3/5: Jon Sugg is #3, and Dee Turn #7 on the Norton list. As expected, both have declared for the NBA draft.
3/7: We play #8 seed Michigan ST, 14-14, 8-10, in the quarter finals. Beat them by 20 at our place and a heavy favorite to do it again.
3/8: 75-54. We were in control all the way. 32, 12 for Sugg, 23, 6 for Dane. Dee Turn has been in a shooting slump; he had only 6, but 12 RBs, 4 assists. +22 RBs.
#4 Maryland, 18-13, 10-8, in the semifinals. Beat them by 33 at our place and a heavy fav.
3/9: 85-64. Never close. 30, 13 for Turn, 18, 17 for Sugg. +26 RBs.
#3 seed, #11 ranked Purdue, 23-8, 11-7, for the title. We won by only 1 at our place and got trounced by 19 there in the season finale. We’re a big favorite but we’d better show up! They’re very strong inside.
3/10: 77-82. I guess this team just has our number. The refs called a ridiculous 42 total fouls and that took away any flow the game might have had but the refs didn’t beat us. The fact that our three guards scored a total of 4 points was probably the biggest factor.
29-3, #2, RPI #2. We’ll be a #1 somewhere and anything less than Final Four will be a disappointment.
3/12: #1 South. We play #16 Denver, 17-13. This is a game we should win easily.
3/17: 88-56. Balanced scoring with all 5 starters getting between 17 and 10, and three other guys getting 8, 5, and 5. +13 RBs, 8 TOs.
#9 seed Maryland, 19-14, who we just crushed in the Big Ten tourney, is next.
3/19: 81-80. We blew a 17 point lead and won it on a last second three by Dee Turn, one of only 2 we made all night. We were awful. We gave up 15 threes. 24, 12 for Sugg, 18, 9 for Turn. We were VERY lucky to escape.
#4 seed, #23 ranked West Virginia, 24-8, in the Sweet Sixteen. They’re good outside and their PF can score but we seem to be a lot better overall.
3/24: 91-68. MUCH better! Took us a while but once we got going we were great. 36, 19 for Sugg, 15, 15 for Turn. +31 RBs, 11 TOs.
#3 seed, #13 ranked California, 26-9, in the Elite Eight. They can play. We’re a 4 ½ point favorite but we need to bring our best game. I’ve never been beyond this round.
3/26: 82-75. They led early, by as many as 11, but by the half we were up 5 and we stretched it out to 17 before they came back. The final score was as close as they got late. 16, 12 for Turn, 18, 5 for Lane, 16, 7 for Sugg. 21 TOs but they had 28.
We’re in the Final Four! We face #1 seed, #4 ranked Alabama, 30-4. We’re a big favorite but again, we need to show up. They are strong outside and they have a deep bench.
Detective Paul Wondry, Denver Police, “The Final Four is in Denver this year, Chief. Guess who’s coaching in it?”
“Interesting.”
“I’m going to personally tail him every night he’s here. I plan to get the son of a bitch.”
3/31: We arrived in town yesterday. I had an interesting experience early this morning. I decided to go to some of my old haunts and get #61.
As I settled in, waiting for a victim, I had a feeling that someone was watching me. I played it cool but kept my eyes open, stopping fairly often to look in windows, tie my shoe, things like that.
Sure enough, there was a guy on my tail. I didn’t do anything to make him suspect I was onto him.
At a certain point I turned a corner and slid into a doorway quickly in a way that he couldn’t possibly see.
As he turned the corner I nailed him with a licorice dart. Down he went. Out of curiosity I checked to see who he was. The face looked familiar. I checked his ID. Paul Wondry, Detective with the Denver police. That rang a bell. I got out of there as fast as I could.
On my way to the hotel I kept going over the name in my mind, Paul Wondry, Paul Wondry… Nothing.
Finally, as I was in the shower, it clicked. Wondry had interviewed me about a murder I had committed late in 1984. I had knifed a prostitute in an alley in Denver and a cop had all but caught me in the act. I got the cop with a dart.
I now assumed that Wondry had been on my trail ever since. I’m glad I took him out but if he was working with any other cops, or if his boss knew what he was up to, I was probably in trouble.
4/1: 74-73! Great win in a tough, tough game. Alabama led by 16 early, 14 at the half. We battled back, finally took the lead with 42 seconds left. They retook it, leaving us with the last possession. We wanted Sugg or Turn to take the shot. Naturally both were well covered but Sugg opened up. We got it to him, he took a closely guarded 12 footer and it went in for the win. He had 18, 14, 4. 16, 7 for Dane. +15 RBs, but 22 TOs (-8).
We play #2 seed, #5 ranked North Carolina, 29-6, for the title. They’re excellent inside and favored by 3 ½.