Historical Association #2

[Wayne23]

3/9: #6 seed Texas Tech, 15-13, 8-8, in the quarters. We lost by 5 there. Heir backcourt is their strength.

3/10: 73-54. SG Mark Hett led us with 15 and 6. Easy win for once.

#2 seed, #6 ranked Kansas, 26-5, 13-3, in the semis. We beat them by 11 here then were crushed there by 25. VERY good team.

3/11: 58-85. Ouch! It just didn’t come close to happening for us. C Erl Jank fouled out in 9 minutes.

3/12: 21-8, 12-4, RPI #28. #7?

#7 South. We play #10 Marquette, 19-10. Their starting C is out with a broken arm.

3/17: 82-55. A rout. 18, 10 for Grow. 6 other had between 8 and 11. +17 RBs, 11 TOs.

#2 seed, #7 ranked Georgetown, 32-1. We’ve never made the Sweet Sixteen and it won’t be easy this year either.

3/19: 59-77. 16, 14 for Grow.

I need to get out of here. I’ve gone as far as I can go. We don’t get good enough recruits to go any further than I’ve already taken this team, at least not on any sort of regular basis.

4/3: Wow! Kansas wins it all. We beat the national champs! That’s a feather in our cap!

4/4: Awards: I got Big 12 COY. We got nothing else.

Hoping for that offer I need to move on.

Mississippi. Step down but I’m considering it anyway.

4/9: Going to Florida ST. It will be a huge challenge to compete in the ACC but how could I say no?

4/16: We have great assistants in place at #1 and #3. Need a #2, a scout. 49

SO nice to be in Tallahassee! This part of Florida is very “southern.” Lots of Florida ain’t but this is, and I am right at home. The school of agriculture here is huge so I’ll eat lots better. But besides that I’m in rebel country. Hooray!

4/23: We need a bigger budget if we hope to compete so that’s what I ask for. No.

22-9, 12-4. Overall, 180-81, .690.

[Wayne23]

5/1: We buy the Southeast Gold, and the national basic.

Unemployment is at about 18% nationally. The economic depression continues. It’s terrible. People are starving.

6/5: We have a couple of spots for transfers.

6/12: Bill Grow, who did a great job for me at Kansas ST, just committed.

Violent strikes in a couple of places. People getting killed. It’s terrible, but times are so hard I guess folks are willing to put their lives on the lien.

6/26: 5 scholarships. I need bigs more than guards. Looking at lots of kids. There are newsletters that help us with this. They’re not that expensive and they give lots of information. It’s hard to know how accurate it is, but over the
years you get to know which newsletters give better info, and which don’t. We try to get out to see the kids but it’s not easy, and if we 25% of the ones we’re after we’re lucky. Communication is by telephone, letter, and telegram.

Telephone is tricky. You need to set it up in advance. Some homes have telephones. Most don’t, so you set it up at their school when you can. Sometimes the school A. D. has a phone, but sometimes the only one is in the Principal’s office, with the secretary. Some schools don’t let kids use that phone.

Food here is great. Still lots of soup, and lots of beans, but better cuts of meat since we raise it on campus, and lots more variety of fruits and vegetables just because everything grows down here.

8/21: We offer to 2 PGs, 2 PFs, and a C. All show at least some interest.

What a conference, Duke, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Pitt, NC ST. Maybe I’m out of my mind to think I can compete here. On the other hand, what if I do? That would be fantastic.

9/18: Great news! Got 3, lost 2. Got our #1 prospect, a PG, #83, a C, #123, a PF, #512, but he looks really promising.

In the HFT Tourney vs. Rhode Island. Some challenges.

9/25: Got a second promising looking PG, #152. Lost a big.

10/2: We get the big, a PF, #609. We have two who are iffy regarding hitting the SAT score so we’ll keep active.

1st day of practice. We’ll be going three guard. Very little talent up front. They’ll get better in the next 6 weeks, but this is an area of real weakness.

We’re picked 13th in our 15 team conference. I’m hoping for top half, 7th or higher. Can we do it? Too soon to tell.

I’m not so crazy about the new heavyweight champ. Yeah, John L. was a Yankee all the way, but he had style! “I can lick any son of a bitch in the world!” “Gentleman Jim” Corbett is kind of an… I don’t know, too much of a gentleman and not enough of a mix it up fighter. He wins, but I don’t like the way he wins. He will never mix it up and slug it out. He dances around too much.

Dreyfus. I don’t know but that sure seems fishy. It’s so far away it’s hard to know, of course.

11/6: 9 man rotation. Here it is:

Soph Jay Burr is at PG, and senior Kel Rob at SG. Senior Jem Lloy and junior Wes Joss back up.

SG Quin Gann is at SF.

Junior Rom Tell is at PF, backing up at C, and senior Andy Mars is at C. Backing up inside are junior Oti Whist and frosh Kyle Neer.

[Wayne23]

1/1/1895: 9-4, 2-1. 2 of these were on the road so this is a great start! Everyone did their part, but the guards were the ones scoring the points.

1/15: 11-6, 4-3. RPI #35. I have to say that when this team loses they really lose. But, we win our share. I would rather lose big than lose by a point or two. In that case I’m up all night thinking about what I could have done differently.

If we lose big, it would not have mattered what I did, so I sleep easy.

Jay Burr, my PG, is really coming along. He’s only a soph, a transfer from VMI, and as he gets used to everything here he’s just getting better and better as both a scorer and a ball handler. He’s our best defender. Our scoring is balanced inside and out, and among four starters.

We could rebound better, but we’re small. No one is taller than 6’7”, and we do not have a Center on the roster. We start 3 guards and an SF. So rebounding is going to be a challenge.

1/29: 13-8, 6-5. RPI #35. In a 3 way tie for 3rd, but 4 teams right behind us. Still, we’re on track to finish in the top half.

5 of our last 7 are against ranked teams.

That PG missed the SAT score, as expected. Unfortunately, the guy we had our eye on also missed the score. We offer to another one.

2/12: 15-10, 8-7, RPI #42. In a 2 way tie for 6th. We continue to win close and lose big.

2/22: Frederick Douglass, the colored man who climbed so far up the ladder, died the other day. Not sure how I feel about that or about him.

Something called X-rays. They tell me they let doctors see inside a person’s body. No, I don’t believe it, I just don’t. It has to be a hoax.

2/26: We end the regular season 16-12, 9-9, RPI #43, in a 3 way tie for 6th. -3.1 PPG, +1.5 RBs, +1.0 TOs. Robb leads us in scoring. We met my expectations; maybe exceeded them a little. Anything we do in the postseason will be a bonus.

[Wayne23]

3/9: We play #10 seed Virginia Tech, 16-14, 6-12 in the play in round. Beat them by 9 here. We’re the better team, but not by a lot.

92-78. The starters all had between 12 and 16, and the bench had 24.

At #2 seed, #5 ranked North Carolina, 26-4, 16-2. They won by 22 at our place. Not expecting a win, but I AM expecting our best effort.

3/10: 55-84. We tried. We really did.

17-13, 9-9, RPI #45. #10 seed?

3/12: #10 seed East. We play #7 Wisconsin, 21-9. We can beat these guys if we contain their SF and SG.

3/16: 70-76. 16, 12 for Robb, 14 for Burr, 12 each for Tell and Mars.

Not a bad first season all in all. BUT, this is not my destination school. To compete for national titles, which is my goal, I need to get top 50, even top 25 recruits. It probably won’t happen here.

4/3: #1 UCLA won it all.

4/4: Awards: Shut out.

4/9: No offers worth considering.

4/23: One more good budget increase would get us to where we could buy the national gold. Got $13,00, and that gives me what I want!

17-14, 9-9. Overall, 197-95, .675, after 9 seasons.

[Wayne23]

5/1: We buy the national gold.

6/5: Going for some good looking guards.

6/12: No.

I’ve learned some new songs. I shouldn’t like this Yankee song, but I do somehow; I’m talking about “The Sidewalks of New York.” The most beautiful patriotic song I ever heard was just written, and it is my first song, every time I play somewhere: “America, the Beautiful.” I love “The Band Played On.”

6/26: 4 scholarships. I’d like 2 and 2. I’m gambling and only going for guys ranked under 100.

8/7 Summer heat is here. I missed it. Kansas can be very hot, but somehow it’s not the same.

8/21: We offer to a PG, an SG, an SF, and a PF.

The hard times continue, both here in the U. S., and I guess everywhere else. I feel bad for the colored folks. They had it pretty bad before the depression, and its worse now. People down here have, well, complicated feelings about colored folks, but the way I see it, they’re people. I don’t like to see them suffer, especially the kids. I don’t know what to do about it though.

9/18: Got 2, lost 2. Got PG #47, SF #66. These are guys I can build on!

Sunshine Shootout vs. Rice. We bumped up the schedule.

9/25: Got the SG, #49. Need that big guy!

10/2: Got the C! #241.

I hear Marti has led his revolutionaries into Cuba to try to free it from Spain.

Professional football has started up. It seems like a sort of step up from barnstorming, with a league and everything.

And something called the “U. S. Open” is going in in Rhode Island. I’ve heard of golf, and had it explained to me. It sounds terribly boring.

11/6: Six man rotation. There are others who can jump in, but for now it’s these six:

Junior Jay Burr is back at the Point. Senior walk on Joe Wild is at SG, backing up at PG because, once again, we simply have no guards. If he doesn’t work out we’ll go with a one guard set up.

Soph SF Cris Matt starts at SF and subs at SG, and he’s ready to start at SG if need be.

Junior Bill Grow, who transferred from KS ST to stay with me, is at PF, subbing at C.

Senior Rom Tell returns at C.

Frosh Jar Lack subs at SF and PF.

Guys like senior Oti Whit, and soph Alex Page are available, and could become part of the picture. My two frosh guards are less than likely to play much.

We’re picked 10th in conf., but we never get any respect in the polls. The goal is top half.

[Wayne23]

11/20: 2-0 start. The walk on? Two double doubles.

All 4 recruits sign.

12/4: 3-2. Lost a tough one in OT at Arizona. We lost it on a bad call at the end of regulation. 20, 20 for Tell. 64 RBs.

We play Houston, then head for the Sunshine Shootout vs. Rice.

12/9: We led for the last 37 minutes. 18, 14 for Grow. +21 RBs- we’re #3 in the nation.

#3 seed Duquesne, 5-2, in the semis.

12/10: 69-56. 27 for PG Jay Burr. 42 RBs. We led nearly all the way again.

#4 seed Chatt, 4-3, upset #1. We’re the better team but you gotta do it on the court.

12/11: 64-61 and the title. Never more than a 9 point difference either way. Burr, and Alex Page, who now starts at SF, led the way, with Rom Tell playing well inside. 45 RBs, 11 TOs.

Matt and Lack weren’t giving us much so they’ve lost most of their minutes at SG and SF to Page, and to Oti Whit.

12/25: 8-3 going to conf. play. +3.9 PPG, +8.5 RBs, -1.4 TOs. RPI #43.

The economic depression isn’t getting much better. I’m lucky to be here, where it isn’t quite so bad.

[Wayne23]

1/1/1896: 1-2 start. We played two teams we simply weren’t going to beat, but we dang near beat one of them, losing in OT. Like last year, I’d take 9-9 in conf.

1/15: 11-6, 3-3. RPI #25. Big win against a very good Pitt team, there. Frosh guard, Cat Hill, from whom I expected nothing, is starting to become part of the rotation, and a dang good part. Matt, Lack, Page, and Whit are all giving me fits. None are giving me anything I want though.

1/29: 12-8, 4-5, RPI #38. In a 4 way tie for 7th in this very tough conf. Doing about as well as expected. -1.6 PPG, +5.4 RBs, -1.6 TOs. Okay, Hill is getting even more time at guard, and that walk mon senior, Joe Wild, our leading scorer, stealer, and shot blocker, is getting some time at SF. I may eventually start him there and start Hill at Sg, but one step at a time.

2/12: 15-10, 7-7, RPI #38. In a two way tie for 8th, but if we can win 3 of the last 4 we should finish higher. The sched. Is favorable.

Going with a 3 guard set up. Hill keeps getting better and better, and Wild can play the SF spot.

2/26: We end up 18-11, 10-8, RPI #37, in a 4 way tie for 4th, the #7 seed. I’m thrilled! It took a long time but we now have the right lineup in there. Back to a 6 man rotation with Page getting all the sub minutes. Basically, I sub at every whistle to keep the 6 fresh. If it’s a wide enough margin at the end I rest as many as I can for the last few minutes. Joe Wild, my walk on, is my #1 scorer, shot blocker, and stealer, #2 in assists, #3 in RBs. Heck of a walk on! Cat Hill is playing terrific ball; frosh sometimes take a while. He did, but he was sure worth the wait!

[Wayne23]

3/9: We play #11 seed BC, 11-17, 5-13, in the play in round. This is a team we should beat, but we’re not taking it for granted.

68-53. Tied at the half. I kicked some serious butt and they came out and took over. 16, 17 for Tell, 15, 9 for Grow. Decent bench play for one, and +19 RBs.

#3 seed, #22 ranked Syracuse, 20-8, 14-4, in the quarters. They won by 17 there. VERY good inside team; we need to pressure their guards to cause TOs, and hold our own on the boards. This one won’t be easy.

3/10: 60-61. We did everything but win. +17 on the boards, great D, neutralized their great inside game, got points outside. But they’re that good. In the end they hit a shot with 2 left, and we couldn’t get a good shot off. 16, 11 for Grow, 14, 4, 7 for Burr, 13 for Hill, 16 RBs for Tell, 6, 12 for Page. This one will keep me awake all night.

19-12, 10-8, RPI #35.

3/12: Ouch! Tough draw in every way. #9 East. We face #8 Texas, 20-11, and if we win it’s #1 overall GA Tech who just absolutely whipped us twice in the ACC.

Texas looks tough.

3/16: 65-68. I am just star crossed, I swear. Beat by a half court prayer. Double dang! 18 for Hill, 14, 8 for Tell, 11, 9 for Grow, 10, 5, 3 for Burr.

I gotta say, we got 3 guys rated under 60 coming in, 1 more under 100, and Grow, Burr, Hill are back, plus some others who will only develop and get better. Feeling good about the future!

4/3: #3 North Carolina, from here in the ACC, won it all. GA Tech lost in the national semifinal.

4/4: Awards: Shut out for the 2nd year in a row. It’s a 15 team conf., we finished in the middle.

Will I move? I like what’s coming up here, but if the right offer comes…

4/9: Staying. A couple of schools were worth investigating, but that was it.

4/23: We need a facilities upgrade. Got it! C+ to B+!

19-13, 10-8. Overall I’m 216-108, .667 for 10 years.

I think this program is going to take a big step up next season!

[Wayne23]

5/1: National Gold.

Kyle Neer transfers out. He wasn’t part of our plans. Leaves room for a transfer, not that I’ve had any luck with landing those.

What a great idea! They brought back the ancient Olympic Games and held them in Greece. Wish I coulda seen that!

6/5: 2 guys we REALLY like. Long shot on getting either one.

Good decision by the U. S. Supreme Court, separate but equal education for the colored folks. Only way they’re gonna improve their situation is through education, and at least down here, the white folks ain’t gonna accept them. So this should work.

We got 45 states now. Utah just came in.

6/12: No luck with transfers.

6/26: 4 scholarships.

Got a new song. A good one! “There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.”

8/21: We offer to a PG, an SG, and 2 Cs.

It’s an election year again. Mr. Cleveland says he won’t go against tradition and run again. Mr. William Jennings Bryan speaks for the interests of the South. He is running against Mr. William McKinley, a Yankee who says he will end this terrible economic depression. Course Bryan says that too.

9/18: We get 2, lose 2. We get an SG, #36, and a C, #67.

Sunshine Shootout vs. Arizona ST. Some challenges on the sched.

9/25: We get the other two, a PG, #50, but he may have trouble hitting the SAT score, and a C, #55.

10/2: 1st day of practice.

That Dreyfus thing is a real mess over in France. I guess Dreyfus didn’t do it and they got the guy who did, but they still ain’t setting Dreyfus free. Bad deal.

11/6: I have to say that 10 guys looked really good. I’m giving all of them minutes. Here’s the lineup, for now:

Frosh Leon Lee looks very good and he’ll start at PG, back up at SG.

Senior Jay Burr is back starting at SG and backing up at the Point.

Soph Cal Hill, who played very well last season, and frosh Ban Hawk will sub at SG.

Junior Cris Matt starts at SF.

Junior Alex Page starts at PF and subs at SF. He started last year but lost his job mid-season.

Senior Bill Grow is back at C.

Soph Jar Lack, and frosh Cob Hays and Plio Araj sub inside.

They pick us to finish 14th in the 15 team ACC. Ridiculous! This is the best team I’ve had here.

Mr. McKinley won the election and will be the new President.

[Wayne23]

3/8: We play 14-15, 7-11 Kona, the #10 seed. We beat them by only 2 at our place on a night when we were just awful, and lucky to win.

3/9: 80-62. Never a threat. 26, 11 for Grow. 41 RBs, 9 TOs.

The reward is that we get to face #2 seed, #2 ranked Duke, 27-3, 15-3. They absolutely whipped us there.

3/10: 60-87. We’re just not in their class.

20-11, 10-8, RPI #33.

3/12: #7 South. That’s a great seed for us. We play #10 Georgetown, 19-10; they’re very good outside. Very tough 2nd round matchup, if we get there.

3/17: 71-58. We fell behind at the start. I called a time out, made a change, told the guys they could do this, and they did! 13 point halftime lead. 21, 5, 5, 3 for Burr, 13, 12 for Grow. Lee had a horrible 14 TOs. We had 24 as a team. +14 RBs helped.

#2 seed, #7 ranked Oregon, 27-5. This is the farthest I ever get. Never broke through to the Sweet Sixteen. We’ll need to play a perfect game and hope they have an off night. Could happen but…

3/19: 77-86. We played really well, but the talent differential did us in. 26 for burr, 12, 5, 6 for Lee, 14 for Grow.

4/3: #3 Kansas won it all.

4/4: Awards: Bill Grow made ACC 2nd team.

Hoping for a good offer.

4/9: Nothing resembling a tempting offer. I’m back.

4/23: I ask for a budget increase. Got $14,000. We now have the budget we need to compete.

21-12, 10-8. Overall, I’m 237-120, .664.

I feel like I’m in a rut here. Hope I’m wrong.