Historical Association #4

[Wayne23]

11/20: 2-0 start. Arck, Hill, and Kirk look especially good.

One of our recruits doesn’t sign, which means we will need to recruit someone else.

12/4: 6-0. We’re playing really good ball. Arck (20.7, 8.5) and Hill (16.2) are really tearing it up.

One more at home then a 3 game road trip.

We haven’t tweaked the lineup much but soph Greg Lumm, a transfer C/PF from Texas Tech, is getting our attention.

12/25: 11-0 going to Conf. play. RPI #105. +13.6 PPG, +7.4 RBs, +3.8 TOs. Arck is leading us with 19.7, 8.7. Hill is getting 16.6.

Cutbacks continue here at EMU, as they do everywhere, but we’re eating, we have a roof over our heads, we’re warm enough in the winter. No complaints!

[Wayne23]

1/1/1932: We start conference play with a win, 12-0, 1-0, RPI #62.

It’s a new year, and an election year. It’s too soon to know who the Democrats will run, but Franklin D. Roosevelt is sounding more like a candidate every day. He would have my vote!

1/15: 15-1, 4-1, RPI #47. The win streak ended with a 2 point loss at Toledo. We’re tied for 1st in the West.

1/24: 12 million unemployed. That’s about 10%, not of the workforce, but of the entire population!

1/29: 19-1, 8-1, RPI #19. +12.7 PPG, +4.8 RBs, +6.6 TOs. We’re 2 up on 2nd place Toledo in the West, 1 up on Bowling Green in the East, who we just beat by 21. Arck and Hill continue to lead us.

As expected, the recruit did not hit our SAT score. We offer to a PF.

Trouble, BIG trouble between China and Japan.

The brutal Russian dictator, Josef Stalin, is starving his people. It is estimated that more than a million Russians starved to death last year.

2/5: Despite an 8 point loss at Ohio, we’re ranked! 1st time in program history and 1st time in my career as a head coach!

2/12: 22-2, 11-2, #21, RPI #20. We’re leading the West by 4. 1 up on Bowling Green in the East, and 2 on Ohio.

2/19: We get a PF, #96.

2/26: We end the regular season at 26-2, 14-2, #19, RPI #17. +11.7 PPG, +4.2 RBs, +6.0 TOs. We win the Div. by 5, the conf. by 2.

3/5: The infant son of Charles Lindbergh, arguably the most famous man and the world, and his well known poet wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, has been kidnapped, and is being held for ransom. This is truly horrible.

[Wayne23]

3/6: We play 14-16, 7-9 Western MI in the quarter finals. We won by 6 there, 16 here.

3/7: 90-78. 23, 11 for Arck, 24, 5, 3 for Hill. Those two have had terrific seasons! 17, 5, 4 for SF/PF/C Milt Chip.

19-13, 8-8 Ball ST in the semifinals. They lost their starting PG to grades, but his replacement seems better than he was. We won by 17 there, 20 here.

Dearborn, Michigan, not all that far from here. Police fire upon 3000 demonstrating unemployed auto workers. 4 are killed and MANY are injured. Inexcusable. People are starving and freezing and the police are killing them. I never thought I’d see this in my country.

Roosevelt has not yet announced for President but it is clear he is running. Thank goodness!

In foreign news, Benito Mussolini is in power in Italy. He seems to be crazy as a bed bug.

3/8: 73-74. They made 12 threes, we made three. Their last one came with less than a second to play, and won it for them. 23, 10, 4, 4 for Arck, 13, 4, 3 for Hill, 12, 5 for Lenz.

3/11: Ball ST upset Bowling Green for the title.

We’re 27-3, 14-2. #21, RPI #21.

Nothing new on the Lindbergh kidnapping but it is the biggest story of the year.

3/12: #6 East. We play #11 seed Texas, 16-13.

3/16: 94-79. We jumped out to a big early lead, as many as 22. They never got it to less than 12 after that. 24, 11 for Arck, 20, 6, 6 for Hill, 18, 5 for PF Ron Lenz, 12, 6 for Chip.

#3 seed, #5 ranked Florida, 28-5, in the 2nd round. VERY tough team.

3/18: 59-82. Ouch! Great team! 18, 6 for Arck, 17, 6 for Hill.

Arck is the only player we’re losing but he is a big loss.

4/3: #2 ranked Iowa won it all.

4/4: Awards: Sam Arck was named Conf. POY and 1st team. WELL deserved! Cris Hill also made 1st team, and that was well deserved!

Time for a new team or a new conf. Let’s see what we get for offers.

4/9: Going to Butler, in the Big East. This will be a rebuilding program, but there’s a base to build from. BUT, we are VERY thin at guard.

4/12: Hindenburg is elected President of Germany. The people there elected him in an effort to hold off Adolf Hitler, who is as insane as Italy’s Mussolini.

4/16: I keep all 3 assistants.

4/23: I ask for a facilities upgrade. No.

Great season, 28-4, 1st place. Overall, I’m 65-30, .684, for my 3 seasons at Eastern MI.

Ransom notes have been found in the Lindbergh case. Many say they seem “suspicious.” Everything about this case is strange. There is still no sign of the baby. The investigation is massive, with a huge FBI presence, aided by local and state police.

[Wayne23]

5/1: We buy Midwest Gold. My salary here is the usual faculty housing, all meals at the Butler cafeteria, when it’s open, which is 3 meals on M, Tu, W, Th, 2 on F. I also get free coal delivered, my electricity paid, and a phone at home, paid. Oh, and $50 a week.

All kinds of trouble in both China and Japan. In China, brutal dictator Chaing Kai-Chek is killing thousands of suspected Communists, who back Mao
Zedong, who appears to be as brutal as Chaing.

In Japan, the Navy tries to overthrow the government.

Here at home the government refuses to release unemployment data, which means it’s getting worse, but then that’s obvious. I give out lots of dimes when I go into Indianapolis, and I buy lots of pencils and apples for a nickel each.

5/29: 15,000 World War veterans arrive in Washington, D.C. to demand full payment of the bonus promised them for serving in the war.

6/1: Trouble in Germany. The Hindenburg government appears ready to fall. Hitler waits in the wings, manipulating events.

The Dow Jones fall to 41.22, its lowest mark ever.

6/5: 2 slots for transfers. We’re shopping!

6/12: We get a PG.

6/26: 4 scholarships. We need at least 3 guards, maybe all 4.

7/20: Hitler’s Nazis are marching in Germany. There is violence and killing.

In Russia, millions are starving. Stalin blames them for their fate and does nothing to help them. He is in absolute control of the country.

7/23: Franklin D. Roosevelt is the Democratic nominee. He will run against Hoover. The earliest polls predict he will win in a landslide. While, like Hoover, he is a very wealthy man, he has the common touch, and he clearly has a plan to put people back to work. He also makes it clear that he will end people dying of starvation and freezing. He’s my man!

8/21: We offer to 4 PGs.

9/18: We lose 2.

We’re going to my 1st in season tourney as a head coach, the Palmetto Shootout, vs. St. Joe’s. Not a particularly strong schedule. Again, we want wins, to help build the program.

9/25: Got 2, lost 2.

10/2: Got the other 2, so we have 4 PGs. I gambled, maybe should have taken a big guy, but the guard situation is pretty bad. I have 4 guards on the squad and 2 are walk ons.

1st day of practice. I seem to have 2 guards who can move the ball, one being a walk on. We have several good inside players.

10/25: Mussolini publicly announces he plans to be dictator for 30 years. For the sake of the Italian people, I certainly hope not!

11/6: 8 man rotation to start, but guard positions are shaky, at best:

Soph walk on Buck Mill starts at PG, for now.

Frosh Hal Mack starts at SG, subs at PG. Frosh Eric Tell subs at both guard spots.

Junior Dub Evan starts at SF, but junior Mark Bows gets almost as many minutes there.

Junior Cris Chap, our best player, starts at PF, subs at C. Senior Curt Morr subs at PF.

Junior Tag Hunt starts at C.

We’re picked 5th in the 10 team Big East.

11/7: I want to talk about radio for a moment. What a wonderful thing it is! Music, but also, all kinds of shows- variety, comedy, drama, suspense, Westerns, news... And, as of today, Buck Rogers!

11/8: We have a new President! FDR wins in a landslide. Can’t wait for March 4 when he takes office.

[Wayne23]

11/20: 2-0 start, both on the road. Walk on Buck Mill had two really good games.

One more road game then off to the Palmetto Shootout vs. St. Joe’s, the #2 seed. We’re #7.

11/21: German President Hindenburg begins negotiations with Hitler to form a new government. Unfortunately, there seems to be no way to keep Hitler from power.

11/25: 74-72. Great win! 18, 12 for PF Cris Chap, 21, 4 for SG Hal Mack, 12, 5 for 6th man PF/SF Curt Morr. We held a 5 point lead with 2 minutes left and we made our free throws down the stretch.

#3 seed DePaul, 3-1.

11/26: 72-51. 21, 9 for Chap, 17, 13 for Morr, who needs to start at SF, and he will. 13, 5, 3 for Evan, 12 for Mill. +22 RBs. TOs are a problem, but we expected that.

#5 seed UTEP, 3-1, upset #1 UConn. We play them for the title.

11/27: 56-65. 19 TOs and poor bench play did us in. 23, 8 for Chap, but no one else had more than 7.

Ranked #23, before the title game.

12/4: 6-2. We lost by 2 to Milwaukee here. We’re out of the top 25, RPI #37. PF Cris Chap leads us in PPG and RBs (19.1 and 7.6).

12/25: We go to Big East play 8-3, RPI #77. +6.0 PPG, +8.4 RBs, -0.6 TOs. Cris Chap is still our leader, 17.5, 7.8). Lots of role players after him, but we’re making it work.

[Wayne23]

1/1/1933: 9-4, 1-1. We lost to a ranked team on the road.

I'm hoping FDR’s election leads to 1933 being a better year than the last few!

1/5: Construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

1/15: 11-6, 3-3. It’s a tough conference and aside from Cris Chap we really are just patching. I’ll take 3-3, and I’d take .500 in conf.

1/29: 13-8, 5-5, RPI #4. +1.8 PPG, +5.9 RBs, -0.9 TOs. Tied for 5th in the Big East, 1 back of 3rd.

2/2: Hitler is now Chancellor of Germany, the 2nd most powerful position in the government. He is acting like he is the president, which it seems that he will inevitably be, soon.

On a lighter note Lucy and I listened to the debut of a new Western, “The Lone Ranger.” We loved it!

2/12: 16-9, 8-6, RPI #45. In a 2 way tie for 4th, 1 back of 1st, but 2 teams are 1 back of us. We continue to tweak the lineup. I now have SF Del Keep starting at the Point.

2/18: 17-10, 9-7.

6th man PF Tag Hunt, our leading rebounder, breaks his nose. He’s out for the season. Mark Bows will get his minutes.

2/26: We end the regular season 19-10, 11-7, RPI #34. Tied for 3rd, #4 seed. +2.9 PPG, +5.6 RBs, -0.8 TOs.

3/1: Hitler is all over German radio, praising God and denouncing communism. He is clearly very dangerous.

3/5: FDR is sworn in as president. One day later he declares a “bank holiday” to stop activity in gold, and speculation in general. He proposes several new programs to put people to work.

In Germany Hitler wins the election for President, but by a much smaller margin than expected. He is forced to form a coalition government. He immediately begins a boycott of Jewish businesses throughout Germany.

[Wayne23]

3/9: We open Big East tournament play against #5 seed St. John’s, 17-10, 10-8. We beat them twice in the regular season.

3/10: 74-61. 18, 11 for Chap, 13, 4, 8 for SG Hal Mack, 11, 6 for SF Dub Evan.

We play #1 seed, #22 ranked Villanova, 21-7, 12-6, in the semifinals. Their starting C and best rebounder is out with a broken foot, so both teams are without their best rebounder.

We won by 5 at home, lost by 7 there.

3/11: 59-67. 20, 4 for Chap, 15 for Center Curt Morr, 10, 6 for Evan.

20-11, 11-7. RPI #33. We should go to the NCAA tourney, but where, and how high?

3/12: #9 West. We play #8 Michigan, 17-13. They are very good inside.

3/17: 61-53. The foul calls went our way, especially late; we went to the line 30 times, they went 14, and that was the difference. We won it in the backcourt, 12, 8 for PG Del Keep, 11, 6, 4 for Mack, and 10 for #3 guard Eric Tell. +7 TOs.

#1 seed, #3 ranked Florida, 31-2, in round 2. Yikes!

3/19: 48-63. They led all the way but we never quit. 13, 5 for Keep, 10, 5 for Chap. 25 TOs, but they were that good.

We’re losing only Center Curt Morr.

3/30: I wanted to report on the President’s first (almost) month: 1. Bank “holiday.” 2. First “fireside chat” broadcast on radio, criticizing selfish bankers. 3. 15% rise in the Dow Jones on one day- largest ever. 4. CCC- Civilian Conservation Corps is passed. It provides work for 2.5 million men.

In foreign news Hitler moves quickly to establish an absolute dictatorship in Germany. This guy is trouble!

4/3: #4 Michigan St wins it all.

4/4: Awards: Cris Chap made Big East 1st team. Senior Curt Morr made 2nd.

4/9: No attractive job offers.

4/16: We need to hire a #1 and a #2, both got promoted elsewhere. Dreading it.

We did better than expected- a lot better!

FDR makes it illegal for private citizens to own gold, and then takes the U. S. off the gold standard. Both are aimed at helping the troubled economy.

3.2 beer is made legal, effectively ending prohibition.

4/23: I need a budget increase. I spent more than I wanted to on assistants. Got $10,000. I’ll take it!

21-12, 11-7, tied for 3rd. Great 1st season! Overall, I’m 86-42, .672, for 4 seasons.

[Wayne23]

5/1: We buy the National Basic.

6/5: We’re looking at transfers.

6/16: We get an SF and a PG.

6/26: 3 scholarships. I want inside players.

7/2: Germany outlaws all political parties other than the Nazis.

7/20: The Vatican signs a treaty of support for Hitler’s government.

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

9/18: Got 2 lost 1. Got an SF, #108, and a C, #157.

We’re going to the Tipoff in Paradise vs. Pepperdine. Definitely a more challenging schedule.

9/25: We lose another one.

10/2: We lose another recruit.

1st day of practice. We have some talent.

10/9: We get an SF, #149.

11/6: 8 man rotation:

Frosh Rono Frea is at PG, subs at SG. Soph Hal Mack starts at Sg, subs at PG, but soph Lem Ward, a transfer from Washington, gets about equal time with Mack, at least for now.

Senior Dub Evan starts at SF, subs at PF. Junior Del Keep and frosh Kent Prye sub at SF.

Senior Cris Chap is back at PF, subbibg at C, and senior Tag Hunt starts at C. He hasn’t been able to keep that starting spot in the past but hopefully he’s ready now.

We’re picked 7 in the 10 team Big East but I’m confident we’ll do better than that. Hoping for top 3.

Lots of October and early November news, lots of it from Germany. First, they withdrew from the League of Nations. Then a spokesman for the government, speaking of biological warfare, said, “All things are permissible.” The Nazi movement, and fascism in general, seem to be spreading to other countries.

At home, FDR begins the Civil Works Administration, which will provide 4 million jobs for unemployed men.

Droughts and poor farming techniques are causing dust storms the like of which have never been seen in non-desert areas in the Midwest, Southwest, and West.

[Wayne23]

11/13: We begin at home, then go to the Tipoff in Paradise vs. Pepperdine. We’re the #3 seed, they’re #6.

11/18: 61-56. 17 and 8 for back up SF Kent Prye. 7 players contributed.

#7 seed James Madison won in an upset. We play them in the semifinals.

11/19: 78-82. We lost this one on D, letting them shoot 56.4%. Inexcusable, and believe me, we’ll work on it! 27, 9 for Chap, 13 for SF Dub Evan, 10, 8 for SG Hal Mack, 9, 8 for C Tag Hunt.

11/20: All 3 recruits signed.

12/4: 6-1, RPI #68. Chap leads us in scoring with 17.6, and Hunt in RBs with 9.3. They, along with SF Dub Evan and 6th man Kent Frye give us a really strong inside game. Hel Mack has become our best guard.

The 21st Amendment is law. It officially ends Prohibition.

12/25: 8-2 going to Big East play. +5.9 PPG, +3.6 RBs, +2.4 TOs. RPI #32. We have 7 players averaging between 15.5 and 7.6. Hunt leads in RBs with 9.5.

Major floods in California and droughts continue in the Midwest, Southwest, and parts of the West.

[Wayne23]

1/1/1934: 9-3, 1-1. We lost by only 3 at #10 Georgetown. Chap had 30.

Reports say there are hundreds of thousands of political prisoners in Germany.

Millions are starving under Stalin.

1/15: 12-4, 4-2. RPI #14. In a 3 way tie for 2nd, 1 back of 1st. We lost by 1 at #23 Seton Hall.

1/29: 14-6, 6-4. RPI #20. +3.1 PPG, +2.7 RBs, +0.6 TOs. In a 3 way tie for 4th.

Hitler signs a 10 year non-aggression pact with Poland.

2/12: 16-8, 8-6, RPI. Tied for 5th. The good news? 3 of our last 4 are at home and the 4th is against the last place team. We expect to climb in the standings.

2/26: We managed to win our last 4. 20-8, 12-6, RPI #15. +4.2 PPG, +2.7 RBs, +0.5 TOs. Tied for 3rd in the Big East, #3 seed in the tournament.

It seems like the entire world is in turmoil.