Historical Association #1

[Wayne23]

5/1: West Gold, National Basic.

#17 preseason. We’re going to have 8 slots to fill with transfers an’ scholarships. Hope the transfer pool looks good, an’ hope I can pick up some decent walk ons!

Maude arrives tomorrow.

Just heard that the famous outlaw Jesse James got shot an’ killed by one a his men for the reward money.

An’ bad news for my old Mormon “friends.” The U. S. just outlawed polygamy.

5/12: We’re doin’ well enough here to buy a house. Livin’ in faculty housin’ in the meantime. We’re tryin’ ta find a way ta bring the two families a servants we had in Mississippi here ta work for us. It’s pretty complicated though.

They’d have a much better life here an’ we got real close with ‘em.

Baby’s due soon.

6/5: Mijo Sujc left MS ST. I offer to him. Fingers crossed.

Joseph Henry Jones has arrived!. He is another big boy, an’ he sure looks healthy!

6/12: We get Sujc an’ a very good lookin’ PG!

6/25: Keepin’ 5 walk ons, at least for now. Two look like they’ll help us an; the other 3 may. They’ll at least help us at practice.

6/26: 6 scholarships. Prob’ly go 3 an’ 3 or 4 guards, or try to. Lookin’ at 22 guys. All show interest.

Still workin’ on getting’ the folks from MS up here. The place we’re buyin’ has a second home on the property that has two apartments side by side, an’ there’s plenty a work ta do. One problem is it ain’t easy for colored folks ta travel, especially this far.

7/11: Looks like a REAL good year for recruits, an’ we got lots a them interested.

7/31: Recruitin’ is goin’ well. Too early ta nail anyone down but it looks like we’ll get some good guys.

The Mississippi folks are on the way. Ta make things easier we arranged ta transport ‘em on the U. of Oregon private train, an’ got my dad ta be the conductor. That should make it a smooth ride up here.

8/7: I have my first ever Norton candidate. PG Tony Call is #45 on the list.

The MS folks are here. This will be a whole new world for them, and there will be adjustments, but we’ll help.

8/21: We offer ta 3 PGs, a PF, 2 Cs. All have us high on their lists, a couple have us
at #1.

9/18: Wow! We get 4, lose 2. We get two PGs, the #1 guy in the class, an’ #9. 2 Cs, #8, #40.

Coaches Classic vs. Ohio ST. Except for that tourney every pre-conf. game is at home. I’ve never seen that. Great this year, maybe not so much next year. Challenging schedule.

9/25: Got the other two, but both are iffy for the SAT score. C, #14, PG, #30. What a haul if they all hit the score!

10/2: 1st day of practice. I like this team, strange as it is with all the walk ons.

11/6: We’re starting with an 11 man rotation. Things will sort themselves out in time. Here’s the lineup:

Junior Tony Call is at PG, an’ senior Ben Fann is at SG. Backing them up are juniors Cole Walk an’ Cal Howe.

SF is the most up in the air position. Senior Stew Spin starts, with junior Shah Sitt an’ frosh Tom Venn getting’ minutes.

Inside it’s soph Rick Menz an’ frosh Ab Chin, with junior Josh File, an’ frosh Ram Ward backing up.

We open at the coaches Classic with #10 seed Ohio ST. We’re #7.

Always somethin’ new. Now it’s electric lights. I’ve actually seen them an’ they’re gonna change everythin’. An’ this telephone thing is almos’ here in the northwest. Excitin’ times!

The MS. Folks are settlin’ in nice. They are so happy that their kids can go to a real school with white kids. They work hard for us but they also can’t believe they actually get paid, get free time, an; can go where they want. There’s folks don’t like it, but not that many, really.

[Wayne23]

11/13: Great start, 89-62. 37, 9, 3 for my first ever superstar, SG Ben Fann. 17, 15 for PF Rick Menz. 11, 6, 10 for PG Tony Call. +15 RBs, 11 TOs.

Big challenge next, #2 seed, #8 ranked Kentucky.

11/15: 62-67. We played well but their D was stifling. Still, we were down 2 with the ball with 45 seconds left, so it was a game. 28, 12 for Fann, 19, 11 for Center Ab Chin, 13 RBs for Menz. 9, 5, 7 for Call, but 9 TOs.

I’m not unhappy with our tournament experience. If we can play Kentucky that close, this early, I think we’re going to be a good team.

Forgot ta mention that we’re picked ta win the PAC 12.

11/20: We drop out of the top 25, which I don’t think should have happened. But, all 6 recruits sign, including the two who I thought might be iffy. That’s great news! #1, 8, 9, 10, 34, 38. Next year should be somethin’!

12/4: 5-1. #15, RPI #6. We’re lookin’ good. Tony Call had a very rare triple double against #10 Michigan, who we beat by 12 here. We’re #1 in RBs. Ben Fann is amazing. He had 17 one night an’ everyone talked about an “off night.”

Rick Menz an’ Ab Chin both average a double double. 10.8 TOs.

A couple a changes. Howe is getting Walk’s sub minutes at guard. Ward an’ File are sharing SF an’ sub time inside.

New experience coachin’ a really good team. I could get used ta this!

Everythin’ at home is settled an’ runnin’ smooth at the house.

I keep talkin’ about the folks from Mississippi. They have names. Effie an’ Rufus Black, an’ their children, Caeser, Plato, an’ Cleopatra, an’ Mallie an’ Ruben Good, an’ their children Vonetta an’ Sally. Again, they’re happy but still a little cautious, or maybe a lot cautious, about their new life. We’re so happy to have them with us. Especially since Maude is expectin’ another baby in August.

12/25: We’re for real. 9-1, #11, RPI #1. +16.8 PPG, +14.6 RBs (still #1), +1.0 TOs (9.7, #5). Fann is #3 in the country in scoring. Tony Call is #2 in assists. Menz is #5, an’ Chin #6 in RBs.

Headed for Pac 12 play. 3 other teams ranked in conf., so it could be interestin’.

[Wayne23]

1/1/1883: 2-0 start. The good news? Both road games.

Weird schedule. 5 straight home games in Conf. That never happens, and it shouldn’t. It means too many late road games. Oh well.

U. of Oregon has some rich alumni backers who are interested in hoops. REAL interested. They have built one of the best training complexes in the country. It’s beautiful. It even has hot showers, which I never saw before anywhere. An’ the train! We don’t hire it, we OWN it. An’ it’s got everythin’! Livin’ in style here.

1/15: 15-1, 6-0, #9, RPI #6. 1 up on Utah, 2 up on 2 others.

File missed a couple weeks with back spasms. Ward got most of his minutes an’ Venn got some. Fann is still terrific, an’ still 2 guys averagin’ double doubles. Tony Call is doin’ great at PG.

1/29: It jus’ keeps goin’! 19-1, 0-0, #8, RPI #7. 1 up on #24 Utah, 3 on #17 Stanford, 5 or more on the rest. We got Utah here nex’ week, an’ Stanford there later on. +16.8 PPG, +16.0 RBs, -0.2 TOs (but 11.5); we need to cause more
TOs. Ab Chin is almos’ as good as Fann, an’ he’s a freshman!

2/5: The win streak ends at 18. We lost at Arizona by 5. A season high 20 TOs, and poor D, especially outside. We allowed 13 threes. We didn’t shoot well, and they contained Fann. Then we came home and crushed #24 Utah by 23. We now have a 2 game lead in conf., despite the loss.

2/12: 22-2, 13-1, #7, RPI #6. 3 game lead with 4 to play. Life is good!

2/19: Another loss, 73-80 at #21 Stanford. Tony Call played the entire 2nd half (last 19 minutes) in foul trouble, an’ fouled out with 3:22 left. We had 21 TOs. The common factor in our losses is TOs. Our 3 losses have been our only games where we did not handle the ball well. Still a 3 game lead. With 2 to play that means we have clinched 1st place.

We end the regular season at 25-3, 16-2, #8, RPI #4. 3 up on Utah, 5 or more on the rest. +15.8 PPGs, +15.8 RBs, -0.7 TOs (12.1 though).

Now we gotta do it when it counts, in the postseason.

[Wayne23]

5/1: National Gold.

Preseason #11.

Our house is wired for electricity, an’ the athletic facilities have telephone service. We won’t be able ta call every recruit, or anythin’ close, but lotsa their schools will have phones if they don’t already, an’ we can talk to ‘em that way.

Our 2 big boys are doin’ great. Hopin’ for a girl this time.

5/20: This electricity thing is great. There’s a light bulb hangin’ from the ceilin’ in every room a both houses, an’ even two out in the barn. They’re brighter than candles or oil, an’ they should be a lot safer. An’ we’re already usin; the phone at work quite a bit more than I thought we would. Handy!

6/5: There’s a truly great lookin’ SF who really wants ta come here. He contacted us. I took the hit an’ opened a roster spot. I offer.

6/12: Ha! He went to North Carolina. Oh well.

6/26: 3 scholarships. We want 2 bigs. Lookin’ at 15 for now.

Fann goes only #17 in the draft. That’s a steal.

7/18: Again this year, lotsa good lookin’ recruits interested.

Maude is getting’ close ta her time. She carries easily an’ says she feels fine but gets a little tired. Good thing we have the help, the boys are a handful.

8/5: It’s a girl! Margaret Harriet.

8/7: 4 on the Norton list: C Ab Chin is #26, PG Tony Call is #32, C/PF Rick Menz is #43, an’ PG/SG Kean Ferg, #1 in his recruitin’ class, is only #45.

8/21: We offer ta a PG an’ 2 PFs.

9/18: For the 2nd straight year, we get the #1 guy in the draft, a PF. We lose the other two though. We offer ta another PG an; another PF.

Coaches Classic vs. LSU. Tough sched.

9/25: Got ‘em both! PG #14, PF #15. They’re all great students so we’re finished with recruiting.

10/2: 1st day a practice. I like what I see. A lot!

11/6: The lineup seems a little more settled to begin than it was last season, but we’ll see. Here it is:

Senior Tony Call an’ frosh Kean Ferg start at guard. Frosh Josh Brum backs up, an’ soph transfer Mijo Sujc is in the wings.

Like usual SF is a little less settled than the other positions, but not much, this year. Junior Rick Menz shifts over there from PF ta start, an; he backs up inside. Backin’ up at SF are soph Ram Ward, who wound up the year startin’ at SF, an’ frosh Will Shem.

Baby Margaret died during the night. She hadn’t been ill. There was no warning. Maude went in to check on her because she hadn’t cried at the usual feeding time, and it was two hours past that. She found her dead in her crib. We know these things happen frequently with babies but it is very hard.

We start at the Coaches Classic with LSU. We’re the #7 seed, they’re #10.

[Wayne23]

11/13: 84-73. Balance! 7 players with 9-15. +19 RBs, 12 TOs. We never trailed.

#2 seed, #5 ranked Duke in the 2nd round. They’re a very good team. Let’s see what we can do.

11/15: 77-84. Close all the way but they outlasted us. Balance again with the 5 starters getting between 10 an’ 17. We played the #5 team close to even early in the season, so I’m optimistic.

11/20: #19. All 3 recruits sign.

It’s a sad time at home. We’re so very grateful for our two boys but we’ll never forget the two girls we lost.

12/4: 4-2, #12, RPI #6. This week we beat #3 Michigan ST an’ then lost a tough one in OT at Cincy. Chin an’ Menz both average a double double, an’ Ferg is close with 14.3 an’ 8.0. We’re playin’ a very challengin’ schedule so we’ll get some losses. Don’t care, it’ll make us stronger down the road.

12/25: 7-3 to end pre-conf. play. #12, RPI #2. +1.6 PPG, +12.2 RBs, -1.7 TOs- those dang TOs! We play 80% 2-3, 20% 3-2. Gonna try 50/50. Brum’s getting’ some a Call’s time, an’ Ward’s getting’ ALL a Shem’s time.

[Wayne23]

1/1/1884: 9-3, 2-0. #11, RPI #4. But we go on the road this week. One a the games is at #10 Stanford, the only other ranked team in the PAC 12.

It’s a Presidential election year again. Too soon for the politicians ta be doin’ anything’, but Chester Arthur already said he ain’t runnin’. Most folks think he’s doin’ good.

1/8: We beat Stanford there by 2 in a terrific game. Ferg had an awful shootin’ night, 5-21, 3-17 on threes, but on our last possession he got the ball an’ drained a three at the horn for the win.

That’s what superstars do. He ain’t one a those yet, but he will be.That figures ta be the toughest game on our whole PAC 12 sched., so we should be in good shape if we stay healthy an’ stay focused.

Maude says she wants another baby. Despite all the pain a losin’ two, she says there’s nothin’ like havin’ children, an’ she’s willin’ ta take the chance. Okay by me. I love our boys, an’ I wouldn’t mind a house full a kids. Wish I was home more. I never see enough of ‘em.

1/29: 17-3, 10-0, #9, RPI #2. Up 2 on #11 Stanford, 3 on #22 Utah an’ UCLA, 5 or more on the rest. +8.4 PPG, +15.5 RBs (#2), -0.4 TOs. Not sure if the new D is helpin’, but it ain’t hurtin’.

Ab Chin is #13 on the Norton list, Kean Ferg #27, Rick Menz #28.

2/5: The win streak ends at 14. #22 Utah beats us by 7 there. We shot 22.2% in the 2nd half, an’ that’s what did it. Still got a 2 game lead.

That monument ta Pres. Washington is comin’ along good, they say. It’s a big needle stickin’ outta the ground, or somethin’ like that. I mean BIG, like a few hundred feet. Hope it don’t never fall on nobody!

2/26: We end the regular season at 24-4, 17-1, #7, RPI #2. We win the PAC 12 by 4 over UCLA. +10.1 PPG, +16.9 RBs (#1), -1.1 TOs. Chin leads us with 17.5 PPG. He an’ Menz still average a double double. Ferg gets 15.8, Sart 12.0.

Ab Chin is #13 on the Norton list.

[Wayne23]

5/1: We buy national gold, international basic.

#8 preseason but I think we’re top 5, maybe top 3.

6/5: Only 2 scholarships. We’d need ta cut somebody ta go for transfers, an’ we like all of our guys.

I redshirt a frosh guard. He’s gonna be great but he ain’t ready.

6/26: We need both a big an’ a guard. Lookin’ at 10, 5 guards, 5 bigs.

Tony Call went #24. I think he’s better than that an’ will do well. The pro game is pretty much barnstormin’ tours. They got a league an’ all that but it ain’t much of an operation, an; it don’t pay a lot more than a regular job.

Travellin’ conditions are not posh. But if ya love the game I guess it’s okay, an’ it can lead ta a coachin’ job afterwards.

8/5: It’s a boy! Martin Albert. Like our other boys this one looks strong. Maude says she’s not givin’ up ‘til we get a good, healthy girl that stays with us. Okay with me.

8/7: 5 on the Norton list: PF Kal Robb #19, C Ab Chin #23, PG Kean Ferg #28, C Rick Menz #45, an’ PG Josh Brum #50.

8/21: We offer ta a PG an’ a C, the only two with real interest.

9/18: Got ‘em both, PG #10, C #22.

Preseason NIT vs. Ohio ST. Tough sched.

10/2: I think we have the players to make a real run for it.

10/25: This baseball thing is really catchin’ on back east. Ain;t done much here yet. We got a team here at Oregon but nobody pays much attention. I get over ta a game when I can. Interestin’ in its way, but slow compared ta my game. Now football, that’s BIG. I like basketball better but I like football too.

Mr. Grover Cleveland is runnin’ for President against Mr. James G. Blaine. Election’s comin’ soon. I like Mr. Cleveland. No Generals this time.

Lots a stuff goin’ on in Africa with European countries takin’ over countries, an’ fightin’ each other over it, an’ fightin’ the local people over it.

11/6: 8 man rotation:

Sophs Josh Brum are at PG, an’ Sg, respectively, with junior transfer Mijo Sujc backing up at both.

Senior Rick Menz is back at SF, an’ backin’ up at PF an’ C. Junior Ram Ward an’ soph Ry Sart back up at SF.

Junior Ab Chin is back at C, an’ frosh Kal Robb is at PF.

I LIKE this team!

Mr. Cleveland will be the new President. He won pretty big.

Maude is expectin’ again. It’s too soon, but these things happen. Our 3 boys are all doin’ real good right now.

[Wayne23]

11/14: Beat #10 seed Ohio St 93-87 in the openin’ round of the NIT. We never led until 3:02 left. 20, 11 for Chin, 18, 10 for PF Kal Robb, 14, 11 for Menz, 17, 3, 7 for Ferg, 16, 3, 5 for PG Josh Brum. +8 RBs, +8 TOs. They were tough.

Can’t believe we’re only the #7 seed.

#15 seed Oklahoma upset #2 seed, #9 ranked Duke so their next. They have a great PG.

11/16: 82-76. Another war. Our front line is doin’ the job. 23, 15 for Chin, 17, 11 for Robb, 8, 13 for Menz, 13, 5 for Ferg, 13 for Sujc. 60 RBs! 7 TOs.

#6 seed, #5 ranked Texas in the semis. This looks like it will be another battle.

11/18: 75-67. 3rd game in a row where we put it together in the 2nd half, an’ where we own the boards. 22, 7 for Ferg, 15, 14 for Menz, 10, 7 for Chin, 10 RBs for Robb, an’ the big guys on the bench did more than their share. 58 RBs.

#1 seed, #1 ranked Louisville for the title. It won’t be easy.

11/20: 79-87. Same scenario except they did it to us in the 2nd half. It was tied at the break. Still reboundin’ though. 23, 15 for Chin, 11, 10 for Menz, 13 RBs for Robb, 17, 6 for Ferg. 20 TOs was a big issue.

Both recruits sign.

I gotta say, I still LOVE the train. They’re gettin’ faster for one thing. There’s a little more control of the dust an’ the smell. I still love sleepin’ on a movin’ train.

We were #4 in the poll but the loss will drop us some.

12/4: 6-2, #4, RPI #2. Lost at #21 Temple. Chin is getting 20.6 an’ 11.9. Ferg is at 17.5, 6.3. Menz is just short of a double double average with 9.8 an’ 10.5.

12/25: 9-3, #6, RPI #2. +11.5 PPG, +19.6 RBs (#1), -1.7 TOs (12.5). Chin continues to lead the way.

I hear tell that Washington Monument thing is in place. 500 somethin’ feet straight up. Don’t sound like it’s all that impressive just stickin’ up outta the ground like that. I don’t get it.

[Wayne23]

1/1/1885: 2-0 start ta conf. play.

1/15: 14-4, 5-1. Lost at #13 UCLA. Tied with them for 1st in conf. We’re havin’ a great season, but not as good as I hoped.

1/29: 18-4, 9-1, #7, RPI #2. +17.2 PPG, +22.7 RBs (#1), +0.5 TOs (11.7). Still tied fior 1st with UCLA, 3 up on 3rd place.

Ab Chin is #4 on the Norton list. Kean Ferg is #20, Rick Menz is #30.

2/12: 22-4, 13-1, #4, RPI #2. 2 game lead on UCLA with 4 to play.

2/26: We end the regular season 26-4, 17-1, #3, RPI #1. We win the PAC 12 by 3 over #14 UCLA, 6 or more over the rest. 19.7, 11.7 for Ab Chin, 16.6, 6.9 for Kean Ferg, 10.0, 10.5 doe Rick Menz, 8.9,
9.0 for Kal Robb, 10.4, 4.1, 6.4 for Josh Brum. An’ our 3 man bench of Ram Ward, Ry Sart, an’ Mijo Sujc did the job as well.

Ab Chin is still #4 on the Norton list.

[Wayne23]

3/9: #9 seed Arizona ST, 14-14, 7-11, won the play in. They’re up first.

3/10: 90-76. Up 18 at the half. 23, 14 for Chin, 12, 12 for Ferg, 53 RBs, 9 TOs.

#4 seed Utah, 19-9, 10-8, in the semis. We won by 40 at our place.

3/11: 89-70. 27, 4, 9 for Ferg, 26, 6 for Chin, 12, 16 for Robb, 12, 5, 8 for Brum. +12 RBs.

#2 seed, #12 ranked UCLA for the title. They won by 19 there, our worst loss of the season. We came back an’ won by 27 here. We’ve had a lotta trouble locking up the PAC 12 tourney. Sure would be nice.

3/12: 87-62. We came to play! 21, 14, 4, 6 for Chin, 15, 13, 4, 3 for Robb, 12, 11 for Menz, 19, 4 for Ferg. 52 RBs.

29-4, 17-1, regular season an’ tourney champs. #3, RPI #1.

#1 South. I’ll take it! We play #16 Liberpoop, 18-14.

3/17: 96-78. 27, 6, 5 for Ferg, 22, 9, 5, 3 doe Chin.

#8 seed Duke, 17-13 in round 2. Beat them by 45 in November.

3/19: 69-55. 20, 12 for Chin, 19, 11 for Menz. +19 RBs.

#5 seed, #15 ranked Georgetown, 24-8, in the Sweet Sixteen. They can play.

3/24: 58-51. 20 point lead got down to 2 before we woke up and took it back. 23 RBs for Menz, but only +3 for the team in a game of missed shots. We shot 27.7%, they shot 22.1%. Ugly game, but a win.

#3 seed, #13 ranked Wake Forest, 26-7. We beat them by 28 in November. Never been ta the Final Four. This is our big chance.

3/26: 77-73 and my first Final Four! We led most of the way, but never by more than 11. They led by as many as 6, but only early. At the end they got it to 2 twice, but never tied or led. 19, 19 for Chin, who has been terrific. 21, 9, 3 for Ferg, who is right with him. 13, 6, 5 for Brum. 52 RBs (+17), 12 TOs.

#2 ranked Texas, 33-3, who we beat by 8 in the preseason NIT, a very long time ago. This is a very solid, deep team. On paper it is a very close matchup. They are a ½ point favorite.

4/1: 81-63. Tied at the half. Tied with 10 minutes to go. Tied with 5 minutes to go. Then Kal Robb hit an 8 footer, blocked a shot, got open for a back door layup, blocked a shot, got fouled an’ hit both, an’ led us on a 24-6 run ta end the game. He had a total of 12 in that run, an’ 23. 17, 5 blocks. 15, 9, 3 for Chin, 9, 12 for Menz, 12, 4, 7 for Brum, 10, 3, 4 for Ferg. 51 RBs, +15. What a felling.

We play undefeated, #1 ranked Louisville, 38-0, for the title. Huge challenge. As a team they have everything. They beat us by 8 in the NIT title game. We were in it until the last few minutes. We need that kind of effort and more.

4/3: 77-92. Not tonight. Their SG had 40. They turned us over 21 times. We shot 32.8%. 26, 13 for Chin, 15, 4, 4 for Ferg, 12, 7, 9 for Brum. I’m disappointed, but I couldn’t be prouder of my team. Rick Menz is the only guy we’re losing, so let’s do it next year!

4/4: Awards: Ab Chin is my first first first team All American. In the PAC 12 Chin is POY, Def. POY, an’ 1st team along with Kean Ferg. Kal Rob ban’ Rick Menz make the 2nd team.

4/9: It would take an unbelievable offer ta get me ta leave Oregon.

I’m staying, and I very much want to be!

4/23: I ask for a facilities upgrade. I don’t need one. It’s just to keep us at A+. The rich alums keep the facilities absolutely top notch. We stay at A+.

34-5, made it ta the title game. Overall, I’m 370-132, .737.