansas-Little Rock and New Orleans, but plays five of its next seven games at home.

The Mean Green is in good position heading into that stretch after a tough night for the rest of the teams in the SBC West.

Todd Dodge began one of his first key weekends as North Texas' new head football coach on Friday when a host of recruits arrived in Denton for official visit weekends.

UNT already has three recruits in the fold and the number could grow quickly. The unofficial list of players who are visiting this weekend includes Euless Trinity tight end Jordan Scroggins and San Antonio Alamo Heights quarterback Giovanni Vizza.

Vizza has already given a soft commitment to Nevada, but is keeping his options open. UNT coaches will try to convince him to play closer to home and follow his teammate and close friend Sam Dibrell to Denton.

Scroggins could be the toughest of the bunch coming in this weekend for UNT to land. Scroggins has multiple scholarship offers and has stated that he wants to play tight end in college. Dodge runs a wide open offense that uses wide receivers more than tight ends. UNT is also loaded with young and talented tight ends, including Draylen Ross, Bryant Seidle and Charles Brown.

Linebacker Dominique Buchanan has yet to make up his mind where he will play college football, but he will make a visit to North Texas.

Rumors ran rampant on Thursday that Buchanan, who backed out of an oral commitment to Baylor, had committed to UNT. Buchanan told Rivals.com that has not committed to UNT, but he will make a recruiting visit to Denton on Jan. 19.

Rivals.com ranks Buchanan No. 55 among outside linebacker prospect in the country. The 6-1, 235-pound former Gilmer standout is trying to set up a few visits before he decides where to continue his football career.

The North Texas men's basketball team's game against Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday seemed like a carbon copy of a loss to UT-Arlington earlier this year, right up until UNT was saved by a replay that showed ULL's potential game-winning shot was released after the buzzer.

UNT lost to UTA when officials couldn't review a game winning shot at the buzzer because there was no courtside replay monitor. Mean Green officials took care of that problem in time for UNT to be saved by an official's review after ULL appeared to win the game on a half court shot.

Chalk that one up to some well-spent money by the UNT athletic department.

It is somewhat troubling that UNT had to go to such lengths to beat at team that came into the night 4-12, but a win is a win.

The game marked the beginning of a stretch that seems to play in UNT's favor in terms of its schedule. The Mean Green has a week off before traveling to Florida International and then has home games against Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee. It's a stretch that could offer UNT a chance to get back on track after a tough trip to Arkansas, where UNT lost to Arkansas State and Arkansas-Little Rock. None of UNT's next three opponents came into Thursday night with a winning record.

UNT head coach Johnny Jones talked after the game about how the Mean Green's win over ULL is one the team could build on. UNT will find out if that is the case in the next couple of weeks.

Former Southlake Carroll quarterback Greg McElroy put to rest the rumors that he is considering transferring from Alabama to North Texas to play for his former high school coach Todd Dodge on Thursday. McElroy told The Dallas Morning News that he staying put.

Dodge said when he was hired at UNT that he would evaluate the quarterbacks he has on the team before considering taking on a transfer or junior college player. As of now, the battle in spring practice appears as if it will be between Woody Wilson, Daniel Meager and Matt Phillips.

New North Texas head coach Todd Dodge continued to load up on wide receivers Wednesday when San Antonio Alamo Heights wide receiver Sam Dibrell committed to UNT.

Dibrell (6-2, 200) caught 92 passes for 1,556 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. He was also recruited by New Mexico State. UNT also has a commitment from Colleyville Heritage wide receiver Breece Johnson.

Dibrell will visit UNT this weekend along with his best friend, Giovanni Vizza, Alamo Heights' quarterback. Vizza has orally committed to Nevada, but is keeping his options open.

Sophomore forward Harold Stewart will return to the rotation for the North Texas men's basketball team tonight in a game against Louisiana-Lafayette. Stewart missed the Mean Green's last five games while dealing with personal issues.

Stewart's return will dramatically affect the Mean Green's starting lineup and rotation. Senior guard Rich Young will start tonight, Calvin Watson will come off the bench and Stewart will back up junior forward Quincy Williams.

UNT head coach Johnny Jones is hoping the switch will improve the Mean Green's defense.

For the full story, see tomorrow's editions of the Denton Record-Chronicle or www.dentonrc.com.

North Texas' newest assistant coach is a familiar one for the Mean Green's longtime fans. Spencer Leftwich has rejoined UNT's staff as the Mean Green's offensive line coach.

Leftwich was one of two final hires head coach Todd Dodge announced on Wednesday. Former Louisiana Tech assistant Shelton Gandy also joined the staff as the Mean Green's running backs coach.

Leftwich helped build some of the best UNT offensive lines in recent memory and should also be a solid addition as a recruiter. Leftwich recruited Oklahoma for UNT in the past and could help the Mean Green pick up a few players from the state in the future.

One of the top wide receiver prospects in the country will make a recruiting visit to North Texas.

Dez Bryant of Lufkin will be in Denton beginning Jan. 26 along with teammates Ralph Thomas and A.J. Penson. Thomas plays cornerback while Penson is an inside linebacker.

Lufkin coach John Outlaw confirmed on Tuesday that all three are being recruited by UNT and are scheduled to visit the school.

For more on the Lufkin trio, make sure to read tomorrow's editions of the Denton Record-Chronicle.

The North Texas women have had some tough losses this season, but none seemed to hurt as much as a three-point setback to Denver on Tuesday.

UNT rallied in the second half and was in position to win before managing to score just two points after taking a five-point lead with 7:54 left in the second half. The Mean Green had shots in the paint, open shots from the perimeter and even a shot at the free-throw line, but couldn't get it done late.

UNT has not been a good offensive team all season, but to fall apart late was particularly tough for the Mean Green in a game the team saw as a chance to turn the corner after a brutally long road trip. UNT hadn't played at home since late November.

UNT is in a transition year after losing five key players after last season and can't afford to let opportunities for wins slip by. One just got away on Tuesday.

Former North Texas running back Erric Pegram said late Tuesday that he has been informed that he will not be asked to join the Mean Green's coaching staff. Pegram interviewed with new head coach Todd Dodge for a job coaching UNT's running backs.

Pegram played for UNT in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He led the Mean Green in rushing in both the 1989 and 1990 seasons and went on to play in the NFL.

Pegram was attending the policy academy when he interviewed for the UNT job and will continue with the program now that he knows that he will not join the Mean Green's staff.

Sanetra Jackson will be back on the court tonight when the North Texas women take on Denver in their first home game in more than a month.

Jackson was suspended for the Mean Green's last game, a loss to Arkansas State. The return of the sophomore guard could be big for UNT. She is the Mean Green's leading scorer with an average of 11.9 points a game.

For all of UNT's struggles this season, it still has a chance to bounce back and make a run in Sun Belt Conference play. UNT is 1-2 and one of its losses came at Arkansas State, which might be the second-best team in the league.

UNT plays four of its next five at home.

If UNT can get Jackson on track and still find enough time for emerging freshman guard Brittney James, it could have a chance to make the long crawl back toward the .500 mark at home.

James has led UNT in scoring in its last two games.

New North Texas head coach Todd Dodge is quickly adding some of the most productive high school players from the Dallas area to his first recruiting class.

First UNT picked up Southlake Carroll linebacker Justin Padron. Now the Mean Green has wide receiver Breece Johnson in the fold. Both were members of The Dallas Morning News All-Area team. Johnson caught 88 passes for 1,343 yards and 19 touchdowns on the season and was one of the most productive receivers in the area.

Johnson is a familiar name for Denton area sports fans. He caught six passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Ryan last season.

And Johnson might not be the last member of the DMN's all-area team to commit to UNT. Fellow Heritage wide receiver Evan Walker is visiting UNT this weekend, according to Johnson. Walker caught 99 passes for 1,476 yards and15 touchdowns last year. Walker had nine catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns against Ryan.

I am sure a few UNT fans saw Heritage play last season. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on Johnson and when you expect him to contribute for UNT.

It appears that he will have a chance to play right away with the departure of Johnny Quinn, UNT's all-time leading receiver, and fellow senior wide receiver Joel Nwigwe.

One of the DR-C's faithful readers made a good point following the Mean Green's loss to Arkansas State last week. I made the point that UNT head coach Johnny Jones said the Mean Green was too selfish during a two-game road trip. Jones never used that exact word, but that was the theme.

Here is what Buford_Julep had to say:

It is impossible to look into someone's heart and determine their motives. What is called selfish in a loss is often called taking charge when the team wins.

Coach Jones did say the the team was "too individualistic." This can just as easily be caused by frustration and trying too hard to get back into the game as opposed to selfishly trying to pad one's stats.

This still can be a special year. There are at least 14 games left on the schedule. If NT wins just half of those games it will finish with 18 victories, the most since the 1977-78 season.

Buford_Julep

Todd Dodge hasn’t even finished picking out the assistant coaches who will serve as his top recruiters at North Texas. But that didn’t stop UNT’s new head coach from quickly picking up his first commitment for his initial recruiting class this weekend.

Linebacker Justin Padron confirmed on Saturday night that he has committed to play for the Mean Green, just days after Dodge settled into his new office.

It wasn't much of a surprise that Padron landed at UNT considering he played for Dodge at Southlake Carroll. He isn't the most highly regarded of recruits -- TCU and SMU asked him to walk on because he is only 6-0, 225 -- but he was a highly productive high school player. UNT has made a living off of similar players in the past.

I seem to remember a guy named Chris Hurd who was pretty good for UNT, despite not being the biggest or tallest linebacker around.

What was interesting about what Padron had to say was his take on UNT’s recruiting efforts. Padron believes several of his former teammates from Carroll and top players from other Dallas area high schools will commit to UNT in the next few weeks.

Coaches, UNT officials and recruiting experts have all had similar suspicions. Still, there is something a little more convincing about hearing those words when they come from one of the top players in the area.

After the end of yet another North Texas loss on Saturday, I got to thinking -- Has there ever been a worse road trip for the Mean Green?

I would hard-pressed to name one when it comes to the regular season after the UNT men and women combined to go 0-for-Arkansas this week. Both teams were swept in games at Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State.

The UNT men came into the trip with an 11-3 record overall and a chance to make a run at the top of the conference standings after winning two of their first three league games. After two straight losses, UNT is now 2-3 and has some ground to make up.

UNT head coach Johnny Jones said the Mean Green quit playing as a team during the road trip and had become selfish. That has to be one of the more disappointing aspects to the trip for UNT.

The UNT women didn't fare any better, although they did play well at times in a loss to an ASU team that might be a close second to Middle Tennessee on the list of the top teams in the Sun Belt. UNT hung with the Lady Indians until late and might have been able to pull off the upset if it played a little better offensively.

That seemed of little consolation after head coach Tina Slinker announced after the game that she had suspended shooting guard Sanetra Jackson indefinitely. Jackson is UNT's leading scorer and has the potential to be a 20-point-a-game scorer in the Sun Belt. She didn’t play against ASU.

UNT will need Jackson to straighten out her off-the-court issues and get back into the fold soon if the Mean Green is to get back on track.

All-in-all, it was a tough trip for the Mean Green, but it still is early in conference play. Both teams could turn their seasons around.

There is little doubt it will be tougher to reach that goal after a disastrous trip to Arkansas.

It will be easy to judge by attendance at UNT’s next home game, but I am curious to hear how many fans still believe this could be a special year for the Mean Green.

North Texas received some bad news on Wednesday when leading scorer Sanetra Jackson injured her finger in practice.

UNT head coach Tina Slinker said Jackson will not start tonight against Arkansas-Little Rock, but she should play.

UNT will need Jackson and the 12.6 points she averages a game to stay with a UALR team that is off to a good start this season with a 10-4 record.

Tonight's game against Arkansas-Little Rock is just why North Texas recruited Keith Wooden a little more than a year ago.

Well, ok. It's not the only reason, but Wooden certainly could help the Mean Green tonight in its game against the Trojans and Rashad Jones-Jennings. The senior forward leads the country in rebounds with an average of 12.7 a game.

UNT leads the Sun Belt with an average of 40.9 rebounds a game.

Wooden has contributed to that total and could be a big factor tonight.

Jonathan Jackson is still hobbling around on a bad knee and didn't practice on Tuesday, which is not good news for the Mean Green. Jackson, 6-8, 240, is another big body the Mean Green could throw at Arkansas-Little Rock forward Rashad Jones-Jennings on Thursday. The senior is a rebounding machine who always gives UNT fits.

Late word out of Little Rock on Tuesday indicated that sophomore guard De'Andre Eggins was planning on meeting with head coach Steve Shields soon and could be back in time for the UNT game. That would be bad news for the Mean Green. Eggins is one of UALR's top scorers and would give the Trojans a lift heading into Thursday's game against the Mean Green.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the North Texas women's basketball team was still waiting to see if and when its game against Western Kentucky would be rescheduled.

UNT was supposed to play the Hilltoppers on Saturday, but never made it to Kentucky due to the weather.

The conference will likely want the game played due to the importance of the conference standings when it comes to seeing for the league tournament at the end of the year.