Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
USA Today
March 13, 2007
Pg. 8C
By Wire Reports
Rich Young's road to the NCAA tournament includes a firefight in Iraq and peacekeeping in Kosovo.
Now that the North Texas senior forward — a former Marine and Iraq war veteran — is about to play in the postseason tournament, he can hardly believe his good fortune.
"I always wanted to play in the NCAA tournament, and I always wanted to play college basketball in Division I," Young said Monday. "And it's hard to believe I actually get that opportunity."
Young, 26, fills up most every line of the stat sheet for the Mean Green (23-10), who are making their second NCAA appearance and first since 1988.
North Texas, a 15th seed, will play second-seeded Memphis on Friday in New Orleans.
He admits he isn't much of a scorer, but he does everything else.
The sometime-starter averages 5.9 points. He is third on the team in rebounding with 4.5 a game and second in assists, steals, and blocks. He's also a 77% free throw shooter, second among the regular Mean Green players.
Young is the first player in school history to record at least 40 assists, 25 blocks and 25 steals in the same season.
"He does everything, all the small stuff," teammate Quincy Williams said. "All the things we need to be a successful team. No back talk — just a disciplined and solid guy."
North Texas coach Johnny Jones said he likes how Young has brought a bit of the Marines to the Mean Green.
He praised Young's maturity, attitude and leadership — traits the coach said he hopes can rub off on the team's underclassmen, some of whom are eight years younger.
For four years, from high school graduation in 1999 until his discharge in 2003, Young lived an orderly world of salutes and spit-shined shoes.
He had some low-Division I scholarship offers coming out of Farrell (Pa.) High, but chose the Marines instead.
"I guess just the challenge was attractive to me," Young said. "I just wanted to do it because people said it was tough and probably the hardest branch to go to."
He was deployed overseas for 10 months, with stops in Kosovo, Kenya and Djibouti.
Sgt. Young spent about two months in Iraq in 2003, securing a dangerous stretch of road known as "Ambush Alley" for the frequent attacks on U.S. convoys speeding to Baghdad.
He never had to pull a trigger, but he and his patrol unit were shot at in one incident that lasted a few seconds. Young said his training kicked in immediately.
"When it finally did happen, it was, 'OK, here we go,' " he said. "You don't spend too much time standing around looking. That's what gets you in trouble."
March 13, 2007
Pg. 8C
By Wire Reports
Rich Young's road to the NCAA tournament includes a firefight in Iraq and peacekeeping in Kosovo.
Now that the North Texas senior forward — a former Marine and Iraq war veteran — is about to play in the postseason tournament, he can hardly believe his good fortune.
"I always wanted to play in the NCAA tournament, and I always wanted to play college basketball in Division I," Young said Monday. "And it's hard to believe I actually get that opportunity."
Young, 26, fills up most every line of the stat sheet for the Mean Green (23-10), who are making their second NCAA appearance and first since 1988.
North Texas, a 15th seed, will play second-seeded Memphis on Friday in New Orleans.
He admits he isn't much of a scorer, but he does everything else.
The sometime-starter averages 5.9 points. He is third on the team in rebounding with 4.5 a game and second in assists, steals, and blocks. He's also a 77% free throw shooter, second among the regular Mean Green players.
Young is the first player in school history to record at least 40 assists, 25 blocks and 25 steals in the same season.
"He does everything, all the small stuff," teammate Quincy Williams said. "All the things we need to be a successful team. No back talk — just a disciplined and solid guy."
North Texas coach Johnny Jones said he likes how Young has brought a bit of the Marines to the Mean Green.
He praised Young's maturity, attitude and leadership — traits the coach said he hopes can rub off on the team's underclassmen, some of whom are eight years younger.
For four years, from high school graduation in 1999 until his discharge in 2003, Young lived an orderly world of salutes and spit-shined shoes.
He had some low-Division I scholarship offers coming out of Farrell (Pa.) High, but chose the Marines instead.
"I guess just the challenge was attractive to me," Young said. "I just wanted to do it because people said it was tough and probably the hardest branch to go to."
He was deployed overseas for 10 months, with stops in Kosovo, Kenya and Djibouti.
Sgt. Young spent about two months in Iraq in 2003, securing a dangerous stretch of road known as "Ambush Alley" for the frequent attacks on U.S. convoys speeding to Baghdad.
He never had to pull a trigger, but he and his patrol unit were shot at in one incident that lasted a few seconds. Young said his training kicked in immediately.
"When it finally did happen, it was, 'OK, here we go,' " he said. "You don't spend too much time standing around looking. That's what gets you in trouble."
