by Wayne23 » Sat May 16, 2015 7:58 pm
March 6: We’ll play #8 seed St. Louis, 14-14, 8-10. Beat them by 11 and 15.
March 7: 82-60 over STL. In charge for the last 36 minutes. 15, 9, 2 for Dave, good games all around. 12 TOs, 31 RBs.
It’s URI, 23-6, 13-5, in the semis. Beat them by 8 at home.
“So Dave, would you go back to URI?”
“I’ve thought about that. It would be nice to go back to RI an’ try ta win it all at our old school. But then we’re gonna be 59 soon. It might be nice ta set up for retirement if the UConn job opened up; I ain’t got sh*t for money. Takin’ care a May took it all. Not that I wouldn’t a done it, a course. I don’t know. I guarantee though, either one more move or none. I’m sure a that.”
March 8: 65-68 to URI in the semis. 17, 7 for Dave, 16, 4, 2 for Trey, 12, 6, 2 for Jay. We blew a 16 point lead. In the last minute they hit a 3, stole the inbound pass, hit another 3, stole another pass, and hit another 3.
Then we missed, they got it, Key blocked a three beautifully with .02 left, and the ref called a foul. 20 replays later it is obvious that there was no contact. The guy hit all three and that was that.
Dave went as ballistic at the refs as I’ve ever seen. I was truly afraid he would hit one of them. He did some bumping, although really, to me it looked like the ref bumped him, but no hitting, thankfully.
March 10: URI won the tourney.
March 11: Dave was fined $10,000, and was suspended for the first two weeks of next season.
March 12: Losing in the semis will hurt but were 25-6, 16-2, #9, RPI #7, so we should get a 2, I think; no worse than a 3.
Not in the East.
Not in the Midwest.
Not in the South.
#2 West behind Tenn., ahead of KS, OK ST, URI, Penn… We’ll play 16-14 Wm & Mary 1st.
“I like this draw, Red. If we have our sh*t together we can go a long way.”
I agree, but in the Dance, one false step (pun intended) and you’re gone.
March 17: 75-67 over Wm & Mary. We put the subs in late and they closed the gap from 15 to 8. 20, 8, 2, 2 for Dave, 14, 5 for Key, 12, 5, 2 for Cory.
22-9 Mich. ST next. Tough draw for round 2!
March 19: 85-56. 24, 4, 4 for Dave, 17, 4, 3 for Trey, 14, 3, 3 for jay and the others all played well. We looked really good tonight.
“I think anybody woulda had trouble with us tonight. Now if we can keep it up…”
#3 seed, #20 ranked Kansas, 24-8, is next. Beat ‘ewm by 15 to open the season but that was a LONG time ago.
March 24: 91-83 over KS. 28, 7, 3 for Jay, 14, 5 for Dave, 13, 7 for Key, 11 each for Mick, Trey and Cory. 10 TOs, 34 RBs.
#1 seed, #6 ranked Tenn., 28-6 for a trip to the final four.
“We got a shot, Red. I like our chances if we play our game.”
So do I!
March 26: 73-61 over Tenn., and we’re in the final four! 6 in doubles, +6 TOs (11), and we made the right play whenever we needed to. We led most of the way, and in the last 10 minutes they never got closer than 5 points. We were deliberated. We were focused. We were the better team. Mick had a big game, 17, 7, 5, 3 but everybody showed up.
It will be #5 seed, #23 ranked Wake Forest, 24-9, in the semis.
March 31: Here’s an excerpt from one of the press conferences.
“Dave, please don’t be offended by the question but it’s been a season of terrible downs and wonderful ups-”
“Yeah, that’s for sure. I gotta say that I’d gladly give up all the hoop success ta have May back, but I guess all of ya prob’ly know that. I just gotta also say how happy I am for our kids- the team, an’
Bobby an’ Jeffy. This team grew as time went by. We’re 19 outta our last 20 an’ playin’ great ball, an’ the kids deserved ta make this trip. An’ we ain’t done yet. Anybody plans ta beat us better bring their
‘A’ game!”
“To follow up, how are you dealing with all of this?”
“It ain’t easy. Sure, the team is helpin’, no doubt. But I gotta tell ya, the nights are long. I wanna thank my wonderful mother-in-law an’ my great sons, an’ the best friend a man ever had, Red O’Connor, an’ his family. No idea where I’d be without all of ‘em.”
We’re a 3 point favorite over Wake Forest.
April 1: 87-83. It was back and forth. With 7 minutes left we went on an 11-3 run to take a 7 point lead and we traded until they hit a 3 at the buzzer. 23, 9 for Dave, 20 for Cory, double figures for 6, 13
TOs, 28 RBs.
It’s #2 Arizona, 34-3, for the title. Their starting PG tore up a knee in the Sweet 16 but they won both games since.
Dave has been playing Mick Bins in key situations all season.
“I got a feelin’. Cory Logg’s gonna be in if it gets ta be crunch time. I just got a feelin’.”
April 3: 70-74. They led by as many as 16 in the first. We came back and led by 5 with 6:03 to go, but Trey fouled out on the next possession. He had 22 to lead us. Dave’s feeling wasn’t on target, Cory had a poor night, but because of Trey Cory was in at crunch time. Mick and Key played really well. 21 turnovers did more harm than anything else.
“I couldn’t be prouder a my guys. This ain’t about the refs, I got no compl,aint, but one or two calls go different, a pass connects instead a bein’ picked off, we get a key Rb, an’ it comes out different.
Still, I’m good. It was a h*ll of a season for this team, an’ like I said, I’m proud as h*ll.”
April 4: Awards: Dave Mert got Frosh OY, Key Murk got Def. POY, Dave got COY. Mert and Jay Howl made 1st team. Key and Trey Ross made 2nd team.
Dave had told me for the past couple of months that he is REALLY dreading the off season. He doesn’t want the extra free time at all.
“Oh, I’ll spend all the time I can with Jeffy an’ Davey but still, there’s gonna be way too much friggin’ time.”
April 9: We’re staying here.
April 23: We ask for a budget increase. Nope.
We end up 30-7, 16-2, made it to the national title game. Dave is at 538-219, .711, Reputation 86.
There will never be a season quite like this one. Losing May overshadows everything, including our moist successful season ever.