Hereafter

[Wayne23]

3/10: #4 seed Maryland, 20-12, 12-8, in the semifinals. We won by 27 there. They're 1-4 vs. ranked teams and it would take some strange circumstances for them to beat us.

Michigan has a tough game against #11 ranked Indiana in the semis.

Game time: Tied after 10, then we go on a run. 42-32 at halftime. 20, 5, 3 for Fox, who has no fouls. +9 RBs. We take control about midway through the 2nd.

86-58. 35, 11, 5, 3 for Fox, 12, 5, 2, 4 for Moro. +14 RBs.

Still on board the shuttle. Evidently about 50 people were killed in the hull breach but it's difficult to know exact numbers and will be until all the shuttle passengers are back on board.

[Wayne23]

3/11: #2 Michigan, 31-2, 19-1, for the title. They beat us by 1 on a night when Fox fouled out, and we beat them there by 27. Both games featured a real battle at SG as Michigan's Marcel Vershaw is almost as good as Fox. We feel like we're the better team and if Fox stays out of foul trouble we in.

Game time: Down 4 after 10. 29-34 at the half. We're shooting 31.3%. Fox has 15 and 6 but is 4-16, 2-8 on threes. We need to make shots.

Vershaw has 9, 3, 3, 3, 3, but he has 3 fouls. They're beating us up inside.

“You're not working hard enough to get open. Come on, get it done!”

Down 2 with 10 minutes left. Up 1 with 5 to go.

78-62 on a very late run but the game was a lot closer than the final score.

30, 11, 5, 5 for Fox. Vershaw had 12, 6, 4, 4, 4 but fouled out in 21 minutes. The difference in the game was definitely at SG. 11, 4, 5, 5 for Blay but they won the inside battle easily.

If we're to win the national title we'll probably need to beat these guys once more.

Two shuttles have been hit by space rocks with all hands lost.

[Wayne23]

3/12: #1 East, #1 overall. We play play in winner, #16 seed William & Mary, 14-19.

We're still on the shuttles dodging rocks. One more shuttle has been hit and lost.

3/15: Water and waste systems are not fully repaired but are operational enough for the shuttles to return. One more has been lost. We're about to land on the ship's hull.

3/16: We're expecting an easy win but they're staying close. Up only 4 after 10. Then we go on a big run. 50-26 at the half. 20 for Fox, 10, 7 for Grat. +8 RBs. The subs will be in early.

89-55. 33, 12, 4 steals for Fox. 18, 13 for Grat, 15, 7, 4, 4, 3 for Soko, 12, 1, 10 for Blay. +26 RBs, +18 in the paint.

Josh Grat hurt his hip and will miss one game.

Back inside the ship. More than 100 casualties confirmed and possibly more, as we're still trying to find out exactly who's back on board. The ship is heading away from danger as quickly as possible.

[Wayne23]

3/17: #9 seed Marshall, 26-7, in the 2nd round. They're a decent team. We feel that we have a big advantage inside.

3/18: We take an immediate lead. Up only 3 after 10; we're not playing D. Then a late run and we're up 47-33 at halftime. 21, 4 for Fox,
9, 5 for Soko. I'm spotting Grat here and there. Moro isn't getting it done replacing him; he has 3 fouls. We're running away and hiding.

87-56. 31, 9, 4 for Fox, 14, 1, 9 for Blay, 15, 7 for Soko.

Grat will be back for our next game.

“162 dead. That's inexcusable. I need to inform the Council that I intend to petition for a Council election with the aim of electing a new Council that will take a more realistic approach to risk assessment and ship safety.”

“That is your right, Mick.”

“Yes, and I intend to do this as soon as I can round up the right candidates.”

[Wayne23]

3/22: #4 seed, #12 ranked Indiana, in the Sweet 16. We beat them by 8 and 21 in the regular season. They're 0-5 vs. Top 25 teams. They're talented but if we play well we should be fine.

3/23: It's a battle early. We go on a run midway through the half and then they come back. 45-36 at the half. Fox has 22. We quickly get the lead to 20.

89-63. Huge game for Fox, 48, 6, 4. 12, 8 for Moro.

Mick submitted a petition for a new election. Some interesting candidates on his slate, including me! I made it clear that I was not necessarily in his corner on this issue.

“I know. But you're fair and open minded, not like a lot of these other people. You'll judge things on their merits and whether I agree or not, I'm okay with that.”

Fair enough.

The election will be in a month, on April 27.

[Wayne23]

3/24: It's #2 seed, #11 ranked, #4 NET Baylor, 27-6, in the Elite Eight. They're 4-1 vs. ranked teams. They score points easily enough but give up 9.2 more than we do. They can play though.

Michigan was shocked by #17 South Carolina, 77-85. Believe me I talked about it in practice, emphasizing that one bad night and you go home.

3/25: We take the lead after a few minutes. Up 10 after 10 minutes. 51-39 at the half; we're having no trouble scoring. 23, 5 for Fox, 11, 0, 3 for Blay. But both Grat and Soko have 3 fouls. Only 4 TOs. They're working to stay in it and we're fighting them off. Then we go on a run and it's over.

101-75. 45, 13, 3 for Fox, 14, 1, 6 for Blay, 13, 3 for Moro. +12 RBs, +18 on 2nd chances. And we're back to the Final Four!

Mick has a good slate of candidates and some of them will be elected. What that will mean is difficult to say. It depends upon how many of Mick's people win, not counting me, of course.

[Wayne23]

3/31: We play #1 seed, #7 ranked, #10 NET Syracuse, 31-6, in the national semifinal. Their first big off the bench is out with a broken arm. They're 7-3 vs. ranked teams. They are here in the Final Four so they're good, but we think if we play our game we're going to be fine.

In the other game it's #4 seed South Carolina vs. #1 seed Florida.

4/1: Lots of excitement in the air!

We jump out to a lead immediately. Up 19 after 10 minutes. 49-21 at halftime. I expected more of a struggle. There has been none, so
far. 22, 8, 3 for Fox, who is out scoring their entire team. +10 RBs. Up 25 with 10 to play.

91-54. 29, 9, 5, 3 for Fox, 16, 4, 3 for Grat, 11, 3, 5 for Blay. +20 in the paint, +17 on 2nd chances.

[Wayne23]

4/2: It's a rematch with #1 seed, #3 ranked, #5 NET Florida, 33-7. We crushed them by 30 in the Preseason NIT final, and Fox only had 28, so he didn't have one of his monster games. They are as tough inside as any team in the country, but we average 2.8 more RBs. We feel like if we play our game nobody can beat us.

A player like Ryan Fox comes along very, very rarely. I really hope we can get him a national title. Everyone else too, of course. And since this is almost certainly my last game here at Michigan ST, it would be great to pick up a repeat title.

4/3: They take an early lead. We come back. Up 10 after 10. They're doubling Fox to little effect. 50-23. 27, 6 for Fox, who, yet again, is out scoring the other team at halftime. 14, 3 for Grat. +14 RBs, +12 in the paint.

“20 minutes away. Don't lose your focus!”

Up 30 with 12 to go.

84-52 and back to back titles. 32, 8 for Ryan Fox in his last college game. 14, 5 for Grat, 6, 14 for Soko.

Fox made this team virtually unbeatable. The only game we lost happened because he fouled out, and we lost it by one point.

[Wayne23]

4/4: Awards: Fox is tourney MOP, and NCAA POY, but NOT the Norton winner, since he wasn't nominated. First team All American is denied him because he wasn't on the Norton list. An absolute travesty! I get national COY.

In the Big 10 Vershaw gets the honors not Fox. I truly do not get it. Fox, Soko, and Grat make the 1st team. I get COY.

4/9: Here we go! I'll visit both Ohio ST, TP 76, and San Diego ST, TP 72.

Ohio ST: Losing 2 senior starters. Getting one very good recruit. Budget 334,000. B-, A-.

San Diego ST: Losing 1 senior starter2 recruits, one decent. 281,000, B, B-.

Ohio ST would be a quicker rebuild but I don't want to stay in the Big 10 so I'm going to the Mountain West and San Diego ST!

They were 23-13, tied for 3rd in conf., Lost in the NIT title game.

Moving and making changes. Assessing the situation.

All of my assistants are staying, which is great!

4/23: I ask for a budget increase.

I get $5,000.

40-1, national title. For 28 seasons I'm 850-182, .824, 5 championships.

[Wayne23]

4/27: After a fierce campaign, Mick elects 6 of his people, including himself and not including me. That means, very likely, there will be lots of 6-6 votes on the Council Not good.

5/1: Recruit class #106.

We buy the National Premium and the International basic scouting reports.

5/28: A new coach often means some players will transfer. Let's see how hard we get hit.

5/29: We lose a forward who would not have played much, 2 guards who would not have played.

I just noticed that we have 9 seniors! I would not have come here if I had noticed that.

We need a guard and 2 bigs.

Round 1: We offer to 2 Bs. 0-2, as expected.

Round 2: We offer to 2 Bs and a C. We get an Sg who's a B. he may get minutes.

Round 3: We need a big and a guard. We offer to a C and a D. We get them.

6/11: “Madam Chair, I move that a committee be appointed to study to investigate everything that has happened since we entered blue space.”

“To what purpose, Mick?”

“To determine whether good decisions were made and whether minimum standards of ship and crew safety were adequately considered and acted upon.”

The motion was seconded. After a long debate it passed 7-5. The 7th yes vote was a surprise.

6/20: “Mick, what are you up to with all of this?”

“I'll tell you, Jed, but I wouldn't tell many. This is in confidence. I believe that there was gross negligence on the part of the Captain, the Chief Navigator, and the Council Chair. If it can be shown, I wanted all three removed.”

“Wow!”

“If they were negligent they shouldn't have their jobs. 162 people died. None of them should have died.”

'I'm glad I'm not on that committee!”

6/26: 9 scholarships to fill. Ugh!

Ryan Fox was the first pick in the draft.

The weather here in San Diego is a whole lot different than in Michigan!

7/30: “I clearly made a big mistake when I put 4 of Mick's people on the committee.”

“Yes you did. It could get ugly when they report to the Council next week."

8/7: We have 2 on the Norton list: PF Max Wolf, #12, and PG Jay Olin, #50.

8/8: “The Council will come to order. Mick?”

“The committee finds Captain Tong Wang, Security Chief Marta Bankel, and Navigation Chief Lucy Bonnell guilty of negligence, incompetence, dereliction of duty, and needlessly endangering the entire crew of the ship, and we recommend their immediate dismissal from their positions.”

Pandemonium! At the end the Council voted 7-5 not to have trials but to vote on dismissal. In each case the vote was 6-6 with the Chair voting to acquit.

“Madam Chair, we intend to petition for a vote by the entire crew.”

“That is your right.”

“We will begin gathering signatures tomorrow.”

“There are 728 people on board. 182 signatures are required.”

“Believe me, Madam Chair, I am WELL aware of that fact!”

8/21: We offer to a PG, an SG, an SF, 4 PFs, 2 Cs.

8/22: The petition was submitted with 298 signatures. This is very worrisome for me. With a minimum of 298 of our 728 people on board with this, it indicates that there is great division among us. Tough days ahead, I fear.