DDS:CB3 Dynasty: Mack Jones- The Hard Way

[Wayne23 14]

Good ta be back home.

 

2-5 Tulsa is here. Lean an’ Buck still not 100% but both are over 90% so I think we’ll be okay. They play man.

 

Dec. 13: 69-68. Escaped! Strange game. Didn’t feel like they should have been in it but they never went away. Thought we outplayed ‘em all night, yet they were right there at the end. +5 TOs, +5 RBs, 7 fewer fouls. But… my old nemesis, threes. They were 12-21. Possibly my greatest failing as a coach is that my teams simply do not get out on the three point shooter. I work it every year in practice after practice. I go away from the 2-3 to exclusively man often, in order to help with it. Still an issue ev’ry year.

 

Anyway, Carr hit an 18 footer with less than 2 seconds left for the win. 21, 7 for More, 16, 3, 3 for Carr. Lean had on’y 2, but 9 RBs, 7 assists. We’ll take the win.

 

#12, RPI #21.

 

At 4-4 Texas Tech. On paper this is a mismatch but it’s a road game.

 

Dec. 21: 62-58. Big early lead, led mosta the way but they tightened it an’ tightened it. Got it ta one with 91 seconds lef’. They stole a pass an’ headed down the floor. Jed Lean somehow caught the SG from behind and swatted away his lay up without foulin’, we got the ball, an’ scored, then scored again an’ it was over, but Lean’s play was what did it. 18 TOs is how we almos’ blew it. Balanced scorin’, the starters all between 8-13 points.

 

Givin’ White more PT, takin’ it from Sands. White has really been producin’.

 

Dec. 25: Baby’s 1st XMas. We refuse to get crazy about the holiday. Simple, quiet, but a celebration, presents, but within reason. Fun. She was pretty inta the fun. As was true with the last pregnancy Lucy is feelin’ good, all in all. No problems so far.

 

Grades are in. Awesome! Lowest GPA? 3.2

 

One more pre-conf. game. 7-3 Virginia is here. Good team, esp. outside. One bad loss, only one quality win. Weak sched. Their game really is all outside. If we clean up inside as we should, it’ll be fine.

 

Dec. 28: 85-75. They led by as many as 13 before we fine’ly started ta get out on the freakin’ shooters. Once we did that we were fine. I am not a yeller but I was tonight. Sorry about it, it’s just not a good idea. I let frustration get ta me. It worked but that ain’t the point. I won’t allow myself ta get outta control like that again. White was terrific, 22, 8 in 21 min. If he keeps up he’ll wind up startin’. 21, 9 for Buck. 5 TOs. Really, the on’y down thing was getting’ out on the shooter.

 

Of course, White got hurt in his first game with increased PT. Shoulder, not serious, day to day.

 

Jan. 1: Happy 1979. 11-2 for the pre-conf. #14, RPI #8.

[Wayne23 14]

Tough one ta start out. At #21, 10-3 Arkansas. On paper we may be slightly better but not by much. We need to control the boards because they are really good with the ball.

 

Jan. 4: 74-57. Didn’t expect that! We never trailed. 17, 10 for More, 17, 4 for Carr, other three all produced. 12 TOs, +8 RBs.

 

The reward? #1 KY, 13-2, at our place. On paper they’re better, lots. Tough inside, good with the ball. We can’t let them get it inside, and we need ta disrupt their flow. Can we?

 

Jan. 7: 68-62. Yes we can! As seems to happen to us we feel behind early, 15 at one point an’ I was thinkin’ that was too much given it was #1 in the country. But then it started ta slowly turn. It was a sloppy game or maybe a well defended game. Anyways they had 20 TOs we had 22. An’ the sloppy started ta hurt ‘em. We got it down ta 6 at the half. They had the edge inside so at the half I decided ta go small. Thought we might have less TOs with a three guard lineup- 15 in the first.

 

Well it worked. Carr, Lean, Wall, an’ even Buck at SF all started makin’ shots outside. We moved the ball real well an’ didn’t turn it over much, an’ we took over. Even with the small lineup we matched ‘em on RBs (-3 for the game). They got inta foul trouble chasin’ our quick passes, an’ before long we were up by 10. At the end it was 6. 17 for Lean, 16 for Carr, 11 eah for Buck an’ Wall, so it was pretty much all outside, except for 9, 10 for More. Great D held ‘em ta 34% shootin’. A great win!

 

At 8-6, 0-2 Mississippi State. We think we’re better at ev’ry position.

 

Jan. 11: 68-58. Too many TOs again, 16, but ev’rythin’ else was good. 18, 6, 3 for Buck, 17 for Carr, 8, 9 for More.

 

10-4, 2-1 Tennessee is in town. A big scorin’ C, some outside shooters, but we think we’re better.

 

Jan. 14: 69-57. They stayed with us for more than 30 an’ yep their C is good, but in the end we were too strong. Real balance, 9 guys carryin’ part a the load, 13 TOs, +17 RBs.

 

#10, RPI #5.

 

Tail spends most a his time under the bed in our room. Mandy caught him a couple times an' he didn’t like it so he hides out ‘til she’s in bed. Then he hangs with us but we get looks meant ta give us the guilts.

[Wayne23 14]

At 11-5, 1-3 Florida. They are strong outside but not much inside game. We know outside shooting can cause us trouble so we been workin’. These guys can play some.

 

Jan. 18: 63-67. TO problems continue, 17. -5 RB didn’t help an’ should not have happened. We weren’t very good tonight. Lead went back an’ forth but we didn’t have a lotta energy, didn’t take charge, didn’t step up. At the end they wanted it more. Maybe jus’ a bad night but staff met an’ talked all the way back home on the plane.

 

We decide more minutes for White, less for Evans. We’ll see.

 

11-5, 4-1 Georgia, one of four teams tied for 1st (KY, MO, us) is in. Another outside team, will match us at PG, SG. We’re better ev’rywhere else an’ our bench is better. We want the comeback win.

 

Jan. 21: 73-52. An’ we got it! Played the way I want the team ta play, in charge all the way, lotsa energy, 11 TOs, +8 RBs. 19, 3, 3 for Buck, 14, 7, 2 for White. Our guards matched theirs an’ we dominated inside.

 

At 7-10, 3-3 LSU. I think we’re better at ev’ry spot so jus’ play like las’ game.

 

Jan. 25: 67-70. Or not. We gave up 14 threes.

 

We met as a staff for two hours after the game. Going to man 2/3, 2-3 1/3 of the time. Maybe that will get us out on the three. It will also get us more fouls no doubt.

 

We got nine games left. No reason not ta win 8. The other one is at KY, Not sayin’ we can’t win that one, but I’ll take 8-1.

 

9-9, 4-3 Mississippi is here. They play 3-2 which maybe we should think about doin'. Hm.

 

Jan. 28: 60-45. Well, we sure got the D! Gave up on’y 6 threes. 10 TOs, +7 RBs. Balance, an’ another good game for Ian White.

 

Jan. 29: Our three guys all hit the SAT score.

 

Mandy is 8 months old. Getting’ up an’ walkin’ while holdin’ onto walls or our hands, sayin’ lotsa words. Lucy is still doin’ great, sayin’ she’s not even all that tired. I tell her ta start takin’ it a little easy anyways. We’ll see if she listens, not that she’s gotta, it’s her life. The bookstore is a money factory an’ the former owner is worth her weight in gold. Since we don’t need the $ Lucy is pourin’ what she needs ta inta the business an’ usin’ the rest ta pay off the mortgage as quick as she can.

 

Jed Lean #24 on the Norton list.

 

7-12, 3-5 Nashville is in. Mismatch.

 

Feb. 1: 69-54. 15, 4, 2 for Buck, 12, 11 for White, 12 TOs, +15 RBs.

 

At 3-17, 0-9 South Carolina. They’re jus’ havin’ a terrible season.

 

Feb. 4: 66-41. Great D again. Never a game. 20, 5, 2 for White, 15, 4, 4 for Lean. 12 TOs

 

1 back a KY, 2 ahead a GA, MO, LSU.

 

#14, RPI #13.

 

13-9, 6-4 Missouri is in. They have good people at ev’ry position but not sure they’re at our level. If the game were there I’d be a lot more worried. They are down right now though, 2-4 in the last 6.

 

Feb. 8: 88-71. In charge early. 26 for Al Carr, 19, 18 for new starter Ian White.

 

At 12-11, 5-6 Alabama. They’ve had better seasons. But after an awful start they’ve won 4 of 5. We think we can pressure them and we should control the boards.

 

Feb. 11: 79-72. No problems. 9 TOs. 22, 10, 3 for More, 15, 10, 3 for White. Good play all around.

 

4 games left, 3 at home the fourth at #1 KY. Sounds like 3-1 ta me!

[Wayne23 14]

10-13, 5-7 Texas A & M is here. We seem way better at guard but they have some good bigs.

 

Feb. 15: 75-59. Balance. 9 scorers, 8 of them with 7-14 points. 13 TOs.

Averaging 12.3.

 

KY isn’t losing either. They’re one up on us and have been for a while. Next teams are 4 back of us so it’s a two team race.

 

15-11, 5-8 Arkansas is here. Beat ‘em by 17 there.

 

Feb. 18: 90-51. 9 guys scored between 7 and 17 points.

 

This is the big one. At #1, 25-3, 13-1 KY. Their on’y conf. loss was ta us, by 6. It will be a lot harder at their place! We mixed up the D, changed looks, harassed, pressured, worked hard not ta get killed on the boards, executed by movin’ the ball inside and out on O, and’ did all a that really well. It’s hard ta play that well twice but we’ll need ta do that ta have a chance.

 

Feb. 22: 63-66. 14 lead changes, 7 ties. We led as often as they did, but they outlasted us. The game was dead even in most categories, or very close to- 15 TOs each, +4 RB, 7 less fouls, but they made 10 threes we made 4 an’ once again… We played hard, we played well, we didn’t quit. 17, 7 for More, 15, 4, 2 for Carr, 8, 10 for White, 8, 5, 4 for Lean. We’ll mos’ likely do this one more time, on a neutral floor, for the tourney title.

 

16-11, 8-7 Mississippi State is here to close it out. We’ll finish 2nd no matter what but we want a win to go to the postseason with some momentum. Beat ‘em by 10 there an’ we’re the stronger team.

 

Feb. 25: 84-67. 24, 6, 5 for Buck, 17, 6 for More. 7 guys played an’ they all did well. 8 TOs

 

KY was upset but it didn’t affect anything.

 

#11, RPI #10. 24-5, 13-3.

[Wayne23 14]

16-12, 7-9 Tennessee won in an upset. We play them in the quarters. Beat them by 12 at our place. Won their last 3 after losing 7. A good scoring C but they don’t RB an’ they can be turned over.

 

March 8: 90-65. 27, 7, 2 for Buck who is on fire right now, 15, 7, 2 for More, 15, 3 for White. 10 TOs.

 

18-12, 8-8 Mississippi State. Just beat them by 17. Not much has changed in a week. It’s KY vs. GA, also an upset winner, in the other semifinal.

 

This is a tough time for a family man. If we’re successful we’ll be away a lot for a few weeks. It’s the goal, why we do this, but I want to be with my wife and daughter. I do call, before Mandy’s bed time, every single day I’m on the road, but that can get really complicated sometimes. The whole telephone thing really needs to get better. I don’t know how but there should be some ways to modernize the system.

 

March 9: 57-49. We led mosta the way but they made it tough, wouldn’t quit, to their credit. It was balance again this time. 7 played, all scored between 6 and 12. 13 TOs, 42 RBs.

 

As expected it is KY for the title. We won by 6 at home, lost by 3 there.

 

They are the better team but we played them tough twice. We’re close enough in talent to beat them when we play really well and really smart.

 

March 10: 66-68. D*mn! 23 lead changes, 10 ties. No one ever led by more than 6. We did so much right. At the end we came down, down 64-66. With about 3.5 left Al Carr made a 17 footer and I thought it would be OT.

 

Somehow they got it to their SF, 18 feet from the hoop an’ he threw one up right at the buzzer- the refs spent close to ten minutes lookin’ at the tapes before they counted it. Yeah, it went and it counted. Too many TOs, 19 to their 16, but +3 RB and on’y one more foul. We allowed on’y 7 threes, which is reasonable. This is the kind of loss that drives a head coach crazy. So close!

 

Now we wait ’til tomorrow to see where we go. I think a #3, hopefully out west. We’ll see.

 

March 12: The usual scene… Not in the east, thankfully.

 

Not in the south.

 

#3 in Oklahoma City. I’ll take it! Kinda like it. Looking things over we could do okay here.

[Wayne23 14]

Sam Houston State, 22-8, up first. I don’t think they have much of a chance unless we have our worst night ever.

 

March 17: 57-42. We weren’t very good but then we didn’t need ta be. Buck, White, Lean an’ Carr all had really good games.

 

I guess I had kinda forgotten that we’re the defending national champions, at least on some levels. Once the Madness started there was no forgetting. All kinds of interview requests, articles about us, can we repeat…

 

We beat 22-11 Utah by on’y 7 at their place very early on. We were sloppy an’ we did not get out on the shooters. They’re strong at 2, 3, 4. Starting PF just tore his ACL so maybe not strong at 4.

 

March 19: 54-45. Stifling D for the second game in a row. 20 TOs, which does NOT please me. Otherwise we did most things well. Another night of balance, no one with more than 10 points, lots of guys with some points.

KY upset in the Sweet Sixteen! Upsets all over the tourney- except in our bracket. #2 seed, #7, 31-4 New Mexico is next. One loss since Jan. 9. Score inside and from SG. Good with the ball, not that good on the boards. A challenge but AI think we’re better.

 

March 24: 92-71. Thought so. 19, 3, 3 for Lean, 18, 4, 2 for Buck, good games for the rest. 11 TOs.

 

On to the Elite Eight! How’s this: East: #2 vs. #4. South: #6 vs. #9. West: #3 vs. #5. Midwest: #3 vs. #5. Most unusual! I love the chance it gives us.

 

Cincinnati Jesuit, 28-5, the #5 seed, #17 ranked is next. They have beaten some good teams. They can be turned over. We need ta contain their C.

 

March 26: 60-54 an’ we return ta the Final Four! Never trailed. 16, 10 for More, 13, 10 for White, 13, 4, 1 for Carr. 18 TOs, Grrrr!

 

The others are #10 No. Car., unranked Miami, #16 Oklahoma, so we have a great shot! A 2, a #3 (us), a #5, a #9 seed.

[Wayne23 14]

27-7, #5 seed, #16 ranked Oklahoma. Tough at 2, 3, 4. They play man, press a fair amount, maybe ½ the time. We think we can control the inside an’ we think pressure will get ta them.

 

All the talk is about us and North Carolina. Can we repeat? We’re definitely a

better team. Lots, than we were last year, but good enough? NC is the fav, but not by a lot over us. If we do not meet them in the Final it will be a surprise. I’m takin’ nothin’ for granted. This is a tough game! We know what we need ta do. If we execute we should win.

 

April 1: 81-55. Never a game. 27, 12 for More, 12, 7 for White, 14, 4, 5 for Buck, 6, 5 for Sand, an’ we owned the inside, +20 RB. 10 TOs.

 

NC won as big as we did, 82-57, so the “dream matchup” is on! They’re solid at all five spots. We think we can control the boards. Not sure we can turn them over but we’ll need to disrupt their flow. They are probably, as KY was, a little better than us, but not a lot. We can beat these guys of we do the things we need ta do an' if they play less than excellent ball.

 

April 3: 89-86 OT. Up as many as 9, down as many as 12. It was that kind of game. Our first half, their second, then our comeback late in the second an’ on ta OT.

 

Lean fouled out with 3:44 ta go. Their C had fouled out on the previous possession. We won the game on the boards, 42-32 RBs. Other stats were about even. We had 14 TOs, they had 13. Both had 23 fouls. We also won with threes, 13-7. 5 for Carr, 4 for Lean. Dan Wall handled the Point for the last 3 1/2 min., an’ he did fine.

 

We were down 4 when Dan came in. an’ we outscored ‘em 9-2 the resta the way. He got a 3, Carr got a 3, More got a layup an' hit 1-2 from the line on another trip. As happens when we are at our best it was balance. 7 played, all 7 contributed, an’ amazingly enough, we are back ta back champs!

 

Lucy couldn’t make it ta this game. With Mandy an’ the store an’ bein’ pregnant it just couldn’t happen. But she watched on TV an’ we talked for a long time once I finally got loose of the press an’ all that. Cuttin’ down the nets was jus’ as special this time as las’. I get the feelin’ it does not get old.

 

April 4: Back home. Awards: Ian White got the tourney MOP. It coulda been him or More or Lean or Carr really. In conf. Jed Lean got the Freshman award. I got another Coach award. 1st team: Colin More an’ 4 from KY. 2nd team: Stew Buck.

 

April 9: Our Team Prestige is up ta 81 so not likely that we’re goin’ anywhere. Incredible team comin’ back if the recruits pan out an; maybe even if they don’t. Three in a row is a definite possibility.

 

Stayin’!

 

April 16: No staff vacancies.

 

April 23: How about just one more budget increase? We earned it! Nope. Oh well, we’ll be fine, really.

 

My numbers after 5 seasons as a head coach: 146-33, .816. Off- 39, Def.- 54, Recruit- 95, Scout- 90, Player Development- 49, Reputation- 76. Not bad at all!

 

And so we head toward season 6. New baby on the way.

[Wayne23 14]

May 1: We buy the National Gold.

 

May 29: Happy birthday Mandy, one year old today, getting ready for the birth of her sibling.

 

June 5: Colin More leaves. Now why would he do that? Never the slightest hint of an issue, no warning at all. This makes no sense.

 

Looking at transfers. No luck.

 

June 7: It’s a boy! Ray Alan Jones. Named for my foster dad. Mom and son are healthy!

 

June 26: 6 ta fill. Lookin’ at 20, all with some int’rest, all top 35.

 

July 11: Down ta 15, all interested.

 

Ray seems about as loud as his sister was. Now both Mandy an’ Tail are mad at us an’ want us ta do somethin’ about all the noise. Mandy does love her “brudder” though, an’ she likes ta “help.”

 

Aug. 7: Nick Hess is #5 on the Norton List, Brian Mars #6, Stew Buck #39. No Jed Lean, who may be our best player. Our first 8 players should all be scary good this year. I am very excited about the team!

 

Aug. 21: We’ll make offers taday. 2 SF, 2 PG, a C, an SG. A couple are gambles. If we lose a guard we will switch to a big. We don’t expect to get all 6.

 

Sept. 11: Home visits. Wish we could visit all 6.

 

Sept. 18: Got one, Mark Seer, SF, #23. Lost two.

 

We have a schedule. Going to the MS Midwest Invitational. Bumped up the level of competition as much as we could but good teams won’t come here so it wasn’t easy.

 

Sept. 25: Got 2, lost three. Ed Ross, C, #12, and Nate Davis, PG, #17.

 

Waiting for the Oct. ratings change before continuing.

 

Oct. 2: Found a couple of good recruits ta add an’ ta offer to. See what happens.

 

First day of practice. Best team I’ve ever coached so look out world!

 

Again picked ta finish 2nd ta KY in conf.

 

Oct. 9: Got 2, lost one. #17 PF Mike Bay, #42 PG Joe Eddy. So we got 2 PGs, an SF, a PF, a C. One more to go. Probably gonna offer ta a guy who is unlikely ta hit our SAT score but he’s a h*ll of a player an’ we’re in a position ta be able ta afford ta roll the dice.

 

We’re at #4 in the national rankings.

 

Nov. 6: Last ratings changes and they were kind ta us.

 

An’ the season is here!

 

Mandy is walkin’ an’ talkin’ an’ all over the place, an’ very much in charge of her brother. Ray is 5 months, clearly lights up when sister is near. He’s a happy kid. Lucy an’ I are lovin’ ev’ry minute of it. Too busy but not forgettin’ that this goes by quickly. We miss as little as possible.

[Wayne23 14]

Gonna speed this up. Results an’ reports an’ fam’ly stuff, ‘cep’ fer important games an’ such.

 

Nov. 16: 83-53 over Providence. All kindsa foul trouble an’ it didn’t matter, jus’ spreads the scorin’ out a little wider. 13 TOs, 41 RBs.

 

Nov. 19: 83-54 over California. Consistent? Look at the last score. 31, 10 for Mars, 24 for Hess, who looks like he could be a scorin’ machine. 16 TOs, 39 RBs.

 

Nov. 20: 4 sign. One does not. 1.9 GPA so he won’t hit the score. Prob’ly the other 1.9 we’re chasin’ won’t. They’re both big guys. Not a lotta good recruits still left. We do add one guy. Some may emerge on 1/29. We’ll jus’ wait.

 

Nov. 21: 88-61 over Western Michigan. 1st round a the WS Midwest Invitational. 8 TOs, 37 RBs. Hess, Mars, Buck led the way.

 

Nov. 22: 79-62. Not a game but closer than the 1st 3. Hess, Buck, Mars, White all great. 14, 36.

 

Nov. 23: #11 Kansas for the title. 85-68. 24, 10 for Hess, 20, 4 for Buck.

 

Whew! One basketball is not enough for all the talented guys who should be touchin’ it more. It’s gonna take a h*ll of a team ta beat us. WS Midwest champs!

 

(Remember peeps, it's fiction. Don't get butt hurt.)

 

“This is not where I want to bring up our kids.”

 

Bombshell!

 

“Go on…”

 

“Nice people, really nice. But Alabama is Way, WAY too conservative, Way, WAY too Jesusy. I want kids who know how to think independently, who know how to evaluate information and draw conclusions. I’ve been checking out curriculum in schools here. No, they want to pour propaganda into kids’ heads. Not my kids- not our kids. No way I want my kids being told what to think, what to believe, being FORCED to believe certain things- ANY things. And I overhear comments about your ‘colored assistant coaches’ and my ‘colored help gettin’ the same pay as whites.’”

 

“Really! When I hear that they ain’t no argument. Let’s hope I get an offer in the spring that will take us ta the right kinda place.”

 

“No, Mack, that’s not good enough. I want out in the spring. If we need to take a step back I’m asking you to do that. Go to a smaller school in a community that works for us.”

 

“… Give me a little time ta get use ta the idea but I’m listenin’… I will get use ta it if I hafta, but give me a little time.”

 

“Fair enough as long as we are NOT here in May.”

 

“… Okay. We won’t be.”

 

“I know this is hard. I know you want national championships.”

 

“I do… but I want what you want for our kids. I don’t know that I see this part a the state the way you do-”

 

“This is a progressive community, it is. But the schools are NOT. They are propaganda factories, and frankly I don’t want our kids growing up with kids who are being brainwashed. The educated people here are fine, reluctant and not entirely approving of who we are and what we do… but they try. But when you get away from that small, educated population, and it is small, no, I don’t want any part of the ignorance and bigotry, no way. That kind of thing can be dangerous and contagious. And even if not, our kids will be seen as the weird kids with the weird parents. Screw that.”

 

“Okay, okay, you sold me. I don’t want none a that neither. We’re outta here. It would be good if nobody but you an’ me knew that though.”

 

“Well, except that I’m putting the business up for sale no later than January. I’ll come up with a cover- I want to focus on my kids more, something like that.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Whew! I guess I prob’ly didn’t see what I didn’t want ta see. I mean it’s 1979, ya kinda think times has changed. They have, some. My wife’s way smarter than me so I’m listenin’ an’ I’ll do it her way.”

[Wayne23 14]

Nov. 26: 67-58 over Spokane. 1st single digit win. We were in control all the way but they kep’ it close. 23, 15 for Mars, 16, 7, 2 for White. 12, 37. It stayed close because the zebras kep’ us in foul trouble all night. They were awful.

 

Nov. 30: 87-49 over USC. 28, 6 for Hess, 25, 12 for Mars, 14, 11 for White, 8, 4, 10 for Lean. 7, 39.

 

Dec. 3: 66-46 at Michigan. The usual. 12 TOs, 40 RBs.

 

B. J., Bell banged a hip. Day ta day.

 

Dec. 7: Beat #8 Utah at their place, 69-53. 20, 10 for Brian Mars who has been steadily fantastic. 18 for Nick Hess who is a force. It feels like he can score as many as he wants to but he needs to get a little more selfish, which I keep telling him. Ian White continues to own the inside with Mars. Jed Lean runs the show from PG, an’ he does a great job of it. 15, 42.

 

“So where do we look for my nex’ job?”

 

“Northeast, Northwest. Berkeley, Stanford, anywhere in Oregon or Washington, UConn, UMass, Temple, Iowa, Iowa State maybe. Some places in the Midwest but we need to be careful, lot of ‘Babble Belt’ there.”

 

“Berkeley wanted me in April.”

 

“I hadn’t started investigating yet.”

 

“Okay. Public universities mos’ly. Not goin’ ta a religious school, obviously.”

 

She laughed. “Um, no.”

 

So we’ll have choices. Hopefully a school where I can build a national power, but whatever. I love coachin’ so it’ll be fine wherever we land, as long as we’re careful an’ pick a place that fits our beliefs an’ lifestyle, an’ esp. what we want our kids to be exposed to- positive, open, intelligent, affirmin’- alla that stuff.

 

Ray is 6 months old, Mandy a little more than 18 months. Growin’ like weeds, both of ‘em. Changes ev’ry day. It’s a joy ta see an’ ta be part a all a this.

 

Never thought it would happen for me an’ wouldn’t a if I hadn’t a met Lucy. Grateful ev’ry day an’ I even remember ta tell her.

[Wayne23 14]

Dec. 10: 76-58 at Omaha. 23, 11 for Mars, 16, 10 for White. 16, 38.

 

We roll on, not yet coming close to being threatened.

 

#2 ranked, #5 RPI.

 

Dec. 13: 79-60 at Tulsa. 30, 6, 2 for Hess, 12, 1, 10 for Lean, 1 TO. 7 for the team.

 

Dec. 21: 83-42 over Arizona State at home. 27, 11 for Hess. BIG games for Mars, Lean, White. 10, 54.

 

Dec. 25: Everyone made Dean’s List! Love it!

 

A two kid holiday! Such fun! Frankly, they wore us out, but in a million good ways.

 

Dec. 26: “On XMas and alone. That is just so wrong.”

 

“I know. It’s sad.”

 

“And she was 87! I can’t believe it. She said 76 and I believed her. Why wouldn’t I?”

 

“Such a shame. Who found her?”

 

“She had a neighbor who checked in every morning and evening. She was fine in the morning. At 8:30 that night the neighbor used her key when she didn’t open the door. Found her on the floor.”

 

“At least it was probably instant.”

 

“Yes, that’s what they said. I am going to miss her so much.”

 

“She was such a help. Letting you buy the store from her, then helping with the transition, then just staying on.”

 

“And she was really my best friend. I could share things about you and the kids. She was always interested. Oh and Mandy will miss her too, so much. This is really hard. Mack.”

 

“I know, hon. I know.”

 

“And of course you have to fly out tomorrow.”

 

“Two days, Lucy. It’s a really quick trip. Back before you know it.”

 

“The only good thing is she won’t know about selling the store. That was driving me crazy, how to tell her I mean.”

 

We talked for a long time. I don’t know how much it helps. This kind of thing is so difficult. I will be there for Lucy though, that’s what you do when you love someone.

 

Dec. 28: 81-66 at Miami. 27, 8, 3 for Hess, 23, 8 for Mars, 14, 11, 3 for White, 7, 3, 7 for Lean. 13, 43.

 

Sore hand for Ian White. Day to day.

 

We end the pre-conf. season 13-0.

 

Jan. 1: Happy 1980! #4, RPI #6. We keep winning and they keep dropping us in the rankings. Huh?

[Wayne23 14]

Jan. 4: 74-49 over Tennessee at home ta start conf. play. 12, 34.

 

Jan. 7: 86-64 at Florida. 21, 17 for White, 19, 12 for Mars. All 5 in double figures. 13, 50.

 

Jan. 11: 74-41 over Mississippi State at home. All 5 in doubles again. 8 and 33.

 

Store is officially for sale. Cover story? It is simply too much for a young mom who needs to devote more time to her children. Plays well in this conservative community.

 

Jan. 14: 77-52 at South Carolina. 15, 30. Hess an’ Buck lead the way.

[Wayne23 14]

Jan. 18: 76-47 over a very good Mississippi team at home. 10, 45.

 

Jan. 21: At #18 Missouri. 80-60. The usual. 14, 48.

 

Jan. 25: 82-64 over Arkansas at home. Again, Hess an’ Mars. 6, 34.

 

At #1 KY. We’re #3. We’re both 20-0. They look ta be slightly better than us maybe, but it’s close, real close. We both have incredibly good SGs. Our inside game looks better, their outside a little better, our bench slightly better. It’s close enough that the team that executes better should win, assuming the zebras don’t get involved an’ mess it up.

 

Jan. 28: 73-76. Great game! Back an’ forth all the way. We each led by 10 at some point. At the end they were just a tiny bit stronger. Brian Mars tweaked his back with about 4 min. left an’ that didn’t help. Their SG got 23,

 

Hess got 19 an’ that was almos’ exactly the diff. As it turned out Hess took a three with a guy on him at the end an’ it missed, jus’ a little long. -2 TO, +2 RB. They took 5 more shots, made 5 more. We had 1 more three, 6 more free throws. So yeah, it was close. Not the end a the world. Not like they beat h*ll outta us.

 

Mars is day ta day. Not serious.

 

Lucy has three offers for the store. I’ve said it was a money maker an’ that makes it attractive. She’s decidin’ who she wants ta sell to. Definitely not the chain that wants it but the other two are locals. It’ll be one a them.

 

Kids growin’ like weeds, full a energy an’ inta ev’rythin’. Tail jus’ hides, not happy with life at all ‘til their in bed. Then he comes out an’ guilts us.

 

Like I feared, one committed and three hoped for recruits didn’t hit the SAT score. Lookin’ at the crop. We got 2 bigs, 2 guards who made the score.

 

Lookin’ at 2 bigs. We could hold one or both scholarships. Talkin’ it through. Eventually we offer ta a SF who we think could help us. The C we pass on. But we look at one more C.

[Wayne23 14]

Nick Hess is #5 on the Norton List. Brian Mars is #7.

 

Feb. 1: 76-60 at Georgia. 28, 5, 2 for Hess, 10, 12 for White. 7, 37.

 

Feb. 4: 63-44 over LSU at home. Hess, White, Mars, Buck. 15, 39.

 

It’s kinda hard knowin’ there’s absolutely no way I’ll be here next year. Can’t tell nobody. Wonderin’ what’ll happen ta my excellent assistants. Unlikely one a them will get the job considerin'. Chasin’ recruits who will never play for me. Be glad when the time comes an’ it all happens. Meanwhile jus’ hangin’ in.

 

Feb. 8: 77-70 win at Alabama. They challenged us. We pulled away at the end but it was close mosta the way. 7 guys between 6 an’ 15 points. 15, 33. D, esp. outside D (16-34 on threes) coulda been better an’ we’ll work on it.

 

Feb. 11: 79-43 over Nashville here. 27, 6, 4 for Hess. 12, 39.

 

Lucy is leaning toward two sisters over a middle age couple with the store sale. If they can get the financing I think the place will be theirs.

 

Hess still #5, Mars still #7 on the Norton List.

[Wayne23 14]

Feb. 15: 60-45 at Texas A & M. Great D tonight. 16, 15 for White. 13, 43.

 

Feb. 18: 80-64 at Tennessee. 31, 5, 4 for Hess, 21, 5, 2 for Mars, 11, 10 for White. 16, 31.

 

Jed stretched a calf muscle. About a week but probably won’t miss any games.

 

Feb. 19: #2, RPI #3.

 

Feb. 22: 91-74 over Florida here. Lean played about half the game. Nice job backing him up for Dan Wall. 13, 36.

 

Feb. 25: 98-72 at a very good Mississippi State team. 30, 8, 5 for Hess, 27, 4, 15 for Lean, 21, 5 for Buck. 15, 35.

 

D*mn KY never blinked. They ran the table, still undefeated. How ta get ‘em in the tourney final, or even more important, in the NCAA.

 

It’s the postseason. Here we go!

 

28-1, 15-1, #2, RPI #4.

 

The two sisters got financing. Closing next week.

[Wayne23 14]

March 3: Lucy no longer owns the store. She will stay on for two weeks and will be available for consultation after that. She'll also be home packing up.

 

March 5: Hess #5, Mars #8 on the Norton List. They came in separately to tell me they are leaving, going into the NBA draft. Yeah, they’re ready. I asked them to please keep it to themselves until the season was over. They agreed ta do that. So more secrets.

 

14-14 Texas A & M in the quarter final.

 

March 8: 60-44. Balance. 14, 34.

 

Missouri, 20-9 in the semis. Very good team. Beat ‘em by 20 there but they are 7-1 in the last 8. We hope to turn ‘em over, control the inside.

 

March 9: 85-60. 7 guys played really well. 8, 36.

 

B. J. Bell turned an ankle. Out about a week and a half. He’s #8 on the depth chart but I’d like to have him. Sorry I won’t.

 

And of course it is 31-0 KY. We know each other, know what we need ta do- Execute.

 

March 10: 80-88. 23, 22 for White. 25, 9, 2 for Hess, 11, 15 for Mars, 9, 1, 8 for Lean. The usual- 18-42 from three point land, and that beat us. I mean 18 threes. – 3 TOs, +12 RBs, 4 less fouls. But 18 threes, 18 freakin’ threes.

 

The question is whether we still get a #1 seed. I think we’ve earned it, 30-2, 2 single digit losses to #1 in the country.

 

Jeff Engstrom, #47 SF, signed. We think he can help us. Waitin’ on a C who is marginal. He’ll be a project if we get him.

 

March 12: We’re all gathered round.

 

Not in the East- neither is KY. MD is #1 overall.

 

Not Midwest. KY is #1.

 

Not South.

 

#1 West. Exactly where I thought we should be! #2 is OK, #3 Syracuse, #4 Marshall, #5 New Mexico. Laissez les bon temps roulez!

[Wayne23 14]

First up? 16-16 Wyoming.

 

March 17: 89-65. Again, balance. 8, 37.

19-11 Louisville is next. Good PG, they play man. Off year for them.

 

March 19: 69-38. Defense! 6, 40. On ta the Sweet Sixteen.

Last year’s tourney was full of upsets. This year? Almost none, except for #1 seed Duke going down in Nashville.

 

We play #4 seed, #14 ranked Marshall. Balanced scoring from a lotta guys. Very good with the ball but we should eat them up inside.

 

March 24: 94-81. Good team! Hess had 26, 4, 5, white 18, 10, Mars 12, 13. Wall and Sand very good minutes from the bench. 13, 36.

 

#2 seed, # 7 ranked, 32-3 Oklahoma in the Elite Eight. They can play. All 5 starters score. Not much bench. Again, I think we can dominate inside and we’ll need to.

 

March 26: 82-71 and on to the Final Four! 42 for Hess! 11, 12 for White. Good games all around. 13, 32.

 

We’ll play unranked NC State. On the other side it will be #3 MD vs. #1 KY.

[Wayne23 14]

We should beat NC State. They’ve won 6 of 7, but we’re better at almost ev’ry position and their starting SF will be limited by a back injury, if he plays at all. We think we can turn them over and we should own the inside.

 

Lucy and the kids, and a helper, not really a nanny but a kid helper, are here. The kids will not be at the game, of course.

 

April 1: 83-62. Never a doubt. 23, 5, 3 for Hess, 10, 13 for White, 15, 9 for Mars, 17 for Buck. Lean ran the show with precision. Nice work for Sand and Wall from the bench. 10, 31.

 

And, inevitably, it is #1 Kentucky, 37-0, for the title. How could it not be? We are at #2, RPI #3. Nothing new to report. Both teams are healthy. Third time’s the charm?

 

This is the last game I will coach here. It would be nice to go out with back to back to back titles.

 

April 3: 74-67! We played the game we needed to play this time, which we were not able to do the first two times. -4 TOs but +20 RBs and 13 fouls to their 30. Yes, I know, but they were chasin’ us, not catchin’ up ta olur shooters an' cutters, an’ yeah, they were foulin’. Their coach didn’t think so an’ I wouldn’t have either but… They tried to stop Hess an’ White so we went ta Buck who had 26, 10. Mars had 16, 9, an’ Hess managed 15, 10 despite bein’ mostly doubled. 12 RBs for White an’ again, Lean directed the show. We played D, holdin’ ‘em ta 33.9% shootin’. They hit 13 threes but it took 35 shots, an’ I’ll take that! Wasn’t sure we’d get this one. It is sweet!

Now to see what the future brings.

 

April 4: Awards: Nick Hess was MOP for the Final Four an’ made 1st team All American. Brian Mars made 2nd team. In conf. I got another Coach award.

 

1st team, Hess, Mars, White, all well deserved. Would have liked to see Lean an’ Buck on 2nd but it didn’t happen.

 

April 9: Offers. Visiting two schools, Michigan State an’ Oregon. You would think it would be a no brainer, given the powerhouse Mich. ST is, but Oregon’s lifestyle is very attractive. Lucy an’ I will spend a full three days at each place, explore town as well as campus. Then we’ll decide. I was up front with the folks at both schools an’ they said they’d give me the time I need. Can't ask for more than that!

[Wayne23 14]

April 15: Back home. Frankly, we loved both schools, both communities. We could be very happy at either place. There is a magnetic lure about the Pacific Northwest but the deal at Mich. ST is irresistible, and I know I’ll have them contending by my second year. Almost $200,000 more in budget $, better facilities. I really can’t say no. This is a destination school.

 

April 16: It was hard to say goodbye, as I knew it would be. We’re here, lookin’ for a place. I’m startin’ right in.

 

Hiring assistants. With our budget we’ll get the very best, Oh, my salary? Up from $366,000 to $1,186,000, plus incentives and such. Lucy wants to run her own business here, not necessarily a book store. That’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be?

 

Awesome staff! Ted Mize, #1, Scout. Rob Lynn, #2, practice/bench, Mal Bower, #3 Recruit. All at the top of the trade.

 

April 23: Ask for facilities but expect a no. I got the no.

 

A new venture coming up! Lots a new ventures, really.

[Wayne23 14]

May 1: We buy gold national, basic international.

 

May 18: Found a home we love. Made an offer. Lucy hasn’t settled on a business yet.

 

“Not quite sure what I want. Something different.”

 

June 5: Looking at transfers. One we want.

Don’t get him.

 

June 25: We got the $ so going to all the camps.

 

June 26: Nick Hess goes #4, Brian Mars #5 on the draft. Stew Buck #40.

6 scholarships. 3 an’ 3 would be fine.

 

Lookin’ at 18.

 

June 29: “Maybe a coffee shop.”

 

“Lot of hours.”

 

“Maybe just 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.”

 

“Look into it.”

 

“I can see a place with pastries, maybe cut up fruit, sandwiches, tables, couches, lounge chairs, things like that. Students can socialize, study, just hang out. It would have to be roomy. A little outdoor area when the weather’s nice. Maybe books all over the place, not necessarily to sell or maybe yes, but sort of a reading library. Bookish, intellectual, social center…”

 

“Interesting.”

 

“It would take just the right building in just the right location but… Can’t hurry this one though.”

Kids growin’ like weeds. Mandy is 2, inta ev’rythin’, curious about ev’rythin’, wants ta know how, why. Takes things apart ta see how they work, tries ta put ‘em back tagether an’ does sometimes. Just curious about ev‘rythin’. Scary smart, learnin’ letters already. Wants ta be read to, points ta words, wants us ta say ‘em, repeats, sometimes remembers which is real scary, ya can’t learn ta read at barely 2, can ya?. Ray is 13 ½ months, quiet but an explorer, too. Happy kid, not as driven as Mandy.

 

Aug. 7: Still speakin’ with 17, on’y 2 PGs, 5 SGs, 3 SFs, 2 C, all but 2 at Yes level interested.

 

Aug. 21: Time ta make offers. 2 PGs, an SG, 2 PFs, a C.

 

“I might have just the place.”

 

“Tell me!”

 

“A little hideaway on the edge of campus, not that far from you, from the Coliseum, really but it’s been out of use for a few years, former armory. TONS of space. Kind of a mess but a good structure. It would take a little time and money to fix up but it could be done. Dirt cheap to buy, they just want to get rid of it. Big, spacious, like I said. Could be little rooms or one big one with dividers and sound baffles. SO MANY possibilities.”

 

“Show me!”

 

“Sure.”

 

We saw it the next day and I saw what she saw. I encouraged her to pursue it but she didn’t need much encouragement. It will be interesting, She thinks at least a year before she could open but what’s the rush?

 

Sept. 11: Visits to recruits. As always, wish we could visit all of them the first week.

 

Sept. 18: Got 4, lost one. Got #17 PG L. B. Whit, #10 PG Dave Ank, #8 PF Tann Reed, #2 PF Rick Hare. Want one more big, one more guard.

 

And the schedule: Sunshine Shootout in early December. We go with a tough schedule. Preseason #21 so let’s go for it. I don’t think we’ll win ‘em all but if we go 8-5 or so I’ll be happy. I want next year’s team to be going for the Final Four so let’s toughen ‘em up this year. 10 ranked teams total, plus any that might be in the Shootout, don’t know about that yet.

 

I haven’t talked about how HUGE this place is. The campus at East Lansing is definitely one LARGE place. More than 40,000 students an’ all the faculty, staff an’ support people it takes to keep that goin’. One a the biggest schools in the country. Still, a real pretty place, green an’ open. I still don’t really know my way aroun’ but I’m learnin’. Know the places I need ta know, figgerin’ out the res’.

 

Sept. 25: Got one. Got #23 SF Cam Flip. Need that guard an’ we’re done.

 

Oct. 2: “It’s really coming along.”

 

“Glad you bought the building?”

 

“Definitely!”

 

“I don’t know how you do it.”

 

“Well, without Elena to help with the kids it would be rough.”

 

“Yeah, but you bring ‘em along ev’ry day, you’re with ‘em.”

 

“Of course! I want them with me. Elena helps but I’m the mom. I’m not giving that up!”

 

“They must get under foot.”

 

“Only all the time but it’s all learning for them. It slows me down in a good way to stop and explain to Mandy who simply NEEDS to know every little detail. And she forgets nothing I tell her. It’s all fascinating to me, watching. And Ray? He’s taking it all in, looking and listening. I think he’s getting some of it too, crazy as that sounds. But I don’t know that it slows me down all that much and I don’t care if it does. I’m doing this because I want to, and it’s a labor of love. And it is coming together just as I envisioned it, except when a better idea comes along and I switch plans. Just great fun.”

 

“Cool! I think about havin’ Mandy in here but I think she’d be bored. I could do what I do with her here but your environment is way more stimulating for her.”

 

“I agree. Maybe down the road. Anyway, that incredible Montessori school will have her before we know it. Mixed feelings like crazy but I think she’ll find it heavenly and that’s what counts. Can’t keep her with me selfishly.”

 

If I ever did anything right in my life it was picking my wife.

 

Got the last one. #10 SG Doug Kane. First day a practice. Looks like a good startin’ five, not much else but we’ll see. Sometimes guys develop quickly as practices continue. Hope so!

 

Picked ta finish 9th in conf. I think we can do better than that. Hope so!

 

Ranked at #25 just before the start of the season.

 

Nov. 6: Last ranking change. Not much changed.

 

First season at Michigan State is about to begin!

[Wayne23 14]

We start at home vs. Memphis. Hard to tell but they look better outside. We’re probably better inside.

 

Nov. 16: 75-66. We never trailed but they stayed close. Lund, 16,3 at SF, 13, 6 for Star at C, 13, 2, 6 an’ a nice job a runnin’ the show for Pike at PG. Nice bench minutes from Icks an’ Doe. 14 TOs, 33 RBs.

 

It’s great ta win the first one. Lucy won’t make that many games with her work an; with the kids but it was nice ta have her at this one.

 

We travel ta 1-0 Marshall. We beat ‘em in the Sweet Sixteen las’ spring. Better be on our toes. These guys can play!

 

Nov. 19: 84-93. Defense? What defense?

 

All six recruits sign. Unless we open up roster room late, we’re done recruitin’. We’ll see. We let ‘em shoot 54%, 12-26 on threes. An’ 19 TOs. Pike in foul trouble all night, an’ his backup, Scot Icks was not up ta the job. We were good on O, 22, 2, 3 for Call at SG, 12, 6 for Star, 14 each for Lund, Boll, but ya gotta play D. We’ll work on it.

 

1-2 West VA here. They have a deep bench.

 

Nov. 23: 80-81. Blew a 13 point lead. Not happy. On’y 9 TOs but D was awful. We let ‘em shoot 58%. That deep bench? 28, 15, 9. Yeah. 1 point was deceptive, we hit a three at the very end.

 

Sub Dan Doe is out about two weeks, strained abdominals.

 

At 0-2 Clemson. They play 1-2-2 are tough at C and they’ve got a deep bench too.

 

Nov. 26: 74-72. Sometimes ya get the bear… 24, 8, 2 for Star at C, 13, 3, 3 for Call at SG, 11, 8 for Boll at PF. 10 TOs but -8 RB. D was better but not good enough, 47.1%.

Clint Lund, SF, hurt his hand. Day ta day.

[Wayne23 14]

Louisville, there.

 

Nov. 30: 84-75. Pike an’ Boll led the way along with sub PF Joe Jopp. 7 TOs.

 

3-1 Milwaukee here. Tough team, esp. at SG, SF, C, an’ another team with a long bench.

 

Dec. 3: 86-72. Much better inside, +17 RB, Star an’ Jopp had big games.

 

SG Ben Call hurt his foot. Day ta day.

 

#10, 6-2 Winston Salem is in. Fairly even match up at least looks like. Play good D, hold our own inside an’ we got a shot.

 

Dec. 7: 70-57. We’re figgerin’ it out. These guys have worked hard an’ the stuff we’re teachin’ seems ta be sinkin’ in. 27, 13 for Star who owned the inside. Other starters all played well as did Jopp. +4 TO, +10 RB.

 

“Bagels, muffins, buns, sweet rolls, toast, croissants, cakes, pies, tortes, tarts and more for breakfast- 6:00 a.m. on, all day. Lunch menu will be all kinds of salads- potato, pasta, veggie, different lettuces, sprouts, veggies of ALL kinds, limited sandwiches, quiches- for breakfast too. Coffees, espresso, latte- that’s a new thing and I think it will be big, teas, herbal teas, juices even some exotic ones, cocoa, hot chocolate. I’m still working out the design but I think various rooms for various purposes, events, private parties and business meetings at breakfast and lunch time. Mostly fairly small rooms but two big ones, one for kids to just hang around with friends talking doing school work or whatever, the other for business meetings, professional development stuff. MAJOR soundproofing so no sound leaks room to room. Central food, drink counter, lots of help so things move quickly. That’s another big room. Folks stay in it or move to a hallway to the other rooms.”

 

“Sounds like a huge project.”

 

“Certainly much bigger than anything I’ve done before but I think huge potential and way ahead of its time. I think it will catch fire. I want to open when the new school year starts so I don’t feel a lot of time pressure.”

 

“You need money? Paying bills okay?”

 

“If I need to borrow from our funds I know we can afford it but no, I don’t need to. I made enough from the place at Auburn to cover everything, or at least I think so. Money shouldn’t be an issue, and I think the place will make a fortune, frankly. That’s not what it’s about. I think it will be great fun, but you know me, I’ll take the money!”

 

“Yes you will! I can see why you’re excited. It should be something special.”

 

“Actually, ‘Someplace Special’- that’s the name.”

 

Headin’ for the Sunshine Shootout. 5-2.

[Wayne23 14]

We’re the #2 seed. #9 ranked North Carolina is #1. 2-4 Nevada in the round of 8. We think we can control the inside.

 

Dec. 9: 65-51. 18, 3, 2 for SF Lund, 5, 6, 6for Pike at PG, 10, 7, 3 for Jopp. +7, +4.

 

#3 seed, 7-1 Minnesota in the semis. Looks pretty even but again, an edge inside.

 

Dec. 10: 74-59. 22, 10 for Star an’ there’s that edge inside, 10, 8 for Jopp, an’ 10 5 for Lund ta add to it. +5, +10.

 

Dec. 11: Ranked! #18, RPI #30.

 

#9, 6-2 North Carolina for the title. Good team, excellent at SG an’ SF. Them two can light ya up for 50 or more easy. We should have an inside edge again but will it be enough? Not if we don’t contain their 2 an’ 3.

 

Dec.11: 71-75. We did control the 2 an’ 3 but the bench got us, 36, 11, 7. -9 TOs didn’t help. Good play inside for Star, Lund, Boll an’ Jopp.

[Wayne23 14]

4-3 NC State is in. Their outside vs. our inside.

 

Dec. 14: 57-61. We let ‘em get WAY out front, by as many as 22. Played much better in the 2nd but it was too late. Star was in some kind of funk, flat. -8 RBs. Wwe just didn’t look very good tonight- at home! Lund an’ Boll were the on’y guys who played.

 

Keep workin’!

 

Dec. 18: Still #22 somehow. RPI #43.

 

At 7-3 UMass. Good PG, good bench. We need ta win it inside. An’ we DO need a win.

 

Dec. 21: 84-67. 21, 4 for Lund, 17, 6 for Star, 19, 5 for backup guard Scot Icks. 11, 35.

 

1 more pre-conf. game, #24, 7-3 UCLA here. Good team an’ the battle will be inside where they’re real good. Diff could be the bench an’ that’s never good for us.

 

Dec. 24: 65-47. Wow! Didn’t expect that but loved it. Inside battle was pretty even but our SG, Ben Call had a huge 17, 3, 3, an Pike did great at PG. 21, 12 for PF Boll. -2 TO, +5 RB. A good win cuz we needed ta fight a very good team for it.

 

9-4 in pre-conf., an’ I am more than happy with that.

 

Dec. 25: Mandy’s 2 ½, Ray 1 ½, fun ages for the holiday. Like I said in the past we don’t overdo it at all, but little fun gifts an’ stuff an’ nice family time.

 

#20, RPI #17. Now for a very tough conference.

[Wayne23 14]

At 8-4, #22 Michigan. Very good team, solid both inside an’ out. We better play!

 

Dec. 31: 59-66. Good team. It was back an’ forth an’ we actually led by 10 at one point. Refs didn’t help, 26 fouls against us. 17, 8 for Star. Their bench won it, 21, 9, 3 ta 11, 9, 3. The one real issue for us is we are terribly thin. One injury would devastate us, and even without that injury we have 6 guys, that’s it. Terrific recruitin’ class so nex’ year will be better but we gotta play this year.

 

Happy 1981. It won’t be, a decrepit, dumb a$$, brainless, figure head, sock puppet Hollywood B actor is takin’ over the country. Big trouble ahead.

 

9-4 Minnesota is in. Beat ‘em at the Shootout by 15. We played real good ball in that one, inside an’ out, an’ Star was intimidatin’.

 

Jan. 4: 69-62. We won it inside but their bench almost won it for them, 34, 6, 5 to 16, 4, 6. 18, 7 for Boll. -2 TO, +9 RB.

 

At 8-5, 2-0 Iowa. As usual it looks like we are stronger inside but their depth could be the decider.

 

Jan. 7: 65-68. Hm, we didn’t let the bench beat us… the guards did. Ours did nothing. We won the battle inside, held our own on the bench. -6 TO.

 

At 6-8, 0-3 Nebraska. We have a definite advantage inside and we need to pound it in there all night long.

 

Jan. 11: 61-68. It could be a long conference season. The bench- 38, 15, 7. Joe Jopp had 12 an’ 12 from our bench but he’s all we got there.

 

“It’s really coming along!”

 

“Not many problems either, right?”

 

“No, the roof is in solid shape. We needed new heating/AC but I expected that. Structure is more than sound. We painted everything but again, I expected that. No problems with plumbing, wiring- all of that passed inspection.”

 

“And the remodeling?”

 

“Ahead of schedule. I really like the company I hired. They’re total professionals. My clerk of the works says everything is top shelf, thorough, precise, above and beyond the basics.”

 

“So no problem with opening on time?”

 

“I could probably open July 1, but what’s the point? There aren’t that many people around. We’ll start hiring on August 1, start training on August 15, and open Labor Day weekend when the students arrive.”