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Kip Clark Staying with it [a DDSCB3 story]

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This will be a Promotion/Relegation association. It will begin in 1963 and will take us through the 60s and who knows how far. We'll see young Kip grow and change, both as a person and as a coach as he is influenced by his time and by being about 25-30 miles from Boston.

 

He hopes to stay with UMass-Lowell for a long time, to see just how far up he can bring them. They are in the lowest Conference and have a Team Prestige rating of 2 (I set it at 0 but when it came up it was 2). His ratings are 1 in every category. House rules limit what I can and cannot do.

 

"But I would not feel so all alone, everybody must get..."

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(Author’s note- this is a promotion/relegation association. Coach Clark has a 1 in every category. UMass Lowell has a Team Prestige of 2)

 

May 1, 1963

 

John F. Kennedy is president. Two weeks ago the first heart transplant was performed. Something called “quasars” were just discovered.  Stamps cost 4 cents. 

 

People are reading, The Fire Next Time and Happiness Is a Warm Puppy. They are watching “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Cleopatra” on the big screen and “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Mister Ed” on TV. They’re listening to “I Left my Heart in San Francisco,” “Sugar Shack,” and “Blowin’ in the Wind,” the latter by Peter, Paul, and Mary, and NOT by Bob Dylan, although he has a following it isn't mainstream.

 

“This is Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports’ on WLOW radio, the radio station of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, how LOW can you GO! Today Kip Clark was named head basketball coach here. Friends of UMass Lowell know Kip as that 5’4” Point Guard who was quicker than anybody on the court every night and who could just plain shoot the lights out. He graduated in 1960, and spent the last three years as an assistant coach here. Since head coach Ted Myers left for Boston University on March 3, taking all of his assistants except Clark with him, the search for a new head coach has been going on. Here’s what Athletic Director Jack Lacy said at today’s press conference regarding hiring Clark:

 

“We realize Kip doesn’t have any head coaching experience and he has only three years as an assistant but he’s a student of the game. His senior project here involved interviewing twelve college basketball head coaches regarding their techniques, coaching styles, approach to recruiting, and all sorts of other things. I read the 82 page paper he produced and it showed a clear, in depth knowledge of the nuances of every aspect of coaching at the Division I level. We also wanted someone familiar with the program, the school, and the area. We think we made a good choice. We do ask people to be patient. Coach Clark has some rebuilding to do and we may not see results for 2 or 3 years, but I believe we most definitely will see results.”

 

“And here’s what the new coach said:

 

“I couldn’t be happier or more excited. I know I have a lot to learn but I can promise you that no one will work harder than I will.”

 

“When asked, Coach Clark said he would begin by hiring a staff, and then he would visit all of his returning players as well as the incoming freshmen players. He would immediately begin the long process of recruiting.”

 

“I’m here for the long haul. I won’t be leaving for another school for a very long time, if ever. I’ve loved this place since my freshman year, and I’ve lived in Lowell all my life.”

 

“We’ll be speaking with Coach Clark now and then over the summer and fall. When basketball season starts we’ll have him on every Monday with an interview and time for you to call in questions.”

 

When I got home that night I started to question what I’d gotten myself into. My senior year was the last year this team did anything. We won the conference that year. The next year the new promotion/relegation system started, which you would think would have helped us, but we had graduated all 5 starters and coach Myers hadn’t done much of a recruiting job. We finished 12th, then 12th again, and last year we finished 15th. How he got the BU job I will never know. 

 

Anyway, I think we have some talent this year. Myers just didn’t get the team working together. I am hopeful that we’ll be at least middle of the pack and I think there’s a chance we can be top 4 and move up from conference V to U. We’ll see. Recruiting is vital. I have 7 spots to fill and I need at least 4 guards and 5 would be better. We have exactly 3 guards on the team, all seniors! I cut a few guys from the team. 

 

There was no way they were doing anything but taking up space and they showed zero hustle last year. I made sure they either qualified for academic or hardship scholarships. One other guy I wanted to cut but he qualified for neither and I just couldn’t deprive him of an education.

 

I did okay with assistants but just okay. I doubt any of them will be here for more than a year or two.

 

I’ll be making a lot more money this year so I got rid of the old junk car I had and got a 3 year old Chevy that looks to be in good condition. Otherwise no changes. I’m keeping my apartment. It’s okay, and it’s in a decent neighborhood so why move?

 

July 18

 

“Spike McGee, All about Sports here on WLOW, how LOW can you GO! We’re here with Coach Kip Clark of the UMass Lowell River Hawks basketball team. If you’d like to ask a question call us here at 580-WLOW, the lines are open. Coach Clark, you’ve been on the job for about 2 ½ months. How’s it going?”

 

“Well, Spike, I work 12, 14, sometimes 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there’s always more I could be doing. I meet with my assistants to discuss everything from recruiting to scouting to what kind of defensive and offensive formations we’ll use, how much we’ll press, how to structure our practices- lots of other things. I call recruits, I keep tabs on my returning players.”

 

“Sounds terrible!”

 

“It’s wonderful! Every part of it is a challenge and I’m really enjoying it. Can’t wait for practices to start.”

 

“And when is that, Coach.”

 

“Forever! We aren’t allowed to start until October 2.”

 

“So you can’t have contact with your players until then?”

 

“Oh, we can have contact with them, just not in a coaching situation. But we can give them things to work on, suggest they have 'captain’s practices' led by our seniors, all sorts of things. But we can’t be in the gym when they are.”

“Interesting. Sounds like you can actually do some useful things.”

 

“Definitely, but I want to coach them. Two and half months is a long time to wait.”

 

“Coach, you’re a young guy, barely 25. Are you interested in the things most guys your age are interested in?”

 

“Definitely! I go to the cool movies, watch the hip TV shows. I have to say the music scene is a little boring these days. There are some good songs but it’s a dry time. Seems like something new needs to come along.”

 

“Do you date?”

 

“Yes, but I’m not going to talk about that.”

 

(Laughs) “Okay coach. I won’t pry. We have just a few minutes for phone calls. I’ve got Jeff from Marlboro on the line. Jeff?”

 

“HI Spike. Coach, can you hear me?”

 

“Go ahead, Jeff.”

 

“Hey, UMass Lowell has been kinda down since you graduated. What are you going to do about that?”

 

“Well Jeff, it takes time. We’re definitely rebuilding. But I can tell you this, we’re going to play the kind of hoops I liked to play, hustle every minute, fight for every loose ball and rebound, play tight D. I can’t tell you how many games we’ll win,. Or even that we’ll win a lot of games, but nobody’s going to out hustle us.”

 

“Suppose they don’t hustle?”

 

“If they don’t hustle- in practice as well as in games, they sit. If I wind up playing all walk ons, so be it. We’re going to be in shape and we’re going to play hard every minute.”

 

“Mike in Lowell.”

 

“Hey Coach. I been going to games at UML for years. I gotta tell ya, after the last couple I’m not sure it’s worth buying my season tickets this year.”

 

"Mike, again, I am not promising a lot of wins, but we’re going to work hard, we’re never going to quit, and we’re going to get better as the season progresses. I think you’ll get your money’s worth.”

 

“Time for one more. Joe in Shrewsbury.”

 

“I just want to say that Coach Clark is my favorite player ever and I wish you all the success in the world.”

 

“Thanks. Joe. I appreciate that.”

 

“Okay, that’s all the time we have. This is Spike McGee. WLOW, How LOW can you GO!”

 

I have to admit I kind of like this radio thing. And no lie, I really do love this job. I wish we were getting a little more response from recruits though. Not much so far.

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June 1963

 

Medgar Evers, a black civil rights leader, was shot and killed. 

 

Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space.

 

Pope John XXIII died.

 

President Kennedy delivered his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech at the Berlin Wall.

 

July 1963

 

Zip codes began to be used.

 

“Please Please Me” became the first Beatles record released in the U. S.

 

August 1963

 

The first nuclear test ban treaty was signed.

 

The great train robbery took place in England. 2.6 million pounds was stolen.

 

Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested in New Orleans while passing out “Fair play for Cuba” leaflets.

 

W. E. B. DuBois died.

 

Martin Luther King delivered his “I have a dream” speech.

 

August 15

 

“This is Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports,’ campus radio station WLOW, how LOW can you GO! We’re here with UML head basketball coach Kip Clark. The lines are open. So what does a coach do during the off season?”

 

“A million things, Spike. The staff meets every day to discuss recruiting, to come up with a scouting schedule, to plan for the upcoming season in lots of ways. I call recruits, keep in touch with my team-”

 

“Speaking of that, what can we expect?”

 

“Remember Spike, I’ve worked with all but the freshmen so I know what we have. I actually think we can be competitive in conference V if we work hard and if we get a few breaks. We don’t have many guards but the ones we have a good. Up front we need to develop but I think there’s potential.”

 

“How’s recruiting going?”

 

“Slow, but we expected that. We’ll get some guys but it may be later rather than sooner. We’re keeping in touch with lots of guys.”

 

“Let’s take a call or two. Here’s Dave from Dorchester.”

 

“Coach, you said you’re here for the long haul. Every coach I ever heard of wants to move up.”

 

“That’s true, Dave. I’m not saying I’ll be here forever but I like Lowell, I’ve lived here my whole life. I don’t expect to move for a very long time. Another factor is that I want to live in New England. I’m just not interested in living anywhere else. So yes, I plan to stay here.”

 

“Lou from Malden.”

 

“Coach, recruiting has been a problem at UML for a long time. Any idea how to fix that?”

 

“We’re working on it, Lou. I think you need to be persistent, you need to be genuinely interested in each recruit, his whole life not just basketball, and you have to recruit the family, not just the athlete. Oh, and don’t call so often that you’re annoying.”

 

“Okay, we’re running late. We’ll have the coach back from time to time and once the season starts he’ll be here every Monday. And I’ll be broadcasting all of the games, with Billy Lewis doing the color commentary. Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports,’ WLOW, how LOW can you GO!”

 

September 18

 

“Spike McGee here with Coach Kip Clark. Coach, you’ve got a schedule. Tell our listeners about it.”

 

“Spike, I asked my athletic director, Ted Myers, to put together a schedule that would give us a chance to grab a few wins.”

 

“In other words you wanted a weak schedule.”

 

“Well, I think I’d prefer to say I wanted a schedule that would be competitive. We’re trying to rebuild a program that has struggled for the last 3 years. We need to win some games, one, because winning builds confidence, and two, because winning helps a great deal with recruiting. I’m not sure how strong we’ll be this year so I didn’t want a schedule that would overwhelm us.”

 

“Speaking of recruiting, how’s that going, Coach?”

 

“We’re encouraged by the response we’re getting. There are several recruits that are definitely considering coming to UML.”

 

“In other words you haven’t signed anybody yet.”

 

“Man, what is this, an Inquisition! Take it easy on me! No, we haven’t signed anybody, but we think we’re close with a couple of guys.”

 

“No time for calls today. Just one more question. What kind of music are you listening to?”

 

“I like ‘My Boyfriend’s Back,’ ‘Heatwave,’ ‘Be My Baby,’- I love the Ronettes, ‘Then He Kissed Me.’”

 

“Mostly music by black groups.”

 

“Yes, I like the beat. Not many of the white singers do more than crappy- oops, do more than boring Bobby Vinton type stuff. Puts me to sleep. Roy Orbison though. He can really wail!”

 

“Thanks coach. WLOW, how LOW can you GO!”

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September 1963

 

CBS TV was the first network to do 30 minutes of evening news rather than 15.

 

The minimum wage was increased to $1,25 an hour.

 

“The Outer Limits” debuted on ABC.

 

October 1963

 

LA Dodgers win the World Series.

 

The term “Beatlemania” was coined.

 

October 3

 

“Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports’. Coach Clark, you got a recruit.”

 

“Yes we did, Jon Debb. He’s a Point Guard from New York state. He looks pretty good. Plays some D, and he can shoot. Terrific passer.”

 

“Still 6 scholarships to fill.”

 

“We’re close to another and talking with a bunch.”

 

“First day of practice yesterday. Tell our listeners about that.”

 

“Not a lot to tell yet. There were some a- um, butts dragging. I worked them pretty hard. I’ve warned them since spring that they’d better show up in shape. Most of them thought they were. They had a tough time. 2 or 3 weren’t in shape. They had a REALLY tough time.”

 

“Does it really help to work them that hard, Coach?”

 

“Yes it does. There are lots of times when the team that’s in better shape wins close games because they’ve still got legs in the last few minutes. Sometimes even if you’re not the better team, you can steal a game just on conditioning. We’ll need every edge we can get, and this is one we can control.”

 

“Who are your players?”

 

“Well, I like our guards. I just wish we had a couple more. We have plenty of big guys but no one standing out yet. I‘m hoping some people will. Playing time will go to the guys who earn it.”

 

“So coach, seen any good movies lately?”

 

Tom Jones. Very cool. I went to an art cinema place in Boston and saw 8 ½. Kinda weird but I liked it.”

 

“Did you go with a date?”

 

“Told you before, Spike, my private life stays private.”

 

“Okay, okay. The smart money says she was a brunette. Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports,’ UML campus radio station WLOW, how LOW can you GO!”

 

October 17

 

“Okay, we’re about to wrap up ‘All about Sports,’ but I wanted to report that the UML River Hawks got a commitment from a 2nd Point Guard, Deke Parr from New Hampshire, and the Hawks are picked to finish 3rd in conference. We’ll have Coach Clark on every Monday once the season starts, and at least once more before then. Spike McGee, WLOW, how LOW can you GO!”

 

October 31

 

Happy Halloween coach. Is this season going to be a trick or a treat?”

 

“Ha! Great question, Spike. We’ll learn a lot about that this week. We have two exhibition games. There’s nothing like playing a real opponent.”

 

“And we’ll have the coach on again next Monday to talk about that. Meanwhile, Coach, you won’t tell us anything about your personal life as far as relationships and family are concerned but you do seem willing to talk about interests, hobbies, preferences, things like that. Read any good books lately?”

 

“As a matter of fact I’m an avid reader, Spike. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold was terrific. I read a great kids’ book, Where the Wild Things Are. Lots of people were talking about Dune so I read it but I didn’t care for it. The Fire Next Time was powerful. Shelby’s Foote’s Second Volume of The Civil War was really interesting. Armageddon was long but it was worth it.”

 

“Wow! That’s quite a list.”

 

“At the end of the day I’m usually all charged up. Reading for a half hour or an hour calms me down so that I can sleep.”

 

“Okay, TV?”

 

“I don’t watch much TV but I do like a few shows, Wide World of Sports, Have Gun Will Travel- that Richard Boone is a really good actor, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Meet the Press, The Twilight Zone, Johnny Carson, maybe one or two others. I don’t see any of them regularly but I catch them when I can.”

 

“Sports?”

 

“Almost never, except if there’s a college basketball game on. Oh, I watch the Olympics but that’s only every four years of course.”

 

“You seem like a serious guy, a thinker.”

 

“Well, I don’t know about that but … well, yeah, I guess so. I like to keep up with what’s going on in the world, and I like to read history, science, lots of things. I’m interested. I read Time and Newsweek every week, and Scientific American, oh, and National Geographic.”

 

“When do you sleep?”

 

(Laughs) “I don’t seem to need much sleep, 4-5 hours a night and I’m good.”

 

“Wow! Okay, next week we’ll talk about those exhibition games. Spike McGee, WLOW, how LOW can you GO!”

 

November 7

 

“Spike McGee with Coach Kip Clark. Tell us about the exhibitions.”

 

“Kind of a good news, bad news thing Spike. I saw a lot of things I liked but probably even more that need work. We could be deeper. I’ve got exactly three guards. They’re all good though. Mike Gear and Steve Colt will play a lot of minutes. They’ll switch back and forth at the Point-”

 

“How does that work?”

 

“Well, sometimes it’s situational. Whoever gets out front takes the Point and the other guy plays shooting guard. At other times I assign one to play the Point.”

 

“Sounds confusing.”

 

“No, we’ve been doing it since practices started and everyone is comfortable with it. It confuses the other team, which is great. Our third guard is Pete Ross. He’ll play mostly SG. I want Gear or Colt at PG every minute, if possible.”

 

“And up front?”

 

Well, we seriously need to rebound better. Gene Beck is my Center. For now Marv Joab is at Power Forward but he needs to step it up to keep his job. Roy Green is at SF, again, for now. Alex Jamm and Dan Tayn will come in for the bigs, and there are minutes for them if they can earn them. I’m sure this isn’t the final lineup.”

 

“And that predicted  third place finish?”

 

“Two thoughts. First, there are a lot of unanswered questions; I have only seen clips of the other teams. Second, this is conference V, the lowest conference in college hoops. What all of that means remains to be seen.”

 

Starting next- well, starting right now I guess, Coach Clark will be with us every Monday. When he’s on the road we’ll do this by phone. We don’t have all the bugs out with that system yet, but we’re working on it. Spike McGee, WLOW, how LOW can you GO!”

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November 14

 

“Spike McGee here with the pregame show before the UML River Hawks first game of the season, against Yale, right here at the Tsongas Center. We recorded this short interview with Coach Clark about an hour ago. No audience questions tonight. Coach, here we are.”

 

“At last!”

 

“Tell me about Yale.”

 

“Well, we don’t know a whole lot but our scouting coach, Jeremy Lund, went to their exhibition game with BU. They play a tight man, and they don’t press much. On offense they use a motion offense and like to go inside. They’re good on the boards which could be a problem for us.”

 

“And what will you do about all of that?”

 

“We play mostly a 2-3, with some man to man. We go with the Princeton and the triangle offenses because I like to work the ball inside as often as possible. The closer you get to the hoop the easier the shots.”

 

“Good luck tonight, coach.”

 

“Thanks Spike.”

 


“Spike McGee here at the Tsongas Center with the postgame show. Coach Kip Clark’s River Hawks got the season off to a good start, winning 72-58 over Yale. The Hawks led all the way. Yale kept it close during the first half but then our guys pulled away early in the  second and never looked back. Center Gene Beck had 23 points. Ray Green had 7, with 11 rebounds, and guard Mike Gear had 15. The other starting guard, Steve Colt had 8, 4, and 6 assists. Marv Joab had 9 and 4 from the 4 spot. Coach Clark was worried about rebounding but the Hawks had a 31-28 edge. They had 13 turnovers to 19 for the Bulldogs. All in all I have to think Coach Clark will be pleased. Remember, the next game is here at home, at 7:30 on Thursday, against Morehead State. We only had 3,745 people here tonight and there are seats available for the game. Come on down and see this exciting team. Spike McGee, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! See you next time.”

 

November 17

 

“Spike McGee here at the Tsongas Center for the game between our 1-0 UML River Hawls and Morehead State, playing in their first game of the season. Here’s an interview we did earlier with Coach Clark. 

 

“Coach, first, congratulations on the win against Yale. Great way to start the season.”

 

“Yes it was, Spike. I thought we played pretty well, all in all.”

 

“And what can we expect from Morehead State?”

 

“They play man, and they don’t press much. On offense they like to go inside and then sometimes kick it out for an outside shot. They play Princeton offense. We do too, so we’re familiar with that. We think their strength is inside, especially Brown, their Power Forward.”

 

“Good luck tonight Coach.”

 


 

“Spike McGee here with the postgame show. Another win for the River Hawks, 63-46. The Hawks never trailed, building the lead up to 23 in the first half. They were +8 on the boards and +2 in turnovers. Small Forward Roy Green led the attack with 17, 6, and 3. Joab and Gear had 13 each, Steve Colt had 10 with 6 rebounds, and Center Gene Beck had only 4 points but he got 8 rebounds. The D was very tight, especially inside where the Hawks dominated. When you hold the other team to 46 you usually win. We’ll be right back.”

 

November 21

 

“Spike McGee here at the Tsongas Center for UMass Lowell’s third straight home game. We’re 2-0. Tonight we play Stetson. Here’s what Coach Kip Clark had to say earlier.”

 

“Stetson is 1-1 against much stronger teams than we’ve played. They play mostly 1-3-1, which you don’t see much. We’ve been getting ready for it and we think we can score against it. They don’t press much. On O they go with quick passes and more outside shots than inside. We’ll need to play well tonight but if we do we’ll be okay.”

 


 

“Spike McGee continuing with the postgame show. UML suffered their first loss tonight, 68-75. While dominating the inside, UML simply gave up too many threes- 15 in all, and too many bench points- 25. Coach Clark mentioned pregame that the outside game needed to be contained, but his kids were not able to get it done. On the plus side Power Forward Marv Joab had 17 and 10, and Center Gene Beck had 16 and 4. UML was +5 on the boards and +1 on turnovers. Still, it was a loss. A reminder that due to the abundance of Monday games we’ll have Coach Clark on ‘All about Sports’ tomorrow, November 22, at 7:00. Tune in.

 

November 22

 

Spike McGee here with ‘All about Sports.’ On this terrible day we decided to go with our plan of bringing Coach Clark on the show, but the agenda has changed. Coach, today is a day I’m sure all of us will remember for the rest of our lives. Where were you when you heard that the president had been shot.”

 

“Yes, Spike, I agree that none of us will forget this day, much as we’d like to. I haven’t mentioned this but on Tuesdays I audit a course on the twentieth century novel. It’s a course I wanted very much to take during my senior year but the professor was on sabbatical. I asked for his permission to audit this semester and he said yes. Anyway, the Tsongas Center is in the Northwest corner of campus. To get to the class in the Humanities building I need to walk down a hill, cross through faculty housing, walk past the women’s dorms, and then go a little further down the hill to Humanities. 

 

Yesterday, as I walked past faculty housing there was a woman hanging out clothes and crying her eyes out. I had no idea why she was crying. I thought to myself that maybe there’d been a death in the family, or her husband had left her, something like that. 

 

Then as I continued to walk to class I met up with Robert Gamble, who is in the class with me. We’ve sort of struck up a friendship. As soon as he was close enough he asked if I’d heard about the President. I hadn’t. He told me that the president had been shot in Dallas. All that was known was that he was hit and that he had been rushed to a nearby hospital. 

 

When we got to class the professor said that he had no further news and that the best thing we could do was to go on with the class. That was the longest hour of my life, and I’m sure none of us has any idea what the professor was teaching. 

 

When class ended I started to walk back to work. On the way everyone I ran into was walking slowly, head cast down. Some- lots, were quietly crying. When I got back to Tsongas the secretary confirmed that President Kennedy was dead. We cancelled practice, and all other activities, of course. I went home and spent the rest of the day watching the news reports. It’s just so hard to believe that this young, vibrant President, so full of life, is gone from us.”

 

(The rest of the show was spent talking about the events of the day before and today.)

 

November 1963

 

Elston Howard is the first black player ever voted baseball’s MVP.

 

Bell introduces the first push button telephone.

 

“She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold your Hand” both sell more than a million copies.

 

“Louie, Louie” hits the charts.

 

“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad world” premieres.

 

John Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Lyndon Johnson is sworn in as President. 7 days later Johnson establishes the Warren Commission.

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November 24

 

“Spike McGee, on the road with then UML River Hawks. We’re here playing the Maine Black Bears, who are 2-1. Here’s Coach Clark in an interview recorded earlier.”

 

“Spike, Maine is all about the outside game. We had lots of trouble with Stetson’s outside game so we’re hoping the hard work we’ve been doing in practice will pay off.”

 


“Spike McGee here with the postgame show. A really tough loss tonight, 58-59. The Hawks came back from an 11 point deficit with 3 minutes to go and the lead changed hands 7 times from that point until the end. When Marv Joab hit a three with 2.8 seconds left it put UML up 58-56, and it looked like a win. Then the Maine Small Forward put up a 35 footer at the buzzer and it went in. there was a very long discussion about whether the shot had been released before the buzzer went off. The refs eventually ruled that it had, and that gave Maine the win. Frankly, it was too close to tell. We won’t really know until the film is developed, in a day or two, and if the angle isn’t right we won’t even know then. Coach Clark was fit to be tied, naturally. Small Forward Roy Green fouled out with 6 minutes left and that hurt. He’s a good defender and his man made the winning shot. If Green had been in the game that might have changed things. But that’s all speculation, of course. A special reminder to tune in to WLOW Sunday evening at 7:00 for a special memorial program on the late President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. On Monday we’ll be courtside at the Tsongas Center at 6:45, for the pregame show when the River Hawks take on Eastern Washington.”

 

November 28

 

“Spike McGee. We’re short on time so let’s go to the recorded interview with Coach Clark. Coach, tell us about Eastern Washington.

 

“They’re 1-3 against some pretty weak teams. They take good care of the ball but don’t rebound well. They don’t have an outstanding scorer but about 6 or 7 guys score for them. They play a man and they press a lot. On O they play 5 out. We’re  hoping to get back in the win column.”

 

“Let’s hope so. We’ll find out soon.”

 


 

“Spike McGee here with the wrap up. UML played their best game of the season tonight. 37 rebounds, only 8 turnovers and a 70-48 win. Center Gene Beck had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and guard Mike Gear had 20. 15, 7, 2 for Roy Green. The team was firing on all cylinders. Now they hit the road for three games starting at New Hampshire on December 1.

 

December 1963

 

Instant replay is invented.

Dinah Washington dies of a drug overdose. 

Frank Sinatra, Jr. is kidnapped (or not).

 

December 1

 

“Spike McGee. We’re playing 1-4 New Hampshire here in Durham. Here’s what Coach Clark said. These guys are a lot tougher than their record. They haven’t really jelled yet but when they do, watch out. I hope it isn’t tonight.”

 


 

“Spike McGee. UML pulled out a close one tonight, 61-58. There were 15 lead changes an 11 ties, and neither team ever led by more than 6. It was a team effort with all 5 starters playing a part in the win. At the end UML scored the last 5 points when Gene Beck made a lay up with 14 seconds left, Mike Gear stole the inbounds pass, and then after a couple of passes Gear drained a 3. We have Coach Clark with us for just a moment. Your thoughts, Coach?”

 

“I was really pleased with the way my guys hung in. There were lots of times when they could have quit, or just dragged around the court, but they never stopped hustling. This is the kind of ball I want UML to play every night. I thought Pete Ross was huge off the bench. He played great D and did a little bit of everything.”

 

“Spike McGee way out west in Seattle before the start of the UML game here with 3-2 U. of Seattle. We’re on WLOW, 88.1 on the FM dial, how LOW can you GO. Here’s the coach.”

 

“These guys can play. Their SF is a scoring machine and all of them play tight man to man D. We’ll need to be sharp to win this one.”

 

“Thanks coach.”

 


 

“Spike McGee back with the postgame wrap up. UML didn’t have it tonight losing 53-64. The starting guards were in foul trouble all night and Coach Clark had to play Small Forward Roy Green at guard for several minutes.  Good guard play is vital to this team’s success so that played a big role in the outcome.”

 

“Yeah, but we were flat, Spike. We stood around a lot. Part of that may have been the long flight but no excuse. In order to win you need to stay out of foul trouble and you need to hustle.”

 

“And now you fly back across the country for a game in Tennessee.”

 

“Yep, it’ll be good to get back home after that game.”

 

December 8

 

“Spike McGee, here at Lipscomb in Knoxville, Tennessee. The UML whirlwind tour is almost over. I’m sure Coach Clark would like to go home on a winning note.”

 

“Yes I would, Spike but this is a tough team. They’re 5-2 against decent teams. They don’t score much but they are very hard to score on.”

 

“Let’s see what happens.”

 

“We’re back with the postgame show. Not as good night for UML, 50-62. One of those nights when the shots won’t drop. Except for Gene Beck who had 22, the shots just wouldn’t fall. D wasn’t bad and we were +8 on the boards. 4 straight at home now and that home cookin’ should help.”

 

December 12

 

“Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports’ here on Umass Lowell’s radio station WLOW, 88.1 on the FM dial, how LOW can you GO! I’m with Umass Lowell’s head basketball coach Kip Clark. The lines are open. Coach, we’ve had a lot of Monday games and we haven’t been able to do this for awhile. Great to have you with us.”

 

“Thanks Spike. It’s great to be here.”

 

“Just a note to our listeners. Beginning next week we’re switching to Wednesday evenings, same time. Coach, after a tough road trip the team stands 4-4. Your thoughts?”

 

“Not bad, really. We have 4 straight home games coming up and with any luck we’ll be above .500 at that point. I’d just remind everyone that we’re in V conference. That means every single game so far has been with a team from a higher conference, several of them with teams from L, which is way up the line from us. To be at .500 isn’t bad, and it bodes well for conference play.”

 

“What’s going well?”

 

“Guard play, as we expected, is going quite well. We’re taking pretty good care of the ball, and averaging 1.3 fewer TOs than our opponents. I’m also happy with our rebounding, we’re +6.4, which I did not expect.”

 

“What needs work?”

 

“Pretty much everything needs work, but we need to score more points, especially inside, and we need to work on our outside D, especially our three point D, but the big thing is scoring. We need to get it to the open man more, in order to get better shots. I’m definitely a defense first coach but we need more O.”

 

“Let’s take some questions. Jeff from Jamaica Plain.”

 

“Hi Spike, Coach. Just wondering why the River Hawks don’t press more.”

 

“Thanks for asking, Jeff. That’s an easy one, really. We don’t press more because we only have three guards. Pressing causes you to foul more and we simply can’t afford foul trouble.”

 

“Billy in Braintree.”

 

“Coach, you play mostly 2-3. Why not more man to man?”

 

“Same answer, Billy. I prefer man to man but we don’t have the bodies for it. You don’t foul as much playing zone. Spike, I’ve got a question for you.”

 

“Okay, go ahead.”

 

“Tell us about yourself. You’re only a sophomore here. How did a sophomore get to be the play by play guy, and have his own show?”

 

“Last year I was the color announcer. I learned a lot so this year I applied to be the play by play guy. When I got the job I put in a proposal to do the 15 minute ‘All about Sports’ show and it was approved. Loving it. Thanks for asking. Time for one more. Jimmy in Marblehead.”

 

“Yeah, hey coach, how do you like your job?”

 

“I love it. I’ve never been happier. It’s insane how busy I am but I love every minute of the depth, the complexity, the challenge.”

 

Next up is Appalachian State. Tell us about them.”

 

“They’re 3-5. They play 1-3-1. Stetson beat us with that D but we’ve been working against it in practice and we hope to do better. On O they like to make some quick passes to get guys open. They don’t have any big scorers but lots of guys get points. They’ve hung in with some good teams. 

 

December 13

 

“Spike McGee here with the postgame show. UML defeated Appalachian State 52-36 in a real defensive battle tonight. Center Gene Beck all but beat Appalachian State single handed, scoring 33 and getting 13 rebounds. UML was +13 on the boards. Steve Colt had 8 assists, and Roy Green 9 rebounds. Coach Clark?”

 

“The D and the rebounding were terrific but we still need to score more points. I’m really concerned about that. We were 0-10 from three point range tonight. A lot of people say shooters are born, not made. That may be true but we’re trying to work on it.”

 

Next up is Utah Valley. What can you tell us?”

 

“Well, they’re 2-6 but they recently beat Virginia Tech in overtime and they only lost to Nebraska by 4. At the same time they have some bad losses, so they’re kind of a mystery. They play man, they don’t press. Most of their scoring comes outside but their Center can score. When they show up they can definitely play, so we hope to be prepared for that.”

 

December 19

 

Spike McGee, WLOW, 88.1 on the FM dial, how LOW can you GO, here at courtside at the Tsongas Center following the game between UML and Utah Valley. UML won it 79-61 and for once was able to put some points on the scoreboard. I’m guessing you’re happy about that Coach Clark.”

 

“Yes I am, Spike. I’m pretty happy about the first half D, as well. We held them, to 20 points. They did better in the 2nd but by then we had built a really good lead and we matched them basket for basket in the second. I’ve got to get back to my team, Spike.”

 

“Thanks for joining us, Coach. See you tomorrow.”

 

“Right. I’ll be there.”

 

“Remember folks, due to a programming change, ‘All about Sports’ will feature my interview with Coach Clark on Wednesdays from now on. Join us then. Tonight UML was +10 on the boards and +6 in turnovers. Gene Beck had another great game in the middle with 19 and 12. PF Marv Joab had 22 and 6, and SF Roy Green had 15. The starting guards combined for 20, 11, and 6, with only 3 TOs. A good effort for the 6-4 River Hawks.

 

December 20

 

Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports’ here at UML’s campus radio station WLOW, 88.1 on the FM dial, how LOW can you GO! Today’s Wednesday so we’re here with Coach Kip Clark of the UML River Hawks. The lines are open. Let’s go to caller #1, Joe in Boston.”

 

“Coach, you’re 6-4 against teams- all of them- that are in higher conferences. How do you feel about your prospects in Conference V.”

 

“Thanks Joe. I feel guardedly optimistic. I’m sending scouting coach Jeremy Lund to V conference games whenever I can spare him. He reports back to the staff on what he sees- formation on O and D, whether the teams press, who their scorers and rebounders are, how well they handle the ball- all of that and lots of other things. He hasn’t seen every team yet, but he’s seen 13 of them, and we feel we can, at the very least hold our own with just about all of them. We like our chances in the conference. And we believe that if we stay healthy and stay focused that we can climb up to Conference U next season.”

 

“Mark in Chelsea.”

 

“Hi Coach, what about the bench. Doesn’t seem like you get much from your bench.”

 

“I agree, Mark. We’re thin. Pete Ross does a good job in the back court but he doesn’t score. Same with Alex Jamm up front. We could sure use some bench points.”

 

“If I might follow up, that leads me to ask about recruiting.”

 

“Well Mark, good question. We’re working on that every day. We have two Point Guards signed but we need to fill the other 5 scholarships. We think and hope that that will happen in March and April.”

 

“Thanks Mark and Joe. Coach, we’ve been asking about you and pop culture. Let’s ask more about music.”

 

“I’ve really gotten into the folk scene. I think Bob Dylan’s ‘Freewheelin’’ album is fantastic. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I hear he’s got a new album coming out next month. I also like Dave Van Ronk, and I love the old classical blues and R & B guys- Blind Willie McTell, Jelly Roll Morton, and lots of others.”

 

“Where do you find their albums.”

 

“Only place is in obscure record shops down in Greenwich Village.”

 

“You make that scene?”

 

“Not as often as I’d like to but the music there is fantastic and, as I said, it’s the only place to get the recordings of the old pioneers.”

 

“Coach it’ll be a week between games. First, how will the time off, and the holiday break affect the team, and second, tell us about Jackson State, who come to the Tsongas Center on December 26.”

 

“Well, no coach likes a break, you’re always afraid to lose focus. All of our players are from Massachusetts so I told them to go home for a couple of days but be back in time for a Christmas day practice at 8:00 p.m. They were free to go after an early morning practice on the 23rd. Again, I don’t like it but it’s pretty much the same for everybody and at least we didn’t need to travel for the game on the 26th. 

 

“Jackson State is 5-3 against mostly weak competition. They have two more games before they play us, both on the road. They do a lot of scoring outside but their Center can score. They take pretty good care of the ball. They play mostly man.”

 

“Okay, that’s about it for ‘All about Sports.’ Thanks Coach. Listen in tomorrow night folks, we’re here every weeknight at 7:00. Coach will be with us next Wednesday and most every Wednesday during the season. Spike McGee, WLOW, 88.1 on the FM dial, how LOW can you GO! Goodnight.”

 

December 26

 

Spike McGee here with the postgame show following the UML home game with Jackson State. It was a very tough night for the River Hawks. They won, 75-55, but starting Power Forward, Marv Joab, the team’s 2nd leading scorer and 2nd leading rebounder, went down with what looks like a very serious knee injury. Gene Beck led the team again, with 21 and 14. But it looks like dark days ahead. Coach?”

 

“I thought we played well tonight, but Marv’s injury was really serious. I’m not sure we’ll see him in uniform again this year.”

 

“Any specifics?”

 

“Not yet, Spike, but we’ll know more by the time I get on your show Wednesday evening.”

 

December 28

 

“Okay, we’re back from break. Spike McGee here on ‘All about ‘Sports’ with Coach Clark. Coach, what’s the story on Marv Joab?”

 

“Unfortunately, Marv tore up the ligaments in his knee very badly. He’s out for at least the rest of the year and the docs are not sure if he’ll be able to play at this level again.”

 

“What a shame. He seemed like a really nice guy.”

 

“Yes, he is a really nice guy.”

 

“Now what?”

 

“Well Spike, unfortunate as it is this is part of the game. We’re going to start Pete Ross at SG, move Steve Colt to SF, move Roy Green to PF. Our starters will all get more minutes, and Alex Jamm will get lots of minutes. We’ll use Dan Tayn more than we have been. We were thin before. We’re really thin now.”


“Coach, sounds like you'll be going with six men. pretty much."

"For now we will, but we're ready top give other guys a try if we need to. We're in a tough situation so we may need to get creative."

 

"You ended the pre-conference season at 7-4.”

 

“And that was great, way better than we expected. Unfortunately, without Marv, I’m not sure how we’ll do in conference. We’re not about to quit though. We’ll be working harder than ever now.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Coach Clark had to leave early. He’s having a coaches’ meeting to discuss strategy around the new lineup. We’re really grateful that he came at all. We’ll be right back.”

 

January 1964

 

Barry Goldwater announces that he is running for President.

 

U. S. Surgeon General Luther Terry reports that smoking may be hazardous to health. This is the first U. S. government report saying that.

 

“Hello, Dolly!” opens on Broadway.

 

“Meet the Beatles!” becomes the first Beatles album to be released in the U. S.

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January 2

“Spike McGee wishing all of you a happy new year from 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO!  We’re here at Tsongas for the pregame show. UML plays 5-6 NJIT tonight. Here’s what Coach Clark had to say.”

 

“They play man. On O they move it in and out well. They mix the scoring, don’t rebound or take care of the ball all that well. But remember, we’ve had less than a week of practice with the new lineup.”

 

“How’s that going, Coach?”

 

“I think we’ll be okay in time, but we’re still working things out.”

 


 

“Spike McGee back with the postgame show. UML took charge early and never let it get close in a 68-53 win. Gene Beck did his usual terrific job, scoring 17, with 15 rebounds and 4 assists. Mike Gear had 19 at guard, Roy Green had 15 and 5 at power forward and small forward, and Alex Jamm stepped it up, getting 11 from the bench. Steve Colt had 8 rebounds. Coach, you played exactly six guys. It worked for you.”

 

“Yes, it did, Spike. I thought the guys looked really good tonight. +11 on the boards, and we stayed out of foul trouble, which is crucial. Gotta run!”

 

“We’ll hear more from coach on Wednesday at 7:00 on ‘All about Sports,’ right here on 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! Back in a minute.”

 

January 4

 

“Spike McGee here with the coach. The lines are open. Coach, You got off to a real good conference season start the other night.”

 

“Yes, we did, Spike. I was very pleased with the way the guys played.”

 

“Can you be successful with a 6 man rotation?”

 

“Ultimately, it’s unlikely. We would need to be injury free, for one thing, and with six guys everyone is playing too many minutes. We’ll find times to go to our #7, 8 and 9. And of course if we get injuries we’re in real trouble.”

 

“Let’s go to the phones. Frank in Auburn.”

 

“Coach I think you’re a real as-“

 

“Thank you, Frank. For those of you who didn’t know it we’re on a three second delay here. That gives us just enough time to cut off calls like that last one. So be nice! Grace in Cambridge, and it’s nice to get a call from a woman!”

 

“Thank you, Spike. Coach, what do you think about women’s basketball? Do you see a future for it?”

 

“Good question, Grace. I don’t see why not. As we learn more about conditioning, training. All of those things, and as our society becomes more open, which I hope it will, I think we’ll see a lot more women in sports. I look forward to that day, and I hope it’s not too far off.”

 

“Interesting question. Call again, Grace. Marty in Foxboro.”

 

“Coach, you were a real scoring machine when you played at UML. It must drive you crazy to have a team that has so much trouble putting points up.”

 

(Laughs) “In a lot of ways it does, Marty. Interestingly enough, both as a player, and now as a coach, I really do think defense first, that’s where it all starts./ But I sure hope we come up with a scorer or two next year!”

 

“Okay, I get the last question. Tell us about Texas Pan American. You and I and the team will be flying out to Texas tomorrow for a game with them.”

 

“Well, they’re 5-7, 2 of those wins in overtime. They haven’t played anybody, really. They play man on D and run the flex on O. They score both inside and outside, but more outside. We think we can turn them over. If we win the battle of the boards we’ll be okay.”

 

“Thanks Coach. This is Spike McGee, 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO!”

 

January 5

 

Spike McGee here in Texas for the postgame show. It was a tough night for the River Hawks. They lost 67-72, and first big man off the bench Dan Tayn went down with a calf injury. Coach?”

 

“Yes, Spike, it was a tough loss. I didn’t think we played all that badly but we got in some foul trouble in the second half. That meant we needed to go to our bench and Dan got hurt almost as soon as I put him in. The one place where we really were not very good was rebounding. We were -11 there, and that just can’t happen.”

 

“Any idea how long Dan Tayn will be out?”

 

“Too soon to tell but it doesn’t look like a season ender or anything like that. We need him though, we’re down to the point where we almost don’t have enough guys to practice. I need to get back to the locker room, Spike.”

 

“Thanks Coach. We’ll be right back.”

 

January 9

 

“Spike McGee here at Tsongas for the pregame show. Tonight’s game is between the Hawks and first place Northern Kentucky, 8-5, 2-0. Coach, first, how’s Dan Tayn, and second, tell us what we can expect tonight.”

Dan will be out 2-3 weeks the docs tell us. They’re a good team with some really good scoring guards, and a Power Forward who gets points as well. They’ve beaten a couple of good teams, and they don’t really have any bad losses. They take really good care of the ball. We need to contain the outside scorers and get some rebounds to have a chance tonight.”

 


 

“Spike McGee, 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO, continuing with the postgame show. The River Hawks played terrific D to defeat Northern Kentucky, 63-44. Coach?”

 

“I was very happy with our D, and even happier that we got 35 RBs, while they got 21. We took really good care of the ball, too.”

 

“You overcame lots of foul trouble, Steve Colt fouled out early, and Mike Gear was in foul trouble all night before fouling out in the last minute.”

 

“I think that will serve as a great confidence booster. Pete Ross did a great job of filling in for the those two guys, but that meant I had to play Alex Jamm for lots of minutes. I thought Alex came through terrifically, particularly on D, and on the boards. We shot pretty well, and as always, Gene Beck carried us.”

 

“Yes he did, 24 points, 9 rebounds. And Roy Green had 16, with 4 RBs, and 5 assists.”

 

“Yes, we had to put Roy at the shooting guard spot, as well as at 3 and 4. He had a great game.”

“I know you need to leave, but thanks coach. We’ll be right back.”

 

January 11

 

“We’re back on ‘All about Sports.’ It’s time for the coach’s segment with Coach Kip Clark. The lines are open. Coach, let’s talk about attendance.”

 

“It’s up, Spike, up quite a bit. We’re 9-5, we play an exciting brand of hoops, and people seem to want to cheer us on. Believe me, that helps.”

 

Attendance last year averaged 1,286 per game. This year so far, it’s at 2,655 but that’s deceptive. The last few games have been much higher.”

 

“That’s right, Spike. People seem to be discovering us. I hope they’ll keep coming, and they’ll tell their friends to come, too. There are still plenty of seats available.”

 

“Let’s go to the phone. Kirk in Braintree.”

 

“Hi Spike, Coach. Coach, Daryl Wall went to high school here in Braintree and he was a heck of a player. When you’ve put him in he’s done a good job but he hardly plays at all. How come?”

 

“Well, Kirk, remember, every time you put one guy in, you need to take another guy out. Daryl has some talent but it’s a big jump from high school to college ball. He’s still making that transition. I see him getting better in practice, but he still has a way to go. Believe me, I hope he gets there and gets there quickly. I could use another big guy.”

 

“Ben in Worcester.”

 

“Coach, you guys have to have the ugliest uniforms I’ve ever seen. Can’t you do something about that?”

 

(Laughs) Ben, I have to tell you, of all the things I need to work on. The ugly uniforms- and yes, they are ugly, are pretty low on the priority list. The other thing is that we’re working on a limited budget. Long distance calls and scouting trips, and all the other things we need to do cost money. If we bought new uniforms it would take the money from things that will actually help us to get better.”

 

“That was interesting. Tell us about 3-11 South Dakota. They’re here for your next game tomorrow night.”

 

“Yes they are. They play man, and they use shuffle, which means they need to get points from everybody. Frankly, they’ve struggled with that. They’ve lost their last 6. A big piece of that has been the fact that their #3 and #4 guards both became academically ineligible. They haven’t won since. We think we can turn them over, and we think if we work we can control the inside game. That’s what it will take.”

 

“Anything new on Dan Tayn?”

 

“They tell me about two more weeks.”

 

“Thanks Coach. We’ll be right back.”

 

January 12

 

“Spike McGee here with the postgame show. UML won 64-50, taking a big early lead and never letting it get closer than 8 points after the first few minutes. Coach?”

 

“I was mostly happy with the way we played tonight. I was not happy with Pete Ross, who was in foul trouble all night, but Alex Jamm played his best game of the year with 10 and 5, and Daryl Wall, who I rarely use, gave us 8 very good minutes. Gene Beck had 18, 9, and 4, and Mike Gear had 14.”

 

“Thanks Coach. We’ll be right back.”

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January 16

 

“Spike McGee in Florence, Alabama for the pregame show. Tonight it’s 10-5, 3-1, UML against 6-9, 2-2 North Alabama. Coach?”

 

“They play flex on O and they score outside. They play a man and they throw a press in now and then. Never know when it’s coming so you need to be alert at all times. They’ve looked way better ion conference than they did before. We’re going to work hard at turning them over. We think that’s the key. They’ve had trouble in that area.”

 


 

“Spike McGee here with the post game show. Tonight was not a good night for UML. They lost 57-64. They were +3 on the boards, +5 on turnovers, but they shot poorly. Gene Beck was 7-20 from close range, Roy Green was 3-10, and Mike Gear was 3-16. Coach couldn’t be with us tonight but I think it’s safe to say that he is probably not spreading sunshine around the locker room right now. We’ll speak with him about all of this on Wednesday at 7:00, on ‘All about Sports.’ Back in a minute.”

 

January 18

 

“Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports.’ We’re back. Coach, what happened on Monday night?”

 

“We lost! It was frustrating because we really didn’t play badly. But man did we SHOOT badly! That was the story, really. We work and work about getting open for good shots. We got open and then the shots didn’t fall in.”

 

You’re at home against Abilene Central tomorrow night.”

 

“Yes we are. They’re 10-6, 4-1 in conference, 7 wins in their last 8, so we expect a tough game. They’re not a good road team, so we hope that works in our favor. It’ll be the usual, play good D, get some rebounds, and make some shots.”

 

“Larry from Rehobeth.”

 

“Coach, have you heard the new Bob Dylan album?”

 

“I have, and I love it! I play it all the time when I’m at home. Deep stuff!”

 

“If you haven’t heard Mark Spoelstra yet, check him out.”

 

“I will, thanks Larry.”

 

“Grace in Cambridge. You’ve called in before, Grace.”

 

“Yes, I have. Coach, you’re having trouble defending the outside shot. Have you thought about using the 3-2 zone?”

 

“Great question, Grace. Yes, as a matter of fact we’re spending time learning it in practice. We just might go to it at some point, at least part time.”

 

“Okay Coach, good luck tomorrow night.”

 

“Thanks Spike.”

 

“Spike McGee, 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! See you next time.”

 

January 19

 

“Spike McGee here post game. Same old story in a 45-51 loss. Big problems on offense. Coach?”

 

“Actually, a NEW problem tonight. We made shots, we just didn’t take many, only 40. That was because we had 22 turnovers, which is inexcusable. I am not happy. Mike Gear had 18, no one else had more than 7.”

 

“Definitely a tough night.”

 

“We’ll just keep working. Most of this can be fixed. We’ll keep trying to fix it.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Back in a minute.”

 

January 23

 

“Spike McGee here in Edwardsville, Illinois for the game between UML and SIU Edwardsville. The Cougars are 11-6, 5-1, have won their last 5. Coach?”

 

“This is a tough team, especially at home. They play a really good man to man and they move the ball well on O. We’ll need to be at the top of our form to stay with them.”

 

...

 

“We’re back on the post game show. A great win, 68-62. Coach?”

 

“I love the way we hung in. This one went back and forth for a long time but we showed no quit at all.”

 

“You made shots tonight.”

 

“Yes, we did. We got the ball to Gene inside pretty much all night. He worked to get free, got the ball, and laid it in. 17 points, 12 rebounds. Steve Colt had 17 and 5 and was hot outside. Roy Green made a few inside and a couple outside. Our three guards were in foul trouble all night but Alex Jamm and Daryl Wall didn’t hurt us a bit when they came in. +10 on the boards. Not perfect but a really good road win against a good team.”

 

Thanks Coach. See you on Wednesday. We’ll be right back.”

 

January 25

 

“Spike McGee, 88.1, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! I’m here for the next few minutes with Coach Clark. The lines are open. Coach, your team is now averaging 6.7 rebounds a game better than your opponents, and exactly 1.0 turnovers better. Given that you lost one of your best players for the season, how do you account for this?”

 

“You know, I’ve thought a lot about that. We’ve even discussed it in coaches’ meetings. We’re a much better team with Marv Joab, but we don’t have him and we won’t have him. That’s the way it is. We’re quicker with Pete Ross starting and we’ve taken advantage of that quickness in lots of ways. At practice and in games, instead of focusing on what we lost we’ve focused on what we gained. We gained quickness. We gained a little outside D, we gained ball handling. Alex Jamm and even Daryl Wall have stepped up from the bench, and I think everyone on the team knows they need to work extra hard because Marv isn’t with us.”

 

“Rita in Billerica.”

 

“Hi Coach. Hey, Daryl Wall has really looked good. Don’t you think he should get more time?”

 

“Daryl seems to have a real fan club, and that’s great. We’re easing him into the lineup and we’ve been really happy with how he’s played. We don’t want to move too quickly, but I think I can safely say that in the future he’s very likely to increase his playing time.”

 

“Mark in Brighton.”

 

“Coach, your never gonna stop the outside shot until ya go with more man to man- a LOT more.”

 

“Thanks, Mark. I’ve said before that I am a big fan of man to man but we just don’t have the depth to play it full time. We aren’t deep enough to be able to afford foul trouble. You may have noticed that in tight spots, and near the end of close games, if we aren’t in foul trouble I go man every time.”

 

“We fly out later tonight to Georgia to play Savannah State. Tell us about them.”

 

“They’re having a tough season, 4-14, 1-6. They’ve lost their last 5, 8 of 9, 11 of 13. They have two big guys out with injuries. They have two scorers, their Center and their shooting guard. This is the kind of game I worry about. You can’t stop your players from reading the papers and my guys know this is not a great team. I always worry that we won’t hustle in a situation like this; we’ll think we can’t lose. When that happens you usually lose.”

 

“Thanks Coach, see you at the airport. We’ll be right back.”

 

January 26

 

“Spike McGee here with the post game show. The River Hawks did what they needed to do and won 66-54 tonight. Coach?”

 

“We took care of the ball, we stayed out of foul trouble, we shot 52.3%. That’s a formula for victory!”

 

“Big games from 3 guys.”

 

“Yes, Gene had 18 and 8, Mike Gear had 19, 5, 3, and Roy Green had 16, 3 and 4. But everybody played good D.”

 

“You have Dan Tayn back at 100% but you didn’t use him- for that matter you played your starters pretty much all the way.”

 

“Yes, that was probably a mistake on my part. I should have rested my guys more. I’ll try to keep that in mind in the future.”

 

“Okay Coach, great win! We’ll be right back.”

 

January 30

 

“Spike McGee pregame at the Tsongas Center which looks pretty close to full. Tonight it’s Grand Canyon, 6-14, 1-7. Here’s what Coach had to say.”

 

“They play flex on O and their 2 and 3 are their scorers. They play 1-2-2, which we haven’t seen all year. We’ve been practicing against it though. They’ve lost 7 in a row, 8 of 9. We want to keep the pressure on the ball. They tend to cough it up.”

 


 

“Spike McGee. We’re back, post game. 5,822 paid tonight. Biggest crowd since you graduated, Coach.”

 

“It’s great to see that. Hope it continues and I hope we start to sell the place out.”

 

“That would be great. 74-56. You’ve been scoring more points the last three games.”

 

Yes we have, finally. Gene was unbelievable tonight, 34 and 12. He worked to get open, we got him the ball, he knew what to do with it. But, the fact that we got 35 rebounds and had only 10 turnovers was huge.”

 

“You’re still playing six guys.”

 

“And still getting away with it! I would feel comfortable playing Tayn and Wall but as long as this is working, why change?”

 

“Why indeed. Thanks Coach. See you on Wednesday for ‘All about Sports.’ We’ll be right back.”

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February 1964

 

Beatles go to #1 with “I Want to Hold your Hand.” They soon appear on the “Ed Sullivan Show. This starts the “British Invasion.”

 

Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammed Ali, defeats Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship.

 

February 1

 

“Welcome back to ‘All about Sports.’ Coach, Gene Beck has won conference player of the week for the 7th time in the last 9 weeks. Talk about him for a bit.”

 

“Gene is just a terrific player. He scores lots of points, gets lots of rebounds- he’s just a force. People don’t notice this as much but he’s a very good defender as well. He’s a natural leader and he’s the one the team looks to in tough situations, and he wants the ball then. I’m so pleased that we’ll have him back next year.”

 

“He’ll be your only returning starter unless Marv Joab comes back.”

 

“That’s true. But to tell you the truth, I’ll worry about that later. This year is keeping me fully occupied.”

 

“True, but what about recruiting.”

 

“I’ve said before that I’m confident that we’ll get some guys but that it will be in March and April.”

 

“That’s a little tension provoking isn’t it?”

 

“It could be if I let it. Recruiting coach Derek Rowe and I are doing all we can. I think it will work out.”

 

“Okay, Bruce in Dedham.”

 

“Hey Coach. Can you win the conference?”

 

“Probably not, Bruce, but I think we can finish near the top and make a good run at the tournament title.”

 

“Judy in Plymouth.”

 

“Coach, do you plan to rehire your assistants?”

 

“It’s way too early to think about that, Judy. I think they’re all working hard. No telling what spring will bring. It’s possible that one or more may move on to bigger schools. We’ll see.”

 

“And one more. Julius in Salem.”

 

“Coach, I wanted to thank you for the great job you’re doing.”

 

“Thanks Julius.”

 

“How are you enjoying your first year as a head coach?”

 

“I love it, as I’ve said before. It’s exhausting and all consuming, but it is a deeply complex task, and I love a challenge. I can’t imagine a job that would be more fascinating.”

 

“Okay. As you know Coach, we’re all flying out to Jacksonville in a couple of hours to play North Florida tomorrow night. Your thoughts?”

 

“North Florida is 8-12, 5-4. They’ve played pretty well in conference. Their Small Forward, Emerson, can light it up. He and Holmes are their rebounders, and they’re good with the ball. They play man, and they are definitely strong inside on both ends. It will be a challenge.

 

February 2

 

“Spike McGee, back from break. Tonight UML played some very good basketball, winning 70-56. Coach?”

 

“I am really pleased. We knew North Florida was strong inside. Our guys dominated them in the paint. Gene had 22 and 5, Roy Green 12 and 8, and Steve Colt 13, 6, 4. Alex Jamm had 5 and 4 from the bench. Our guards did a great job of finding the open man, only 11 TOs.”

 

“After the dust settled this leaves you in a four way tie for third, 1 back of the co-leaders.”

 

“Pretty exciting stuff. We’re going to try to keep playing as hard as we can.”

 

“Thanks Coach. We’ll be right back.”

 

February 6

 

“Spike McGee courtside at Tsongas where we might just have a sell out crowd. It’s 11-10, 7-3 Kennesaw State tonight. Here’s what coach had to say.”

 

“They run the shuffle and score more outside than in. On D it’s man all the way. They are very up and down. Catch them on a good night and they’re tough.”

 


 

“Back from break. UML lost 56-62 tonight. Coach, you’d been scoring points the last few days but not tonight. What happened?”

 

“We were flat. I didn’t see much energy. Guys weren’t working hard enough to get open. As a result we had to take bad shots, and that led to too many misses. You don’t win often when you score 56. The bench was the difference. Theirs got 15 points and ours got 3. I don’t expect to win them all but this one was winnable.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Let’s take a break.”

 

February 8

 

“’All about Sports’. Welcome back to Coach Kip Clark. Coach, the loss on Monday dropped you down to 5th, tied with two other teams, and two back of the lead.”

 

“There’s a real scramble at the top. One bad loss really hurts. And make no mistake, a loss at home is a bad loss.”

 

“And so…”

 

“And so we keep working, keep trying to improve.”

 

“Here’s Jake, right here on campus.”

 

“Hey coach, you think your guys are getting tired because of all the minutes they’ve played?”

 

“That’s a possibility, Jake. I don’t have a lot of options, but I hope to find spots where I can rest my players. I can tell you that I don’t wear them out at practice. We go hard when we need to, but I’m more interested in knowing that they’re learning where to be in a given situation.”

 

“Ernie in Concord.”

 

“Coach, play more guys for cryin’ out loud. A little rest would make your guys better at the end.”

 

“Thanks Ernie, I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

12-10, 8-3 Central Arkansas is in on Thursday. They’re one game up on you.”

 

“Yes they are, so this is a big game, but all of them are big from now on. They play 1-3-1, which we haven’t had much luck against. On O they’re all over the place, really hard to figure out. We’ll probably need to go with more man to man. They’re red hot, won 6 out of the last 7. They lost their starting Point to grades but they seem to be playing better since that happened. Go figure! He was their 2nd leading scorer! This is another game where we need to be on our toes.”

 


 

Great win in a tight game, 53-50. Spike McGee back here after the game. Quite the finish, Coach!”

 

“To say the least!”

 

“For those of you who got here late the lead changed hands 5 times in the last 90 seconds. UML got the ball with 8 seconds left and the score tied. Steve Colt got it to Mike Gear who got it back to Steve who threw up a 22 footer that went in at the buzzer for the win. And a big win it was, Coach.”

 

“It puts us in a 3 way tie for 4th. As you pointed out, Spike, it was an incredible ending, but Gene Beck was the guy who got us to that point, 13 points, 12 rebounds. All six of my players contributed and all of them played great D. We were +10 on the boards.”

 

“You didn’t score many again tonight, Coach. No we didn’t, and that’s still maddening, but our great D made it okay.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Back in a minute.”

 

February 13

 

Spike McGee in San Antonio, Texas before the start of the game between UML and 1st place Inane Word, 14-9, 10-2. Big game, Coach?”

 

“You might say so! They’ve won 10 of the last 12, and they’re especially tough at home, 8-3. They can score both inside and out but get lots of points from their guards. They don’t rebound well and they don’t like pressure. They play 5 out on O and man on D and they don’t press. Bottom line is that they’re the best team in the league. We need to play well and play smart.

 


 

“Spike McGee after the game. A great win, 54-45, for UML, but possibly a costly one. Guard Mike Gear went down with a back injury. Coach?”

 

“This looks day to day, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Mike misses at least one game. This was a very satisfying win. We never led for the first 28 minutes. After that the game was ours. That kind of determination means an awful lot. They doubled Gene Beck for most of the night. That left Roy Green open and we found him often. He wound up with 14 and 13. Gene had 13, 5, and 2 but he had to work for them. Mike had 10, 7, 4 before going out with the injury late. We were +8 on the boards which helped to overcome an awful 20 TOs. We forced 16 though, which helped. The win puts us in a five way tie for 3rd, one back of first, with three games to play.”

 

“Thanks Coach, see you Wednesday on ‘All about Sports.’ We’ll be right back.”

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February 15

 

“Back from break with Coach Clark here on ‘All about Sports.’ Coach, 3 to play and you’re one game out of 1st place. Talk about that.”

 

“It’s amazing. I never expected this. At the start of the season I hoped to finish in the middle of the pack.”

“When did you start to think you could be better than that.”

 

“A couple of times. First was when we started winning lots of games in the pre-conference season. Then when we lost Marv and kept winning I really thought we were better than I had figured us to be.”

 

“How do you explain it, Coach? This is basically the same team that went 8-20 last season, without Marv. You don’t really play your freshmen much.”

 

“Two things, attitude and conditioning. As to the first, we believe in ourselves and we refuse to give up. The staff has worked very hard on that. If you believe and if you don’t quit, good things can happen. As to the 2nd, conditioning is vital. We didn’t know we’d lose Marv, and now Mike, at least temporarily, but being in excellent shape allows us to play lots of minutes and to still have something left late in the game.”

 

“Let’s go to the phones. Ron in Hudson, New Hampshire.”

 

“Hi coach. You guys are sure exciting this year. Is Mike Gear going to play tomorrow?”

 

“Very little. I can put him in for a minute or two to give guys a breather but that’s about it. That leaves us with two guards. It’s not going to be easy.”

 

“Al in Leominster.”

 

“Coach, how did you end up with three guards. You must have had walk ons who wanted to play.”

 

“I have walk ons that we use in practice but none of them are at a level where I can put them in a game.”

 

“Not even for a minute to give guys a breather?”

 

“Not in my view, no.”

 

“I’m shaking my head here, coach.”

 

“Yes, I think I can hear it.”

 

“Ouch! Good one, Coach. Okay, tomorrow we’re at NJIT. We beat them by 15 at our place.”

 

“We did. But we had Mike that night and he had a really good game. They’re 11-13, 6-7. They play man, and on offense they like to bring it inside. They’re 4-2 in the last 6, and they play well at home. They’re not good with the ball but I can’t really pressure them, unless it’s late in the game and we’re not in foul trouble. We need to control the boards and stop the inside game. Frankly, we’re awfully short handed. This one will be tough. We’ll give it all we have, though.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Back in a minute.”

 

February 16

 

“Spike McGee here after the game. UML went down 58-63. Coach?”

 

“We just didn’t have enough bodies tonight. When Steve Colt got into foul trouble I almost had to put the team trainer in. I’m proud of my guys for hanging tough. Mike should be able to give us minutes in our next game.”

 

February 20

 

Spike McGee, 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! We’re at courtside here for the home finale against Texas Pan American. They beat us by 5 at their place and they’re 9-16, 4-10. UML is in a 4 way tie for 4th so this is a very big game. Coach is here in a recorded interview.”

 

“They go all man on D and flex on O. they are definitely an outside team. They’ve lost their last 3.”

 

“What’s the word on Mike Gear?”

 

“He’s not quite 100% but he’ll play. I’m going to try to give him frequent breaks if I can.”

 


 

“We’re back after the game, and what a game it was! 77-48, biggest margin of victory all year. Coach?”

 

“We played really good basketball tonight. Steve Colt was amazing, 20 points, 8 rebounds. Pete Ross had his best game of the season, 19, 7, 3. Gene had 12, 7, and 3, and Roy Green 11, 7, 2. Mike was able to give us 21 good minutes, and Alex had 7 and 3 from the bench. +10 rebounding and +10 on turnovers. I’d take this kind of performance any time I can get it. Gotta go.”

 

“Thanks Coach. He can’t hear me, but the Hawks are in  a 5 way tie for 2nd with one game to play, a tough road game at Northern Kentucky.”

 

February 22

 

“’All about Sports’ with our guest Coach Clark on the telephone. He only has a few minutes tonight. First, congratulations. 17-9, 10-5, tied for 2nd with one game to play. Tell us about the Northern Kentucky game.”

 

“Thanks Spike. We beat them by 19 at our place but they are a very different team at home. They use the shuffle offense and get more points outside than in. On D they play mostly man. They just had a 5 game win streak snapped when they lost at home in OT to NJIT. As always we’ll need to play good D, take care of the ball, rebound, and find the open man on O. It should be a good game, and there’s an awful lot at stake.”

 

“Thanks Coach. See you at the airport.”

 

“Thanks Spike.”

 

“We’ll be right back.”

 

February 23

 

“Spike McGee here after the game. UML put up a good fight but couldn’t quite get the job done. Final score was 70-75. Coach?”

 

“The thing that bothers me is that we blew a 15 point lead. That isn’t like us. It’s also the most point we gave up all year, tying the total for the Stetson game. Our fatal flaw all year has been defending the outside shot. We gave up 17 threes tonight and that’s what did us in. We led in every other category. The final telling statistic? Our bench got 2 points 4 rebounds, no assists. Their bench got 29, 9, and 8.”

 

“That’s amazing, Coach.”

 

“On the plus side we should get the #4 seed. Also, Gene had 19 and 15, Roy had 15 and 5, and Mike Gear had 16, 4, 3.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Back in a minute.”

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March 1964

 

The first Ford Mustang is produced.

 

LBJ proclaims war on poverty.

 

UCLA wins the NCAA championship over Duke, undefeated.

 

The Kennedy half dollar is issued.

 

March 1

 

“’All about Sports.’ Spike McGee here with Coach Clark. Coach, #12 seed Siu-Edwardsville upset #5 Inane Word so you’ll play them tomorrow. Your thoughts?”

 

“We beat them by 6 on the road, and the other guys by 9 at our place, but Inane Word is the better team so this is a break for us. They play solid D and run the motion offense. They’ve lost 8 of the last 11. They are tough inside but we feel like we can turn them over. As usual we need to play outside D and not let them have too many open looks. If we play well we can win this one.”

 

March 2

 

“Spike McGee back for more of the post game show here on 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! 77-70 win to advance to the round of 4. Coach?”

 

“We opened up an early 21 point lead and never trailed. They kept trying to come back but the final margin of 7 was as close as they ever got during the last 30 minutes. Steve Colt was on fire, 21, 6, 3, with only 1 TO. 11 and 8 for Gene, and 17, 3, 3 for Roy. I was able to use a lot of bench tonight so my guys will be fairly fresh tomorrow.”

 

“Coach, all three of the other quarter final games ended in upsets. #7 Kennesaw State plays #12 Houston Backrest, and you play #9 North Alabama, 14-15, 8-8.

 

“Strange, to say the least. We lost to those guys by 7 at their place but we’re happy to play them again. They play man, run the flex, and are stronger outside than in. They don’t rebound particularly well and we think we can turn them over. With all the upsets, this tournament is up for grabs and we’d love to do the grabbing.”

 

“And you’ll be moving up next year.”

 

“Yes, we’ll be in Conference U, I think. But no time to think about that yet. We have work to do.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Back after this.”

 


 

March 3

 

Spike McGee back here after the game. UML suffered what was very likely a season ending defeat, 52-70. Coach?”

 

“Yes, being in the lowest division, and having an RPI of 103 probably means we won’t be invited anywhere.”

 

“Tough loss.”

 

“Well, yes and no. We never led, we never threatened to lead, we were never really in it. If I HAVE to lose I’d rather lose that way in some respects. At least I won’t stay up all night thinking about how I could have done things differently. Didn’t much matter what I did in this one.”

 

“You gave up 15 threes and were -8 on the boards. We’ve had a problem with threes all year but the rebounding was disappointing.”

 

“Thanks Coach. We’ll have you on ‘All about Sports’ on Wednesday to do a retrospective on the season, and then after that we’ll have you back from time to time to discuss next season. I really do want to thank you for being so generous with your time this year.”

 

“My pleasure, Spike.”

 

March 4

 

“Spike McGee on ‘All about Sports.’ North Alabama won the conference V title by 2 points. Back in a minute.”

 

March 8

 

“’All about Sports,’ Spike McGee with Coach Kip Clark. We’re here to wrap up Coach Clark’s first season as head coach of the UMass Lowell River Hawks. The lines are open. Coach, let’s talk about the positives.”

 

“Well Spike, there were lots of them, really. First our record, 18-11, 10-6. We outrebounded our opponents by 5.2 a game. We had 2.3 fewer turnovers a game. We outscored our opponents by 5.9 a game despite not being a high scoring team. We didn’t foul a great deal. We worked hard as a team and we never gave up. We were in good shape and we stayed that way all year. We all, every single student, got good to very gopod grades. We had no trouble makers. Individually, Gene Beck was simply terrific, 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds, and he defended well. Steve Colt and Mike Gear were forced to play the Point, Shooting Guard and Small Forward, usually all three in the same game, and they did that really well. Roy Green is a Small Forward who had to play Power Forward for the last half of the season and he rose to the challenge.”

 

“And on the down side?”

 

“The injury to Marv Joab. We struggled all year with outside defense, especially defense against the three point shot. We simply didn’t have enough guards. We didn’t score enough points. We didn’t play all that well on the road. We didn’t have much of a bench, especially after Marv went down. We didn’t have a real vocal leader. Gene led by example but we didn’t have that cheerleader type who fires his teammates up.”

 

“And how about the head coach, evaluate him.”

 

(Laughs) “That’s a tough task! I certainly worked hard. I think I was a good motivator and I had the respect of my players. I was willing to listen and I tried new things. I delegated to my assistants. On the downside I’m a new coach and that showed sometimes. I probably should have played my #7, 8 and 9 guys more. I could have been even more open to changes.”

 

“Let’s go to the phones. First we have our old friend, Grace from Cambridge.”

 

“Hi Coach, congratulations on a great season. I’ve been reading the NCAA rules on Promotion/Relegation. The Promotion part is perfectly clear. Finish 13-16 and you move down. Promotion is anything but clear. Can you explain it, and do you know whether or not your team is actually moving up to conference U.”

 

“Now that’s a great question, Grace. I’ll try, but no guarantees. First, it’s supposed to be the teams that finish in the top four.  But, I know at times that’s complicated by the conference tournament. If a team is the #4 seed, as we were, but goes out in the first round, and an other team tied for fourth does not, that other team moves up. Now what you do when a #9 seed wins- that’s a mystery. Given that Kennesaw State, which was tied with us for 4th, also went further in the tournament I just don’t know whether we’re moving up or not. I probably won’t know until May 1.”

 

“George from Barnstable.”

 

“How about recruiting, Coach?”

 

“Still working on it. We hope to make some progress soon.”

 

“Jim from Brockton.”

 

“What’s next year look like, Coach?”

 

“Well, we have Gene Beck, our best player, back. Toward the end of the season Alex Jamm and Daryl Wall began to show signs that they might help us. We’ve got two Point Guards coming in, and we’re hopeful we’ll sign a few more recruits. But really, it’s too soon to say.”

 

“Okay, our time is up. We’ll have the coach in from time to time, especially right after the final four and the award presentations, but at least one or two other times. Thanks once more for your cooperation all season, Coach.”

 

“Thanks to you as well, Spike.”

 

“Tune in tomorrow and every weeknight at 7:00 to ‘All about Sports,’ right here at 88.1 FM, how LOW can you GO!”

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April 1964

 

Arnold Palmer wins the Masters.

 

1st baseball game is played at Shea Stadium.

 

Boston Celtics win the NBA championship.

 

Beatles hold the top 5 spots on the Billboard top 40. First time that has ever happened.

 

The Rolling Stones release their first album

 

The New York World’s Fair opens.

 

April 4

 

Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports,’ We have Coach Clark with us. Welcome back, Coach, it’s been awhile.”

 

“Nice to be back, Spike.”

 

“Let’s talk about awards.”

 

“Sure. Gene Beck was conference player of the year, defensive player of the year and he made the first team. Roy Green made the 2nd team. Gene will be back but Roy graduates.”

 

“How’s recruiting going?”

 

“We feel like we’re close with a couple of guys.”

 

“Thanks, Coach.”

 

April 23

 

“’All about Sports’ welcomes back Coach Kip Clark for the end of the season wrap. You have some new assistants.”

 

“Yes, and I’m really happy to sign them. We have #1 Cameron Mills, an experienced recruiter. At #2 is John Jones, who will scout for us. At #3 will be my practice/bench coach, John Holmes. I think this staff will do really well.”

 

“Recruiting?”

 

“We signed two more recruits, Point Guard Craig Jann, and Center Clay Todd.”


“What did you ask the A. D. for help with?”

 

“Much as we need more recruiting money we need a facilities upgrade more. We’re at C-. I asked for that.”

 

“And?”

 

Got it! We’ll be at B- as soon as they make the renovations. I think that will really help with recruiting next year.”

 

“Speaking of next year…”

 

“Well, we’ve got one really good player and 4 maybes coming back and we’ve recruited three guards and a Center. We’ll see what happens but we’ll be playing a walk on or two is my guess.”

 

“We just signed a contract to broadcast all your games again so we’ll be with you all the way. Best of luck Coach.”

 

“Thanks Spike.”

 

“That’s it for tonight folks. See you next week on 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO!”

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May 1964

 

Jawaharlal Nehru, 1st prime minister of India, dies.

 

LBJ announces the “Great Society”

 

The Pink Panther is an enormous hit for Peter Sellers.

 

“You Don’t Own Me” by Leslie Gore almost breaks through to #1 but the Beatles continue their strangle hold on the top spot.

 

June 1964

 

Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment.

 

Sen. Ted Kennedy is seriously injured in a plane crash in which the pilot is killed.

 

Civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Chaney are murdered in Mississippi.

 

Jim Bunning pitches a perfect game. The first in the National League since 1880.

 

June 5

 

“Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports.’ We haven’t had Coach Clark on for awhile. He’s with us tonight by phone. Hi Coach,  Did you get any vacation time?”

 

“Hello Spike. Thanks for asking. Not really. I went to a Sox game and that was about it. Busy.”

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Unfortunately, Dan Tayn decided to transfer leaving us with 8 scholarship athletes. We’ll definitely be playing some walk ons.”

 

“So you looking at the transfer pool?”

 

“Definitely. Staff and I are going through the list today.”

 

“I notice you’re still in conference V.”


“Yes, as it turned out we would have needed one more win in the conference tourney to move up. It’s okay. I don’t think we’re ready for U. We will be next year, and the goal is to get there.”

 

“And is that attainable?”

 

“We think so, yes.”

 

“Coach, I meant to ask how that 20th century lit course went.”

 

“Ask me next time the exam is next week! Seriously, it was great. The instructor is terrific.”

 

“Any plans to take other courses?”

 

“As a matter of fact my dream has been to get a Ph. D. in Literature. I just applied. It will take me awhile since I can only take 2 courses fall semester, one spring, but hey, I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“Kind of tough to make classes with your schedule.”

 

“The department head felt like I could work all of that out.”

 

“Okay, sounds good, Coach. We’ll be checking back in from time to time. Once the season starts we’ll be with coach just about every week right here on 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO!”

 

June 26

 

“Spike McGee here with Coach Clark. How’d it go with transfers?”


“We only got one but he looks like a good one, Curt Silk, a Shooting Guard.”

 

“So lots of scholarships?”


“Oh yes, 6, and we need some of everything so we’ll take the best players we can get.”

 

“You didn’t have a lot of luck last year, Coach. Will this year be different?”

 

“We hope so. I love my new recruiting coach, Cameron Bills. He really knows how to talk to kids.”

 

“Okay Coach, we’ll be checking in again soon. We’ll be right back, folks.”

 

July 1964

 

LBJ signs the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

 

The war in Vietnam continues to escalate. 

 

August 1964

 

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is passed

 

August 21

 

“Spike McGee ‘All about Sports.’ We’re here with Coach Clark. Coach, how’s recruiting going?”

 

“Well Spike, we’re in the very early stages. A few kids are showing some interest.”

 

“Have you offered any scholarships?”

 

“We’ve made offers to 3 guards and 3 bigs.”

 

“Good luck with that, Coach. How are the facilities renovations coming, Coach?”

 

“Almost finished, Spike. The place has a new look specially the locker rooms. They’re ready to put the new lockers in and then all they’ll need to do is paint. New showers, new dressing area. That sweat sock smell is gone. New lighting really brightened the place up.”

 

“New coach’s office?”

 

“Actually, no, but they completely redid the room. It looks great!”

 

“Thanks Coach. Let’s take a break.”

 

September 1964

 

The Beatles refuse to play to a segregated audience in Jacksonville, FL.

 

The Warren Report is released.

 

Fiddler on the Roof opens

 

Harpo Marx dies

 

September 18

“Spike McGee here with Coach Kip Clark. Coach, tell us about the schedule.”

 

“Well, as was the case last year, everyone in the preconference schedule comes from a higher conference, but we looked for games we had a chance to win. No North Carolina or Duke on this schedule.”

 

“And recruiting?”

 

“I think we’re doing a little better than last year. I’m optimistic.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Back in a minute.”

 

October 1964

 

Nikita Khrushchev is deposed as leader of the USSR.

 

Martin Luther king Jr., wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

 

The St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series

 

Cole Porter dies.

 

Herbert Hoover dies.

 

October 2

 

“Spike McGee. Coach, how’d the guys look at practice today?”

 

“First practice so it’s a little soon, but all in all, they got her in shape, and they hustled. Gene Beck is still looking like our go to guy, but Freshman Dee Port looked good at the Point. Everything in between is up for grabs.”

 

“And recruiting?”

 

Ted Rose, a Point Guard, committed, and a couple of big seem ready to commit. We’re working on it.”

 

“I notice you’re picked 4th in conference.”

 

“I’m hoping we can do at least that well. Our #1 goal this year is to move up to U.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

November 1964

 

LBJ defeats Sen. Barry Goldwater

 

Great Britain abolishes the death penalty

 

November 16

 

“Spike McGee, 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! Welcome to ‘All about Sports.’ Tonight begins our weekly Wednesday night at 7:00 interview with UML head basketball coach Kip Clark. Coach, what did the exhibition games tell you?”

 

“Well Spike, they told us quite a bit. First, I think we’re going to be really strong inside. We already knew about Gene Beck but Clay Tool is one of those kids who doesn’t show you all that much in practice but then kicks butt in games. Port is our Point, no doubt, but Jon Debro surprised us at the other guard spot, as did Craig Jain. Alex Jamm will start at 3. Jake Dirk will get minutes up front. After that it’s all walk ons, but those first seven I’m comfortable with. If we stay healthy we’ll be competitive in conference.”

 

“Gotta ask again. Recruits?”

 

“Well, that battle never seems to end. We’re looking a t a lot of guys and Cameron Bills and I are talking to them. I’m hopeful. We have a transfer and one commitment but they’re both guards. We need some big guys.”

 

“You start off at Northern Colorado. What do you know about them?”

 

“They’re in U, just above us. They run the shuffle on O. They play man. Their Shooting Guard is their best player. That’s about what we know.”

 

“Okay. We’ll take questions starting next week. Thanks Coach. Stay with us listeners. We’ll talk about the Patriots after this break.

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November 14

 

“Spike McGee here in Greeley, Colorado post game. UML got off to a great start with a 72-59 win. Here’s Coach Clark. Keys to victory?”

 

“+19 rebounds. That was huge. We completely dominated inside. And we got great bench play, 29 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists. We never got anything like that last year.”

 

“Problem areas?”

 

“Fouls, but the refs were calling everything. The other team was hurt by it as much as we were. No one fouled out for us but I had to sit guys more than I would have liked, but again, the bench came through.”

 

“Thanks Coach. I know you want to get to the locker room.”

 

November 16

 

“Spike McGee here on ‘All about Sports.’ The lines are open. Coach Clark is with us. Tell us about VMI, Coach.”

 

“They’re in O conference so they are much higher up than we are. They play the triangle. They play 3-2 on D-”

 

“I see you use that at times this year. That’s new, isn’t it?”

 

“Yes, we wanted to try to cut down on the number of threes we gave up last year. We’ll see how it works out.”

 

“Go ahead with your analysis of VMI.”

 

“They lost their opener but to a ranked team. They showed a balanced offense. Their D wasn’t that impressive but again, they played #19 Virginia. They had 22 TOs. We think if we take care of business we’ll be okay.”

 

“Let’s take some calls. Victor in Dudley.”

 

“Beatles or Beach Boys?”

 

“Beatles, not even close.”

 

“Didn’t expect that, Coach. So you like the new sound.”

 

“Absolutely! It was time. I wasn’t even listening to music much. I think these guys are really going to do some exciting things.”

 

“Okay, as long as we’re on the topic of entertainment, what are you reading?”

 

“Well, I’m reading for my two Ph. D. courses. I’m taking a course on how to do research, and then a seminar on the Shakespearean history plays.”

 

“Heavy duty stuff. Do you have time to see any movies?”

 

“I loved ‘The Pink Panther’ so I had to see ‘A Shot in the Dark.’ If they make 50 more Pink Panther movies I’ll see them all. I think Peter Sellers is the funniest guy since Groucho Marx.”

 

“Favorite film of all time?”

 

“Casablanca. No contest.”

 

Grace in Cambridge. Welcome back, Grace.”

 

“Thanks, Spike. Coach, what’s the biggest difference between last year and this year?”

 

“I could go on forever, and I could answer it in lots of different ways. The biggest difference personally is that I’m doing everything for the second time, not the first. That is incredibly different. I never felt lost last year, but everything was new learning. This year I have a much better sense of how to budget my time, and a clear idea of how to do nearly everything that I need to do. That’s gigantic. As to the team, it’s early but I really think the biggest difference is that we’ll get a lot more from our bench. I’m really comfortable putting Craig Jain and Jake Dirk in, and Tod Mack sure looked comfortable out there. That allows me to rest my starters more, which leads to all sorts of benefits. Thanks for calling, Grace. You always have great questions. Call again.”

 

“Okay, thanks foi being with us, Coach. Stay tuned listeners. We’ll talk about that Bruins trade next.”

 

November 17

 

Spike McGee here with the post game report. UML won 61-50 tonight before an almost full house. Coach, I know you want to get into the locker room so give us your thoughts.”

 

“+14 on the boards, only 10 TOs. We stayed out of foul trouble. We gave up too many threes. Clay Toll and Gene Beck are a very tough combo inside.”

 

“I notice you switch them up, both on O and on D.”

 

“Yes, they can both play either spot, Center or Power Forward, and switching it up confuses the opposition. Dee Port played a great game at the Point.”

 

“Thanks Coach. We’ll be back with the stats sheet.”

 

November 21

 

“Spike McGee courtside at the Tsongas Center for tonight’s game between 2-0 UML and 0-2 Troy. Coach Clark had this to say earlier this evening.”

 

“This is a better team than they’ve shown so far. They’re in conference O, they’ve lost to #17 UConn and  a good Oral Roberts team. They rebound really well. They press often and effectively. Their weakness is ball handling and we need to exploit that.”

 

… 

 

“Spike McGee here with the post game report. This was one of the strangest college basketball games I’ve ever seen. A win is a win but no one expects a final score of 44-40. Coach?”

 

“They play slow but they really slowed it down tonight. We knew we needed to turn them over and we managed to do it 18 times while only having 12 TOs. They won the inside battle for two reasons, first, Clay Toll was in foul trouble all night, and second, their backup Power Forward gave us fits. We got good bench play too, and that saved us.”

 

Coach, Shooting Guard Jon Debro went down with a hand injury. Any news?”

 

”Looks like a few days. We’ll start Craig Jain, who’s been playing really well.”

 

“Thanks Coach, see you on Wednesday.”

 

November 23

 

“Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports.’ It’s Wednesday so Coach Clark is here. Coach, how’s Jon Debro?”

 

“We’re going to sit him on Thursday, and maybe for the following game as well. Craig Jain has been playing well, and we think we’ll be fine.”

 

“The River Hawks are off to a great start!”

 

“It’s early and the road is just ahead, we play our next two away from home, 3 out of 4, and 4 out of 6. Let’s see what that does.”

 

“You expected good inside play. How has that been?”

 

“So far, so good. I’d like us to rebound a bit better but we’re +9 so I guess I can’t complain.”

 

“Let’s go to the phones. Leo in Danvers.”

 

“Coach, is the lineup pretty well set, except for the injury to Debro?”

 

“Glad you asked. As a matter of fact we’re going to give Jake Dirk more minutes up front. Alex Jamm hasn’t given us what we need. He’ll still start but we hope this will motivate him. We’ll see.”

 

“Barbara in Leicester.”

 

“Coach, How’s the 3-2 working out?”

 

“It’s really early, and we only use it maybe 25% of the time, but we’re giving up fewer threes. Let’s see if that holds up.”

 

“Mark, here on campus.”

 

“Coach, it’s starting to get tough for students to get tickets.”

 

“We’re drawing pretty good crowds these days, Mark. I want us to adopt a policy where half the total amount of tickets are allotted to students. I’m working on that these days. I want our students at the games. You cheer louder, and that’s a huge help.”

 

“Thanks, Coach. I hope it works. I love going to the games.”

 

“Happy to hear that, Mark.”

 

“Okay, we’re out of time. Thanks to Coach Clark and tune in tomorrow when we interview Bill Russell of the Celtics via telephone.”

 

November 24

 

Spike McGee courtside in Conway, Arkansas for the pregame show before the game between 3-0 UML and 3-0 Central Arkansas. Coach, something’s got to give!”

 

“Yes it does, Spike. Central Arkansas has a win against a pretty good Akron team. Their shooting Guard, Watkins, can really put up points. We’ll need to make that difficult for him. They rebound well, too. We think their 1-3-1 D is a step slow and we hope to exploit that. We’ll need to make quick, crisp passes for that to happen, and it’s really key. We’re hoping for no more than a dozen turnovers. We’ve got a starter out and we’re trying some lineup changes so who knows what will happen, but as always, the River Hawks will play hard.”

 

“Spike McGee back from break. We’ll continue the post game report with Coach Clark. Coach, things didn’t go well tonight. 41-56.”

 

“No, they sure didn’t. 41 points after 44 last time. I think I know where the problem is.”

 

“Do you have a solution?”

 

“I think we’re pushing it inside too often. We’ve lost our balance. I want the ball to go inside but we’re going to need to show an outside threat so that the other team can’t just pack the paint. We’ll work on it. It’s still November so there’s time.”

 

Thanks Coach. Be right back, folks.”

 

November 28

 

Spike McGee here for the pregame show. We’re in Florence to face 1-2 North Alabama. They beat a poor team by 1 and lost to 2 really good teams. What can we expect, Coach Clark?”

 

“We can expect lots of outside shots. They’re decent on the boards but their offense is mostly outside. On D they play a decent man to man. This could be a tough game.”

 

“No lineup changes?”

 

“No, but we’re keeping our options open.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 


 

“Spike McGee post game. Quite the battle coach, 66-64.

 

“Whew! We got behind by 9 early and played catch up until the last 5 minutes. Then we got the lead up to 7 and almost gave it away. If they’d made that 3 at the buzzer- but they didn’t. I’ll take the win!”

 

“What went well?”

 

“Our inside game. +7 rebounds, 20 and 7 for Beck, 12 for Toll, 6 for May, all inside. Dee Port did a nice job at the point.”

 

“What didn’t go well?”

 

“I’m still not getting enough at Shooting Guard. We’re going to evaluate that on the plane ride home.”

 

“Great game to watch. Thanks Coach.”

 

November 30

 

Spike McGee, 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! We’re the campus radio station for the University of Massachusetts Lowell. It’s Wednesday so we’re on ‘All about Sports’ with head basketball coach Kip Craig. The lines are open. Coach, last time we spoke you were contemplating the shooting guard spot. Did you come up with anything?”

 

“We’re 4-1. It’s not time to panic. We want to give the most recent changes a couple of games.”

 

“Mercer up next. What can you tell us?”

 

“They’re way up in conference J. Score more outside than in. Run Princeton, play man, press now and then. 2-3, beating three good to very good teams, but losing to 2 nobodies on the road. Good balance without an outstanding scorer or rebounder, and they don’t handle the ball well.”

 

“Let’s take some calls. Bob in Fitchburg.”

 

“Coach, what about your walk ons?”

 

“I’ll use them when I need to but they’re walk ons for a reason.”

 

Mike, right here in Lowell.”

 

“Tod Mack is better than you think. Play him.”

 

“Thanks for the advice, Mike. I’ll keep it in mind.”

 

“George in Methuen.”

 

“How’s the Ph.D. work coming?”

 

“It’s coming well, actually. I’m really enjoying my classes. They’re challenging and they really make me think.”

 

“Well I think a head coach should be a full time head coach, and you’re not.”’

 

“Hey George, don’t be-”

 

“No, I’ll answer the question. George, If I thought this was taking away from my coaching I’d drop it. It isn’t. First, I’m a guy who doesn’t need much sleep, maybe 4, 4 ½ hours a night and I’m fine. Second, I don’t have a wife and kids. Coaches who do give up a lot more time than I’m giving up and I doubt that you’re suggesting that all coaches take a vow of chastity.”

 

"Ha! Good answer, Coach. See you at the game.”

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December 1964

 

The U.S. begins bombing North Vietnam.

 

Singer Sam Cooke is murdered.

 

Lenny Bruce is convicted of obscenity.

 

The Cleveland Browns win the NFL championship

 

December 1

 

“Spike McGee post game here at Tsongas. Another win, 75-64 over Mercer. The River Hawks are now 5-1. Coach?”

 

“5 players in double figures, we took good care of the ball, we turned them over 18 times, we scored some points. A good win!”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

December 5

 

“We’re in Dover for the game between 5-1 UML and 2-4 Delaware State. Here’s what the coach said.”

 

“Their Point is their best player. He’s banged up but we think he’ll play. He’s the key. No one else has looked very good for them. They play man and they press now and then.”

 


 

Post game with Spike McGee. 39-58 loss. Coach, UML didn’t look very good tonight.”

 

“That’s too kind. We weren’t bad on defense but we were terrible on O. 17 turnovers, 34.9% shooting, not working to get open. I am NOT happy and the guys are going to know about it at practice.”

 

“We’ll be back in a moment.”

 

Wednesday, December 7

 

“Welcome to ‘All about Sports.’ The lines are open. Coach Clark, BU is next.”

 

“They’re in conf. M. They play flex, and are good outside. Man to man D. 3-4 with a good win against ODU but 4 bad losses. We think we can turn them over often.”

 

“How are the new facilities?”

 

“Well, now that the work is finished they’re terrific. Everything is shiny and new, there’s a little more room, and the showers are great. It’s nice to have our own locker room and the visitors’ side is just as nice.”

 

“Let’s go to the phones. Jim in Bridgewater.”

 

“Hi Coach. Any solutions to the scoring problems?”

 

“The staff discusses the issue at every meeting, and we’re working on it at practice. We have some guys who are good shooters but who don’t seem to be dropping shots. We’re hoping it will turn itself around.”

 

“Gary, here on campus.”

 

“Coach, we don’t get many rebounds. What’s the story?”

 

“No, Gary, we don’t, but we average 1.7 more than the other team. I’d like to increase that margin. But really, the issue is scoring.”

 

“Harry on the North Shore.”

 

“The Drifters or the Four Seasons?”

 

“I like the Four Seasons but The Drifters, definitely.”

 

“Who else do you like, Coach?”

 

“I really like The Supremes, the Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison, the Kinks, and of course The Beatles, oh, and Bob Dylan.”

 

“We’re out of time. Thanks Coach.”

 

December 8

 

“Spike McGee postgame at the Tsongas Center. Good win tonight, 71-54. Coach?”

 

“Only 7 TOs, 50% shooting. +3 on the boards. Clay Toll had 20 and 9, Gene Beck 19 and 11. Pretty happy, all in all.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Back in a minute with out of town games.”

 

December 13

 

“Spike McGee here in Boone, NC. Tonight UML plays 6-1 Appalachian State. Tough team, Coach?”

 

“They’ve beaten some pretty good teams and they’re very tough at home. They’re really good inside but they can make the outside shot, too. They’re not bad with the ball, and they can rebound. They play 1-3-1, which usually gives us trouble. We need to be sharp tonight.”

 

“Good luck, Coach. We’ll be right back.”

 


 

“We’re here with the post game report. Tough one tonight, Coach, 57-65.”

 

“They beat us inside, but 19 turnovers didn’t help. And SF is killing us. We need to get creative there.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

December 14

 

“’All about Sports.’ This segment is with Coach Clark. The lines are open. So Coach, did you make that change at SF?”

 

“We did, Spike. We’re going to give Tod Mack a try there. Tod’s a walk on but he’s worked hard and we think he might get the job done.”

 

“You’ve really had trouble getting a lineup together this year, Coach.”

 

“Well, I’m not sure that’s how I’d put it. This is a process. We’re not Michigan State. Those guys an d teams at that level have lots of good players. I really like all of my guys but none of them are going to play professionally. So we need to patch things together. Hey, we’re 6-3 at this point. I’d say we’re patching pretty well.”

 

“Grace in Cambridge.”

 

“Hi Coach, do you think Mack will help with rebounding?”

 

“Hi Grace. Yes, we do. He’s not afraid to go after the rebounds. That and scoring are what we’re looking for from him. He’s a decent defender too.”

 

“Benny in Pittsfield.”

 

“Hey Coach, you’re trying everybody except Jake Dirk. I’d try him before a walk on.”

 

“Thanks for the advice, Benny. Jake has been getting more than 20 minutes a game. If Mack doesn’t work out Jake is my next option.”

 

“Carl in Danvers.”

 

“How’s the Ph.D. coming, Coach?”

 

“Thanks for asking. It’s really challenging but I need the stimulation. I’m glad I decided to do it.”

 

“Okay, that’s it for tonight.”

 

December 19

 

“Spike McGee here at Tsongas. Tonight the 6-3 River Hawks face 5-4 Iona from conf. L. Here’s Coach.”

 

“They’re good at Shooting Guard and Small Forward, and they play man on D. They’ve beaten some very good teams and lost to some lousy ones. They don’t play great D, and they’re sloppy with the ball.”

 


 

“We’re back with the post game report. Another win, Coach, 76-63.”

 

“And a sell out, our first here at UML.”

 

“And Tod Mack had 8, 7, and 2.”

 

“Yes he did. Having another threat makes us really hard to defend. We had only 10 TOs, we were +7 on the boards, and our bench got 23 points. And this was a team that beat some people. Our key will always be the inside play of Beck and Toll, but everyone did their part tonight.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

December 21

 

“All about Sports.’ Coach Clark can only give us a few minutes tonight so no calls. Sorry. Coach, 6-3 with one more to play before the conference season begins. Your thoughts?”

 

“I like this team. It’s taken some time to find the right mix but I’m hopeful we’re there. We’ll be keeping our eyes open and further adjustments are always possible, but we have 8 guys we’re comfortable putting on the floor. Last year it was six.”

 

“You end the preconference season at Southern.”

 

“Q conference, good outside shooters, they play man an d press once in awhile. They have 2 more to play before they get to us but they’re 6-2 now, no quality wins, both losses to nobodies, undefeated at home. We should, and need to own the boards. If we can turn them over we’ll be okay.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

December 26

 

We’re here in Baton Rouge after the UML-Southern game. Not a good night, Coach, 51-61.”

 

“Same old story, not enough offense. When you give up 61 you should win. But 18 turnovers didn’t help, and we got nothing from the bench. I thought our starters played well but not a single point from the subs.”

 

“Back in a minute.”

 

December 28

 

“Our last ‘All about Sports’ for 1964. It’s been quite a year. The lines are open. Coach Clark, are you where you want to be as we head into 1965?”

 

“I think we’re in fairly good shape, actually. I like our lineup, we generally get decent bench play, and we do a lot of things well. We need to score more points. We’re going to try a slightly faster paced offense to see if that will help. It will either increase our point total or increase our turnovers, or maybe both, I suppose.”

 

“Let’s go right to the phones. Elton in Concord.”

 

“Coach, do you think Mack is the answer at Small Forward?”

 

“He’s had two games where he’s put up good numbers. We’re hoping it continues.”

 

“Joey from Brighton.”

 

“Coach, how’d ya spend XMas?”

 

“I had dinner with my family. My folks are right here in Lowell so I didn’t need to travel far.”

 

“Did you bring your girlfriend?”

 

“Ha! Nice try, Joey, but the Coach never talks about his private life.”

 

“That’s right, Spike.”

 

“Coach, you open at NJIT. Break it down for us.”

 

“They were picked #6 in conf. They’re 3-8 right now, and lost their last 6. They have even more trouble scoring points than we do. They are not impressive, BUT they’re 3-3 at home, and the road is never easy.”

 

“One more call. Cliff in Dorchester.”

 

“Hey Coach. How’s the 3-2 workin’?”

 

“We want to stay with it awhile longer. I think it’s having some effect. But remember, our problems have a lot more to do with offense than with defense.”

 

“Okay, we’ll be here tomorrow night at 7:00 and we’ll talk with the coach after the NJIT game on the 2nd.”

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January 1965

 

T. S. Eliot dies.

 

Winston Churchill dies.

January 2

 

“Spike McGee here in Newark after the game with NJIT. Great start to conf. play, 69-66 road win. Coach?”

 

“Definitely! Close all the way and we managed to pull it out at the end. 12 TOs makes me happy. I also liked that we got good bench play. If we’d made free throws it wouldn’t have been as close as it was.”

 

January 4

 

“’All about Sports.’ Coach Clark, how did speeding up the offense work?”

 

“Too soon to judge but we got more points and we had only 12 turnovers so that’s a good sign.”

 

“Coach, your supporters talk about how flexible and innovative you are. Your detractors say you’re out of control and never stay with anything. Your comments?”

 

“I have intelligent supporters. Seriously, in coaching you need to be constantly monitoring, and you need to be willing to make adjustments. When you try something you need to give it a few games. I try to do all of that.”

 

“Beverly in Beverly.”

 

“Coach, you still don’t seem to be getting recruits to commit.”

 

“That’s my greatest frustration, Beverly. Believe me we’re working on it.”

 

“Clark in Medford.”

 

“Coach, I think you brought in some real good players this year.”

 

“Thanks, Craig, yes we did. Port is doing great at the Point, Clay Toll is doing great work inside, Craig Jain is starting at the 2 spot, and Jon Debro gives us good minutes from the bench. So I guess we did okay recruiting last year. And we got most of those guys late. I feel like that can happen again this year.”

 

“Talk about Grand Canyon, they’re next.”

 

“They’re 6-6. They play 1-2-2, which we don’t see much. Their 2 and 4 score points. They lost their 1st big guy off the bench to grades and they’re real thin inside. We need to exploit that.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

January 5

“We’re back to the post game wrap here at Tsongas. 63-56 for UML. Coach?”

 

“We knew we needed to dominate inside and we did. +9 on the boards and 36 points by our bigs. Their bench almost did us in; we’re just not getting much from ours. Our starters all played well though and that was enough.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

January 9

 

“Spike McGee court side here at UML. 7-6, 1-1 Nebraska-Omaha is here. Coach?”

 

“Strong outside, not much inside. They can play on the road. That’s about it.”

 

“Talk to you after the game.”

 


 

“Spike McGee back with the post game report. Another win, Coach, 67-60.”

 

“3 straight games scoring in the 60’s, only 9 TOs. I guess I should have picked up the pace earlier! Dee Port was terrific tonight. He shut down the other team’s Point, who’s normally their best player, and he scored 22. Our 4 other starters all played well on both ends.”

 

“Keep it going, Coach. See you on Wednesday.”

 

“’All about Sports.’ 3-0 start in conference, Coach.”

 

“Yes. We’re at SIU-Edwardsville next and they are really struggling, 1-13, 0-3.”

 

“Tell us more.”

 

“Their numbers are pretty awful in all areas. It always scares me to play a team that’s doing this poorly. It’s too easy for my team to be complacent. I’ve worked on that in practice and I hope they were listening.”

 

“Grace in Cambridge. Hi Grace.”

 

“Hi Spike, Coach. It seems to me that if you can score 60 you should win, coach. The other team almost never gets that many.”

 

“That’s my thought as well, Grace.”

 

“Keep that speed up on O, Coach. The numbers have been great since you started doing that. That and putting Mack in the lineup have really seemed to help.”

 

“You know, I was looking at the stat sheet. We keep a chart that shows the stats game by game so I can compare, and yes, the numbers are all improving since we made those changes.”

 

“Thanks Coach. See you in Illinois.”

 

January 12

 

“Spike McGee post game. 65-55 to keep it going. Coach?”

 

“Scoring the first 11 of the game put us in a good position. They never quite caught us. Tod had a great game, 12 and 7. All 5 starters played well and we got a little something from our bench. The only down spot was 18 turnovers, more than we’ve committed in a long time. Didn’t hurt us though.”

 

January 16

 

“Spike McGee 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! We’re here at sold out Tsongas for the pregame. Tonight it’s 9-6, 3-1 Texas Pan American. Coach, you’re 4-0, in a 2 way tie for first. What do you need to do to win tonight?”

 

“Their Point, and their bigs do the scoring. They play decent D. If we can turn them over and not let their Center get too many rebounds we should be okay.”

 

“See you after the game, Coach.”

 


 

“Tough one, Coach. 64-65.”

 

“The tough part was blowing a 13 point lead in the last 8 minutes. I am NOT happy!”

 

Having your two bigs in foul trouble all night had to hurt.”

 

“No doubt, and when Clay went out with #5 with 3 and ½ to play that seemed to do us in. I thought Alex Jamm did a great job subbing for him but it wasn’t the same. Gene had a great game, 14 and 13. And you’d think you’d win when you only commit 7 TOs, and are only -3 on the boards. But, once again, their bench was deeper than ours, 24 points to 15, and we shot 30%.”

 

“Still, it took a lucky shot to beat you. That 35 footer at the buzzer had no business going in.”

 

“Spike, when something like that happens I always feel we should never gotten ourselves into a position where that could happen. In the last minute we rushed two shots, and missed three free throws.”

 

“Hang in there coach. Talk to you, on Wednesday.”

 

January 18

 

“Welcome back to ‘All about Sports.’ Thanks to referee Art Baker for being our guest before the break. Now we’re with the Coach. The lines are open. Coach, despite the loss on Monday you’re 11-5, 4-1. Pretty good season so far.”

 

“Never tell a coach he’s having a good season right after a loss. Actually, we’re doing well, all in all. But there’s a long way to go and we need to stay focused. We play the team in 1st place next, there. Still, Gene and Clay have done really well up front and Dee has been really solid at the point. Craig Jain is fine at Shooting Guard, and now that Tod Mack is at Small Forward the lineup seems pretty solid. I’d like to get more from our bench. We’re going to give Tim May more minutes up front, just to see what we see.”

 

“Coach, since speeding up the pace on O you’re scoring several points more each game, getting a bout one less turnover per game, and getting more steals. Seems like that was a good idea.”

 

“We think so, at least so far. We’re hoping it will continue.”

 

“So what do you need to do to be Houston Bullfest?”

 

“Well, remember, they’re 5-0 in conf., but only 7-9 overall. When teams keep the score down they’re in trouble. They can turn it over and we need to make that happen. Then if we can win the battle of the boards, or at least keep it close to even, that should do it. That may be asking a lot but we think we have a chance.”

 

“Dave in Framingham.”

 

“Hey Coach, was it a bad idea for Spike to have a coach and a referee that close together?”

 

“Ha! Actually, I try to stay away from having an antagonistic relationship with them. I only complain when there’s a really good reason to. I think they are more likely to listen with that approach.”

 

“Hazel in Concord.”

 

“Coach, I hear you talk about all these offenses, 5 out, flex, Princeton, but I don’t really understand. Could you explain?”

 

“Hazel, this is Spike. That’s a great question. We’re planning to have coach explain one offense per week. Let’s start now, Coach.”

 

“Okay. One of the offenses we play is Princeton. In that formation the offensive team tries to get as many layups as possible. Look for a lot of back door cuts- that means someone is being over-played by the defender- played too closely, you take 2 steps toward the player with the ball then, when the defender follows, cut quickly to the basket or to an open area. This gets a lot of layups or open shots. It takes a really quick pass because you won’t stay open for long. The secondary benefit is that the defender, after getting burned a time or two, will back off, giving the player more room to get a shot off. So again, in practice you work on making quick, sharp passes, and you work on making quick cuts to the right spot. Quickness is vital.”

 

“Okay, that’s it Coach. See you in Houston. We’ll be right back folks.”

 

January 19

 

“Spike McGee here in Houston following UML’s 62-71 loss. Coach?”


“We talked about a bunch of things that needed to happen for us to win. Most of them didn’t happen. We didn’t keep the score down, we didn’t rebound, we didn’t turn them over often enough. Big factor yet again though, was bench play. Their bench got 28, ours got 11.”

 

“Thanks  Coach.”

 

January 23

 

Spike McGee hare in Lowell before the start of the game between UML and 7-10, 3-3 South Dakota. Here’s what the Coach had to say.”

 

“They play Princeton and man. After an 8 game losing streak they’ve won 4 of 5. They get a lot of points inside. They can rebound but they turn it over.”

 


 

Spike McGee here with the post game report. Back on the winning track, 65-56. Coach, you’ve been in the 60s for the last 7 games.”

 

“Yes we have, ever since we decided to pick up the offensive pace. We’re turning it over less and turning the other team over more.”

 

“10 TOs tonight, and +9 on the boards.”

 

Those things are huge factors in whether you win or lose.”

 

“Talk about Dee Port and Tod Mack.”

 

“Dee has been a solid, solid Point for us. 17, 4, 4 tonight, and that’s not at all unusual. Tod has really made a difference since being placed in the starting lineup.  His numbers aren’t spectacular but they’re steady, and he gives us a lot on D.”

 

“Tim May has been playing more.”

 

“Yes, and he’s playing well. His minutes will continue to increase.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Back in a minute with the stat sheet.”

 

January 25

 

“’All about Sports.’ Our next guest is Coach Clark. The lines are open. What’s new, Coach?”

 

“We’re going to give Tim May more minutes. Other than that we’re staying with what’s been working for us.”

 

“You’re in a 3 way tie for 2nd, 1 back of Houston Bullfest.”

 

“Yes, but teams are bunched. There are 5 just one game behind us, and 4 more 2 back. We need to keep winning.”

 

“Let’s go to the phones. Will in Dedham.”

 

“Coach, you play an awful lot of zone. Why?”

 

“We play 3-2 about ¼ of the time, 2-3 about ½. Why? Well, lots of reasons. Theoretically I’m a man to man guy but my players do better in a zone. You go with what works- at least I do. We play man about ¼ of the time. I like mixing up the defense to keep the other team on their toes. If I have the personnel to play man I will. Right now I don’t.”

 

“Ray in Pittsfield.”

 

“Coach, you’ve about given everybody a try out there except for Jon Debro. Why not him?”

 

“Well Ray, Jon started three games for us. He got a minor injury and we went to Craig Jain. Craig’s done really well. Jon plays about 14 minutes a game and he gives us good minutes. If the circumstances allow it he may get more time at some point.”

 

“Okay, last week we started explaining one offensive set each week. Which one this week, coach?”

 

“We play two, primarily. We talked about Princeton. Let’s talk about triangle. In that set you overload one side of the floor in an attempt to clog up the D and get the ball to a big guy inside. It involves setting picks in the crowd and springing someone who cuts to the hoop. It’s really that simple- well, plus the fact that, as always in basketball, that ball needs to get to the open guy really quickly. You never stay open for long. I like the pass to come from Dee because he is easily our best passer. We’ve gotten lots of points for Gene and Clay out of this formation.”

 

“Then why don’t you use it all the time?”

 

“Great question. The general rule is you stay with something until the other team makes adjustments to stop it. Then you go with something else. That’s how I do it. Basketball is a chess game. You adjust, they adjust, you readjust, they readjust. The fascination for a coach is in recognizing what the other guys are doing and coming up with a way to beat it.”

 

“I have about a thousand follow up questions but we’re running short on time and I want to talk about your next opponent, Cal. ST Bakersfield, coming here for a game tomorrow night. They’re 4-14 and 0-7 in conf. play.”

 

“Yes. Not one of the better teams. They run the high post and play man on D. They’ve lost 11 of 12, most by a wide margin but only 1 point in their last game. Their starting Point Guard broke his wrist at the very end of their last game and they have a big guy out as well. This is a team we need to beat and if we play our game we will beat them.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Back in a minute.”

 

January 26

 

“Spike McGee here after the game. 67-55, but it was never in doubt. Another sellout, Coach.”

 

“I can’t tell you how much we appreciate the fan support. 6 turnovers tonight. That’s fantastic. Dee had 20, 6, 5, Clay had 17 and 8, and our bench played well. Craig Jain was in foul trouble for most of the night and Jon Debro did a great job filling in for him.”

 

“Halfway through the conf. season and you’re 13-6, 6-2, in a 2 way tie for 2nd.”


“So far so good. I just hope we can keep it up, and if we stay healthy I see no reason why we shouldn’t. 5 of our last 8 are on the road and that will make it a bit tougher. That’s my biggest concern, really.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

January 30

 

“Spike McGee in Savannah, Georgia before the game with 9-10, 5-3 Savannah State. Here’s what Coach said.”

 

“They play man and run Princeton. Hard to beat at home. Very good Center. They cough it up easily. We need to pressure the ball.

 


 

We’re back after a 64-60 win that put UML in a 2 way tie for 1st in conference. Congratulations Coach!”

 

“Thanks Spike.”

 

“Dee Port seemed to bang up his knee.”

 

“He did, late in the game. Docs say he’s day to day and probably won’t miss a game.”

 

“So break it down for us.”

 

“Close all the way. Our stats guy said there were 19 lead changes, 17 ties, nobody ever led by more than 5. Clay was our go to guy all night long. He had 23, including our last 4. We had 15 turnovers but we forced 22. Tim May gave us some great minutes from the bench. Craig and gene had some foul difficulties so the bench was important. A great win!”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

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February 1965

 

Malcolm X is shot and killed.

 

U. S. begins regular bombing of North Vietnam

 

February 1

 

“’All about Sports.’ We’re back from break with the Coach. The lines are open. 3 in a row, 7 of 9, all 9 in the 60s after averaging 59.4 before that. Things are looking up!”

 

“We’ve played well lately. We seem to have the right guys on the floor, we’re generally keeping our opponents at or below 60 a game, and we’re scoring in the low to mid 60s. We’re taking care of the ball and we’re usually staying out of foul trouble.”

 

“7 to play. Tough games?”

 

“4 are road games and those are always tough. No games with teams in the top 3 though. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing. Well, that and rebound a little better.”

 

“You’ve been giving Tim May more minutes to help with that. Yes, and he’s played well. We plan to give him even more minutes, even to go with only one guard at times.”

 

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

 

“Well, Tod Mack handles the ball well. We think he can play a little Shooting Guard. That gives us a really big lineup and hey, if it doesn’t work we just stop doing it.”

 

“What’s the offense of the week?”

 

“Lots of teams play Flex. I thought I’d go with that. The objective is to keep the ball moving with quick passes until someone is open for either a lay up or a shot close in. You need to have at least 4, and ideally all 5 good ball players to run flex. When it works you get a lot of open looks real close to the basket.”

 

“How do you stop it?”

 

“Go 2-3 and keep the 3 in the paint or real close to it. This offense gets the other team out of man to man real quick when it’s working properly.”

 

“Let’s go to the phones. Eddie, here on campus.”

 

“Coach, I can’t get into the games any more.”

 

“Sorry about that, Eddie. We’ve made sure to keep 50% of the tickets available to students. We may need to go to a lottery system or something like that for next year. Our A. D., Jack Lacy, and I have been talking. We think we might be able to add about 500 seats if the demand keeps up. That would help. We’re working on it, Eddie.”

 

“Oscar in Weymouth.”

 

“Keep up the good work, Coach. We’ve got season tickets. Hey, we want to go to the conference tournament. Where’s it gonna be?”

“We hope it will be here. The way it works in the lower conferences is that the team that gets the #1 seed hosts the tournament. If it’s us, season ticket holders get first shot at tickets. If it’s away that’s still true but we don’t get as many tickets.”

 

“Coach, Kennesaw State is in next. Talk about that game.”

 

“Okay, Spike. They’re a pretty good team, 12-8, 5-4, but they’re awful on the road, 1-8. Everybody scores except the Power Forward. Like most teams in V they don’t handle the ball all that well.

 

“That’s it, folks. See you next time.”

 

February 2

 

“Spike McGee courtside at Tsongas after the game. 59-40, and now you and Houston are 2 or more games ahead of the rest with 6 to go. Coach?”

 

“No trouble tonight. We held them to 12 in the first half. We had 12 TOs, and we were +11 on the boards. Tim May came up big with 8 and 7 in just 22 minutes. 17 and 14 for Gene Beck and 19, 4 for Clay Tool. The big lineup may not work every night but it certainly worked tonight.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

“Spike McGee in Jacksonville awaiting the start of the game with 10-11, 4-6 North Florida. Coach?”

 

“They run motion on O and play man to man. They tend to be streaky. Right now they’ve lost 2 in a row, They don’t score many points. The points they do score are mostly inside. They have one rebounder and they turn it over. They’re tough at home.”

 


 

“Spike McGee here with the post game report. Not a good night, 48-69.”

 

“This is as bad a game as we’ve had all year. Tod Mack had 13, 8, 2 and that was the only positive. I mean 6-20 from the line? Outrageous! Dee was in foul trouble all night. Best thing to do is forget this one.”

 

“The only good news is that Houston lost too, so you’re still tied for 1st. Two teams are one back.”

 

February 8

 

Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports.’ The lines are open. Coach is going to talk about the motion offense today. Coach?”

 

“The most important thing is… motion. Players without the ball keep moving to get open. The big guys stay near the basket so the guards and the small forward can roam around outside or cut to the basket.”

 

“5 to play and you’re at the top of the heap, Coach.”

 

“True but there’s a big pile up, two teams one back of us and Houston, and 6 more teams 2 back.”

 

“So you need to keep winning. Do you think you need to win all 5 remaining games?”

 

“I’d take 4-1. I think that would put us in really good shape.”

 

“3 on the road.”

 

“That’s true. I’m hoping we can win our 2 home games and win 2 out of 3 on the road.”

 

“You’re at Lamar next. Tell us about them. 15-7, 6-5. They play triangle and play the 2-3 zone. Very tough at home, 10-2. They score more outside than in, and they sometimes have trouble with ball handling. It’s a tough road game.”

 

“Let’s go to the phones. Gary in Salem.”

 

“You still don’t have that outside shooter.”

 

“Well, Dee Port is a pretty good outside shooter but no, we don’t have a Shooting Guard or a Small Forward who can light it up. Of course my offense is more inside oriented. Dee can bang in an outside shot which keeps the D honest but yes, if I had that hot shooter it would help. But, I can’t make a trade to get one.”

 

“Bob from Malden.”

 

“Coach, any luck with recruiting?”

 

“Still working on it every day. We hope to grab a couple more guys.”

 

“Okay, thanks coach. See you in Texas.”

 

February 9

 

“Spike McGee here after the UML vs. Lamar game. 54-60. Tough loss, Coach.”

 

“Yes it was. I’m not one to blame the refs but they sure didn’t help tonight. We went to the line 5 times, they went 19. By the same token Lamar did a great job of containing Clay and Gene, holding them to a combined 8 points. That’s the way to beat us, and it worked.”

 

“The good news is that you’re still tied for 1st. The bad news is there are three other teams tied with you.”

 

“And another 2 teams one back. Our next 2 are at home and we need to win them both.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

February 13

 

“Spike McGee. Tonight UML is at home vs. 9-14, 6-6 UL Monroe. Here’s the coach’s breakdown.”

 

“They play man, run the triangle, and their Center can really score points. They lost their starting Power Forward to grades. Stopping their Center is key. He’s their big scorer and their big rebounder.”

 


 

“Spike McGee back with the post game report. 72-67, and now it’s back to only 2 teams at the top, UML and Houston. Coach?”

 

“Clay had foul trouble all night long, but our other four plus Tim May all did a great job. 9 TOs to 17, was also a big factor. A good win but we need to keep winning.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

February 15

 

“’All about Sports.’ The Coach is on the phone. He only has a moment tonight so no calls. Coach, you beat NJIT by 3 there, to start conference play.”

 

“That’s right, Spike. They can be pesky. They run Princeton on O and play man. Their Point and Small Forward did the damage last time. They’re 10-14, 7-6, so this is a really important game for them as well as for us. We need to turn them over more and rebound better than last time. Gotta go.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

February 16

 

Spike McGee here at Tsongas after the game. 51-38. Incredible defense, Coach.”

 

“Definitely. We held them under 25%. Only turning it over 8 times helped, too. Dee had a terrific game, 15, 5, 4 and he shut down the NJIT Point. Tod, Gene and Tim also had good nights. Clay has been struggling. He struggled again tonight.”

 

“You’re still tied with Houston, but now there’s only 1 team one game back. 2 to play, both on the road. Good luck, Coach.”

 

February 20

 

Spike McGee in Phoenix just before the start of the game with 9-16, 4-10 Grand Canyon. Here’s what Coach Clark had to say.”

 

“We only won by 7 at home. They play shuffle, and use a pesky 1-2-2 on D. Their bench nearly did us in last time. This is a must win for us if we hope to finish first.”

 


 

Spike McGee here with the wrap up. 55-68. A disappointing night, Coach.”

 

“Yes it was. Last time their bench nearly beat us. Tonight their bench did beat us. Well, that and the 17 turnovers and the fact that they completely shut us down inside, except for Tim May.”

 

“The good news is that Houston lost as well. You go Nebraska-Omaha in a 3 way tie for 1st, with only one team 1 game back.”

 

February 22

 

“On the road for this edition of ‘All about Sports.’ Coach, I guess tomorrow’s game is the definition of a big game.”

 

“To say the least!”

 

“Tell us about Nebraska-Omaha.”

 

“Well, we only beat them by 7 at our place. The bench was the problem. Theirs outscored ours by 12, outrebounded ours by 6. They score outside. We stopped their starters but their guards off the bench almost did us in. They’ve won 3 of 4, 6 of 9, so they’re playing well, especially at home. We need to turn them over, take care of the ball, and we need Clay Toll to snap out of his funk.”

 

“Should be interesting. We can’t go to the phones tonight because of our remote set up. Coach, we’ve been describing offensive sets. Let’s talk about the high post offense.”

 

‘”Okay. You bring your Center up to the free throw line to create room under the basket, then you try to get your guards to post up low, or get the ball to them and have them drive against their man. This works well if you have a size advantage at either or both guard positions, or if your guards are quicker than theirs. It hurts the chances for offense rebounds.”

 

“Okay, good luck tomorrow Coach.”

 

February 23

 

“Spike McGee here courtside after the game. It’s a great night. We won 50-45, Houston lost, so we finish in a two way tie for 1st place with Inane Word, and we get the #1 seed and host the tournament. Coach?”

 

“It was a nail biter, Spike. We were down 7 with about 5 minutes left. From then on we took charge. Tod’s scoring and Gene’s rebounding did it for us, and Clay had a really good game. He had 7 and 7 but he shut down the other Center, holding him to 1 and 3.”

 

“Post season time. Good luck, Coach.”

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March 1965

 

Civil rights protests in Selma, Alabama

 

Both U. S. and USSR test nuclear weapons

 

First combat ground troops arrive in Vietnam

 

Aleksei Leonov becomes the first person to walk in space

 

U. S. uses chemical warfare against the Vietcong

 

March 1

 

“Spike McGee here courtside at Tsongas for the first round of the V conf. tournament. This will be a short edition of ‘All about Sports.’ Coach, what are you seeing so far?”

 

“Some pretty exciting basketball. The game between #8 Nebraska-Omaha and #9 South Dakota, which determines who plays us tomorrow, happens later on, so no way to know who we’ll play.”

 

“Tell us about the shuffle offense.”

 

“Okay. Continuous movement, using both a high post and a low post, quick cuts, passes and ball reversals. You need a good passing team and guards who are comfortable in the post.”

 

 

“Coach, you’re at 18-9, 11-5. Great season.”

 

“Well, only if we do well in this tournament but so far, yes, I’m happy with the season. We’ve had our ups and downs but we’re a gritty team that doesn’t give up.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Tune in tomorrow for the UML game. Coverage starts at 7:45.”

 

March 2

 

“Spike McGee. Tonight UML plays Nebraska-Omaha. This is a rematch of last week’s game which we won by 5. Earlier in the year we beat them by 7, here. Coach, what do you need to do to advance to the semifinal?”

 

“We need to not let their guards and their bench beat us. We did a really good job of that last week. It really is as simple as that.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 


 

“Spike McGee back after the game. It was a night of upsets. Every game was an upset except ours. Another 5 point win over UNO. Coach?”

 

“It’s unusual for us to say this but our bench won this game. Ours outscored theirs 22-13. We had 13 TOs to their 19. We didn’t really shut down their SG and SF but Dee neutralized them by getting 20. It was a good win.”

 

we tur5 seed NJIT tomorrow. We beat them by 3 there and then 13 here.”

 

“Yes. In the second game we turned them over all night long and took care of the ball. That’s what we need to do tomorrow, along with not letting their outside shooters go crazy.”

 

“Coach, this win assures that you move up to conf. U.”

 

“Yes it does, and I look forward to it. I thing we’re ready.”

 

“Talk to you after the game tomorrow Coach. Good luck.”

 

March 3

 

“Spike McGee courtside after the NJIT-UML game. 60-50 and we’re in the final. Coach?”

 

“6 turnovers. I want to shout that from the housetops! Dee was terrific, Clay was back, with 13, 5, 3, Tim had 9, 2 and 2 from the bench, Gene had 6 and 9. They stayed with us for about 30 minutes but we kept fighting and pulled away in the last 10.”

 

“Bench play?”

 

“Their bench was tough but ours did pretty well, too.”

 

“#11 seed Savannah State for the title. You won by 4 at their place.”

 

“The thing about this conference is that we’re all about the same strength. It’s usually about who comes to play on a given night.”

 

“Okay, we’ll talk about Savannah State on the pregame show tomorrow. Good luck, Coach.”

 

March 4

 

“Spike McGee here before the title game between #11 seed Savannah State, 15-15, 8-8, and UML. Here’s what Coach had to say.”

 

“They’re really good at Center and at Shooting Guard. They like to get the ball inside. They play man. Essentially if we stop their inside game, especially their Center, we’ll probably win. Last time we turned them over 22 times and that was a huge factor, and Clay Toll outplayed their big guy.”

 


“Spike McGee here post game. 50-54. So near and yet so far. Coach?”

 

“It was a very tough loss. The officials were a factor. First, they just called way too many fouls, and second, they called too many on us. Savannah State went to the line 35 times and we went 20. When you consider that they played man just about all night and we played zone most of the time it simply doesn’t add up. But, some of it was our fault. We didn’t turn them over enough, our bigs didn’t play all that well, and we shot poorly, especially from three point range, 2-15.”

 

“Do you think you’ll be invited to one of the tournaments?”

 

“I doubt it very much. Our RPI is under 100 but we’re in the lowest conference. We’re allowed to keep practicing right through April 3, but I don’t think we’ll play again.”

 

“Okay Coach, we’ll wrap up the season on Wednesday, and we’ll talk from time to time after that.”

 

March 8

 

“Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports.’ We’re here with Coach Clark. Coach, 20-10, 11-5, made it to the title game of the conf. Not a bad season!”

 

“No, not bad at all. We would have liked to win the title and that still burns, but truly, we did okay. The only player we’re losing is Gene Beck. Gene has been a big part of our success, but still, losing one guy gives me reason to be optimistic about next year.”

 

“Let’s stay with this year. What were your biggest plusses?”

 

“I’ve said it before but I think we played hard, and we just didn’t give up. Individually, Dee Port did a terrific job at the Point. I’m thrilled that he’ll be back for three more years. Guys like Clay Toll, Craig Jain really grew into their roles. And our walk ons, Tod Mack and Tim May, gave us a lot more than we could have expected.”

 

And disappointments?”

 

“We need to defend the outside shot better, but we made great strides late in the season after making some changes.  We definitely need to rebound better and losing Gene won’t help with that. And we need top score more points. There were a few guys we hoped to get more from. Hopefully those guys will be ready to contribute more next year.”

 

“Let’s try to work down the list of offenses. Shuffle.”

 

“We already talked about that one.”

 

“Oh, yeah, I guess we did. 5 out?”

 

“It’s an offense for teams that shoot well outside but don’t have much of an inside game. It works really well by keeping at least 4, and maybe even all 5 players outside, and getting the ball to them for open shots. We put the 3-2 in to work against that offense.”

 

“Okay, talk to you in a couple of weeks, Coach. Thanks.”

 

March 13

 

“Spike McGee here on ‘All about Sports.’ We’re trying to reach Coach Kip Clark. I’m sure he already knows that UML was invited to the CHI tournament, so their season continues. What? Good. I’m told we have Coach Clark on the line. Coach, congratulations!”

 

“Thanks Spike. This was a terrific surprise.”

 

“Why do you think you were invited?”

 

“Well, our RPI went up to 85, mainly because a lot of teams ahead of us lost in early rounds. That and I think the tournament committee saw us as a fun team to watch.”

 

“Were your guys surprised?”

 

“Oh yeah. I’d been telling them at practice that there was an outside chance but not to get their hopes up. I got the call this morning and kept the news to myself until our 4:00 practice. I gathered everyone together at the start opf practice and told them. It got a little crazy for awhile.”

 

You’re the #5 seed in the West, playing in Great Falls, Montana. You play #4 seed Drexel. What do you know about them?”

 

“Well they’re way up in H. We haven’t played anyone from that high a conference in my two years here. They play Princeton and do a lot of damage outside. They play 1-3-1, which we don’t do well against but which we have a couple of days to prepare for. Again, their strength is outside. We really need to pound it inside all night long, and we need to control the boards. They’re from a high conf., so they’ve played much better teams than we have, so we need to be at our best.”

 

“When are we flying out there?”

 

“6:00 a.m. flight tomorrow morning.”

 

“Okay Coach, best of luck and we’ll talk again after the game.”

 

March 15

 

“Spike McGee here courtside after the game. Tough, tough loss, 59-63. You certainly belonged out there with a team from H coach.”

 

“Yes, I think we did. We never trailed by more than 7, there were 19 lead changes. We did a lot of the things we wanted to do. We turned them over 19 times, we had a rebounding edge, Dee had 24, 2,  and 5. On the other hand they killed us from Shooting Guard and Small Forward. Those two positions, counting the first guy off the bench, had 45 points. Still, I’m proud of my guys. If a couple of things had gone just a little differently we’d still be playing.”

 

“Thanks Coach. “

 

March 29

 

“Spike McGee, ‘All about Sports.’ I have Coach Clark on the line. Coach, news on the recruiting front.”

 

“Yes, Marv Ellis, a Point Guard, just committed.”

 

“Still no big guys.”

 

“Not yet, but we’re working on it.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

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April 1965

 

Boston Celtics win NBA title.

 

Casey Stengel wins his 3000th game.

 

Marines invade Dominican Republic

 

April 5

 

Spike McGee here with Coach Clark. Awards were announced yesterday, Coach.”

 

“Yes, Clay Toll was conf. freshman of the year. Dee Port made first team. Clay and Gene Beck made second team.”

 

You left one out coach.”

 

“I was named coach of the year.”

 

“Congratulations Coach. Any job offers?”

 

“I’m not interested in moving, Spike.”

 

“Great, but were there offers?”

 

“There were calls.”

 

April 23

 

“Last visit of the season with Coach Clark. What’s new?”

 

“Well, we signed Jack Doff, and Rob Berry, both PFs. Rob looks really good. I asked for more recruiting dollars. We got $4,000. I’ll take it.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Let me read some numbers for you. After two seasons UML has gone from Team prestige of 2 to 10. Your record is 38-22, for .633. When you started all of the following were at 1, now? Offense is 7, Defense- 11, Recruiting- 25, Scouting is still at 1, Player Development is 9, and Reputation is up to 10. I’d say we’ve got a pretty good young coach!”

 

“Thank you, Spike.”

 

“Let’s take a call or two.”

 

“Barry in Chelsea.”

 

“Coach, it looks like you nabbed some recruits right at the end of the season.”

 

“We did, and I think some will definitely help us. The best pick up was the transfer, Curt Silk. I think he’s that outside scoring threat we’ve been looking for. Actually, I think we’re going to be a lot better next year.”

 

“Lou in Barnstable.”

 

You moved up one conf. How’s that going to work out?”

 

“I think we’ll be competitive. There’s not all that much difference at this level, and I think we’re going to be pretty good. The goal will be to move up to T and I think it’s attainable.”

 

“One more, our old friend Grace from Cambridge.”

 

“First, I wanted to thank WLOW for bringing us the games. I’m a UML alum and I get to the games when I can but when I can’t I listen. Spike, you do a great job.”

 

“Thanks Grace!”

 

“And Coach, you were one of the best players ever at UML, and I think you’re going to grow into the best coach we’ve ever had. I hope you stick around.”

 

“Thank you, Grace. I keep saying this, but I have no plans to move, at least not for a very long time. This is home, I love UML, and I’m very happy here.”

 

“Okay, that wraps it up. We’ll be in touch in May or June, Coach.”

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May 1965

 

First use of satellite TV.

 

Cambodia cuts off diplomatic relations with the U. S.

 

Thousands of more U. S. ground troops arrive in Vietnam.

 

Rolling Stones record “Satisfaction”

 

SpaghettiOs hit the market

 

Muhammed Ali knocks out Sonny Liston in 1 round

 

June 1965

 

Sony introduces 1st home video tape recorder

 

Supreme Court ruling legalizes use of contraception by married couples

 

Bob Dylan records “Like a Rolling Stone”

 

June 22

 

“Dick Hertz, ‘Sportstalk’ 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO. First appearance of the preseason with Coach Kip Clark of the UMass Lowell River Hawks. Coach.”

 

“Hi Dick, what happened to Spike?”

 

“Spike is no longer a student here at UML.”

 

“Welcome. So are you a local boy?”

 

“Actually, I’m from Holden, MA.”

 

“Okay, Dick Hertz from Holden, glad to be with you.”

 

“Thanks Coach. So what’s going on?”

 

Lots of new faces. We have 2 freshmen and we signed 2 very good looking Point Guard transfers. Oh, and guard Curt Silk, who we expect great things from, is eligible. He transferred to us last year.”


“Great. So what are you looking for in recruiting?”

 

‘Well, probably the best players we can get. We have 4 scholarships.”

 

“You have all of your assistant coaches back.”

 

“Yes we do, so everyone knows the system as well as the way we operate, and we’re all comfortable with each other.”

 

“Any predictions for the season?”

 

“Well Dick, since I can’t even begin practice until October it’s a bit early for that, but I can tell your listeners that we’ll play the same scrappy, tenacious, never give up basketball that they’re used to.”

 

“Thanks Coach. We’ll catch up with you in a few weeks.”

 

July 1965

 

Mariner 4 sends back 1st pictures of Mars

 

Health warnings 1st printed on packs of cigarettes

 

LBJ signs Medicare bill

 

July 28

 

“Dick Hertz here on ‘Sportstalk.’ We have Coach Kip Clark on the phone. Coach, how’s recruiting coming?”

 

“Still early, Dick, but we’re very encouraged. We’re getting positive responses from several recruits.”

 

“Are all of your players academically eligible?”

 

“Yes they are. One of our transfers isn’t quite, but we’re working on that. He has a year to work on grades before he can play, and we’re making sure he does.”

 

“How do you keep track of your students’ academic progress?”

 

“We are all over that. First, we have mandatory study hall seven days a week. Once the season starts we skip it on game days. Next, each student/athlete is assigned an academic adviser who communicates with the student and with all of his instructors on a regular basis. Third, we have tutors available in all subject areas.”

 

“There are a lot of subject areas, Coach.”

 

“Good point, but we don’t need to get completely specific. A math tutor can help with all math classes, an English tutor can help with writing all papers, a History tutor can help in times and places that are not his or her specialty.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Talk to you again soon.”

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August 1965

 

Morley Safer reports that we are losing the war in Vietnam

 

India invades Pakistan

 

LBJ signs the Voting Rights Act

 

Watts riots in L.A. last 6 days

 

August 24

 

“Dick Hertz here on ‘Sportstalk’ with Coach Clark on the phone. Coach, did you offer scholarships yet?”

 

“As a matter of fact we did. We offered to 2 bigs and 2 guards, and all 4 are showing some interest.”

 

“Great news. Classes start on Monday. Any concerns about that one guy who’s having difficulty?”

 

“I’m confident he will be eligible by the end of the semester.”

 

“Thanks Coach, we’ll call again when the schedule is out.”

 

September 1965

 

More U. S. troops sent to Vietnam

 

India-Pakistan war reaches a cease fire agreement

 

“I Dream of Jeannie” premieres

 

September 21

 

“’Sportstalk’ with Dick Hertz. Coach Clark is on the line. Coach, what’s going on with recruiting?”

 

“I’m very encouraged. We feel we’re getting really close with 2-3 guys.” 

 

“So nothing yet. Tell us about the schedule.”

 

“We’ve beefed it up a little, Dick. We’re not playing UCLA by any means but there are some teams from middle level conferences, and I wanted our guys to play against one top flight team so we’re traveling to Minnesota in late November. I think there are things to be learned by playing a team at that level.”

 

“Sounds good, Coach. The start of practice is right around the corner.”

 

“Yes it is, and I can’t wait to get started.”

 

“We’ll call again during that first week of practice. Thanks Coach.”

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October 1965

 

Beatles receive MBE

 

Gateway Arch completed in St. Louis

 

October 5

 

“Dick Hertz here on ‘Sportstalk’ and we have Coach Clark on the line. Coach, how’s practice going?”

 

“I like what I’m seeing. It’s early but I think we’re better than we were last year. All in all I think we’ll play more defense, and at least so far we’re moving the ball pretty well. Oh, we’re picked to win Conf. U.”


“How do you feel about that?”

 

“It seems like a stretch given that we’ve just moved up to this division, but if we stay healthy and if we develop the way I think we can, it’s an attainable goal.”

 

“Sounds good. Just a note to the fans. When the season starts Coach will be on with us once a week, usually on Wednesdays, and always by phone. We won’t have as much time with him as in past years but we’ll try to get a question or two in most weeks. He’ll talk about the previous week’s games and he’ll break down the games being played over the next week or so. We’ll have Coach on the line at least once more before the games start.”

 

November 1965

 

The great Northeast Blackout

 

Marcos elected President of Philippines

 

U. S. sends 90,000 more troops to Vietnam

 

November 9

 

“Dick Hertz here on ‘Sportstalk.’ We have Coach Clark. Coach, you won your two exhibition games.”

 

“Yes we did. Dee Port is our Point again this year. Curt Silk will be in the other guard spot and Clay Toll will play up front. The other two spots are still in contention. Tim May, Jon Dark, and Tod Mack will play lots of minutes, but Craig Jain, Alex Jamm, and Jon Debro are standing by waiting for their chance.”


“Recruiting?”

 

Almost finished. We have commitments from a PG a Small Forward and a Power Forward. Looking to fill one more slot.”

 

“Who do you play next week?”

 

We start at home against Campbell from R. They play 5 out, and 3-2, and they press now and then. Don’t know much else.”

 

“Sound good Coach. See you next week.”

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November 16

 

“’Sportstalk’ and we’re here with Coach Clark. Great start to the season, Coach, a 63-52 win over Campbell.”

 

“There were a lot of things to be happy about. When you hold the opponent to 52 you know you played good D. We had only 10 TOs, we had good shot selection, we distributed the ball well, we got good bench play. On the down side we could have rebounded better, and I expected more from Curt Silk, although he played good D.”

 

“Tell us about Jacksonville.”

 

‘They’re in V. They moved down when we moved up. They play 2-3, and they press now and then. They run 5 out on O. They open tonight so no other info.”

 

“Then you’re at Northern Kentucky.”

 

“Yes, they go with shuffle on O, and play mostly man to man. They’re in T, and they lost to Jacksonville State. Their Point and their Small Forward look good.”

 

“Let’s take a call. Joe in Yarmouth.”

 

“Coach, Jon Dark looked real good. Any thought of starting him?”

 

“It’s a little soon to make changes but I can see him working his way into the lineup if he continues to play well. Playing well earns minutes.”

 

“Johnny in Barnstable.”

 

“Any thought of going to more man?”

 

“I think about it all the time. My guys do better in a zone most of the time. We work the man defense in practice every day though.”

 

“See you next week.”

 

November 23

 

“’Sportstalk’ with Dick Hertz here. We have Coach Clark on the line. Coach, 1-1 since we last talked.”

 

“Two road games so I guess 1-1 is good. We lost 63-67 to Jacksonville. 19 turnovers, which was very disappointing. Silk had 22 points, May had 10, 8, and 4.

 

“Then we beat Northern Kentucky 58-53. 14 TOs which was better but more than I want. Curt Silk had another good game, 17, and Time May had 13 and 10. Jon Dark needs more minutes, he’s playing really well. The staff is planning on giving him more time.”

 

“Upcoming games?”

 

“Back home with Northeastern. They’re in O. They play shuffle, use man on D and press now and then. They’re 3-0 but they haven’t played anybody. They could be a challenge.”

 

“Then on the road for our toughest game on the schedule, Minnesota in D. Triangle on O, 2-3 on D, and they press at times. They lost by only 2 to Indiana. They have a good Point and they are tough inside.”

 

“Recruiting?”

 

“Still chasing that last recruit.”

 

“Let’s here from Jed in Lexington.”

 

“Coach, I can’t believe you’re still playing walk ons.”

 

“I can’t either, Jed, but they outplay our scholarship guys in practice and they perform in games. Tim May is our 2nd best player and Tod Mack is doing a great job.”

 

“Cal in Danvers.”

 

“I’m with the last guy. Jon Dark needs more time and so do Jamm and Debro.”

 

“I don’t hear a question but I’ll address the concern. Jon Dark’s minutes will increase. I keep expecting Jon to reach the level we want him at. He’s making progress. Same for Alex.”

 

“That’s it for today. Talk to you next week, Coach.”

 

November 30

 

“’Sportstalk,’ we’re back from break with the Coach. Sometimes life is just weird. Two game two results, 2 identical scores. You beat Northeastern 56-52, and lost to Minnesota by the same score.”

 

“Never realized it until you said it. Great comeback in the Northeastern game. We never led until late. Jon Dark’s first start and he had 11 and 5. Tim May and Clay Toll also played well.

 

“I think it speaks well for our chances that we hung in with a team from D. 12 TOs and +9 on the boards. If we hadn’t shot so poorly we could have won. 11 more for Dark.”

 

“And the next couple of games?”

 

“Home against 2-1 Niagara from O. They play motion and man and they press sometimes. They beat Villanova so they can play. They have 4 guys who score but only one who rebounds, and they’re very thin at guard.

 

“Then we’re at Bryant in T conf. They’re 3-2 against nobodies. Very good at the guard spots but no inside game. They run the shuffle and play 3-2.”

 

“Mark in Fall River.”

 

“Coach, the stat sheet shows that Tod Mack and Craig Jain are playing better than a couple of your starters.”

 

“The stat sheet doesn’t show how well people defend, and it doesn’t show hustle or heart. We look at the stat sheet all the time, and we use that info. But it doesn’t rule us. If only it were so simple that the stat sheet could tell us who to play.”

 

“Good luck next week, Coach.”

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December 1965

 

Gemini 6. First rendezvous in space. 

 

Gale Sayers scores 6 touchdowns.

 

December 7

 

“Dick Hertz on ‘Sportstalk.’ Good week, Coach.”

 

“Yes, 2-0. We played our strongest game of the year against Niagara, 83-56. Tim May had 24 and 13, Curt Silk 18, 5, 5, and our other 3 starters plus Tod Mack and Alex Jamm also played well. 11 TOs.

 

“It was closer at Bryant but we finally took charge to win 66-61. May had another big game, 12, 8. 8 TOs.”

 

“You’ve been good with the ball almost every game.”

 

“Yes, we’re averaging 12.6 TOs. I’d like to get it down to 12 even but not bad.”

 

“The next two games?”

 

“Both at home. Buffalo is in N. They run motion, play man, and pretty much press all night. They’re 2-3 with a win against Washington. They turn it over a lot, and their best player is their Center.

 

“Appalachian State is in L. They play 5 out but their bigs do the scoring. They play 1-3-1 and press now and then. They use a 3 guard lineup.”

 

“We’re running late so no questions tonight.”

 

December 14

 

‘Back on ‘Sportstalk.’ Thanks to BU hockey coach Jeff Moore. Now we have Coach Clark on the line. Tell us about your week, Coach.”

 

“1-1. You like to win at home but I guess that’s not going to happen every night. Buffalo beat us 53-56. We didn’t play at all badly, especially on D, but we simply didn’t score enough. May had 17, Dark had 11, and no one else did much. 

 

“Then we were really good against Appalachian State, 56-46, but never as close as the final score. Again, we didn’t show much offense but our D was terrific. Curt Silk had an excellent game, 18, 4, 8, and always steady Tim May had 11 and 7. 9 and 11 for Jon Dark. 10 TOs and 38 rebounds.”

 

“So you’re 6-3 with 2 non-conf. games to play. Tell us about next week.”

 

“Only one game, At home with FL Atlantic, in P. They use the flex and play 2-3, and they press occasionally. They’re 4-3 against decent competition. Their 2 and 3 put up a lot of points.”

 

“Grace in Cambridge.”

 

“Hi Coach. You’ve got 7 guys really getting the job done. Do you ever look at the 'Net' stat?”

 

“That’s one I look at a lot but it can be deceptive regarding guys who don’t play a lot of minutes. If you track Jon Dark his rating his steadily risen as his playing time has. Tod Mack’s has fallen as he has played fewer minutes.”

 

“Yes, but it indicates that you’re definitely playing the right guys.”

 

“I don’t anticipate too many lineup changes at this point although I don’t rule it out.”

 

“Thanks Coach. Time’s up.”

 

December 21

 

“Dick Hertz here on 88.1 FM, WLOW, how LOW can you GO! Here’s the Coach.”

 

“Good win this week. We beat FL ATL 64-47. Curt Silk lit it up, 25, 5, 2, and Dee Port had 13, 6, 5. Our big guys had a battle on their hands but they held their own. 17 TOs, which did not make me happy. Our D has been very strong the past few games.”

 

“Yes it has, Coach. Your last pre-conf. game is at Fairleigh Dickinson. Tell us about them.”

 

“Well, they’re in Q, they play man and don’t press much, and they run the triangle. They’re 4-6, but they’ve lost 6 of their last 7. They play 10 guys so they always have fresh bodies on the floor. The scoring is spread out so you can’t key on 1 or 2 guys.”

 

“Mickey in Haverhill.”

 

“Coach, did you forget that Debro’s on the team?”

 

“No I didn’t, Mickey. Jon’s in a tough spot. There are three guards ahead of him who are all playing really well. If I get a chance I’ll definitely use him; he works hard.”

 

“George in Worcester.”

 

“Coach, ya gotta score more points.”

 

“I agree, George.”

 

“Ya oughta put yerself in. You’re the best scorer UML ever had!”

 

“Thanks Mickey. The toughest part of coaching for a young coach is you still want to go in there. I don’t think I’d get away with it though. We work on freeing guys up for the open shot, and making cuts for layups. It can be a long process. We’re averaging 6.8 points per game more than our opponents so it could be worse.”

 

“See you next week, Coach.”

 

December 28

 

“Dick Hertz, ‘Sportstalk.’ Quite the game last night, Coach.”

 

“Took a year off my life!”

 

“Talk about that amazing ending.”

 

“Well, we were up 67-66, with 36 seconds left. They worked it for the last shot. Our D stayed patient and stayed in their faces and they couldn’t get the shot they wanted. Finally, with 5 or 6 seconds left they took a three with our guy in their face. It went in off the glass. So now we’re down 69-67 with just a few ticks left. Dee brings it down, Jon sets a pick for Curt, Dee gets him the ball and he drains a three right at the buzzer for a 70-69 win.”

 

“There was some controversy though.”

 

“The other coach was screaming that the shot got off too late, but it really wasn’t all that close. The horn went just before the shot got to the rim.”

 

“Good game for Curt?”

 

“He had 20, 4, 3 including the game winner. Dee had a terrific game, and Clay  played well. Tim had a very rare off night. He was in foul trouble all night long and didn’t play much. Fortunately Tod Mack and Alex Jamm did a great job filling in. I was unhappy with 21 TOs, and we’ll work hard on that, but otherwise we played well.”

 

8-3 for the pre-conf. season.”

 

“I’m really happy with that. Looking forward to the start of conference play.”

 

You start with Texas State at home.”

 

“Motion on O, man to man, press now and then. 4-7. This is a team we should beat, especially at home."

“We have time for one question. Dave in Dedham.”

 

“Coach, at some point you’re gonna hafta face the fact that Tod Mack needs to be in there.”

 

“Tod is playing well, but remember, every time you put somebody in you need to take somebody out. What we’re doing is working pretty well. If we have difficulty we’ll change the lineup, but only then.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

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January 1966

 

Green Bay beats Cleveland for the NFL title.

 

12 transit strike closes NYC subways.

 

“Rubber Soul” hits #1

 

January 4

 

“’Sportstalk with the coach on the line. Happy New Year, Coach. Tell us about the Texas State game.”

 

“Happy New Year, Dick. Well, I thought if we played our game we wouldn’t have trouble, and that’s the way it turned out, 66-47. We never trailed after the first few minutes. Tod Mack had a really big game. Tim May was off, for the 2nd game in a row but Tod was more than ready to get it done. 10 TOs and +6 on the boards.”

 

“Who’s coming up?”

 

“We’re at Libber Tea first. They’re 5-7. Probably stronger inside than out. This is a team we should be. 

 

Then Kennesaw State comes here. They’re 6-6 and they’ve beaten some good teams. They’re stronger outside than in. they could challenge us if we’re not on our toes.”

 

“We’re out of time. See you next week, Coach.”

 

January 6

 

“Let’s open ‘Sportstalk’ with some bad news. While UML won their game easily last night they lost Center Tim May for about a month and a half with a broken hand. Coach is on the line. What can you tell us?”

 

“All we know is that it’s a simple fracture to his non-shooting hand. First estimates are a month and a half but we’ll know more in a few days.”

 

“Who’s coming in?”

 

“We’re going to shift Clay Toll to Center, bring Tod Mack in at the 4 spot, and give more minutes to Alex Jamm.”

 

“We’ll talk more about it with Coach Clark when he’s with us on Wednesday.”

 

January 11

 

“Dick Hertz on ‘Sportstalk’ with Coach Clark. Coach, we usually start by reviewing the games, and we’ll get to that but first, Tim May.”

“Doctors still say about a month and a half, which would get him back to us in time for the post season.”

 

“And the adjustments?”

 

“Well, we won by 20 last night.”

“Okay, a two win week.”

 

“We led Libber Tea throughout and won 65-46. Except for the injury things went well, 11 TOs. Tim had 17, 6, 3, and 4 steals when he went down with about 11 minutes left. Curt had 18 and 7. We had 2 practices with the new lineup before facing Kennesaw State but we beat them 66-46, so I guess we were ready. Tod stepped right in with 6, 10, and 4. Toll and Dark got 14 each.”

 

“And coming up?”

 

“We’re at 5-9, 1-2 North Alabama next. They’re stronger outside than in, and they play man.

 

“Then comes Longwood, here. They’re 8-6, 3-0, tied for 1st with us. They’ve won their last 4 easily so they’re hot. Their strength is at guard, both of their guards can light it up.”

 

“Question time. Marty from here in Lowell.”

 

“Does the injury open up a chance for Alex Jamm?”

 

“We’re going to need minutes from Alex so yes, this is a chance for him to shine.”

 

“Bob from Milton.”

 

“Any changes to what you do on either offense or D?”

 

“Not really. Both Tod and Alex know our system, and they have the skills needed to continue with what we do.”

 

“Rich in Saugus.”

 

“Is this injury going to hurt your chances to win the conf.?”

 

“Sure. Tim was our 2nd leading scorer and our leading rebounder, and he played good D. We’re deep enough not to have a huge problem, but we’re losing a lot while he’s out.”

 

“Okay, thanks Coach. Talk to you next week.”

 

January 18

 

“’Sportstalk.’ We’re back from break. Thanks to Northeastern wrestling coach Bammer Lee for visiting with us. Now we have Coach Clark on the line. Tough week, Coach, 0-2.”

 

“Very tough week.”

 

“I guess you’re missing Tim May.”

 

“We are, but we really didn’t play very well in either game. It may be a question of confidence. We’re working on that. The staff really believes we can do fine with our lineup.”

 

“Tell us about the games.”

 

“Sure. North Alabama just cleaned our clock, 63-81. And they did most of it with their bench, 41 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists. Tod and Clay were fine inside, but our outside D wasn’t there. We gave up 11 threes.”

 

“But you were out rebounded.”

 

“Yes, by 5. That was a factor.”

 

“And Longwood?”


“Fouls killed us, Dee, Clay and Curt all fouled out. We were up 3 with 4 ½ left. Then within a minute all 3 guys were gone, and we lost 62-67. Clay had 19. We’ll be better, you can count on it. Bumps in the road happen.”

 

“And this week?”

 

“We start at 2-14, 0-5 Howard. They won their first 2 and have lost 14 straight. Their Point broke his leg in their third game and they haven’t made the adjustment. He’ll be back in a couple of weeks but until then they’re in trouble.

 

“Then we’re home against 11-5, 3-2 MD Eastern Shore. That should be a real test as to whether we can compete for the conf. title. We feel like we need to beat them inside to win.”

 

“Good luck Coach. We’re out of time, folks.”

 

January 25

 

“Dick Hertz here with Coach Clark. Not the week you expected, Coach.”

 

“Not surprised we went 1-1, but it was kind of upside down. I didn’t expect to lose to Howard.”

 

“50-56.”

“You don’t often win when you score 50. We didn’t shoot well and we didn’t rebound at all, -11. Our two starting guards both fouled out. It was nightmare.”

 

“But you bounced back.”

 

“We did. We were not exactly sweet and cuddly in practice and I guess the guys got the message. 80-68 over MD Eastern Shore. We still didn’t rebound but they didn’t either and Clay had 25 points and Curt had 19. We thought the key was winning the inside game and it was. We won that battle easily.”

“And your next two opponents?”

 

“2nd place, then 1st. We play Portland State here. They’re 10-8, 5-2. Good team, better outside than inside but not awful inside.

 

“Then it’s 1st place Inane Word. 10-8, 6-1. 6 game winning streak right now. They are really good outside, as good as anyone in the conf. Oh, Dee hurt his ankle. He’s day to day and we think he’ll play, but he may not be 100%”

 

“It never rains! Questions. Pete in Boston.”

 

“Coach, you’re not getting’ the rebounds. Alex Jamm is though. Don’t ya think he should be getting’ more minutes?”

 

“Alex is doing a great job on the boards, and I hope he does earn more minutes. To be completely honest, Tod is a better scorer and a much better defender. We’re working with Alex on D. When he gets there he’ll play more.”

 

“Ken in Salem.”

 

“I can’t believe Craig Jain isn’t getting more minutes. Dark has tailed off.”

 

“Jon is in a little slump. We want him to work his way out of it. Craig is a good player. We’ll get him more minutes when we can.”

 

“Tough week coming up, Coach. Good luck.”

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