Hereafter

[Wayne23]

3/11: 22-9, 14-6, NET #32. That looks like a #8 seed, give or take.

3/12: #7 Midwest. We play #10 Pitt, 20-11. They can score outside, but at least on paper we look better. We'll see!

It's not a bad bracket but I can't imagine we'll get very far. Just hoping to win this first game.

3/16: Up 8 after 10. 42-28 at the half; we're playing really well! 11, 8 for Sarp, 12, 2, 4 for Wite. +14 RBs. We lead by 20+, then it's 19 with 10 to play.

78-74. They made a HUGE late rush but the final score was as close as they got. 29, 12, 3 for Sarp, 19, 4, 6 for Wite. +12 RBs.

Bench coach Greg Robb: Great win! Probably our last one, but still.

Jed Clark: We WAY exceeded expectations this year.

Robb: That's for sure, and hey, let's give it all we have in the next game!

Clark: Absolutely!

[Wayne23]

3/17: #2 seed, #10 ranked Virginia, 24-11, in the 2nd round. They're really good, especially outside, but good inside, too. We'll need to be at our very best.

3/18: They come out strong and we can't make a shot. We try to get back in it but we're down 10 at the half as they score the last 7 points. Sarp has 3 fouls as does their SG. 11 for Call. We need to step it up in the 2nd. Down 8 with 10 to go. It's not happening.

65-83. 21, 9 for Call in his last college game. 21 TOs.

Sarp hurt his calf midway through the 2nd half and he had to sit, but it really didn't matter. They were much better.

Greg Robb: They were just way better.

Clark: Yes they were. Our time is coming.

Robb: And soon!

The Misa now have a half dozen holo programs, all installed in every population center. These are fairly simple but the Misa are starved for this. Oomili is learning what he needs to learn and trying to teach it to others.

[Wayne23]

4/3: We lost to the National Champ. #10 ranked Virginia won it all.

4/4: Awards: Mal Sarp makes the Big 10 2nd team and that's it. It's all we expected but I'm glad Mal was recognized!

4/9: TP jumps from 73 to 80.

I don't expect to go anywhere.

Virginia Commonwealth, a VERY good team, wanted me last year and I almost wound up there. Not this year, even though they want me again. I'm staying here.

4/16: Greg Robb: Hate to do it, my friend, but lots more money and a serious shot at the head coach job.

Clark: I understand. Thanks for everything and good luck!

I hire a #1 and a #3.

4/23: I ask for a budget increase.

No.

23-10, 14-6. Pretty good first season here at Maryland. Better things ahead!

Overall, after 31 seasons, 947-199, .826.

[Wayne23]

5/1: What a difference a year makes! #4 preseason. #1 recruiting class.

The Misa are clambering for holo programs. Oomili has designed his first one, with a lot of help from our techies, and the Misa are MAD for it.

Interestingly, it is clear that they want some sexually oriented holo programs but are embarrassed to ask. We're not embarrassed but we cant really help. If and when Oomili feels comfortable working with our people to design such a program or programs that's when it will happen. We aren't prudes, we don't care, and we have a whole host of those kinds of programs and they're VERY popular.

5/29: 2 people transfer out. Mike Hart is a guard who would not have played much. Cris Liva would probably have been our #4 guard.

At present we have 3 guards on the roster.

Round 1: 3 spots open. We need at least 2 guards. We offer to an SG who is a B, and 2 unrated. 0-3.

Round 2: We offer to 3 Bs. Got 'em all! They will all get minutes.

6/25: We will go to the Indy camp, the Big Apple, and Memphis.

The geeks have come up with a new plan. They design nearly all of a given program for the Misa and then give it to Oomili, who gives it the personal touch, or the Misa touch. This is moving things along much more quickly. Oomili is very busy between this work and his math studies, but he seems to be handling all of it well, and he says he has two 11 year olds who seem like they may have the aptitude and the interest for the math. Good news!

6/26: Doug File, who left early is #7 in the pro draft, and Mel Sarp is #34.

3 scholarships. We want 2 and 1 either way.

7/7: 3 excellent holo programs for the Misa and they are going crazy for them. They have a holo chamber for every 20 of their people already.

Oomili approached our geeks about sexually oriented programs. They managed to keep a straight face and told him that was not a problem. What WAS a problem is that these... sorts of things... are done quite differently among the Misa than they are done here. So a bit of creativity was needed. I'm told things are proceeding quite nicely!

8/7: 5 on the Norton list: PF Mal Miro is #5, PF Abe Wolf is #10, C Vic Coop is #25, SGH Ed Nole is #35, and SG Ike West is #36.

8/21: We offer to a PG, a PF, and a C.

[Wayne23]

9/4: 2 of our recruits have us at #1 and the 3rd at #2 so we're quite confident!

9/18: We get 2, a PG, #10, a PF, #19. The C seems to have lost interest. We're still chasing him but we're chasing some others as well.

We're going to the Caribbean Challenge vs. Washington ST. Our schedule is loaded with ranked teams.

5 more Misa holo programs, 2 with sexual themes.

“That is all, Mr. Jed. Any more than two such programs would be unacceptable. Let us focus our energies on other types of programs, things like challenging games and quests, adventures on the water, physical challenges, things like that.”

While the Misa are very round, they value fitness and all seem to be very committed to exercise.

9/25: We got the C, he's #2 ranked nationally. So a great recruiting class!

10/2: First day of practice. We're very good.

10/15: We're thinking another month or so here and we'll be ready to leave. We've learned everything there is to learn. We will leave some robots behind to help Oomili and his proteges with their holo programs, but they won't really need anything else from us.

Our botanists and other plant scientists found many interesting life forms on the planet and on its moons and have been studying them intently. They feel they've done all they need to do “on the ground” and can continue their studies in our labs. Similarly, geologists and the like have many specimens to study.

11/11: We prepare to leave the planet and the solar system. There are many farewell events. The Misa are big on ceremony. We will forever call ourselves “half spiders,” no doubt!

11/12: Here's our lineup:

Soph Ike West, a transfer from Michigan ST, is at the point.

Senior Dub Wite returns at SG. He started at Sf last season but this is his natural position.

#3 guard is soph Josh Buck, a transfer from NC ST. #4 is frosh Ed Nole who looks good but needs work on D. #5 is soph Nate Mott who dropped like a rock. He
started last season. I suppose he could work his way up the ladder.

Frosh Abe Wolf is at SF. He has looked really good.

Frosh Mal Miro, potentially our best player, is at PF. He is a big time scorer.

Frosh Vic Coop is at C, so 3 freshmen start inside.

1st big off the bench is juco junior Ron Stou, so another big with no collegiate experience. #2 ins soph Mel Fick, a transfer from Oklahoma. Finally there's senior Bill Palm who rebounds well but doesn't do much else.

This team has a great deal of potential but they may need a bit of time to get everything together. We'll see.

We're back in space, leaving the Misa solar system. It was an enjoyable visit.

[Wayne23]

11/15: We start with #20 Georgetown here.

12/1: Our first 4 games went very well!

71-46 over Georgetown. SG Dub Wite led us with 19, 5, 3. 16, 7 for Miro, 12, 11, 3 for Coop. +22 RBs.

Then we beat #20 UCLA 79-64 here. 22, 11, 4 steals for PF Mal Miro. 16, 11 for Coop, 17, 3, 5, 3 for Wite. +18 RBs.

Our 3rd game was a VERY impressive 77-62 win over #2 ranked San Diego ST. 17, 11 for Miro. +20 for the bench. +11 RBs.

It was a costly win. Starting SG Dub Wite strained a hamstring and is out for 2 weeks. Josh Buck will start and Ed Nole will be 1st guard off the bench.

Our 4th game, and our 1st on the road was at Cincinnati where we won 97-85. 25, 7, 3 for SF Abe Wolf, 21, 9 for Miro. +20 in the paint.

Bench coach Shay Corr: Jed, we are one tough team!

Clark: We're going to be hard to beat!

The ship is moving through interstellar space smoothly, with nothing in sight of any of the probes.

There are always small problems- equipment failures, computer issues... We fix the problem or 3 D print a replacement part if it can't be fixed.

Most computer issues are easily resolved but occasionally the geeks need to really work at something.

[Wayne23]

12/14: 3 more wins. We're 7-0, ranked #6, NET #1.

First win of the three was with #12 Stanford, here. We beat them 87-70. 20, 6, 3, 3, 3 for Abe Wolf, 18, 9 for Miro, 17 for PG Ike West. Buck didn't score much filling in at SG but his other numbers and his D were very good.

Next we beat Gonzaga, here, 85-56. 26, 7, 4 for Wolf, , 12, 1, 10, 5 for Buck, 13, 8, 4 for 6th man F/C Ron Stou. 9 TOs to 20.

Finally, we beat California 76-58 there, with Dub Wite back in the lineup at SG. This was a team effort with 7 players scoring between 9 and 13. +17 RBs.

We head for Cancun for the challenge next (Author's note: I will play out the tourney games.).

Shay Corr: Damn! We're good!

Clark: I'm excited about this team. I think we have a shot at winning it all.

Corr: At which point you'd move someplace else.

Clark (laughs): Maybe. Or maybe I'll stay here and break Wooden's record of 10 national titles. Not sure.

Corr: Ha! The carpet bag is packed!

[Wayne23]

12/15: Our first Caribbean Challenge opponent is #7 seed Washington ST, 5-2. We're the #2 seed and there are some good teams here!

Wash. ST is not one of them- well, they're okay, but not great.

12/16: They stay with us for most of the first half then we take the lead late. 51-37 at the half. 14, 8 for Wof, 10, 5 for Coop, 11 for Buck.

We roar out to start the 2nd and put the game away early.

89-67. 23, 10 for Wolf, 19, 9 for Coop. +17 for the bench. +20 RBs.

We could turn it over less. I'm not happy with 14.1 per game. That's really my only complaint with this team so far.

[Wayne23]

12/16: #3 seed Kentucky, 6-4, in the semifinals. Their C is out with a torn Achilles, and has been all season. They've won their last 6 after losing their first 4, so they're hot. We think we can cool them off!

Game time: They score the first 8. We take our first lead with 9 ½ left in the half. 47-37 at the break. 11, 7 for Miro, 13, 3, 3 for Buck.

They won't quit but we're holding a decent lead.

86-70. 17, 8 for Miro, 14, 8, 3, 4 blocks for Wolf, 15, 5, 3 for Buck who deserves more minutes. I just don't know where to find them.

Little used guard Nate Mott strains a hamstring. Out for about a week and a half.

[Wayne23]

12/17: It's #1 seed, #6 ranked Arizona, in the title game. They have an excellent PG and are very good outside, and they rebound well. This could be our first challenge!

We're now ranked #4.

Game time: They take the lead then we come back and it's a battle. 35-35 after a hard fought first half. Coop has 3 fouls as does their SF. 12, 8 for Miro but no one else is doing much on O. -6 from the line. They lead by 1 with 10 left.

78-79 but that's deceptive as we hit a last second three. Their inside starting three had 55, ours had 30. We won outside and on the bench but it wasn't enough to overcome their inside play. Foul trouble all night for Coop and Wolf were big factors. We were -13 at the line. 17 each for West and Wite, 14 each for Miro and Wolf.

Shay Corr: I guess we're not going to win it all in a walk. We're gonna have to work for it.

Clark: I always thought that would be the case. The damn fouls hurt us a lot.

Corr: Yes they did.

One more pre-conf game with #8 Duke here.

12/21: We got a battle.85-78. The first half was sluggish, 30-26, and the 2nd was a shoot out, 55-52. We led all the way, but never by a lot. 18, 3, 8 for Wite.

The other starters had 14, 14, 13, and 9. Ron Stou had 13 and 6.

12/25: Heading for Big 10 play we're 10-1, #5, NET #1.

+15.9 PPG, +11.7 RBs, #1 in RBs and margin. -1.8 TOs, our weakness.

Abe Wolf leads us with 15.0. Mal Miro gets 14.7. Our other starters average 10.5, 10.5, 10.2. Miro gets 8.9 RBs, Coop 7.7, Wolf 7.3.