Transfer to the Title

[Wayne23]

12/17: It's #1 seed Pitt, 6-2, in the semis. All the favs advanced. They're favored by 2 1/2. Everybody can score so they're hard to defend. On paper it looks close so we'd better be ready to play!

Game time: Close early. Up 9 after 10. Big run! Up 20 at the half. 14 for Brad, 10, 7 for Suli. +9 RBs, 6 TOs. +8.5% shooting, +10 in the paint. Up 17 with 10 left.

79-59. This is one terrific defensive team! 22, 6 for Brad, 15, 9 for Suli, 13, 3 for Thom, 11, 3 for Fier.

+14 RBs, +16 in the paint, +18 on 2nd chances, 11 TOs.

Big injury. Suli is out for a couple months with a severe back injury. OUCH!

"I'm so sorry."

"As I said awhile ago, it's part of the game. This is a bad one though."

"So what will you do?"

"Well, Kam Savo will do okay in the middle but it really shortens the bench. Basically Al Muer is going to get a LOT of minutes, many of them at SF. I'm going to go mostly with 6 guys. I'll use Cris Fier and Gem Hill, of course, but no more than I have to."

[Wayne23]

12/18: #2 seed, #19 ranked California, 9-2, in the title game. I think we're way stronger outside, but can we keep up inside? We'll see!

Game time: Close early. Up 5 after 10. We go on a run and are up 17 at halftime. But Savo has 3 fouls and so does Brad; we just don't have the big guys for this to happen. 12 each for Boyd and Thom, 10 for Savo. 5 TOs to 13. We're shooting +11.5%. They're narrowing the gap. Up 15 with 10 left as we go on a mini-run.

87-78 and the title! 24, 5, 2, 3 for Thom. 19, 7 for Boyd. 14, 5 for Fier and 12, 8 for Savo. +10 RBs but -8 in the paint.

The first game with a new lineup is always tough and we won it.

[Wayne23]

12/19: We flew straight to play a road game at FL ST, 7-2. We're a heavy favorite, better at every position but it's a road game...

Game time: Early lead. Up 7 after 10. After leading by as many as 15 we're up only 5 at halftime. 12 for Thom. +10 at the line. +9 RBs. We're shooting a lot better. A run puts us up 17 with 10 to go.

94-78. Tonight it was the offense. 24, 7 for Brad, 26 for Thom, 8, 13, 7 for Savo. +15 RBs. We shot 58.9%.

We're 12-1. #16, NET #3.

[Wayne23]

12/21: The endless road trip is in day 9. It will be 11 by the time we get home.

At #13 Michigan, 10-0. They beat #7 Louisville by 21. We're favored by a lot but this isn't going to be easy!

12/22: We score the first 17. Up 26 after 10; I'm in shock! They wake up and narrow the gap. Up 17 at the break. 14 for Thom, 12 for Brad, but he has 3 fouls. 3 TOs. We made 10 more shots, but we're -8 from the line. Up 14 with 10 to play.

81-69. Solid D again. 20, 4 for Thom, 11, 12, 4, 3 for Boyd, 12, 10 for Savo, who has played well filling in.

11 TOs to 19. -12 at the line. 20 more shots and we made 9.

12/23: "FINALLY!"

"It's great to be home!"

We spent as much time as we could together but that can't be much during the season. Since we work together we have lunch with each other every day, and steal a minute here, a minute there.

[Wayne23]

12/25: 8-2 Illinois is here for our final pre-conf game. They score a lot of points inside, mostly from their very good PF. They take very good care of the ball.

They are a slight favorite so we'd better play hard.

We're up to #10 in the polls.

12/26: Early lead. Up 5 after 10. A run puts us up 11 at the half. 13 for Thom, 10 for Boyd. +12 RBs. +9 at the line. Held their PF to 5 for the half. Up 16 with 10 left.

83-69; it was never in doubt. 23, 4 for Thom, 15, 8, 4, 3 for Brad, 16, 4 for Boyd. +10 RBs, +13 from the line.

"9 days off!"

"And the kids are home for 4 or 5 of them."

"Time together. YAY!!!"

"I'm happy about it, too."

"You'll be restless by tomorrow."

"Hey! I'll do some work, I have to, but we'll have time together too, way more than usual."

"So... about me and road tournaments."

"Yeah, I guess I should marry you so you can go to tournaments with us."

"Is that a proposal?"

"No... THIS is!"

Then I did it right and she said yes.

We looked at the calendar and March 1 is the big day. It will be small.

1/1/2025: We end pre-conf play at 14-1, ranked #6, NET #1.

+13.1 PPG, +5.6 RBs, #2 in RBs, -5.4 TOs; we commit too many but force lots more. +4.2 assists, +3 steals.

6-1 vs. Q1 teams, 8-0 vs. The rest.

Thom gets 19.7 per game, 2nd in the Big East, 10th in the nation. 13.6 for Suli, 12.0 for Brad. Suli gets 9.2 RBs, Savo 7.3, Boyd 7.0, Brad 5.9.

[Wayne23]

1/4: At 9-6 UConn. They're not what they were last year but still a good team. They're good outside, and not bad inside. 2-2 vs. Ranked teams but those were all on the road. This could be a tough one.

1/5: It's close early. Down 4 after 10; lots of whistles against us. Down 1 at the half. 10 for Thom, 18 for the bench to 21 for them. 3 fouls for Cole; all other starters have 2. -6 at the line. +7 RBs. We're shooting better. Up 15 with 10 left after a run.

84-58. Fantastic 2nd half, 46-19. 19, 11 for Savo, who has played very well filling in for Suli. 17, 3, 4 for Thom. +7 for the bench. 11 more fouls called on us, and -13 from the line. It didn't matter, given the score but I was on the three blind mice for most of the game.

+15 RBs, 7 fewer TOs, +16 in the paint, +1`9% shooting.

#4 guard Jon Shan sprained a finger; out 2 weeks. The bench is getting short!

[Wayne23]

1/8: #8 Seton Hall, 14-2, 1-0, is here. They score 5.5 fewer and give up about the same, and we should control the boards but they're good, especially outside.

1/9: We score the first 8. Up 9 after 10. 36-19 at the half. Impressive D! 13, 7 for Savo, 16 for Thom. +15 RBs, 8 TOs. Held them to 25.9%. Up 19 with 10 to go.

78-55. We expected a tough game but it didn't happen. 22, 12, 3 with 3 blocks for Savo, 27 for Thom, who is a scoring machine!

+17 RBs, 11 TOs. Great win!

[Wayne23]

1/11: At #1 ranked Georgetown, 17-0, 2-0. They're favored, as they should be, but not by all that much. They score .9 more, give up 1.8 fewer. We could give them a battle if we play well.

1/12: Close early. Up 11 after 10; loving it! Up 6 at halftime. 11 for Boyd, 8 for Thom. +14 RBs, 9 TOs to 1 for them, +6 in the paint. Holding them to 26.5% yo our 48.3%. Up 4 with 10 left. It is CLOSE! Late mini-run!

84-78! Biggest win of my career! 18, 6, 3 for Thom, 12, 17, 3 for Savo, 15, 3 for Boyd. +23 RBs, but 16 TOs to 4. +10 at the line. We shot 44.6% to 33.8%.

Yet another injury. Al Muer, our #3 guard, is out for a week and a half with a hammy issue.

"You beat the #1 team in the country!"

"Yeah. It's unbelievable! It's going to be another night I don't sleep; I'm WAY too hyped!"

[PointGuard]

Nice win, Coach.

[Wayne23]

I don't understand how we got this good this fast but I'll take it.