Mean Green Blog

I got a good question today on the blog, although it isn’t a very pleasant one to ponder. FanMan wanted to know where to place the blame for UNT coming up short on the APR report.

A lot of people have a hand in trying to keep athletes eligible and in school – from the students themselves to coaches to university support personnel. In this case, everyone appears to have done their job with the exception of some students who didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.

In the end, that problem stems from the athletes UNT recruited.

The UNT administration has added an academic center for athletes and academic personnel. Former UNT head coach Darrell Dickey used to hold study hall for his players who didn’t make it to class at the crack of dawn. Johnny Jones emphasizes academics just like Dickey did.

There is an old saying that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. This appears to be the case at UNT, which took some risks on athletes with questionable academic credentials who didn’t hold up their end of the bargain.

UNT appears as if it will take fewer of those risks in the future.

That’s definitely the way to go, but it does make me think back to some of the high-risk players that have done well at UNT. No one would touch Jonas Buckles other than UNT because of his academic situation. He graduated in four years and was a four-time all-conference selection at safety – not to mention a great all-around guy. Keith Wooden regained his eligibility at UNT after transferring from Arizona State and helped lead the Mean Green to the NCAA Tournament.

You just wonder with the APR if guys like Buckles and Wooden will get the shot they need in the future.