A New Tomorrow

[Wayne23]

11/13: 84-58 in the home opener vs. Howard. Brad Runn, our super sub from last season, starts at PF this year. He led us with 22 points, 10 RB, 4 assists. Frosh C Nick Maze had 18 and 12. Sub forward Cris Mill had 17 and 8. 48 RB (+29). 15 TO, 7 by our starting PG. We didn't get a lot from the back court but the front court was terrific.

11/15: 89-88 over Grand Canyon here. This was a war, back and forth most of the way. We led by 10 with 7:12 to go and they came roaring back, took the lead a couple of times. My guys hung tough though. It came down to the last shot, and with time running out I ran a back door play to C Nick Maze who got the pass and slammed it home for the win. He had 19 and 5. Runn had 19 and 4. SG Kin Ree had 18 and 4. 20 TO but they had 19. +6 RB.

Our next 6 are on the road.

11/18: 78-67 at Colgate. We never trailed but it was close for about 25 minutes. 24 and 8 for Nick Maze, who has been consisntly very good so far. 14 for Ree. +18 RB. 22 TO, which is awful, but they had 23.

Three game week. That's tiring but at least we won them all.

11/20: Our two committed recruits signed. Still chasing the third.

11/22: 84-64 at Alabama A & M. 21, 8 for SF Jeff Perr, 19, 12, 6 for Runn, 17 for Maze. We are really solid up front, much better than I had expected, and consistently so. +14 RB.

11/25: 76-56 at Perverterian. Another game where we led all the way, by as many as 26. 18, 12 for Maze, 22, 5 for Runn, 14 for SG Kin Ree.

We're really beating up on some lousy teams. Maybe I should have gone for a slightly tougher schedule.

I haven't talked about friends. I really have only three close friends. Dick Long and I have been friends since we were in grade school. He works as a manager in water treatment and we often jog together, play bridge, and play table tennis. We've also been known to tip a few beers.

Two sisters, Asian girls but that means nothing here, Anna Li and Aura Li have been friends of mine for several years. I sort of backed into a friendship with Anna. Dick and I were drinking at a local entertainment center and I literally took a step back and bumped into her. She spilled her drink. She let me buy a replacement, we struck up a conversation, and we quickly became fast friends. She and I are both into roller coasters and we ride often. I got to know Aura through Anna. Aura is a fierce competitor.

We play table tennis and she beats me as often as i beat her but when I win she finds it hard to swallow. I spend a lot of my free time with Dick, Anna, and Aura.

Oh, Anna works in waste reclamation and Aura is a cook in food services.

[Wayne23]

11/29: 69-66 at Bryant. Another game that went back and forth a lot. Then we got out to a 10 point lead late. They tried to catch us but only a three at the end made it a 3 point game. It was Maze, Runn, and Ree again, Maze with 15 and 7, Ree had 13 and 6, and Runn 11 and 8. They're our offense, pretty much. 42 RB (+13). We don't take care of the ball very well but we sure own the boards.

I'm waiting for the inevitable off night. We weren't really on tonight but we had enough in the tank.

12/2: 85-75 at Alcorn ST. 24 for Runn and 4 others were in double figures. +13 RB.

Again, these are not good teams. Alcorn ST is 1-5 against weak competition.

12/6: 70-60 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. After a few early lead changes we blasted out to a 20 point lead and never looked back. 17 for Runn but he had 7 TO. 17 for #3 guard Bri Brew, who has not made the impact this season that he did last year. Good to see him have this kind of a game. Once again, we were good enough to win but not really impressive; the difference was that we had more talent.

12/9: 90-84 over Army here. They had no quit. 14 lead changes, 7 ties. We hung tough and ground it out, mostly by the fact that 5 players had 12 or more points. As usual Nick Maze led us, 21 and 7.

This bubble is bound to burst at some point but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

Our next 5 are on the road.

12/13: 61-74 at NJIT. It was bound to happen. They're not a very good team but they were good enough tonight. They outshot us 47% to 39%, and they made 12 threes while we made 5. They also were +6 on the boards. We don't usually lose that battle. 19 for Runn. They held Maze to 8, his season low. They doubled him whenever he got the ball.

Oh well, I didn't expect to go undefeated.

We're 9-1. Not bad.

The ongoing issues with the oat crops continue. The agronomists just can't seem to fix this. Fortunately, soy and rice crops continue to be on or above target levels or we'd be in trouble.

[Wayne23]

12/16: 69-86 at Chicago ST. Uh oh, 2 losses in a row. To be fair, this is the best team we've faced all season. They shot 53% to our 39%. They made 12 threes to our 3. We were -9 on the boards. 28 and 7 for Maze but no one else did much.

12/20: 70-64 at Incoherent Word. They were 7-2 coming in so a great win and we stop the bleeding after 2 losses. They jumped out to an early 11 point lead and I thought we were in big trouble. I burned 2 time outs to try to turn things around. The second seemed to work. We led by one at the half and stayed ahead throughout the second half although it was close all the way. We're not shooting as well as I'd like us to (39% again tonight). +8 TO helped. Sub forward Cris Mill led us with 15, and Runn had 13. Maze had only 7, fouling out in 21 minutes. That can't happen. Fortunately Mill played really well from the bench.

A tough Florida Atlantic team next. They're 8-2, and undefeated at home.

12/23: 88-76 over a Florida Atlantic team that came in at 8-2. We shot 56%. 25, 6 for Maze, 17 for Ree. They led by 3 at the half but we came out of the gate for the 2nd half really strong.

12/27: 90-77 at Louisiana Tech. All 5 starters had 10 or more. 15, 11 for Maze, 15 for Ree. Only 11 TO.

We close pre-conference play at home. It will be nice to play there.

12/30: 92-75 over Houston Batfest. 30, 8, 5 for Maze, his best game of the season. 18 for Ree, 14 each for Brad Runn and Cris Mill.

We end the pre-conference season at 13-2. Not bad! Especially since 11 were on the road.

Team stats: +8.4 PPG, +6.7 RBs, +0.2 TOs (but a lousy 15.9).

Through an odd scheduling quirk we don't play again until 1/10.

1/1/2179: Happy New Year! I spent New Year's Eve with my three favorites, Dick Long, Anna Li and Aura Li. We had a great time! We couldn't get holo space because NYE is such a busy time everyone wants to be there and we didn't think to make reservations early enough. So we hung out in Anna and Aura's living unit and just listened to music and talked. We did play some old fashioned games.

I didn't talk about synths. We do have them and we use them a few ways. First, what are they? They're synthetic humans. No, not robots. Physically, unless their design varies for a specific reason, they look just like people. You'd be hard pressed to be able to tell the difference even at close range.

Anyway, we use them for hazardous work like working inside of certain spaces where humans can't go, or couldn't go without all kinds of equipment we don't have. We also use them for any work that needs to be done outside of the hub. We don't normally need to do outside work but sometimes something happens. We have repelling material that keeps dust particles and small particles of matter from impacting any part of the hub. At .2 warp, anything like that would go right through us, which would NOT be good. The repellers have issues on rare occasions so synths go out and fix them. We have telescopes and the like as well, and sometimes those go out of alignment, have lens issues... Anything that happens on the outside is handled by synths. Also, really dangerous work involving the nuclear power plants and engines is handled by synths. There are other jobs as well- underwater in the holding tanks for our water supply, and so on.

We also use them in the holos. There are times when someone goes in and wants an opponent or partner for training, for game playing, for any number of things. They can be used in any capacity in the holos- yes, that too, and I'm told LOTS of people use them for you know what.

[Wayne23]

1/9: The Fermi Gazette: Hi sports fans, Jimmy Grey here. I interviewed UMass-Lowell's head coach Jake Bender this morning. The 13-2 River Hawks have really been tearing it up.

Me: Coach, to what do you attribute your team's success?

Bender: We've done a good job of playing together as a unit. The guys have been very unselfish. They don't care who scores the basket or who gets the credit. That kind of thing pays big dividends.

Me: Who's your best player?

Bender: Unquestionably it's freshman center Nick Maze. He leads us in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots, and he plays solid D.

Me: And he's only a freshman.

Bender: That's the best part!

Me; Who does he get help from?

Bender: Power Forward Brad Runn is 2nd in scoring and RB, and guard Kin Ree scores a lot of points. He gives us the outside presence that we need to allow the inside game to do what it needs to do.

Me: Any predictions as to how you'll do in the conference?

Bender: I think we'll do okay. If we sstay together and play the way we've been playing, and if we stay healthy we can grab the brass ring.

Me: Thanks Coach.

We start with the team picked to finish 2nd in conf. (We're picked 1st) at their place. At least we'll have a good idea of how well we'll fare early on.

1/10: 65-79. A disappointment but not a shock. They have a good team. But we let them shoot 55% and they made 15 threes. -12 on the boards, the worst showing in my 2 seasons here. 15 for Runn, 14 for Maze.

Oh well, I'll use this loss to motivate for the rest of the season. Hopefully we'll get them when they come to us in Feb.
1/13: 87-76 over Stony Brook here. This was more like it. We shot 50% and really moved the ball well. Our D could have been tighter though. 20 each for Maze and Runn, 14 for PG Kent Minz.

Oats remain an issue, as they have for more than a year. The agronomists have to be very frystrated.

1/17: 82-75 at New Hampshire. A win is a win, especially on the road, but they're not a good team and we should have dominated them. We never led by more than 12. 6 guys with 10 or more. Maze had 18, Minz had 15 with 10 assists. +8 RB, +7 TO.

1/20: 90-68 over a very good Binghamton team here. 56.4% shooting. +18 RB. 20 and 10 for Maze, 14, 11 for Runn, 15, 9 for SF Jeff Perr, 17, 2, 8 for Minz. We were ON tonight.

1/24: 70-73 at Vermont. I am not happy. They were 0-4 in conf. coming in to this game. They shot 51%. The benches were the difference, theirs scored 46, ours scored 2. I kind of lit into the guys after the game. We played a decent 1st half but the 2nd was awful.

1/27: 66-79 vs. MD-Balt. County at home. REALLY not happy! The D was bad and the O was worse. I can't believe we're 3-3 in conf. play.

1/31: 85-78 over 1st place Hartford there. Can't figure my team out. +13 RB. 20, 7 for Ree.

17-5, 4-3 at the halfway point in conference play. We're tied for 3rd, 1 back of 2nd, 2 back of 1st. I had expected better but there's time.

2/1: Anna Li totally surprised me tonight. We were in the holo, doing a rock climb. Afterward she asked why I had never asked her out.

"I always figured you were way out of my league."

"Silly man."

Man, that snuck up on me from behind. So I asked her out. I honestly never thought I had a shot with her.

2/2: Big meeting of the hub council tonight. My boss, the head of the statistics department for the entire hub, announced his retirement. After the meeting he took me aside and told me he thought I should apply for the job. Wow! That would be amazing!

[Wayne23]

2/3: 72-60 over Maine here. Good, solid D tonight. +9 TO. 21 for sub Cris Mill, 19, 10 for Runn. Maze was in foul trouble all night and didn't do much but we managed the win anyway.

Still in 3rd place but only 1 back of 1st now.

2/7: 91-80 at Stony Brook. 24 for Runn. Good games by our top 6 players. +19 RBs.

In a 2 way tie for 2nd, 1 back of Binghamton.

2/10: 89-58 over New Hampshire here. 42-17 at the half. I played everybody in the 2nd half. 28, 10 for Runn, 17, 12 for Maze.

We're in a 3 way tie for 1st with 4 to play. 2 very tough road games. I'd LOVE to go 3-1 in these last 4.

Finally put together my application for the job of Chief Statistician for the hub.

2/14: 78-92 at Binghamton. You can't give up 92 and expect to win. We were up 2 at the half and then they crushed us in the 2nd. Maze fouled out, Minz had 4.32 for Runn, but he didn't get much help.

We're in a 2 way tie for 2nd.

Anna LI and I have been seeing a lot of each other- well, ALL of each other, but that's another story... For Valentine's Day we did a romantic dinner in a restaurant in the holo. We got into our fanciest clothes and really did it up big.

Yes, it's possible to have a fancy dinner in the holo. It uses up a lot of resources though so it's not something anyone can do very often. But it felt like the time to do something special. I think we're getting serious. I hope so!

2/17: 81-78 over Vermont here but it was a near thing! We haven't had many close games in conf. but this one was a real nail biter. 17 lead changes, 10 ties. We blew a 17 point lead in the 2nd half, went down, came back to go ahead, and in the last minute they tied it and we got it back with 4.4 to play. We got it to Brad Runn who banged a three with .1 seconds to go. We wanted to go inside to Maze but he was double teamed so we went to our second option. 17, 5, 7 for Kin Ree, 16, 5 for Runn, 14, 9 for Maze.

Alone in 2nd, 1 back of Binghamton with 2 to play.

2/21: 74-66 at MD-Balt. County. Huge win! We clinch 2nd place and are one back of Binghamton. 20 each for Runn and Mill, 14, 10 for Maze.

One more to play vs. Hartford at our place. They're in a 3 way tie for 3rd so it's a huge game for them, which really puts the pressure on us. We're going to finish 2nd no matter what but I really want a win going into post season play.

2/24: 81-66. We led for the last 35 minutes. 25, 6 for Runn.

We'll be the #2 seed in the tourney which will be played on Binghamton's court since they're the #1 seed.

+6.2 PPG, +6.2 RB, -0.8 TO. Brad Runn leads the AEC in scoring with Nixk Maze 2nd. Maze leads in RB, and Kent Minz leads in assists.

On to the post season.

I got an interview for the stats job!

[Wayne23]

We were 23-6 in the regular season.

3/4: We play Stony Brook, 7-22, in the quarters. Beat them by 11 both times.

3/5: 81-66. We led all the way and by as many as 23. 22, 10 for Maze, 20, 5 for Runn. +12 RB. But 21 TOs.

It's #6 seed Vermont, 10-20, 5-9, in the semis. They upset MD-Balt. County. Two close games with them. We lost by 3 there and then won by 3 at our place. They really do give us trouble.

3/6: 82-65. They didn't give us trouble tonight. We led for the last 38 minutes. Balanced scoring with 7 players getting 8 or more. We didn't let them get into their offense.

As expected it is #1 seed Binghamton, 22-10, 11-3, for the title. We won by 22 at our place and lost by 14 there. Since this game is being played on their court we need to be at our best. We're actually a 1 1/2 point favorite, for what that's worth, which isn't much.

3/7: 85-58. I never expected to blow them out. Great win to send us back to the Big Dance! We led all the way. 6 players had between 10 and 15 points. +9 RBs. In all three games the key was teamwork and solid D. Brad Runn was tourney MOP but it could have been any of our starters.

On to the big one! We'll probably get a poor seed again but it would be nice to pull an upset.

3/9: My interview was today. They told me there were three candidates in the running. I actually knew that. Both are older and more experienced, but I don't think either are as good with people as I am. I thought the interview went well and my fingers are crossed. There will be a second round of interviews which will feature a sort of test of skills. Bring it on!

26-6, RPI #60.

We are the #12 seed in the West region, one higher than last season. We play #5 Citadel, 30-4. On paper we don't look to have much chance. We'll see.

3/17: 70-87. We were over matched. We really couldn't stop their offense. 21 for Cris Mill, 17 for Maze.

No tears. It was another great season.

3/26: SF Nat Hugh, #207, signs.

4/3: #1 Florida wins the title.

4/4: Awards: Nick Maze is AEC POY, Frosh OY, and 1st team along with Brad Runn. They both deserved it! Kent Minz made the 2nd team. He did a nice job for us at the Point. I got Conf. COY, which is really great!

4/6: Now the stressful part. Will I stay? Will I get an offer that lures me away? I'll know in a few days. The phone is already ringing.

4/9: I'm staying. A couple of big time schools made inquiries but that's too big a jump.

4/15: Second interview was nothing but a test. Lots of intricate problems related to stats, the kind of stats we use on the hub. I feel like I knocked it out of the park.

4/23: I'm asking for a facilities upgrade again. I really hope to get it this year.

No, didn't get the upgrade. I'm not happy. After what I've accomplished here in my first two years this is not right. Next year will be my last one here if there's any way I can make that happen.

We end the season 26-7, 10-4, AEC tourney champs. Overall I'm 47-19, .712.

4/29: I got the job! I am now Chief Statistician for the hub. I'm really excited. Some people no doubt are saying it's not a good thing for me. Definitely more work, maybe a lot more work, and it's not like I'll make more money or move into more luxurious quarters. The only perk is that I am allowed more time in the holos. We don't use money here. There would be no point. And everything is open to everyone. But the holos are special, and there are lots of them, but not enough for unlimited usage. It will be a little easier for me to reserve a holo now, but then, I'm not sure when I'll have the time to use it. Oh well. I'm really happy about this. My predecessor is staying on for a month to train me. His office is on the Isaac Newton, which is a long way from here, but I'm going to move that office here, and when I leave the Fermi the office will move again. I will have an administrative assistant and she'll need to relocate, but that's the way it goes. She's single so it's not like she will have a family to move with her. While I am being trained I'll be the one making the commute. I'll only move the office after I'm on my own. Probably a good thing I didn't take a new coaching job. That would have been a lot on top of this.

On to season three!

[Wayne23]

5/1: Recruiting class #119. I cut one player and red shirt two.

Started training for the stats job today. Looks like there will be a big learning curve.

5/14: There's an awful lot to this new job. I will be supervising the stats person for each of the 35 ships, and collating and coordinating the stats they submit to me. I will be doing very little field work and stats gathering of my own but I will need to get out to the ships and check in with my team members there. I'm going to be busy!

6/1: First day completely on my own. I moved the stats office to here on the Fermi. My Admin. Ass't was very nice about having to move. She seems very competent and very pleasant.

6/5: We get a PF from Kentucky. He looks good!

As I look at my team I think it will be the best I've had. We're going to be strong up front, as we've been all along, but I think we're going to be really good in the back court, too. My main goal/hope is to break into the top 25.

I wanted to switch conferences. I had the A10 in mind. But I couldn't make it happen. We may have outgrown the AEC.

Anna LI and I are talking about moving in together.

6/26: 3 scholarships. Ideally we'll get 2 guards and a big, but I'd take 2 bigs if it worked out that way. We're losing Brew, Runn, and a guard who doesn't play much.

7/11: Getting to know my people. Of course I knew most of the stats people from the other ships due to meetings and such, but I want to get to know them well, know how they work, how they run their departments, what their leadership styles are like, what their personalities are like... It's going to be a big job. Fortunately, the two people I beat out for this job don't seem like they're going to be a problem. They both do a good job and I've seen no slacking or anything like that.

8/21: We offer to a C, a PG, and a PF. I'd like to get 2 guards, and of course we still may, but these three are the only guys showing interest.

Work is really keeping me busy. I do all the stats compilation that needs doing. Well, my Admin. Ass't does it then I look it over, analyze it, make any necessary phone calls and/or visits to the local ships if there are questions or problems. That actually takes a lot of time as there is a lot of data being tracked. I also try to visit two ships every day to speak with the local stats person and to view the operation. I'm a hands on manager. But I'm not a micro-manager. If things are going well I leave the local person alone. I only intervene if things aren't going the way they should be going.

Anna Li is moving in with me as soon as we get a new residence. I've applied for a two person unit but it takes time.

9/18: We beefed up the home schedule a little. We have 6 games at home in the pre-conf. season.

9/25: We get 2 commitments, Al Smee, PF, #150, and Art Curr, C, #360, but he's better than that. Of course we really need the guard. Hopefully we'll get him.

10/2: Crap! Didn't get the guard. We offered to another one, and we're widening the search.

First day of practice. I like this team!

10/23: Lost another guard. Damn!

Anna Li and I finally got the okay for her to move in. We'll be doing that tomorrow.

[Wayne23]

11/12: The season starts tomorrow. We're at Prairie View.

11/13: 81-66. Good start! The same two guys who got it done for us last year led us tonight, Brad Runn had 19, 4, and 5, and Nick Maze had 17 and 9. Sub forward Jeff Perr had 14. +10 RBs but 17 TOs.

My lineup at SG is not settled yet. While Kent Minz is all in at PG, I am dividing the time at SG and the sub time at PG among three guards. I want them to get about equal minutes until one of them shows me by his play that he deserves the big minutes.

11/16: 66-73 at Central Arkansas. We didn't shoot well, we didn't defend as well as we should have, and Maze had 4 fouls. He wound up with 17 and 13, but I had to sit him for too long. 20 and 5 for Runn, 16 and 4 for SF Cris Mill. I'm getting no production from my guards so far. I won't act too quickly, but if it continues I just might play Cris Mill at SG, Jeff Perr at SF, and go with a big lineup. But not yet.

We're finally at home next.

11/19: 90-79 over Denver. 26, 6, 5 for Runn; great game! I was completely satisfied with the O but we gave up too many points.

11/20: CRAP!!! Art Curr did not sign. That means he won't hit our SAT score and I'll need to recruit in the Spring.

I'm finding that living with someone is both wonderful and frustratingly difficult. Anna Li and I really care about each other and all in all we're doing well together, but damn, it can feel awfully close at times; I'm used to having my own space. I expected that some adjustment would be necessary and would take some time, so it's not a surprise. Dick Long and Aura Li spend a lot of time with us, which is great. I don't see any signs that they are becoming a couple but Anna says she thinks it might happen. Time will tell, I guess.

It's not that I have a lot of free time. Between my job and coaching, 16 hour (or more) days are pretty much the norm. I try to take one day completely off from both each week, but most weeks it doesn't happen. I DO manage a shorter work day one day a week though, so that Anna and I have time together. And I only need about four hours sleep a night, so that helps.

11/23: 78-66 over Cleveland ST here. 20, 7 for Runn. The front court had 61 of our 78 points. TOs are going down though, and the back court D was very strong tonight.

Nobody is stepping up at SG. I may need to keep the 3 man rotation going.

11/26: 69-66 over a Valparaiso team that hasn't won yet this year. Even worse? It was on our court. We led most of the way but we couldn't stretch it out. At the end they had the ball with a chance to tie. Fortunately the shot they took front rimmed out. 51 points from the front court. The staff keeps discussing the SG situation. We may decide to give someone a shot soon. The issue is that all three have different strengths. Bri Brew will get us the most points but he's the weakest defender. Tron Blom is the best defender but he's not much of a scorer. Cris Self is right in the middle, which means he's the one we're leaning toward.

11/28: After two more days of deliberation we've decided to give Self his shot at SG. We'll give him about 4 games to prove himself.

11/30: 83-69 at Houston Batfest. Minz and Self combined for 19. Not bad. 21, 12 for Maze, who really dominated inside. +11 RBs.

A ranked team at home next, #24 San Diego ST, 5-1.

12/3: 99-84. It's great to beat a ranked team! The first half was an absolute shootout. We led 52-48 at the buzzer. I made a couple of adjustments on D and left everything alone on O and we took charge in the 2nd. We got 33 points from our guards, 22 of them from the starters. So Self may be the answer at SG. +11 RBs.
By virtue of my new job I'm a major player on the hub council now, and privy to all of their talks, both public and private. The concern regarding the oat crop is more than major at this level. No one has yet found anything remotely like a solution, and really, the quality and healthfulness of our diets is being impacted. The agronomists were called in to a private meeting and a LONG talk was held. The Chair put up with noncommital statements and evasions for some time but then lost her patience and dropped the hammer. She demanded some creative approaches. Evidently, the council has been asking for that for some time, long before I came on board, but the agronomists seem to be a conservative lot, unwilling to take chances on anything innovative. The Chair made it clear that that will change soon or heads will roll. It will be interesting to see what happens.

12/7: 82-74 at Perverterian. We led most of the way, by as many as 15. The final score was as close as it got in the last 10 minutes. Cris Self is cementing his position as starting SG. He had 15, 2, and 5 tonight. All 5 starters had 10 or more. +13 RBs.

[Wayne23]

12/10: 94-53 over Fordham here. They're not that bad, we were just ON tonight. Best defensive performance of the season. 21, 5, 4 for Maze, 19, 6 for Runn15, 7 for Mill. +17 RBs and only 10 TOs.

We're 8-1.

12/13: 77-45 over NJIT here. Our D has absolutely come alive. 25, 10 for Maze.

12/14: Just left a meeting of the council. The Chair dropped the hammer on the agronomists. She demoted the top three and replaced them with two younger members of the staff who have been trying to make innovations but have been blocked by those in charge. Well, those in charge are no longer in charge. The hope is that these young innovators will find a fix for this long standing problem.

12/17: 70-57 at Incoherent Word. Great D again. 18 for Cris Self and good play by lots of people. +11 RBs.

12/21: 73-59 at Ca. Batfest. 4 straight games where we've held the opponent below 60 points. Our front court overwhelmed theirs. 46 and 19 for our three starters. +12 RBs.

12/24: 103-82 over Bowling Green ST, here. We didn't bring our D tonight but we sure brought our O! We never trailed. 23, 9 for Maze, 20, 6 for Runn, 14 for sub guard Tron Blom. +8 RBs, only 8 TOs.

12/28: 85-72 over Duquesne here. Yet again we never trailed. 8 TOs again.

Great news from the new agronomy team. They have experimental crops going on three fronts using innovative methods. There are no guarantees but at least they're now trying things.

12/31: 66-56 at Jackson ST to end the pre-conference season. Terrific D, balanced scoring.

We end the pre-conf. season at 14-1, with a 13 game winning streak. +14.4 PPG, +7.0 RB, -3.0 TO. Nick Maze gets 17.8 points, 7.7 RBs, Runn gets 15.8, 5.7. Minz gets 5.4 assists per game.

The usual four of us celebrated the New Year after the game.

[Wayne23]

1/11/2180: 96-48 over New Hampshire. I was worried that after such a long break we'd be rusty. We weren't. 28 and 7 for Runn, 18, 8 for Perr. +18 RB, 7 TO.

Next one is at Hartford and they're picked to finish 2nd, right behind us.

1/14: 81-68. We never trailed. 20 and 13 for Maze. +20 RBs.

Two pieces of news: Dick Long and Aura Li are now a couple. Even better, Anna tells me she's expecting! I am very excited.

People don't usually get married here. It's just not a thing. Some do, but not a lot. Still, I'm going to ask Anna. If she wants to, I'm fine with it. If not, I'm fine with that too. Of course I plan to be a little more romantic about it...

1/18: 81-54 over Vermont here. Balanced scoring and good D. Self led us with 16.

Chad Mill sprained an ankle. He may or may not be able to play in our next game.

1/21: 83-81 at MD-Balt. County. Our first nail biter of the season. They were up by 14 with 12:22 left. Then we started to cut the lead. We finally took our first lead with 5:02 to play. It went back and forth the rest of the way. At the end Nick Maze blocked a shot to give us the win. He had 18 and 8. +11 RBs.

Next up is Maine the only other team yet to lose in conf. play.

1/25: 94-69. Wow! 29, 7, 4 for Runn, 19, 13 for Maze. All of the starters had 11 or more.

The agronomists are encouraged by two of their three experimental oat crops. It's too soon to say for sure that either or both will offer a solution but it's encouraging.

I continue to visit a couple of ships every work day. Most of the local statisticians are doing a great job, but a couple could be doing better. I'm working with them.

1/28: 98-78 over Binghamton here. Two sub forwards, Jeff Perr and Cal Mann, led us with 20 each. Maze and Runn were both in foul trouble all night long and the bench stepped up.

1/29: As expected Curr did not hit our SAT score.

2/1: 71-72 at Stony Brook and the win streak ends at 19. We blew a 17 point lead. While it's true that they won on a half court prayer as the clock expired, which is a terrible way to lose, we should never have been in that position. We let this one get away from us. The refs were awful. They went to the line 35 times we went 12, and they were playing a very aggressive defense. I couldn't count the number of fouls they got away with. My guys let that get into their heads. I suppose if there's a lesson here that's it. Just keep playing and don't get psyched out by that crap. Let's win the next one, also on the road, and turn everything around!

6-1 in conf. at the halfway point.