Hereafter

[Wayne23]

3/7: We've been invaded. Suddenly hundreds of... not sure what to call them... appeared, all over the ship. They just “popped” into existence, seemingly everywhere. I'll try to describe them. They are ephemeral. Seems like they have no real substance except that occasionally they seem to “thicken” and have real substance. Then they revert to being visible but insubstantial. They have made no contact with us, they're just “there.”

“I call this emergency meeting of the Council to order. Any ideas?”

(silence)

“Any communication with these things? Have we heard about anyone communicating, or being harmed, or anything?”

“These things have got to be what's been spooking everybody lately but outside of that I have no information.”

“Yeah. These are definitely the things.”

“Any ideas about what they want?”

(Silence)

“Be prepared to meet again at a moment's notice. Security has been placed on full alert but with orders to proceed with extreme caution and to take no hostile action unless lives are in danger.”

3/8: We play #9 seed Purdue, 20-12, 9-11, in the quarter finals. This is one of the two teams that has beaten us this year. We won by 33 at home then lost by 17 there on a night when we were playing our 3rd game in 4 days, and 4th in a week. We feel like we're a much better team and the guys are psyched to get a chance to play them again.

Nothing new on the invaders.

3/9: We score the first 13. 42-24 at the half. 15 for PG Roy Blay. We're totally dominating them.

68-53. 16, 13 for Soko, 18, 5 for Blay. Low scoring game but it was never in doubt.

The invaders are approaching people. When we back away they don't pursue us.

[Wayne23]

3/10: #4 seed, #8 ranked Clemson, 26-6, 15-5, in the semifinals. We won by 13 there. They can score but they give up a lot of points. 1-2 vs. ranked teams.

This is a good team; they've only lost 6 games all season.

Game time: Takes a while but we take a lead. They catch up. A late run puts us up 42-31 at the half. 9 for Caro but he has 3 fouls. 8 for Blay. Jaco also has 3 fouls so two of our top 3 guards are in foul trouble. Three of their starters have 3 fouls each. They catch us. We retake the lead.

72-63 but they took a good run at us. 15, 8 for Soko, 10, 4, 6 for Blay, 13 for Caro. We won it inside but we were sloppy, 20 TOs.

“This emergency meeting of the Council is called to order. Jed?”

“I noticed that the invaders regularly approached our people, and when we backed off they stopped. I decided NOT to back away to see what would happen.

The invader came right up to me and … well, it's like it embraced me. It seemed to need my presence or my energy or something. It seemed to be trying to communicate with me but I couldn't understand. It was damn creepy but I suffered no harm.”

This led to all kinds of questions and theories and suggestions and other useless talk.

“Look, I'm willing to allow them physical contact with me. I don't think they mean to hurt us and I DO think they may need something from us.”

“Maybe you're not the right person, Jed.”

“What do you mean, Mick?”

“Well, maybe a member of the psychology team would be better.”

“Not a bad idea. Madam Chair, let's ask the psych department if anyone is willing to volunteer.”

[Wayne23]

3/11: #6 seed Illinois shocked #2 seed, #3 ranked Indiana in the semis. We won by 22 at our place, 6 at theirs. They're 3-7 vs. ranked teams but the last 3 were all wins. They're tough inside and they lead the conference in rebounding. They're playing really well lately.

Game time: We take the lead quickly, then expand it. 47-29 at halftime. 10 for Blay, 9 for Caro. Grat has 3 fouls; he's not in 100% game shape yet. He was out a long time. +10 RBs. The lead goes to 30.

97-55. This was a real slaughter. 21 for tourney MOP Roy Blay. 12, 4, 10 for Caro, 14, 8 for Marn, 11, 8 for Soko. +20 RBs, only 10 TOs.

We're the Big 10 champs and still ranked #1, NET #1. We expect to be the #1 overall seed.

Interestingly enough no one from the psych department is willing to volunteer to be touched by the invaders so it's on me. If more than one at a time approaches me I back away and they leave me alone, but if it's only one of them I allow contact. I can sense that they're trying to communicate but no luck so far.

“We need to reprimand, maybe censure the psych department. It's outrageous that no one was willing to do this job. They can't get away with this!”

“Calm down, Mick. We'll worry about that later. Right now Jed is getting us some valuable information. Let's see what happens.”

“I hope he's got security with him at all times.”

“I do, Mick. I'm okay with this. As I've said it's a little creepy but I don't think they mean us any harm.”

“I hope you're right!”

[Wayne23]

3/12: #1 East, #1 overall.

3/14: We start with play-in winner, #16 seed William & Mary, 17-16. This should be an easy win.

“I felt 'friend.'”

“Wait, they told you they want to be friends?”

“Not exactly, Mick. I felt it. It was very clear that it was trying to communicate the idea that they want to be friends.”

“Could be a trap.”

“I don't think so, Mick. They haven't harmed me or anyone else. They haven't forced themselves on anyone. Let's give it time. Maybe they're learning how to communicate with us.”

3/16: we take the lead fairly quickly then expand it- a LOT. 47-25 at the half. 13, 6, 3 for Soko, 10 for Blay. It's a blow out.

91-52. 21, 8, 3 for Soko, 16, 6, 6 for Caro, 13, 3, 3 for Blay. +22 RBs, +14 inside.

[Wayne23]

3/17: #8 seed ST Johns, 24-11, in the 2nd round. 2-5 vs. ranked teams. This is a team we should beat.

3/18: We take the lead early on. 37-15 at halftime. 15? 15! 12 for Soko, 10 for Moro. The subs will be in early again tonight.

77-44. 21, 9, 4 for Soko, who would have been at least a 2nd team All American without the injuries. 14, 2, 4 for Blay. +20 RBs.

Elite Eight! But to be honest, the expectation is that we'll win it all.

[Wayne23]

3/19: #12 ranked, #5 seed UAB, 31-6. On paper we win easily, but they can play.

2 #1 seeds out already.

I am continuing to allow contact with one of the aliens at a time. I'm hoping we'll be able to communicate sooner or later.

3/23: Back and forth until we go on a late run. 39-32 at the break. Soko has 3 fouls. 9 more RBs but 8 more TOs. We're not playing well.

“One and done, guys. Get your heads in it!”

An early 2nd half run gets the lead to 15. Then 20. Bye bye UAB!

81-62. 15, 6 for sub C/F Al Marn. 13, 10 for Grat, 13, 4, 3 but 6 TOs for Blay. 12, 4, 4 for Caro. +14 RBs but 21 TOs.

[Wayne23]

3/24: #5 ranked, #2 seed Cincinnati, 28-6, in the Elite Eight. -0 vs. ranked teams. They're an outside team. They score 11 ½ fewer and give up 3 fewer. It will be our inside game vs. their outside game.

We're the last Big 10 team playing. Only 2 #1s, 1 #2, 1 #3 seed left.

3/25: Takes a while but we build a 10 point lead. Then it's 20. 45-31 at the half. 9 for Blay but he has 3 fouls. 8 for Grat. +8 in the paint.

Up 15 with 10 left.

84-69 and we're off to the Final Four! 15, 2, 5, 8 steals for Caro, 11, 7, 4 for Moro, 14, 6 for Grat, 11, 2, 4 for Blay. Soko is in a two game scoring slump but he got 13 RBs. We need him to score if we're going to win it all.

I've had a few more encounters with aliens and the message is louder and clearer all the time. They are telling me they are friends or they want to be friends. No words, just the concept. Every time they have physical contact with me that's the message I'm getting.

[Wayne23]

3/31: #15 Butler, #4 Creighton, #11 Arizona in the Final Four. 2 #1s, a #3, and a #4.

We play #3 seed Butler, 27-7. We're favored but they can play. They score outside but they hit the boards.

4/1: I try to walk the tightrope of getting the guys focused without adding to their stress. It's a fine line. The shorter the speech the better so I settle for:

“You're the best team in the country. Just play your game.”

We take an early lead but Butler is not far back. Then we go on a big run. Up 47-25 at the half. 12 for Blay, 11 for Moro. Soko has 3 fouls as does his man.

+14 RBs, +14 in the paint; we're dominating inside.

“You're staying within yourselves and playing your game. Keep it up!”

They're not coming close to making a run so far in the 2nd.

77-68 but that was as close as they ever got in the 2nd half.

20, 3, 7 for Roy Blay, 15, 2, 4 for Juan Caro. Our guards brought this one home.

Headed for the title game!

Post Game Press Conference (Excerpts):

“Coach Clark, your guys were pretty impressive tonight.”

“We feel like we're the best team in the country and we're determined to play that way. My guys were completely focused tonight. They looked really good.”

“Can you be beaten?”

“We're playing the #4 team in the country. If we don't play our very best game we sure can be beaten. Or if my guys are too cocky they can be beaten. We need to play our game, stay within ourselves, not commit dumb fouls, and hope the ball goes in the basket!”

“Coach, you have 3 national titles at two other schools. No one has ever won it all at three schools.”

“I'm not thinking about that at all. Too busy thinking about the game.”

[Wayne23]

4/2: #1 seed, #4 ranked, #3 NET Creighton, 32-5, for the title. They have an outstanding SG and a pretty good SF. We feel like we're better inside and at the Point. They're 6-1 vs. ranked teams, losing to Butler, who we just beat. But as it always does in this kind of game, it will come down to execution.

4/3: Once again I told them to just play their game. I tried to project a feeling of calm.

We fall behind but we come back. 26-28 in a very defensive first half. Our guards have not taken a shot- that includes the subs. 8 for Grat, 6 each for Soko and Moli. They're shooting 40% to our 36.4%. But they have 5 threes and we have none. We're +7 from the line.

“You're playing great D but you need to move without the ball to get open for good shots. 20 minutes guys. It's there for you!'

I ramp up the D to max and we'll press a little more than usual. Let's see what happens.

We start strong and open up a lead but it's close. Then an 11-0 run. Then we're up 15 with 3 minutes left.

74-57 and the national championship! Soko had an amazing 2nd half and wound up with 21 and 10. 13, 7 for Grat. 13 for Blay, 10, 2, 5 for senior Juan Caro
in his last game. 10 TOs to 24 as the 2nd half pressure really worked. +20 in the paint.

Post Game Press Conference (Excerpts):

“Congratulations, Coach. The keys to victory?”

“Teamwork. Belief in ourselves. Playing within ourselves. Discipline.”

“Hio Soko had a monster 2nd half.”

“He worked to get open and Roy Blay found him every time.”

“You're only losing one starter to graduation, and nobody who gets minutes declared. Repeat?”

“I'm going to enjoy this one before we start planning for that- which will probably be tomorrow!”

“You're the first coach to ever win it all at three different schools, and one of four coaches with 4 titles or more. Comments?”

“Life is good!”

“Will you look to win one at another school?”

“Right now I have no thoughts about leaving Michigan State.”

[Wayne23]

4/4: Awards: Hio Soko is tourney MOP. I get national COY.

In the Big 10 we don't get much respect considering how we dominated the conference. Roy Blay makes the 2nd team and I am COY. It may be that the injuries kept any of our bigs from being recognized. Soko and Grat missed major amounts of time.

4/9: I expect to stay here but it's always good to see what happens.

TP goes from 89 to 96.

Florida and Oklahoma St are tempting. Shall I at least visit?

Nah. I look them over from afar and decide that I'm staying, probably for only one more year though.

4/23: 39-2, national title. After 27 seasons I'm 810-181, .817. 4 national championships. Pretty good!