Historical Association #1

[Wayne23]

Historical NCAA #1- Alternative history

(Author’s note: The railroad system in the nineteenth century opened travel across the U. S. This series of associations will slightly alter history in two ways:

1. It will assume that basketball was invented in 1845.

2. It will assume that the rail system would have allowed travel throughout the U. S. beginning in 1870, the year the NCAA began in this alternate timeline, in a timely enough manner to get teams to their games.

Also, teams placed in Alaska and Hawaii are moved to Montana [I think that’s just U. of Hawaii].

Given that this is a historical association, players will not leave college early. If I could get rid of the three pointer I would, but… I will start at a team with 0 Team Prestige, or as close as I can get. Given that on May 1 of each year I can change conferences, as the team gets better I will move it up to a better conf. If and when I change schools I will continue to upgrade conferences when I think the team is ready for that. Other explanations as I go.)

May 1, 1870: Buck Jones here. I was born in 1842 way back east in rural eastern Connecticut. My daddy was a railroad man an’ there was better opportunities for him in the middle a the country an’ out west, so we moved around some.

He started as a brakeman, moved up to engineer, an’ eventually became a conductor, so we weren’t poor for long. By the time the war started in ‘61 we was livin’ in Arizona, which was pretty out a the way in them days, and ya had ta watch out for Indians. Daddy figured I could continue in college here at Grand Canyon without the war dragging me, or him, into it. He was right.

I’d visited our old home in CT a few times as a kid, an’ even as a teenager. Daddy’s job with the railroads meant we could travel either free or real cheap so we visited our relations every couple years. There was somethin’ about that place that jus’ drew me. Maybe it was family, I don’t know, but if I ever get the chance, that’s where I’d like ta end up.

Anyway, the game a basketball was invented in 1845, or so I’m told, an’ daddy, who was always the athletic type, took a likin’ to it. He started teachin’ it to me as soon as I was big enough ta dribble an’ shoot the ball. I was about 8, I think.

I liked it as much as daddy, an’ jus’ took to it. I had a good shot right off the bat, which helped. Nobody knew a lot about technique or nuthin’ like that in them early days, but daddy knew consistency was important so he watched me real close an’ made sure I shot usin’ the same motion every time. He done that right through my high school an’ college career. He also talked about playin’ defense with yer feet, which made no sense ta me at first but did once he explained it, an’ it really helped me a lot. He was one a the assistants on my high school team. He woulda been head coach but his railroad job had him travellin' too much for that so he just helped the team when he was in town. Me havin’ that consistent shot, an’ knowin’ more than most folks about good D, well that got me playin’ time.

I was first off the bench as a SG an’ a SF my 1st year in high school, an’ I started at one a those 2 spots after that. We won the state title both a my las’ 2 years.

They wasn’t no athletic scholarships in them days so I went here to GC, and same thing, I was 1st off the bench in my 1st year, an’ started after that. My senior year we won the conference title and went to a brand new tournament called the NIT. We won our 1st 2 games, then got beat in the round of 8. Pretty good! The NCAA an’ some other tournaments come along later on.

I graduated with a degree in engineerin’. I didn’t want ta travel like daddy done. I got a job right here in , an’ Red Banks, my old coach at GC asked me if I wanted ta be his assistant. I sure did! It only paid $100 a year but I didn’t care about that.

I made arrangements with my boss at work to be able to travel with the team, sayin’ I’d make up the time by bringin’ work with me, and workin’ weekends when I was at home. Mr. Billings was a great boss. Not many woulda done that for me.

Anyway. It stayed like that until a month ago when Coach Banks had a bad heart attack, an’ died 2 days later. The A. D. an’ head football coach, Mack Towns said if I wanted the job it was mine. It paid about half a what I was makin’ as an engineer but I’m still single, an’ I still live at home with my folks, so I took it.

Turns out Mr. Billings said if I wanted part time contract work he could use me. Well, I knew that’d keep me pretty busy, but it made sense to say yes, so I did. I told him I couldn’t do but about 10 hours a week durin’ the season, an’ maybe 20 in the offseason, an’ he said that was jus’ fine.

Well, I had the job, now I had ta figure out how ta do it! I started by hirin’ my assistants- nowadays most teams have 3 of ‘em. Still pay ‘em about $100 apiece. Anyway, Nat Jones is my #1 an’ he’ll recruit, Keith More is #2 an’ he’ll scout, an’ Dan James is #3 an’ he’ll help with practice an’ be my bench coach, an’ help with plannin’ an’ strategy an’ such.

We also got the local doctor ta agree ta sit the bench at our home games in case of injury. When he can’t make it cuz he’s off deliverin’ a baby or fixin' a busted leg or somethin’ his nurse or another nurse sits with us. That ain’t as good but it’s better than nuthin’. On the road we gotta depend on the other team’s doc or nurse.

We play our games durin’ the day a course. An’ we play ‘em in gymnasiums with huge windows to let the sunlight in. There’s all kinds a chandeliers way high up that burn whale oil lamps in ‘em, an’ maybe even candles, but it ain’t really bright on cloudy and rainy days. Ya kin see the hoop, but not all that good.

Now I gotta tell about how a scoutin’ assistant gets ta scout teams, an’ how a recruiter gets ta recruit, an’ how a team travels an’ all that, so I guess I better tell more about transportation here in 1870.

Well, there’s 2 choices, the railroad, an’ horseback. The railroad goes most everywhere ya wanta go, an’ that’s what the team an’ the assistants use most all the time, but if it’s local or fairly local a man might use his horse.

Thank goodness for the telegraph. We communicate with recruits that way, an’ we let ‘em answer collect. We use letters too, but the telegraph is best. We gotta limit it due ta cost. The big schools got the money ta use it as much as they want, a course. If the guy ain't real far away we might visit, or even bring him here, but they gotta be a day's train ride or less from here.

NCAA teams have agreements ta send every opponent scheduled for the season the box score of all their games by 24 hours after the game ends, either by mail or telegram (usually mail for the small schools), until the last game or games between ‘em in the regular season is done. That includes minutes played (about), points, RBs, assists, TOs, an’ fouls. They ain’t always 100% accurate cuz it all happens fast an’ it’s a reporter or maybe even a kid keepin’ the numbers, but it helps some.

In the post season, which is a big thing now, ya ask for the box scores a three games- you pick the three, an’ for the season averages of each player, an’ ya get that. They ain't 100% accurate but most temas give ya what they got in a honest way.

As ta how the teams travel ta games, it’s all by railroad, an’ that takes some tellin’!

The trains got sleeper cars now, an’ we pack 6 guys into a car, stacked 3 up on each side. So we travel with 12 players, no more. Then I put my three assistants in their own car- or as many as can come, like I did they all got other jobs, and I get my own. If the A. D. comes along, which he won’t very often, he’ll get his own car, too. But if it's just one assistant an' me we get a 2 person sleepin' car. That's got bunks on one side a the car an' 2 small desks on the other so's ya kin work right there. We get out an' check on the kids regular though. Near all of 'em are good kids but they're kids, an', well, you know.

Now, the rich teams jus’ book their own train, but we can’t afford that so we go with a public train. We get an express if there’s any way ta do it. The diner cars have pretty darn good food, an’ it ain’t that expensive, but we all eat at the same time or the players would eat everything in sight an’ we’d go broke.

Trains are dusty. We bring our own panels so we can open windows an’ get a little air without all the dust in the world comin’ in. They're made of a porous material that lets the air in an’ keeps most a the dust out, but not all of it.

The engines give off a lot a smoke an’ soot an’ stuff so the smell ain’t great, but hey, it gets us where we’re goin’. Not every ride is an overnight ride, but most are, an’ some take two nights. In the post season it might even be a 3 or even a 4 day ride. Some day it’ll be quicker, I’m sure, but not yet. But it’s mostly real safe, and it gets the job done. I’ll tell more about the trains as we go along.

My folks’ house is close to the school so I just ride my horse in ta work, leave it at the agriculture department at the school. The students take care of it an’ I ride it home at night. They got these new fangled things called bicycles, but I never seen one, an’ from what I hear ya can’t really travel very far with ‘em. Still, I look at the Sears Roebuck catalog every year, like everybody else, and that’s the first thing I look for. If they ever get it where ya can peddle it a ways, I’ll get one an’ retire my horse. No tellin’ how soon that will be.

Okay, now you have the basic idea. I’ll take this along, tellin’ about my coachin’, but tellin’ about what’s goin’ on in the world, too.

[Wayne23]

6/26: 7 scholarships to fill. We’d like 3 guards, 4 bigs, but we’ll see. We have very little money, only $22,000. A. D. Mack Towns, being the head football coach, sends all the money there. Looking at 20 recruits.

I should tell you some other things, I guess. My mom is a school teacher, kindergarten; she’s a great cook but she’s so busy she only cooks the complicated stuff on the weekend or during vacations. The other nights it’s something quick. If I’m late she just keeps it on top of the wood stove to stay warm, or if it’s a hot day she packs it in ice, and I reheat it when I get home.

I’m an only child. We have two cats. Mom walks to work. Dad uses his horse to get there an’ back. When he’s out of town for a few days there’s a guy at the railroad station who takes care of the horses. They don’t charge much. I take care of my horse.

I’m told that I’m writing this for people 100, maybe 150 years or more in the future. I guess everything will be a lot different then, so I’ll try to tell about how we live in 1870, and in the years ahead as this goes along.

We have a big house and some land. We raise chickens, lambs, goats. We raise them for meat, eggs, milk, and for wool. And we slaughter and prepare them ourselves. It’s a lot of work, but we know we get good, healthy food that way.

We also have a garden and grow fruits and vegetables. There’s nut trees on the property, and we eat the nuts.

We buy things like salt, sugar, flour, and some other things, but everything we can grow and raise ourselves, we do.

Most folks raise pigs but my daddy always believed the people in olden times were right about pigs being unhealthy. I do eat pork, ham, and bacon on the train though. And I get steak as often as I can on the train cuz we don’t get it here.

Oh, we fish for food, and we kill turtles, rabbits, and ducks, and if we’re lucky, a goose now and then. We eat pretty good, all in all, but again, we got more than most folks.

We’re rich enough ta buy our clothes, but mom mends them when they start ta go, or if they get ripped, and we make ‘em last for years.

Okay, back to hoops.

The coaches and I are really conscious of the money issue. We’re only going to scout and visit instate guys, or guys who eventually put us at or near the top of their list of schools. We want to have money left in the spring but that might not be possible.

7/25: Only a couple recruits showing any interest but that’s no surprise.

8/21: We offer to 3 PGs, 3 PFs, and a C. 5 of them have at least some interest, but only one of the guards does.

9/18: We get a C, #651. Lose a PF, offer to another one.

9/25: We get a PF, #90. We lose a PG.

10/2: 1st day of practice. We didn’t look bad.

Recruiting is discouraging. We’re spending too much money and all we have to show for it is 2 bigs. We need to fill 5 more slots.

11/6: Here’s my lineup:

Senior Josh Linn and junior Glen Finn are at guard, backed by senior Ken Kelt.

Senior Ed Alt is at SF.

Senior Seth Joze and soph Aron Hows start inside. Senior Adam Peri backs up inside.

So, for now, it’s a 7 man rotation with 5 seniors, a junior, and a soph.

We still have only 2 recruits committed, and no guards.

[Wayne23]

11/12: We got a 3 game week ta start the season, 2 of ‘em away, so we’ll be ridin’ some trains. I’m writin’ this on the train ta Colorado.

11/20: 2-1 ta start the season. We lost on the road by 4, won on the road by 10, then won at home by 1. Reboundin’ is okay but ball handling is not. We need ta work on that. The lineup is steady for the next game or two but we’re looking at changes.

Both our recruits signed but we’re still kind a stuck on 2.

We did a lot a travelin’ last week. After the opener we rode for 2 days an’ 2 nights ta get ta our next game, got there, an’ had time for only a short rest before the game. That’s never good, but that’s the way it is sometimes.

It was nice ta get home.

The Grand Canyon campus is fairly small. The dining hall the athletes use is open for 2 hours for each of the day’s three meals. We try ta encourage healthy eatin', but we need ta watch the guys or they skip their vegetables. They don't never skip the dessert though!

The train food was good an’ plentiful.

11/27: 3-2. We beat Texas ST by 16 here. 25, 6 for SF Ed Alt and 17 for PG Josh Linn. Only 6 TOs. Then we lost at Central Ark. The only big guy who played at all was Adam Peri from the bench.

Ball handlin’ seems ta be getting’ better but reboundin’ ain’t.

We’re gonna start Peri over Joze, who jus’ ain’t doin’ much for us.

12/4: A 2 win week ta go ta 5-2. We beat Nome here by 5. SG Glen Finn had 20, 10, 5, maybe the best individual game for anybody yet. We played great D.

Then we beat Northwestern ST 64-47 here. Amazing D. 18, 10 for Alt, 12, 6, 6 for Finn, an’ 14 for Linn. +11 RBs. We had 23 TOs but they had 20. Sloppy game.

I guess we’re kinda findin’ ourselfs. I’m happy with the start but hopin’ we can be less sloppy with the ball.

When we travel we have a hard time gettin’ the guys ta study. We organize study halls when the dinin’ room is off hours, but it never closes, an' if we’re usin’ the tables an’ someone comes in ta get a bite ta eat or a coffee or a drink, we gotta get outta their way. It ain’t easy. There’s a observation car we can use for those what gotta leave the dinin’ car, but people smoke in there, an’ it’s noisy.

12/11: 6-3. My guys are doin’ better than I expected, but the schedule is weak. Seems like different guys get the points on different nights which jus’ means we got no big star. Our guards, Linn an’ Finn average 13.6 an’ 13.4, an SF Ed Alt gets 11. So we’re an outside team, but we’re an outside team that needs ta handle the ball better (14.4 TOs). Our inside guys rebound okay, an’ they score more now that I put Peri in the startin’ lineup.

12/18: 8-3 an’ we’re really clickin’. Again, the competition ain’t the best. We beat MS. Valley ST by 2 here on a night when we really didn’t play well, but we shot good, an’ that helped. Then we played real good at Radford an’ won by 16.

12/25: We en’ pre-conference play at a terrific 10-3. I couldn’t be happier with our record. That’s not as true for our play but we’re makin’ steady progress.

+6.0 PPG, +2.9 RBs, +1.8 TOs (14.5). We’re still getting’ our points outside. Our lineup is mostly set except for 1st big off the bench. Dave Jinn is gonna get his shot. He scores an’ rebounds like a champ but he can’t play D for beans. Seth Joze is fallin’ further and further down the depth chart.

We start conference play at #25 New Mexico ST. They’re the best team in the Western Athletic Conference, an’ the best team we play all season, so this’ll tell us somethin’ about ourselves.

We got a week off before our nex’ game, for the holidays, which is nice. I let the guys who live close enough ta here go home for three days. The rest’ll come to our house for dinner on the big day.

One thing interestin’ about travelin’ by train, for me anyway, is talkin’ to the conductor an’ the porters an’ the cooks, an’, well everybody. I tell ‘em who my dad is an’ they all know him, an’ they have good things ta say, which is nice. I find we get treated better once they get ta know me. That’s not ta say we didn’t get treated good before, we did. I like the railroad, I jus’ didn’t want that kinda life.

The beds ain’t bad, at least mine ain’t. Course momma always said I could sleep on a bed a nails. But I like the rollin’ motion a the train while I’m sleepin’. It’s almos’ as good as rain on the roof at home.

[Wayne23]

1/1/1871: Spent New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day on the train. But we’re here in time to rest up, and even in time to practice. We had a little “Happy New Year” celebration, or actually we joined the one on the train. Sadly, other passengers started to show the effects of alcohol consumption early on, so we took the players to the observation car. It was better there for a while, but by 11:00 the drunks had drifted in. I look forward to the day when I coach at a school that can engage a private train, but that won’t happen at Grand Canyon.

1/8: 11-4, 1-1. New Mexico ST beat us by 14. They jumped out to an early lead an’ we were never really in it. Still, we played ‘em even for the whole 2nd half, so that’s something; at least. Peri, Linn, and Alt played good, an’ we were +12 on the boards, but 23 TOs (-13). Hope ta get ‘em at our place.

Then we shellacked Utah Valley at our place by 37. Finn, Jinn, an’ Hows led us. +21 RBs, an’ 12 TOs, which is what I am for.

We were picked 3rd in the WAC. The competition ain’t all that bad. I think we could do it.

3 day train ride ta Missouri (UMKC) comin’ up. Not lookin’ forward to it.

1/15: 12-5, 2-2. The road is killin’ us. We let UMKC shoot 69.1%. No excuse for that. They pounded us silly.

Then we come home an’ beat Seattle. 21, 5 for Linn, 5 others with 11 or more.

The conf. is all bunched up, but it’s early.

1/22: Well, we got it backwards this week, lost at home, won on the road. 13-6, 3-3, RPI #157.

The coachin’ staff had a long meetin’ on the train back from Bakersfield. We gotta start Jinn. He’s a big time scorer, an’ a very good rebounder. He don’t play D for nothin’, but we need the O. He’ll replace Peri, but Alt will lose some minutes, too. Let’s see what happens.

2 home games comin’ right up, 1 against New Mexico ST. 7 of the 8 teams in the WAC are within 1 game of each other with 8 ta play. Could be a wild an’ wooly finish!

1/29: We beat New Mexico ST, an’ knocked ‘em outta 1st. We’re tied for 2nd with ‘em, 1 back a Chicago ST. But 4 of our las’ 6 are on the road. An’ every game’s a big game from here on.

15-6, 5-3, RPI #134. +5.2 PPG, +3.1 RBs, +2.4 TOs (14.3).

The country is very unsettled. The war’s been over for 4, almos’ 5 years, but the wounds ain’t healed up yet. Don’t seem like they ever will be.

An’ then there’s Indian attacks all over the West, some not that far from here. All them Negroes what got set free can’t get no work in the South except what amounts ta slavery. Lot of ‘em come west hopin; for a better life. Some of ‘em get it, but others run inta the same kinda hate they was runnin’ from. Me, I don’t care about color. If somebody does the job right I’m okay with ‘em.

An’ then there’s the rebels. They los’ the war but they don’t want no part a bein’ part a this country. It ain’t right ta let ‘em get away with that, but that’s the way it seems ta be.

They done elected General Grant President a couple years ago. I hear he’s a big drinker. Don’t know about that. Daddy says he saw him on trains a couple a times an’ he always got a glass a whiskey in his hand. But daddy also said he never saw him act like he was drunk. So like I said, I don’t know. He was a terrific general but now it seems he don’t wanta go kick the rebels’ butts again although I think they need kickin’. Ya lost, you’re back with us, now do what you’re s’posed ta do as a good citizen an’ follow the law. But they don’t, or they do only when it benefits ‘em or when they feel like it. It ain’t a good situation, I tell ya.

2/5: 17-6, 7-3. RPI #121. We’re tied for 1st with #25 New Mexico ST. Chicago ST is 1 back, 2 teams are 2 games back.

2/12: 18-7, 8-4. RPI #118. Alone in 2nd, 1 back of 1st, 1 up on 3rd, with 2 to play.

2/19: We end the regular season at 19-8, 9-5, RPI #126, alone in 2nd place. +4.3 PPG, +3.6 RBs, +1.5 TOs.

Lots of time off before the WAC tournament begins.

[Wayne23]

We play UMKC first. They beat us bad there but then we won by 20 at our place. Let’s see what happens on a neutral court. Gotta stop their guards.

3/1: 59-43. Great D! 17, 7 for Jinn; putting him in the starting lineup has been a big help. 10, 7 for Finn, 11 for Peri. +13 RBs, but 22 TOs; fortunately, they had 21.

#6 seed Seattle, 17-11, 6-8, pulled an upset. We play them in the semis. We beat them by 7 at our place, then by 8 there.

3/2: 76-77. Never more than 7 points between the 2 teams. At the end we missed the front of a 1 and 1 and they got the rebound. They brought it down and found their best scorer, and he slid by a great double screen and banged a three as the clock ran out. We let them shoot 50.9% an’ we only shot 39.7% but we did a lot right. Just tough luck ta lose like that. 19 for Finn, 12, 10 for Hows, 16, 6 for Jinn, 14 for Alt. Finn, Jinn, and Hows will be back. They’re the only ones who play who will be, so we better land some recruits!

Did we do enough ta get an invitation somewhere? I doubt it. Our conf. is too weak. We’ll see.

3/3: Seattle won the title game.

3/12: Good news! We’re going ta the WOL! We’re the #3 seed. But we face 16-15 Maryland. True, they had an off season, but they play teams we can’t even dream a playin’.

3/13: 57-69. We were in it for quite a while, but at about 12 minutes left they went on a big run, an’ that was that. Jinn an’ Finn had 14 each.

I talked about “the clock.” In regular games the home team assigns somebody ta keep time. I’m sure you can see that’s a possible problem, an’ it is, but what can ya do. As ta the score, they got a student in opposite corners from another student. They got good size chalkboards an’ they keep the score up ta date, addin’ points as they’re scored. Sometimes there’s a conflict, but not often.

The official scorekeeper keeps the official score an’ keeps track a fouls. Again, in a regular game it’s somebody from the home team.

There’s one referee. He goes from one foul line to the other tryin’ ta keep up. I think they need 2, but it ain’t happened yet.

When they need ta play three games on the same day at a tournament they start the first one at 9:00 a.m., sometimes earlier, so’s they can get ‘em all in before the daylight goes. Again, there’s whale oil lamps an’ such, but daylight is necessary, really.

3/26: We get a PF, #134. We need some guards.

4/3: #8 ranked Indiana won the title.

4/4: Awards: Junior SG Glen Finn is the only one of our guys to get an award. He’s 2nd team all conf.

4/16: We get 3 more recruits, all PGs, thank goodness! #80, #220, and #514. Hopin’ ta get an SF.

4/23: I ask for a budget increase. We just don’t have enough money to recruit properly. We get $4,000. Not much but better than nothin’.

20-10, 9-5, 2nd place, made a post season tourney. I’ll take it!

[Wayne23]

5/1: We’re too poor ta buy any reports.

6/5: We look at a couple a transfers but nobody looks good.

6/26: 3 scholarships. We want 3 bigs. Not even lookin’ at guards.

8/7: We’ve looked at about 20 recruits. They all look mediocre or worse, and only 2-3 are showing any interest at all. Not good.

8/21: We offer to 2 PFs and a C.

Like last year we’re not having much luck getting kids interested in us. My recruitin’ coach is sendin’ lots of telegrams an’ doin’ some travelin’ but not getting’ far except in miles. I’m not doin’ any better. Only 2 of the 3 we offered to are showin’ even a little interest.

One a the things I haven’t much talked about is keepin’ uniforms clean. At home we bring ‘em ta the Chinese laundry where they do what they do an’ get ‘em back to us next day. They’re cheap, quick, an’ they do a good job. We only use the uniforms for games. For practice kids jus’ wear shirts an’ old pants they cut most a the legs off of to make ‘em more comfortable.

On the road is a different story. We often have ta lug sweaty uniforms from one town ta another an’ fin’ a Chinese laundry that can clean ‘em quick enough so we can wear ‘em for our nex’ game. We actually had ta go ta 2 sets a uniforms. My A. D., Mack Towns, was real hard ta convince about that. I had ta explain it ain’t like football where ya play once a week. Fin’ly he got it.

Ya may be wonderin’ how we even hear about these high school kids we recruit. Well, there’s services that send out newspapers just about high school players- football, basketball, an’ baseball. They ain’t that expensive, an’ they come out every week, all year long. Mack Towns gets a copy for each sport, an’ the coaches in that sport have ta share it. It gives the kid’s name an’ address, an’ tells about him- his height an’ weight, his game stats- all a that. They interview kids, an’ they have ‘em write a little about themselves, an’ their coach writes a little, too- not every kid, a course, but the ones that are s’posed ta be real good. If the kid plays at a high school close enough one a the staff might go see him play, but for a lotta the kids the newspaper is all the info we get. So it ain’t real accurate all the time. Sometimes a kid’s way better an’ sometimes he’s way worse than ya expected.

9/18: Nobody signed yet but we think we’re real close with 2.

Weak schedule again this year. We ain’t good enough for a stronger schedule.

9/25: We got 2, a PF, #965, an’ a C, #237. The ratings are gonna change 2 more times though. Real happy ta nail 2 guys down. Hope we can get the 3rd one.

We’re gamblin’ an’ spendin’ what little money we got left in hopes a nailin’ down that las’ recruit.

10/2: Got the 3rd recruit, a PF, #566.

1st day of practice. We are not deep. We may need to try to get it done with 6 guys.

We’re picked 6th in conf., so the “experts” don’t think much of us.

11/6: Here’s the lineup:

Senior Glen Finn an’ frosh Jon Ceph start at guard. Soph Ben Tink an’ junior Mike Cane back up.

Junior Aron Hows is back at SF.

Senior Dave Jinn an’ frosh Sean Mark start inside. We’re real thin inside, an’ we may switch ta 3 guards. Backin’ up inside is frosh Vic Minn.

We’re prob’ly gonna need to do some shufflin’ an’ switchin’ for a while.

Keepin’ clean is never easy. I been hearin’ about new fangled bath tubs where water comes outta the wall or outta a pipe or somethin’, an’ fills a tub ya just sit in an’ wash. Never seen that but I sure would like to. Most times I do what everybody else does an’ wash in a basin. When it’s cold I heat the water on the stove, but it’s always too hot or too cold. When it’s warm enough, which is most a the time here, if ya can find a pond or a river, the best way ta keep clean is ta jus’ jump in. A little soap ta wash yer hair is good. An’ the less said about outhouses an’ chamber pots the better.

Out here in the west most men smoke cigars. Grand Canyon don’t allow it anywhere on campus, an’ I’m real happy about that. Never done it, never plan to. It’s one a the worst things about the train, an’ about hotels. The smell an’ the smoke are everywhere.

Speakin’ a hotels, we try ta avoid stayin’ in ‘em when we’re travelin’ but not havin’ our own rented train means we gotta stay in one sometimes. They’re expensive, not always too clean, since we gotta stay in cheap ones, an’ they’re full a gamblers an’ loose women. The food is usually okay. At night the coaches take 2 hour shifts a jus’ sittin’ or standin’ in the hallway ta make sure the kids don’t try ta sneak off an; meet up with one a them women
I was talkin’ about. If they’s only 2 coaches on the trip it’s a rough night- not much sleep.

You people 150 or 200 years in the future that I’m writin’ this to prob’ly solved most a these issues. I can already see the solutions on the horizon fer some of ‘em; jus’ gonna take some time to get ‘em in place. Ya prob’ly think of people in my time as primitive, an’ maybe we are, but we ain’t got a lotta choice.

Okay, let’s start this here 2nd season!

[Wayne23]

11/20: A 2-0 start, 1 at home, then 1 on the road, the 1st of 5 in a row, which will be brutal. Veterans Aron Hows, 18, 11, 5, an’ Glen Finn, 20, 5, 5 led us in our opener, which we won by 9. 40 RBs, 9 TOs.

Then we won by 8 on the road after being down 11. Much to my surprise we won it inside. 22 for Center Sean Mark, 13 for PF Dave Jinn, 9, 7, 8 for Hows. +9 TOs. At least so far we’re really taking good care of the ball. It’s early, a course.

All 3 recruits signed, which is good since we got about $2000 left.

Tryin’ ta help my kids stay positive about this 16 day road trip. It ain’t gonna be easy. My bench coach an’ scout are with us on the trip, but my recruiter is doin’ his own thing in case we decide ta cut somebody in the spring an’ try ta add another recruit. He’s lookin’ through the sports newspaper ta see who’s around for next year’s recruitin’, too.

11/27: 3-1. We got shellacked by a lousy team, then beat a decent team. We didn’t do much right in the loss. In the 4 point win we jus’ kep’ pluggin’ along, an’ in the end it came out right.

On the train, an’ it seems like we’re always on the train right now, the staff talked about the lineup. We decided ta pretty much stay the way we are for a few more games. Ben Tink will get a little more time at guard, an’ that’s about it.

12/4: 5-1. 2 more road wins. We swamped Lamar by 17. All 5 starters had 10 or more.

Then we won by 4 with a big comeback at Abilene Cretin. 21, 11, 6 for Dave Jinn, who’s at C now, an’ 20 for PG Jon Ceph, who is startin’ ta come along. 12 for #3 guard Ben Tink. +9 RBs. TOs ain’t where I want ‘em yet, but they’re way better than las’ year at 13.3 right now.

We went 4-1 on the long road trip, which is amazin’ ta me. We’ll be home tomorrow night, an’ stay there for 10 days.

One a the players said, “We’re all tired an’ we all stink. Let’s go home!” I guess we all feel that way.

I gotta say, the railroads started stockin’ somethin’ called potato chips. They put ‘em on the tables at lunch an’ dinner time, an’ the dang things are addictive. Never a one lef’ by the end of the meal. One a the stewards said they were invented a few years ago an’ they’re sweepin’ the country. I never saw ‘em until recently, an’ only on the trains so far. Better than popcorn.

12/11: 7-1, RPI #44, which is way too high. 30, 13 for Jinn in the 2nd win. He leads us in PPG, RBs, blocks, and steals. If the guy could play D he’d be a big time player, but sadly, he can’t.

Jon Ceph got the season off ta a real slow start but he’s really come around. We got 3 good guards, and #4 Mike Cane don’t hurt us when I put him in. Up front we’re real steady, but if we stay healthy we’ll be fine. I like this team.

12/18: 2 real battles this week. We lost to San Diego by 1 here, than beat San Francisco by 4 there.

In the 1st we came back from down 20, took a lead in the last minute, then had 2 defenders knock each other over on the last play a the game, allowin’ the other team ta get the winnin’ layup. Tough way ta lose. 29, 7 for Jinn, 13, 12 for Hows. We let ‘em shoot 55.4% though.

Then we led all the way at San Fran, but almos’ let it slip away late. But they missed two big shots late an’ we made our free throws.

8-2, RPI #63. All 5 starters getting 10.9 or more. Jinn leads us with 15.9 an’ 7.5. Tink an’ Minn do great comin’ off the bench.

12/25: We end pre-conf. play 9-3, after a 6 point road loss. RPI #82, which seems about right. +5.6 PPG, +4.0 RBs, +2.4 TOs, but we’re at 14.3, which does NOT make me happy. Jinn is still our guy.

We were picked 6th in conf. I’d be disappointed if we finished below 2nd, an’ I think we can win it.

[Wayne23]

1/1/1872: 10-3, RPI #81. Dave Jinn jus’ continues to play well, 25, 7, 4. 15 for Finn.

A brand new year. We were at home so we hosted a little party, let the players bring their girl friends. I find that if we make sure there’s food an’ sarsaparilla an’ lemonade, they come, an’ they have fun. We had a piano, an’ lots of the kids play instruments so they made their own music an’ danced.

The kids teased me, as they do all the time, about not bein’ married or even havin’ a girl friend. Ta be honest, I’m ready ta settle down. Jus’ haven’t met the girl yet. We’d be poor, but most folks are. That wouldn’t bother me. I could always get more hours from Mr. Billings on that engineering stuff. Oh well, I’ll meet her someday I hope.

1/8: 12-3, 2-0, RPI #75. There’s a lotta guys carryin’ the load right now, about 8. Stop one guy we’ll find another one ta get it done. We’re lookin’ good!

1/15: 14-3, 4-0, RPI #66. Jinn had 24, 13, then 23, 7, 4, 7. nTied with New mexico ST for 1st with Utah Valley one back, but it’s early, an’ we play both of ‘em nex’ week, both on the road.

1/22: 15-4, 5-1, RPI #52. New Mexico ST beat us by 10. We let them shoot 50%. Jinn, Finn, and Ceph had good games,

We beat Utah Valley by 21. 21, 11 for Jinn, +13 RBs. So we’re in 2nd, 1 back of 1st, 2 up on 3rd.

There was a problem on the train coming home. Sean Mark, our PF, is a big, good lookin’ guy. I’ve mentioned the “girls” at the hotels. Well, there are “girls” on the train, too. One of them was after Sean from the time we got on the train. I don’t know where she thought he’d get the price, but I guess that’s her worry. Sean was tryin’ ta resist temptation, but that ain’t ever easy, an’ this girl was pushy as can be. Fortunately, we never let our boys very far outta sight an’ my bench coach saw that he’d need to stick with Sean. He did, an’ eventually the “girl” gave up. The coach stationed himself outside a Sean’s sleeper car, an’ sure enough, she came traipsin’ down there. The coach shoo’ed her off. Later him an; me got ta wonderin’ what the “girl” planned ta do in a sleeper car with 6 men in it. Then we decided we didn’t wanta think on that for too long.

1/29: 17-4, 7-1, RPI #42. +7.8 PPG, +5.9 RBs, +2.6 TOs. 1 back of New Mexico ST, 3 up on 3rd place. It’s a two way race.

2/5: 18-5, 8-2, RPI #50. We lost on the road, but New Mexico ST did too, so we’re still 1 back of them. 2 up on 3rd place. We play them this week, here.

2/12: 20-5, 10-2, RPI #50. We beat NM ST by 14. It was a back and forth game. They led by 11 at one point early on. We came back and dominated the 2nd half. 27, 5 for Jinn, 11, 10, 4 for Finn, 15 for 6th man Ben Tink. 7 TOs (+12). We’re tied for 1st but if it ends this way we’d be the #1 seed for the WAC tourney. 2 to play.

2/19: 21-6, 11-3, RPI #50. We finish 2nd. We were tied for 1st going to the last game, and we blew it, losing by 12. Dave Jinn had a very rare off night, and we were -10 on the boards.

We play #7 seed Utah Valley, 7-20, 5-9, in the 1st round.

[Wayne23]

3/1: 79-75 in OT. Too close! We led by 19 early in the 2nd, and went cold for 15 minutes. With 91 seconds left we were down 5. Fortunately we managed a do or die rally on 2 threes by Hows and 1 by Finn, an’ a TO by the other team helped, as well as them makin’ only 1-3 free throws during that time. That got it ta OT, an’ that was no picnic, but we go it done. 20 TOs (-7) drove me crazy all night, but 57 RBs (+19) saved us. 21, 10 for Hows, 15, 11, 5 for Finn, 12, 15 for Mark, an’ 12, 13 for Jinn.

#6 seed TX Rio, 11-17, 6-8, pulled an upset so we play them in the semis. We won by 10 at our place but then lost by 4 there.

3/2: 81-62. Our guards went crazy tonight. 25 for Finn, 24 for Ceph, 6 for Tink, 4 for Cane, so they got 59, almost enough to win the game. Good thing, cuz our big didn’t do much. +13 TOs.

I’m worried about Jinn. He’s had 3 subpar games in a row. If he has one tomorrow, we’ll lose.

It’s New Mexico ST, #1 seed, #21 ranked, 23-6, 12-2, for the title. They won by 10 there, then we won by 14 at our place. On paper it’s a toss up.

3/3: 66-77. We fell apart in the second half. Jinn, Finn, and Mark all had subpar games, Jinn’s 4th in a row after a great season. We didn’t defend well, and we had 16 TOs.

I’m disappointed. I had really hoped to make the NCAA tourney this year. I don’t think we will.

3/5: The tourney rotates around the conf. This year it was at UMKC in Missouri and it was COLD. Then we all got snowed in for two days. It was not fun. We saved a little money by staying on the train, which had been scheduled to leave on the evening of the 3rd. We were on board but the train didn’t go anywhere until today. Still, better than a hotel. It was chilly, in that the train doesn’t heat up well when it’s not moving, but we managed.

We’re 23-7, 11-3, RPI #48. Now we wait. I think we’ll go to the NIT, prob’ly with a good seed.

3/12: NIT, #3 South. We play #6 seed Loyola Marymount, 18-12.

3/14: 84-76. 17, 6, 5 for Ceph, 14 each for Jinn an’ Tink.

#2 seed Miami (OH), 20-11, in the 2nd round.

3/16: 55-72. They were the better team. Jinn had 12, Ceph 13.

4/3: #8 Louisville wins the title.

4/4: Dave Jinn is WAD POY and 1st team along with Glen Finn and Sean Mark. Ron Ceph is Frosh OY. Aron Hows made 2nd team. I got Conf. COY.

4/9 I actually got a couple of offers. I dang near accepted UL Louisiana Lafayette, but I thought I owed it to GC to stay at least another year. But after nex’ season, if I get a better offer, I’m goin’.

4/23: I asked for $ again. We get $2,000. My A.D. is throwing me crumbs.

We definitely improved this season, won 4 more, lost 2 less. TOs were only a little better, but still… Overall, I’m 44-18, .710.

This new game a basketball is catchin’ on. That sports newspaper I keep talkin’ about says attendance is up all aroun’ the country. Here we went from 1128 average attendance the year before I got here, ta 1876 for my first year, an’ 2626 this year. That’s good. We don’t charge but a dime, but a dime’s a lotta money ta some folks.

There was an Indian attack in a little town about 30 miles from here las’ week. That kinda thing still happens now an’ then.

[Wayne23]

5/1: Still can’t afford ta buy any reports.

6/5: We’re lookin’ hard at transfers.

6/12: We get a junior C. I think he’ll help us.

6/16: We get another big, a PF. He’s a little iffy, but he’ll have a year ta learn our system.

6/26: 2 scholarships. Looking at 1 guard 1 big. Lookin’ at 15 ta start.

7/11: As usual, not doin’ well with recruits, but workin’ hard.

What do we do with a recruit too far ta easily bring ta campus? Well, the Admissions office has stuff, a map a the campus, drawings a the campus an’ some a the main buildings, things like that. All the “facts and figures” kinda things. We give ‘em that an’ tell ‘em about the athletic facilities, the dorm they’ll be livin’ in, which I shoulda mentioned. I’ll do it now.

All the football, baseball, an’ basketball guys live in the same dorm, 3 to a room. Coaches who wanta live there are in charge. 2 a my assistants live there, 2 football assistants, an’ the head baseball coach an’ 2 a his assistants. They put up a schedule a when an adult is “on duty.” There’s always one an’ they try for two. In season, a coach has to opt out if he’s off campus at a game or recruitin’ or whatever, an’ the off season guys hafta figure a way ta cover it.

I can see myself livin’ in a dorm when I move on ta my nex’ school cuz that’s the way it’s done everywhere until ya get ta the real big time programs. It’s a good system. Everybody in the dorm eats at the school cafeteria which has 21 meals a week. The food is good, or at least decent, and it’s “all you can eat.” Some a them football guys are unbelievable. GC has a big agriculture school so all the meat becomes from right here on campus, an’ eggs, milk, cheese- all a that.

8/21: We offer ta a PG an’ a C.

9/18: Another soft schedule.

9/25: We lost a recruit but we think we’re close with the 2 we’re now chasin’.

10/2: Still no recruits signed. It is very frustrating.

1st day of practice.

We’re picked to win the conf.

10/16: Lost another recruit and we’re running out of money. I’m really hoping this is my last year at GC.

11/6: Here’s the lineup:

Sophs Jon Ceph an’ Maja Obar start at guard, with Ben Tink backin’ up.

Senior Aron Hows is back at SF.

Sophs Vic Minn an’ Sean Mark start inside. Ben Tink does most of the back up inside as well. We’re goin’ with a 6 man rotation as much as we can.