DDSCB23: The Greatest II

[Wayne23]

The Greatest- II

April 25, 2022: Ally Cash here. Cash, as in MONEY!!! I intend to make a lot of money as a college basketball coach but more than that, I expect to end up as the greatest college basketball coach who ever lived!

I first learned about basketball when I was 9 years old. My uncle had a hoop in the playground behind his apartment. He took me there and taught me to dribble first. Wouldn’t even let me take a shot. Then he taught me to pass, and taught me some fakes. Then he taught me to play defense. After all that he taught me to shoot.

I guess he was a pretty good teacher! I was all state my last 2 years in high school and went on to play for LSU. I started at shooting guard my senior year and did okay.

I didn’t try to go pro because I have always said I would be the greatest at something and I’m not good enough to be the greatest basketball player.

BUT, my uncle, then my high school coach, then my coaches at LSU all taught me about coaching, and I’ve read all kinds of books on it. I can and I WILL become the greatest college hoops coach!

I grew up in the ghetto near the Quarter in New Orleans, and I’ve lived here all my life. We didn’t have much when I was a kid but we got by. I learned how to take care of myself in the rough neighborhood, and I think I learned some powerful life lessons! My parents are good people and they did what they could for me but it wasn’t easy.

So here I am, at age 25. I just got hired as the head coach at New Orleans. I have to say I’m excited. Lots to do, hire assistants, get to know my players, get to know my way around, lots of other things.

[Wayne23]

5/1: “Billy Bob Cramer, WNOL radio here with the brand new head coach of the New Orleans Privateers, Ally Cash. Welcome Ally.”

“Thank you, Billy Bob.”

“So, you just took over a team that has had 8 straight losing seasons. What can we expect this year?”

“A winning season! We’re gonna win more than we lose and we’re gonna be a contender in the Southland conference.”

“How in the world ar you going to manage that, Coach?”

“Teamwork, hard work, a solid plan.”

“Can you give us some details?”

“I can’t hold practice until October 2 but I’m giving every player, soon as I can put it together, a booklet of what we’re going to do, and how each player fits into it. First, defense, ‘cuz it always starts with defense- man-to-man, 100% of the time. When we press, which we will from time to time, it’s full court man-to-man. So, we play one defense and only one, and we play it at maximum, full out, hard as we can, at all times. That simplifies things. Second, offense- we’re gonna be FAST, we’re gonna play like there’s a 14 second clock. We’re gonna be completely free wheelin’, no set plays. Just work to get open, set picks to get someone else open, look for the open man. Big guys shoot layups, little guys shoot threes. Rebounding- we crash the boards on D as hard as we can, and on O 4 guys crash and one guy stays back to stop the fast break. And that’s about it.”

“Sounds like a plan, coach. How will you get your players to buy in?”

“Nobody likes to lose. I plan to convince ‘em that if they play hard, play together, and follow the plan they’ll win!”

“You seem real confident, Coach.”

“If you don’t believe in yourself nothin’ good can happen.”

“How good are you?”

“Well, I had an uncle who really knew and loved the game. He started takin’ me under his wing when I was nine years old. Over the years he taught me a tremendous amount. He died when I was a junior in college but by that time I was bein’ mentored by my college hoops coach, and he taught me even more. I feel like I got 16 years of accumulated knowledge.”

“Tell us about your long term ambition.”

“I hope to spend my life coachin’, and when I retire, I hope to be known as the greatest college coach ever, with the most wins, the best winnin’ percentage, and the most national championships.”

“That’s aiming for the sky!”

“Yep. Mind you, I got a long way to go to get there an’ I know it.”

“Before you go, coach, tell us about your assistants.”

“Glad to! I was lucky to get Al Cox to come over here from Louisiana-Lafayette. Al is a great recruiter and he’s gonna really help me build this program.

“Rob Solo was the #3 here. I moved him up to #2 and he’s my scouting assistant. He really knows how to break down video an’ he’ll help us get ready for the teams we’re playin’.

“Mike Beck was a really good high school head coach. I called him and asked if he’d like to move up. He said yes an’ he’ll be my bench/practice coach, helpin’ to plan strategy and such. I’m real happy with these guys.”

“Thanks coach. WNOL will be broadcasting all of your home games so we’ll talk often during the season.”

[Wayne23]

5/1: #64 recruiting class, which is pretty good for a small school like us.

Our budget lets us exceed our expected to spend number, which is good.

5/29: Nobody’s transferring out.

6/25: We’ll go to the Memphis and Houston camps.

I’m all settled in. Renting a nice condo just off campus, within walking distance of Lakefront Arena, where we play and practice, and where the athletic offices are.

My players are on campus for most of the summer so I’m getting to know them, talking to them regularly, following up to make sure they’re reading the playbook they all got. I only have 11 scholarship players. I cut 2 guys who were never going to help us. They both got hardship scholarships so they won’t lose their chance for an education.

6/26: Recruiting starts today. We’ll be looking at lots of players. 3 scholarships. We’ll take 2 bigs and a guard or vice versa.

Recruiting is vital. If you can’t get good players you can’t win. I’m lookin’ forward to convincing kids to come here and win and convincing families that they want their kid to play for me.

7/11: I offer to 2 PGs and a C.

Coach Cox and I are still talkin’ to lots of kids though.

7/31: We saw all of the kids we’re most interested in at one or the other of the camps. That’s good since we got to talk to them.

8/14: It’s all about who to talk to when you recruit. Talking to the kid is vital, but there’s usually one adult who really has a lot of influence- might be a parent, an uncle or aunt, a teacher, a guidance counsellor, a coach… Whoever that person is I figure I go a long way toward getting that kid if I get that person on my side. So first I need to find out who it is and then I need to convince them.

9/4: “School is IN, and WNOU is back on the air 24/7. I’m Billie Sue Barker, ‘Speaking of Sports,’ and we have the brand new coach of the Privateers with us tonight, Coach Ally Cash. Coach, what’s the plan?”

“The plan is to bring winning basketball back to New Orleans, and right away.”

“Sounds good. As you know WNOU broadcasts all your games, home and away, and it’s been tough lately, 8 straight losing seasons.”

“Not gonna be 9! We’re planning to make this team one that fans will have fun cheering for.”

“That’s great, coach. We’ll be talking with you after every game and from time to time on this show. Thanks.”

9/11: I lose 2. Offer to 2 PFs.

9/18: We lose a PG, offer to another PG.

I told my A. D. I wanted an easy pre-conference schedule, and I got one. We need to win a lot of games to impress recruits next year and maybe this Spring, and to build confidence.

9/25: We get the PG, #138, and a PF, #118. Still chasing the other PF, and a few other guys.

10/2: 1st day of practice. Everybody’s pretty excited. I know all my players pretty well by now but I don’t necessarily know what they can and cannot do on the basketball floor. We’ll figure that out in the days ahead.

And the staff is about to get busier. At first we’ll have meetings every night after practice to discuss… well, everything we saw and didn’t see, and the significance of all of that as to who plays how much.

We’ve talked to the recruits and their families and texted them and we continue to do both. The period for visiting them is over so we’ll need to convince one more recruit by phone and text; I think we’re making progress!

One good thing is that all of my players seem to be doing okay academically. Wee have study hall every day and they all have tutors. I stay on top of grades because I do NOT want anyone to become academically ineligible!

11/6: We got the last recruit, a PF, #266, but he’s better than that.

11/14: Here’s the lineup, for now at least:

PG is not settled yet. Frosh Sama Style will start. His D could be better. Junior Val Smik will get equal time. He’s a better ball handler so he may wind up starting.

My best guard, and maybe best player, is senior Cal Selt at SG. He does everything well.

#4 guard is junior Lamo Bro, and he’s not that good. Finally, there’s junior Ben Wyte.

Frosh Rick Hix is at SF. His D could be better but he’s a decent player.

Junior Mike Hinn is at PF. He’s a very good rebounder but his D is weak.

Junior Vic Irri is probably our best player. He does everything well. Vic is huge at 7’1”, 301 pounds!

1st big man off the bench is frosh Ari Hunt. He’s a good sixth man and should get better over time. Soph Kin Sims is a good rebounder but the rest of his game needs work. Frosh Jim Adra could move up the depth chart. He has lots of potential.

We’re very excited to start our season, which we do tomorrow with Cal ST Bakersfield here. We don’t know much about them but their returning PG and PF are probably their best players. Their coach plays mostly 2-3, so we’ve been practicing against that.

[Wayne23]

11/15: “Okay guys. You’re about to go out there and begin the tradition of winning basketball at New Orleans U. You’ll be telling your grandchildren about this. Do great things!”

The game starts and we jump out to a quick lead. My guys are finding the open man! Up 12 after 10 minutes. I like what I’m seeing! 49-34 at halftime.

“Vin, 18 and 4, great half! And you totally shut your man down. Rick Hix, you can’t foul like that. We need you on the floor! Ari Hunt, when you go in for Hix or anybody else don’t afraid to be aggressive. You were just a little tentative. Mike Hinn, solid play! 10 and 6 and you shut down your man! Guards, you pretty much held your own. I need more aggressive play from the bench but Val Smik, keep doin’ what you’re doin’. 6 assists! Love it. Okay, we’re only gonna change one thing. I want you to press more, maybe about half the time. Whoever’s in a the Point will call it so look to him for the signal.

We start fast and get it to 20. Up 27 with 10 minutes to go.

101-83. “Yes, that’s what I’m talkin’ about! Great way to start the season!

“Billie Bob Cramer, WNOL, with the post game show. Coach Cash, you have to be happy with the team’s performance.”

“We saw some things we need to work on but yes, we’re very happy. 26, 7 for Irri!”

“Everyone expected him to be your best player and he lived up to it tonight.”

“On both ends of the floor. He was huge. 20 and 6 for Cal Selt at SG. We have high expectations for him and he lived up to them, especially in the 2nd half. 16, 9 for Mike Hinn, another solid player.”

“How about the bench?”

“A double double, 10 and 11, for Ari Hunt, and 6 and 9 for Val Smik at guard. Val wants to start at the Point and games like this don’t hurt his cause, although our starter, Sama Style had a really good game, 9 and 9. But his D wasn;t what we need it to be.”

“Will you make any changes?”

“Not after one game. We’ll watch and see and have a lot of staff time talking before we make changes. Hey, 60-24 in the paint. How about that! And only 9 TOs!”

“The crowd was behind you.”

“Yeah but it was a small crowd. As they figure out that we’re actually going to be winning games the crowds will get bigger. I want this to be the toughest ticket in town.”

“That would be quite something given the town we’re in! Thanks Coach.”

Our road debut is at Hartford, 0-2. They’ve really struggled, especially inside, but road games are never easy.

11/18: “Don’t let ‘em beat you outside!”

It’s close early but we’re playing hard. Up 5 after 10. 40-37 at the half.

“I’m not happy with the last 2 minutes. You have to finish strong!

“Vic, 13 and 7 is great but 3 fouls! We can’t have that. Do NOT pick up #4. We need you in there!

“Ari, good scoring but hit the boards harder. I need more outside; you guys are stopping the outside shot but I need points from you, too.

“Too many fouls all around. But we’re gonna press more, about half the time. Look for the sign from the Point. And play with discipline!”

It’s close early. Up only 1 with 10 to play. Then we go on a run!

87-81.

“All right. We LOVE road wins! 27, 7, 5 steals for Vic. Way to go. But watch the fouls.

“Cal, we need you at SG. Hopefully this is the first and last time you foul out.

“Hunt and Sims, great play from the bench. You too, Val.

“Hinn and Hix got it done at forward.

“In general, we’ve been workin’ on playing aggressive D without fouling. That didn’t happen enough tonight. We’ll be working on it more. Good job, all in all. The goal is to get a little better every
day, and we’re doing okay with that.”

The guy we were worried about not hitting our SAT score signed. That means he will hit it!

At 0-3 Delaware ST next. Their SF is really good but he doesn’t get much help. We should own the boards!

11/22: We start fast. Up 23 after 10. 51-33 at the half.

“Okay, don’t let up! Great job in the first half but what you do to another team they can do back to you. Don’t let that happen!

“Good work inside. Come on, guards, let’s put some points up!”

15, 3, 3, 3 for Irri, 11 for Hix.

Up 29 with 10 to play.

96-72.

“Rockin’ and a rollin’! Great D, just what I’m lookin’ for, hard D but with discipline. No one got in foul trouble.”

23, 6, 3, 3 for Irri, 14, 6, 3, 5 for Helt, 16, 5 for Hix, 14, 5 for Hinn. 10 for Sims, 10 assists for Smik.

“Bobbi Sue Barker, WNOU, with the post game show. Coach Cash, you’re team has been kicking butt so far this season.”

“I told you, Bobbi Sue, and I told your listeners. This team is capable of doin’ great things and we’re doin’ ‘em!”

“What are the keys?”

“I’ve said it before, team before self, solid D with discipline behind it, finding the open man. My guys have bought in to all of that and more.”

“This team hasn’t won more than 8 games in the last 7 seasons. You’re 3-0.”

“We intend to win a lot of games this season, Bobbi Sue. If we stay healthy we’re in it every night.”

“You’re heading home. Do you expect a bigger crowd than you had in your home opener?”

“I’m told you can’t get a ticket for that game, and that makes me very happy!”

“Thanks Coach.”

Florida Gulf Coast, 3-0, is here. Their C is out with a broken ankle. They’ve looked very good so far. We’ll need to be sharp.

11/25: “Okay, this team can play. Let’s show them what we can do!”

We take an early lead but it’s close. Tied after 10. We press some. 45-51.

“Okay, ya gotta work for this one.

“Dang it, Hix, and the rest of you, too. Too many fouls! And my guards are getting embarrassed. I KNOW you can do better!

“The threes are killing us. Stop ‘em!

“We’re gonna press more.”

13, 3 for Irri, 12, 3 for Sims, 10 for Hix, but Hix has 3 fouls and the other starters all have 2.

We catch up early, then go on a run. Up 12 with 10 left.

104-89.

“Great 2nd half!”

29, 7 for Irri, 18, 6 for Sims, 14, 4 for Hix, 13 for Selt. Big edge inside.

“Okay, I love the way you dug in after bein’ down 6 at the half. Love the determination!”

“Billie Bob Cramer with the WNOL post game show. Coach Cash, your guys really turned it around in the 2nd half.”

“Yes they did. I told them in the locker room that it’s no big deal to be down 6 at the half. We made a couple adjustments, bore down, and got it done!”

“Say something about your giant in the middle, Vic Irri.”

“Vic’s our leader. He’s consistently good every night, and the guys look to him, maybe more than anybody else, to show us the way. He scores, he rebounds, he plays big time D, and he’s a natural leader. I LOVE that he’ll be back next season!”

“Thanks Coach.”

Sama Syle hurt his foot. He’s day-to-day and won’t miss any time.

On the plane the coaches met to take a look at what we’ve seen so far.

We’re 4-0, NET #102, which is fantastic for us.

Looking at the stat sheet and talking about what we’ve seen we decided to make a change at the Point. Val Smik has been doing way more than Style, and he’ll start.

We’re #1 in the nation in scoring, #4 in both shooting pct., and blocks.

Irri leads us with 26.3 points and gets 6.8 RBs. Mike Hinn leads in RBs with 7.3, and gets 12.0 points. Cal Selt gets 13.8 points. Smik leads in assists with 8.0.

On the road for our next 3, starting at 1-3 Lindenwood. They're good at 2 and 5 but they give up more points than they score.

[Wayne23]

11/29: It’s a battle early. Up 6 after 10 minutes. Then a big run. 51-41, but we led by as many as 18.

“You were crushing them then you let up. You can’t let up!”

16, 8 for Irri, 10 for Sims.

“Too many fouls again.”

Up 13 with 10 left. We keep building a big lead and then letting them cut it some.

95-75.

“We’re on fire!”

20 and 10 for Irri, 12, 6 for Hinn, 14, 4 for Sims, 10, 7 for Hunt. +26 in the post.

Bobbi Sue Barker, WNOU. Coach, you guys are amazing! How long can this win streak go on?”

“No idea, Bobbi Sue, but we’re lovin’ it while it happens.”

“You’ve said you plan to work to become the greatest coach in college basketball history. You’re off to a great start!”

“Well, that goal is pretty far off, but the way to get there is to win games.”

At 2-3 Alcorn ST next. We should outrebound them by a wide margin.

12/2: They take a quick lead. We come back. Down 2 after 10. 47-49 at the half.

“Dang it! You lost the last 2 minutes. You gotta play harder in the last 2 minutes!”

12, 7 for Hinn, 8, 4 for Irri.

“I need more from the bench but good job Adra and Hunt. Let’s press about half the time.”
It’s close early. Down 2 with 10 to play. Then we go on a mini-run.

103-93.

“THAT’S the way to finish strong! You learned from the first half. Love it!”

7 players with 10 or more. 17, 9 for Hinn.

Bobbie Sue Barker, WNOU. Coach, you guys do nothing but win.”

“That’s what you’re s’posed to do!”

“6-0 with a team that hasn’t won 10 games in a season in almost a decade. How do you explain it?”

“Team before self! Then we give them a simple plan to learn on D and only play one D, and the same on O. Obviously, the O varies depending on what D the other team plays, but basically, whatever that is we freewheel, work to get open, and work to find the open man. We hit the boards with 5 guys on D, 4 on O, and we play solid, fundamental basketball.”

“You’re doing great, Coach!”

At 3-3 Citadel next. They’re better outside than inside.

12/6: “We need our guards to step up tonight!”

Back and forth early. Up 8 after 10. They come back. We go on a late run. 55-45 at halftime.

“Yes! You owned the last 2 minutes!”

14, 4 for Hix, 11, 5 for Irri, 10, 5 for Hinn.

“Our guards really handcuffed theirs. Keep it up! Let’s press more.”

Up 12 with 10 to go.

“You did NOT end the game strong. They scored the last 7. Okay, the game was not in doubt, but that’s how you build bad habits. We’ll work even more on this in practice. Otherwise, great game!”

29, 7 for Irri, 18, 9, 3 for Hix. All starters had 10 or more and our guards at the least held their own.

Home for a game with 0-5 Central Michigan. On paper this should be easy but I worry about a team that hasn’t won a game.

12/9: We take a quick lead. Up 6 after 10 as they come back.

“DON’T LET UP!”

35-42 at the half.

“Jesus! You let up twice. You can’t DO that!”

12, 9 for Irri, 10 for Selt but 3 fouls.

“Keep your dang focus! Press more.”

Up 11 with 10 to go.

86-70.

“Okay, strong finish and a good 2nd half.”

24, 13 for Irri, 19, 4 for Selt, who fouled out, 9, 10, 3 for Hix.

8-0, NET #109. #1 in PPG, #2 in shooting pct.

Irri still leads us, with 23.5, and leads us in RBs with 8.0. 13.1 for Hix, 12.9 for Selt, 12.1, 7.1 for Hinn. Smik gets 8.3 assists and has done really well since we put him in the starting lineup.

Back on the road at 7-2 Howard, then our final 2 pre-conf games are at home.

12/13: “These guys know how to win. I want us to own the paint tonight!”

[Wayne23]

12/13: “These guys know how to win. I want us to own the paint tonight!”

Back and forth early. They go on a run.Down 9 after 10.

“PRESS!”

49-48 after being down 11. The press didn’t cause many TOs but it disrupted their offense. 13, 7 for Irri, 11, 6 for Hinn.

“Okay, you’re doing great in the paint, which is what we focused on. Bench is beating their bench. Now I need my guards to step up.”

Really close early. Up 7 with 10 left. We’re hanging on late.

91-77.

“LOVED the strong finish, actually the whole 2nd half!”

27, 10 for Irri, 21, 12 for Hinn, 13, 5, 3 for Selt.

“+42 in the lane. That’s the way to do it!”

A week of then 4-3 Army is here. They’ve played some good teams and they do a lot of things well. We’re glad to have that week to prepare.

We have sold out every home game except the opener. It’s great to play in front of a big, loud crowd!

12/20: “This is probably the best inside team we’ve played. You know what to do, big guys!”

We jump out to an early lead. Up 23 after 10. 52-36.

“You let ‘em back in. When you were up 25 you were in a position to bury ‘em but you didn’t do it. I need to see a killer instinct!”

18, 4 for Irri, 10 each for Selt and Hix.

“+14 in the paint is good against this kind of team. Keep that up in the 2nd!”

Up 24 with 10 to go.

86-63. “Strong finish!”

27, 7 for Irri, who seems to get better every day. 15, 8 for Hix. Good guard play.

“Billie Bob Cramer, WNOL, here with the post game show. Coach, people thought Army would give you some trouble, especially inside. They didn’t.”

“My guys know how to rise to the occasion. I challenged my inside players and they stepped up, and my guards really played well, too.”

“What about Vic Irri.”

“Oh man, what ABOUT Vic Irri! The guy can just flat out PLAY!”

“He wasn’t anywhere near this good last season.”

“He didn’t believe in himself the way he does now, and, of course, one year can make a big difference in a college age kid. Also, he played for a team that was going nowhere and losing most of its games. It’s hard to get up for a game and play your best under those circumstances.”

“And he didn’t have Ally Cash coaching him.”

“Yeah! I am the greatest!” (They laugh)

Our final pre-conf game is with Western Kentucky, 1-8. When we scheduled them they looked like the toughest team on our pre-conf. schedule. They’ve had a rough go, but they’ve played some strong competition. As we look at game video and stats sheets this is no guarantee. We’ll have to earn it!

12/27: We take an early lead. Up 14 after 10. 53-27.

“Wow! You guys are outdoing yourselves! Great half!”

12, 5 for Irri, 12, 4 for Adra, 13 for Selt. Hix has 3 fouls. Huge edge inside.

Up 35 with 10 left to go. The starters will come out early.

107-57 and we end the pre-conf season undefeated!

20, 8 for sub Jim Adra, 20, 4 for Selt, 12, 8 for Hinn, 12, 5 for Sims, 14, 5 for Irri, 10 assists for Smik. +56 in the paint, +23 RBs.

1/1/2023: 11-0, NET #42.

Still #1 in PPG, +18.6. +9.8 RBs, -4.3 TOs, and a more than acceptable 11.0 per game. 3rd in shooting pct.

Vic Irri leads in scoring with 23.3, and in RBs with 7.8. 13.5 for Selt, 12.5 for Hix, 12.5, 7.7 for Hinn. 8.1 assists for Smik.

“Dan Dee, ENPS sports. I’m here to talk about an exciting brand new coach. Ally Cash, at New Orleans, is 11-0 in his first season with a team that has had 11 straight losing seasons and hadn’t won 10 games in seven seasons. He been nothing short of amazing.

“With the same team that went 8-20 last year, plus a couple of very good freshmen, he’s got this team leading the country in scoring and beating opponents by an average of 18 and a half points. Only one single digit win so far, by 6 points, in the 2nd game of the season. His go to guy is 7’1”, 301 pound Vic Irri, who looks like a world beater at Center. The rest of the team is playing way above expectations.

“We’ll see just how good they are as they head to conference play.

[Wayne23]

1/2: We start Southland conference play at Houston Cretin, 10-1. They look good, especially outside.

1/3: We take an early lead. Up 19 after 10; we’re unstoppable so far. 63-42 at halftime. Shooting 56.1%. 26, 7 for Selt, who’s on fire. 11, 7 for Hinn.

Holding the lead early. Up 18 with 10 to go.

103-84. A walk in the park. 29, 10 for Selt, 26, 4 for Irri, 13, 11 for Hinn, 19, 3 for Hix. Smik had 17 assists.

9-3, 1-0 Texas A & M-Comm is here. They’re better inside than outside.

1/6: Early lead. Up 11 after 10. 47-40 at the half.

“You let them back in. Not good.”

Balanced scoring.

“Ramp it up, guys. You’re not sharp tonight. I want the press about half the time; maybe that will wake you up.”

Looking good early. Up 14 with 10 to play.

96-78.

“Good second half!”

17, 12, 3, 3 for Irri, 17, 1, 6 for Smik, 17, 4 for Hinn, 15, 4 for Hix, 12, 7 for Hunt.

“Billie Bob Cramer, WNOL, on the postgame show with coach Cash. Coach, the lineup seems pretty settled since you put Val Smik at the Point. First, did that change work out the way you hoped it would, and second, any other lineup changes coming up?”

“Smik has been terrific at the Point. He’s finding the open man really well, and he’s a natural leader. With him and Vic Irri on the floor we’ve got 2 great leaders.

“Right now we’re not contemplating any lineup changes. We think we have the right starting five, and our bench does a good job of coming in for them.”

“What about Kin Sims. He’s a heck of a scorer.”

“We like Kin, and we appreciate what he does for us, but, as we keep telling him, he needs to work on his D if he wants more playing time. We work on it at practice every day.”

“It’s early in the conference season but you look like you’re going to dominate the Southland.”

“We’re already talking about trying to move to a stronger conference next season, but that’s a long way off. Our A. D. is the one to handle that, of course.

At Texas A & M-CC, 12-1, 1-1. They’re good inside.

1/10: Back and forth early. Then we go on a big run. Up 14 after 10. 48-41 at the break.

“You let them back in! 16 point lead and it’s down to 7. You can’t DO that! And watch the fouls!”

12 each for Irri, Hinn, and Hix. Irri is more than holding his own against a very good Center.

“Keep your focus and don’t let up. As usual, let’s come out and press about half the time. Val will call it so watch and listen.”

We get off to a good start and the press is effective. Then they come back. Up by only 3 with 10 left. Ity’s close late!

104-98. Ties the second game of the season for our closest game.

“I like the way you hung on. They really made a run at us and you guys showed some real guts!”

25, 7, 2, 5 for Irri against that really good C. 25, 6, 3 blocks for Hix, 18, 7, 2, 3 for Hinn, 12, 5, 3 for Selt.

Good win against a tough team.

“Bobbi Sue Barker, WNOU, here with Coach Cash. Coach, they threw a little scare into you late.”

Northwestern ST, 10-4, 3-0, is here. They’re tied with us and one other team for 1st in conf. They’re good. All 5 starters average in double figures and they have a solid bench.

1/13: “It’s a good night to bring you’re a game, guys. Let’s kick some butt!”

Close early. Up 6 after 10. 54-43 at halftime.

“Loved the way you ended the half strong!”

15, 5 for Hix, 10, 4 for Irri.

“Solid inside play. We went to the press a little early and it worked. Keep pressing about half the time. If that changes I’ll let you know.”

We’re holding our lead early. Up 13 with 10 to go. Then a run!

114-88.

“You beat up on a pretty good team. Well done!”

28, 9, 3 blocks for Hix, 26, 9 for Irri, 16, 7, 3 for Hinn. 12 assists for Smik. 74 in the paint.

15-0, 4-0, alone in 1st in the Southland with 3 teams one back. NET #15, which is way too high given the level of competition we’ve faced.

Still #1 in PPG, and now #1 in shooting pct.

Irri still leads us in points and RBs. Smik gets a terrific 8.8 assists.

“Dan Dee, ENPS Sports here with Coach Ally Cash of the New Orleans Privateers. Coach, your team is 15-0, one of only three teams still undefeated in Div. I. Considering that New Orleans hasn’t had a winning season in a very long time, how do you account for that?”

“Well, Dan, we’ve gotten the guys to buy into team before self. We’ve put in a simple plan on both O and D so we can focus on the important things at every practice. We’ve got the guys believing in themselves. And we’ve got the best player in the conference.”

“Vic Irri IS the best player in the Southland conference, but he wasn’t much more than average last year. What happened?”

Same answer. We’ve got him believing in himself and putting team before self and we’ve got people who know how to get the ball to him in places where he can score.”

“How long can you stay undefeated?”

“No idea. I’m not that concerned about it though. I want my guys playing well and building to the post season. If we lose a game or two along the way, well, there are lessons to be learned from losing so that’s okay.”

"Coach, what's all this about being the greatest college hoops coach ever?"

"I never said I am, and I'm not. That's the dream though, as well as the goal. You gotta aim high! I would love to end my career, many years from now, as the best ever.""

"Well, you're off to a good start, Coach!"

At 9-3, 3-1, 2nd place McNeese ST.

[Wayne23]

1/17: It’s close early on. Up 3 after 10. 39-41 at the half.

“Okay, you’re being challenged. That’s good. Now step up and show them!”

12, 5 for Irri, 10, 6 for Hinn.

“Cal, 3 fouls. Val, 2 fouls. Not good. I need discipline on D, dang it! Okay, good inside play. We’re gonna press at least half the time, maybe more if we need to. Watch Val for the signal.”

We fall behind early. Down 9 with 10 to play. They get it to 20.

78-99.

“Bobbi Sue Barker, WNOU. Coach, what happened tonight?”

“We got our butts kicked. Okay, what counts is not whether you get knocked down, it’s what you do after that happens. We’ll learn from this.”

“How?”

“Well, obviously my staff and I need to spend a lot of time on the video, but we know a couple things. Fouls were a huge problem, they went to the line 14 times more than we did-”

“And you got your first ever technical.”

“Yes. I felt like the calls were going way too much against us and I needed to let the refs know how I felt.”

“Did it help?”

“A little maybe.”

“Anyway, 16 turnovers is way too many so that was a factor. They killed us outside. We got zero points from our top 3 guards and gave up way too many. We played lousy D, let them shoot 55.2%. I’m sure we’ll see some other things as we break down the video.

“We’ll be back!”

22, 8 for Irri, 16, 9 for Hinn, 14, 5 for Hix, 10, 6 for Hunt.

6-10, 0-5 Incoherent Word is here next. This is a team we should beat.

1/20: We come out flat. Then we wake up. Up 10 after 10. 62-33 at halftime. A real blowout.

Balanced scoring.

“Keep doin’ what you’re doin’.”

Up 27 with 10 to go.

101-83.

“You relaxed at the end. I know it didn’t matter but it’s a bad habit to get into.”

15, 4, 6 for Smik, 15, 8 for Hix, 16, 3 for Irri. +48 in the paint.

We’re alone in 1st again.

At 6-11, 2-4 Lamar. We should own the paint.

1/23: Early lead. Up 16 after 10. 57-44 at the half.

“And yet again you let them back in. 24 point lead and now it’s only 13.”

18 for Irri, 12, 4 for Hinn. As expected we are dominating inside.

Crushing them early. Up 28 with 10 to play.

110-91. 36, 6 for Irri, 20, 9 for Hix, 16, 10, 6 blocks for Hinn, 15, 8, 4 for Selt. +46 in the lane.

Back up guard Sama Style has the flu. He’s day to day.

8-10, 4-3 Southeast Louisiana is here. They have an outstanding PG.

1/27: Back and forth early. Up 2 after 10. Late run. Up 12 at the break. 14 for Hix.

“I need more from the guards, especially on D, but watch the fouls. Let’s try pressing but be ready to back off if they beat it.”

They’re beating the press so we back off. Up 10 with 10 left.

It’s close late then we score the last 7 points.

92-84. 29 for Hix, 13, 2, 4, 7 steals for Selt.

“Billie Bob Cramer, WNOL. Coach, they gave you some trouble.”

“Their guards are awesome. Thank goodness for our bench tonight. They and our big guys saved us. It wasn’t easy.”

“18-0 on fast breaks. That’s not your usual game.”

“No, it isn’t, but it was there. We noticed that about midway through the first half and we used it from then on.”

Expensive win. Vic Irri hurt his back and he will be on limited time for at least 10 days.

18-1, 7-1, 2 game lead in the Southland. NET #10.

At 6-13, 3-5 Nicholls ST. They’re good outside but they give up 6 a game more than they score.

[Wayne23]

1/31: We start slow. Up 4 after 10. 50-39 at halftime. 11 each for Irri and Hinn. Big edge inside.

Up 13 with 10 to go.

92-81. 20, 12 for Irri, 21, 8, 3, 3 for Hinn, 14, 6 for Hix. +44 inside.

Part of being a head coach is dealing with unhappy players. Soph F/C Kin Sims came to see me in my hotel room after we got back from the game.

“Coach, I’m really frustrated that I’m not playing more.”

“Kin, we’ve talked about that.”

“Yeah, I know, my defense. But I score more than I give up when you put me in the game.”

“Maybe you do, maybe you don’t, but you give up more points than any of our other big men.”

“Maybe I should just transfer. I bet there’s places where I could start.”

“If that’s what you decide to do that’s fine. But whether you stay or go you’ll be a lot more useful to your team if you work on your D.”

“I’m not that quick. I don’t know how to do better.”

“Kin, we’ve talked about that lots of times. One, overplay the other guy’s dominant side. Two, anticipate what he’s most likely to do- you’ll get burned once in a while but more often it’ll put you in
a really good defensive position. Sadly, I don’t see you doing those things in practice or in the games.”

It went on like that for awhile. He either doesn’t want to change or is convinced that he can’t. He might be happier if he transfers but unless he plays better D I don’t see him starting for anybody.

16-4, 6-3, 2nd place Houston Cretin is here. We won by 19 there.

2/3: Close early. Up 10 after 10. They come back. Then we come back. 56-46 at the half.

Focus guys. You showed focus sometimes and not at other times. Keep your heads in the game! D needs to get tighter, they shot 58.8%.”

Balanced scoring.

We’re holding our lead early. Up 8 with 10 to play. Late run.

101-81. 22, 7, 4, 4 for Selt, 17 each for Irri and Hix. Only 9 TOs.

2/5: Ranked! #20. First time in program history that we’re nationally ranked.

Still a 2 game lead in conference.

“Dan Dee, ENPS Sports. I’m talking to Coach Ally Cash of the New Orleans Privateers. Coach, you’re 20-1, 9-1 in conference, and for the first time in program history your school is ranked. Must feel good.”

“It feels fantastic! We’ve worked hard for this, Dan.”

“20 wins. Your school hasn’t had 20 wins since the 1998-’99 season. That’s a long time ago!”

“Yes it is. I have to say it’s been great to see how the fans have appreciated what we’re doing. We’ve sold out every home game after the first one and they are loud, behind us all the way.”

“You’ve talked about teamwork with us in the past. That’s a big part of winning, of course, but what about your star player, Vic Irri. How do balance having him be a strong team player with letting him loose to do some damage.”

“It’s not a problem. He’s completely dedicated to team play but he knows his role is to shoot whenever he’s in good position. That’s what he needs to do so it isn’t at all selfish to do it. And the way he hits the boards and plays D are even better. He’s got no ‘start complex’ at all. Sometimes I have to remind him to shoot more.”

At Texas A & M-Comm, 11-10, 3-7. We won at our place by 18.

2/7: We take an early lead. Up only 1 after 10 as they come back. We press, and that leads to a big run. 62-41 at the break. 19, 3, but 3 fouls for Irri. Hix has 3 and all of the other starters have 2 each.

“You can’t help us if you’re sitting on the bench in foul trouble!”

Up 23 with 10 left.

111-89. 7 players with 10 or more. 25, 3 for Irri, 17, 3, 4, 3 for Selt, 12, 1, 11 for Smik. 68 in the lane.

After 3 games on limited time, Irri will be back to 100% for our next game. He did great on limited time!

We now lead the Southland by 3, with 7 to play.

18-4, 7-4, Texas A & M-CC, tied for 2nd, is here. We won by only 6 there. They’re strong inside.

2/10: Back and forth early. They’re playing hard. Down 4 after 10. We will press about half the time. We come back late. 60-54 at the half. 17 for Irri. An edge inside.

“The O is terrific but we need to play better D.”

Both Selt and Hix have 3 fouls.

It’s close early. Up 9 with 10 to play. Then a run!

119-102. 27, 4, 3 for Selt, 27, 3 for Irri, 16, 6 for Hunt.

22-1, 11-1, 3 game lead in conf. #18, NET #8.

Still #1 in PPG (98.9) and in shooting pct. (53.1%)

Irri still leads us in points. Hinn leads in RBs and Smik in assists.

At 14-9, 7-5 Northwestern ST next. We won by 26 at home.

[Wayne23]

2/14: Close early again. Down 5 after 10 so we press. 59-57 at halftime.

“You gotta play D! 65.6% is ridiculous!”

19, 4 for Irri.

Early run. Up 16 with 10 to go.

112-103.

32, 8 for Irri, 18, 4, 3, 3 for Selt, 19, 7 for Hinn, 17, 3 for Hix. +44 down low.

“Bobbi Sue Barker, WNOU, here on the postgame show. Coach Cash, do you worry about giving up all those points?”

“I do, but we keep winning and being #1 in the country in scoring, we seem to be able to score enough that it really doesn’t matter. But it’s not my style. I like to play good D.”

“What about that. What happens when a coach has a team that doesn’t play his style?”

“Well, except for the poor D this team DOES play my style. But it’s a good question. You have to decide how much they can successfully adapt to your style. But if they’re doing well, and our team is
doing very well, you don’t mess with things too much. If we were losing it would be a whole different situation.”

“4 game lead in conference with 5 to play. Looks good.”

“It does. We want to finish strong to go into the post season with momentum.”

“How much time are you spending prepping for the post season?”

“None! We take it one game at a time. Having said that, there are long range things you work on- like improving the D. making sure the guys keep doing the things that are working for us. But I don’t
want them thinking ahead farther than the next game.”

Rematch with the only team that beat us, 14-10, 8-5 McNeese ST. They really made us look bad at their place. They beat us at the line and outside. We’re prepping to play better outside D and we’re always working on playing good D without fouling too much.

2/17: The crowd is LOUD as we’re about to start the game.

Defensive battle early. Up 2 after 10. 39-38 after a close first half. Selt has 3 fouls but so do 2 of their starters. 15, 7 for Irri.

“Okay, we’re gonna press about half the time coming out for the 2nd. We need to play better inside.”

We go on an early run! Up 14 with 10 to go.

99-79.

“Great second half!”

33, 8 for Irri, 14, 3, 7 for Syle. +30 in the paint.

Irri’s back is acting up again. Day to day.

At 11-14, 5-9 Incoherent Word. We won by 18 at home.

2/21: Early lead. Up 12 after 10. 52-59.

“I am NOT happy with the D or the fouls. You can do better.”

14, 5 for Hinn. Big edge inside.

Up 14 with 10 to play but we don’t look that good.

117-98. 23 for Irri, 20, 6 for Hinn, 18, 4, 3 for Hix, 13, 8 for Adra. 70 down low.

Great offense, awful defense. We’ll work on it in practice.

25-1, 14-1, 4 game lead. #15, NET #9.

We’ve clinched the conference, 4 up with 3 to play.

8-18, 4-11 Lamar is here. We won by 19 there.