Jess Wynn, to do the impossible

[Wayne23]

At 5-1 Vermont. They destroyed a California that is not having a good season but still, PAC 12, but were crushed by USC. Haven’t played anyone else. We think we’re the better team but the road is tough.

12/5: 39-34 at the half.

Our backcourt is getting points but is also turning it over. We talk about that at the half. We also discuss D. The other guys are finding the open man.

We fall apart in the 2nd. Lloyd gets in foul trouble and eventually fouls out and our O bogs down while we do an even worse job on D. Final is 64-71.

+12, -9, 48-47%. We gave up 12 threes which along with TOs, is what did us in.

At 4-4 Charlotte next, probably a better team than Vermont. They’ve played a challenging schedule.PG is their best and their strength is outside.

12/8: We are overmatched in the first, going down by as many as 16. It’s 26-35 at the break.

We can’t seem to stay with them so they make lots of open jumpers and when we get on the outside shooter they get it inside for easy layups.

Not much changes in the 2nd and the final is 52-66.

-1, -5, 36-50%. Fouls are 2-11. The bad news with 2 fouls is that we weren’t too passive. Oh well, we’ll work on it in practice.

21, 8, 3 for Lloyd, 14, 6, 3, 1, 3 for Bolt but our big guys were held to little or nothing.

Not a lot to be done, I simply don’t have a lot of talent. Lloyd, Bolt and Dove are fine, Holz gives me a lot on. The other big guy minutes go to Tower and Peay and neither is showing a whole lot. I may go to Peay more if the slide continues. Beyond that it’s wait ‘til next year.

Three more before conf. play starts and I want to win 2 of them but it won’t be easy. We’re 5-3 right now.

At 3-5 Maine. They’ve lost their last 3 and 4 of 5. They have a lot of trouble scoring and they cough it up regularly. We worked hard at practice. I really want this one.

12/12: 46-38 in a wide open 1st.

Neither team played much D but since we held the lead throughout, after the first 2-3 minutes, we just went with it. At the half I talked about rebounding and taking care of the ball.

The 2nd was played evenly and they never got closer than 6. 84-74 at the end.

+10, -5, 53-48%, fouls were 10-19 and that was the difference, we were 19-24 from the line and they were 9-10.

33, 4, 2 for Lloyd with 8 threes, 19 and 9 for Dove, 15, 4, 1 for Peay off the bench. Since Tower got 2, 3, 2 Peay will start. We lose a little on D but not that much.

[Wayne23]

2-6 South Carolina is in. They’re having a rough season but they’re still an SEC team. They’ve played a really weak schedule so far and have NOT done well. They give up lots of points. I think if we take care of the ball and don’t let their 2 and 5 go wild we can beat these guys. I wanted 2 out of 3 and our next is Stanford on the road so we really want this one. We’re expecting a good crowd as we’ve been beating the drum.

12/15: We were outplayed pretty badly in the first, 30-39 and we trailed by 13 three different times.

Biggest problem was missing open shots followed by their bench being oceans better than ours.

We played well in the 2nd, narrowing the gap and even taking the lead a couple of times but Peay went down with a calf injury with 5 min. left and that was that, 59-63 at the end only because we hit a three at the buzzer.

-+1, +2, 29-46% (the difference).

18, 5, 1 for Lloyd, 12, 4, 3, 3, 1 for Bolt, 8, 8, 2 for Dove, 8, 7, 1, 2 for Holz, and Peay did fine, 7, 3. Tower was better from the bench than starting, 10 RBs. But we simply couldn’t hit enough shots and their bench had 27, 13, 4 and ours 6, 11, 1.

Peay hurt his calf, as I said, day to day.

(Note: Dove broke his nose in the first play, with us winning the game. I then accidentally hit the wrong button- my fine motor issues creep in now and then, and my distractibility does the same [I can be very much like a hyperactive 8 year old at times]. I determined the only fair thing to do was to replay until I either got an injury or a loss.)

I don’t see us beating Stanford at their place but we’ll give it our best and I’ll try to convince the kids they can play with those guys.

#20 Stanford is 8-2 but they’re 1-2 vs. good teams. Not sure we’re in that category. They usually play very good D. They do most things very well. This looks like it may be a “learning experience.”

12/19: Best D we’ve played all year in the 1st but still down 19-22.

Rebounding really well and not bad with the ball but we’re having trouble hitting shots again.

No one ever led by more than 7, but at the end it was 37-43.

I’m really proud of how hard my guys worked in this one.

+9, -8, 27-27%. They won it at the line but the calls were not bad for the most part.

Lloyd fouled out late but we were down 6 with :44 left when it happened, and that’s the way it ended.

15, 4 for Bolt, 6, 12, 2 for Dove, 8, 5, 2, 1, 1 for Lloyd. We didn’t get much from SF and PF, but again, we played our butts off. After the game I told the guys we’re going to kick butt and win our conf. and they cheered.

6-5 for the pre-conf. sched.

Mom and dad will hit town on 12/27. Hooray!

[Wayne23]

Dad is at practice on 12/28. My guys are meeting this “legend” for the first time and they seem in awe. He relaxes them. During the practice he finds time to chat with every player one on one. He is so analytical and of course he’s seen and re-seen all of our games so he has some pointers for each player.

We start with a visit from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 8-3. They have overachieved, beating Arkansas by one in their last. They have a solid inside game. We’ll need to be on our toes.

12/29: 36-25 at the half.

We simply played well. All 5 starters were clicking on both ends and in transition.

More of the same in the 2nd, 69-53.

+16, -1 (only 12 TOs), 42-35%.

28, 6, 1 for Lloyd, 13, 4, 2 for Dove, 7, 13, 2 for Peay, 6, 4, 6, 1, 2 for Bolt, 6, 5, 1, 1 for Holz. A great start to the conf. season. Thanks Dad.

At 4-8 Alabama A & M. We’re the better team but it’s a road game.
1/2: 28-36 at the half.

We gave up 5 threes and only got production from two guys on O, Lloyd and Dove.

We outplayed them in the 2nd but couldn’t quite get there. Down 5, :44. Bolt drove for a 2, they hit a 2. :14.

Phil hit a 3, and we fouled with :04 left, down 2. They missed the front, the ball was tipped and by the time we got to it the buzzer went, 65-67.

Frustrating loss to a team we should have beaten.

-1, +5, 47-48%. Fouls were 13-5, which was one difference. The bench, as usual, was the other.

24, 3, 2, 1 for Lloyd but he fouled out with 3:22 to go and we could definitely have used him at the end. 18, 7, 1 for Dove, 8, 2, 2, 2 for Bolt, 6, 5 for Peay.

Starting to question Holz. His D may not be enough to make up for his lack of O. On the other hand, who else do I have? Just keep working I guess.

Dad says to be patient. There isn’t enough depth to fill the holes and we’ll just need to keep working and keep fighting.

7-6 Jackson State is in. They’ve won their last 4. Once again, if the right team shows up we should beat these guys.

1/5: Dr. Jekyll in the 1st, 41-25.

Seems like everything’s working.

More of the same in the 2nd, 79-54.

+12, +2, 50-30%. Fouls 13-20.

23, 10, 4, 2 for Dove, his best game ever. 16, 3, 3, 2 for Lloyd and no foul trouble, 14, 7, 1 for Peay, 9, 5, 1 for Holz, 7, 7, 4, 1, 2 for Bolt, 6, 5, 2 for Peay, 4, 7, 1, 1 for Tower, so even our bench helped, for once.

Dad suggested playing Phil just a little more and Holz just a little less, and taking Lloyd off of PG for a few more minutes so that he’d commit fewer fouls. Thanks dad, it worked, of course.

Haven’t talked about my personal life in a long time. That’s mainly because there isn’t much to tell. I got a little apartment when I got here in April. I sleep here and that’s about it. As to my love life not much has changed. I’m usually involved with someone, it’s never serious. I have no interest in getting married or living with a woman but I do like having someone to do things with now and then. Of course most people want more so the relationships don’t usually last long. I don’t see this changing much.

I don’t really have friends outside of my job, no time. Basically I work, I run every day, and that’s about it.

My best friend is dad. When he isn’t around we phone, text and email day and night. When he is around we communicate in person. We’re often in my office until well after midnight. Dad is 76 and mom’s 69 now but they both remain active and full of energy. Hope they’re around for a long time.

Marisa just turned 40 and Sean is 27 but I rarely communicate with either of them except for the occasional email. They’re both enormously busy and enormously successful and they’re even less social than I am. Can’t remember when the family last got together as a whole group.

[Wayne23]

4-10, 1-2 Grambling is in. Lost 3 of 4.

1/9: Great first half, 41-23.

Short halftime speech, “Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

They didn’t but Grambling never got closer than 7. 69-58 at the end.

+8, -3 (13 TOs), 44-35%.

32, 3, 4, 1 for Lloyd and no foul trouble again. The other four starters all had good games, as did Phil and Tower from the bench.

At 4-11, 0-4 Alabama State. They started the year with 3 wins and are 1-11 since. This is the worst team in the conf., so we need this road win.

1/12: Still playing well, 38-26 at the half.

We’re scoring in and out, playing good D and getting RBs. Just need to take care of the ball.

Never challenged, 79-63.

+16, -11 (20 TOs, grrrr), 46-33%, fouls were 10-24, providing the margin of victory.

31, 3, 1, 1 for Lloyd (1 foul), 22, 14, 1 for Dove. The other 5 I play all contributed.

Two straight wins, 4 of 5. Gotta love it! 1 back of East Tenn. ST.

6-10, 2-3 New Orleans is in. They’ve been up and down. Another game we should win. Dad is helping me to shake it up at practice and keep guys focused and challenged without wearing them out. He teaches me things every day.

1/16: 41-22 at the half. We have definitely hit our stride.

2nd half was about as good, 79-45.

+17, +2 (8 TOs), 46-34%, fouls were 8-19.

20, 8, 2 for Dove, 22, 3, 1 for Lloyd, 6, 8, 7, 2 for Bolt. I played everyone tonight.

We’re 11-6, 5-1, and in a two way tie for first.

Mom asked me to dinner on Friday, the day after the New Orleans game. She told me she had invited a Physician’s Assistant to join us. Mom is famous for introducing me to young lovelies, usually young lovelies in whom I have no interest. That was not the case this time.

I was greeted by a stunning woman, about 5’9” more or less, long, flowing, dark brown hair, emerald green eyes, and a curvy slender body. I was in lust before she said a word. When she started to speak I could see she was as bright as she was beautiful. Her name was Betty Lou Fallon.

There was a bit of a twang but I didn’t see or hear anything that made me think she had the usual sh*t kicker views and values so we might just get along. I hope to find out! At the end of the evening I asked for her email and cell #s and she gave them to me. I explained that in my line of work time was precious but she understood that and said it was true of her as well.

[Wayne23]

At 8-9, 3-3 Texas Southern. They’ve won 2 after losing 3. We haven’t been a great road team so this will be a test. We’ve been playing great and we’re working hard at practice.

1/19: Yep, it’s a road game, a very hotly contested first half. Up 31-29 at the break.

We gave up 5 threes so that has to change. And we need to find the open man.

We do a decent job at both but never lead by more than 7. At the same time we never let them take the lead in the 2nd. 58-51 at the end. Great D, only 2 threes in the 2nd and we held them to 22.

-1, +2, 41-43%. Fouls were 10-20, which again, made the difference.

19, 2, 3, 2 for Lloyd, decent numbers for Dove, Peay and Bolt. Phil and Tower did really well from the bench. Giving Tower a few more minutes and Holz, who is doing not much, a few less.

At 8-10,2-5 Southern. They’ve lost 4 of 5, but they win at home. They are tough inside but turn it over often.

1/23: Great 1st half, we led by as many as 15. 34-25 at the break.
Not letting their bigs score but they are rebounding. Our bigs are scoring like mad.

A great 2nd half and we win 73-56.

-4, +14 (7 TOs!), 40-39, fouls were 9-21. This team doesn’t foul, esp. since I took Lloyd off the Point more.

20, 7, 1 for Dove, 18, 3, 2, 1, 1 for Lloyd, 13, 2 for Peay, 6, 8 for Holz, 9, 7, 1 for Tower, 5, 5, 4 for Bolt.

And we’re alone in first!

7-12, 2-6 Prairie View is in. 4 losses in a row, 6 of 7. They don’t play much D and they’re sloppy.

1/26: 33-26 at the half.

Playing well again.

Ouch! We fell apart in the 2nd. The D disappeared. We gave up 47 and lost 69-73. Hard to figure how we lost, exactly. The stats were all but even. I guess the best explanation is that we didn’t execute in the last few minutes.

Frustrating but we’re still alone in first place.

Friday night dinner with Betty Lou. We’re working on getting to know each other. She is definitely bright and informed. She isn’t a hoops fan but she’s willing to learn and she asked some really insightful questions for a person who knows nothing about the game. She’s a lot more political than I am, but she’s equally not religious so that’s good. She’s mostly veggie but she eats fish. We talked about lots of different things and were together for several hours. I will definitely ask her out again.

13-7, 7-2.

[Wayne23]

At 10-10, 5-4 Mississippi Valley State. Up and down but they win at home. We think we’re better but it’s a road game.

1/30: 26-32 at the half.

Simply didn’t play well, a step slow on D, standing around on O.

More of the same, 52-62. Lloyd had a terrible night, 4-19.

-2, +5, 35-46%. We took 11 more shots and made 2 less, just couldn’t hit.

16, 8, 2 for Dove, 13, 5, 1, 1 for Peay.

We drop into a three way tie for first.

Working hard in practice to try to forget this awful performance.

14-7, 7-3 East Tennessee State is in. They’re tied for first but are not a good road team. We want to get back on the winning track.

2/2: Great D in the first half, 27-19.

Still trouble hitting shots though, and we aren’t taking care of the ball.

D is still excellent, 59-42. Concerned about our inability to score points but a good win.

+20, -8, 38-26%.

31, 4 for Lloyd. He missed a lot of shots but kept shooting, which is what shooters do. 7, 15 for Peay, 7, 12, 1 for Dove. Nothing from Holz.

Alone in first again.

At Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 14-8, 6-5. This could be a tough one. They won their last 2 after dropping three. We won by 16 at our place. They don’t play great D. Their C is really good.

2/6: 31-37 at the half.

Not happy. Throwing the ball away regularly, not rebounding, not playing D. I get a little loud at halftime, which is not usually my style.

It didn’t help, 62-76.

-4, -7, 47-48%.

23, 4, 3 for Lloyd, 15, 5 for Dove, 9, 5 for Peay.Thinking of sitting Holz. He has great potential but he is playing like a freshman, which he is.

After consulting with dad and the staff we decide to start Tower for Holz.

Tied with East Tenn. ST for the lead with 4 teams a game back and 4 to play. Not much margin for error.

[Wayne23]

Alabama A & M, 11-12, 7-5 is in. Lost by 2 there. They’ve won 3 of 4 and are playing tight D, which they didn’t for most of the season. Sloppy. Need to stop their C.

2/9: 34-19 at the half. The best half we’ve played in a while.

We could be taking better care of the ball, as usual but that’s about the only negative.

An even 2nd and we win 60-46.

Happy with the D but still struggling on O.

+7, -5, 51-33%.

20, 8 for Dove, 18, 7, 2 for Peay, 10, 8, 4 for Bolt. Phil had 8, 3, 2, 1 from the bench. Tower gave us nothing. Thinking of going small and starting Phil at SF.

We decide to stay with Tower for at least one more game.

A huge game at 13-11, 8-5 Jackson State. This will probably go a very long way in deciding home court advantage in the tourney. Beat them by 25 at home but they are 9-1 at their place, not losing there since 12/7.

Their starting SF flunked off the team, starting PF is hurt but will play. This could be a battle.

2/13: Great 1st half, 41-27.

Lloyd went crazy, 19 points. We were horrible with the ball, 15 TOs, but everything else was pretty good.

71-62 at the end. We gave back some ground but they never got closer than 6.

+20, -12 (25 TOs!), 61-41%. Fouls were 8-20 and the crowd was actually throwing things. It got ugly.

35, 4, 1, 1 for Lloyd, 16, 5 for Dove, 3, 10, 4 for Bolt, 7, 4, 4, 2 for Peay, 4, 9, 2, 1 for Tower.

We’re in the catbird seat with 2 to play, alone in first, Ark.-PB and E. Tenn. ST one game back. 16-9, 10-4.

[Wayne23]

At 9-16, 6-8 Grambling. I’m warning my guys about relaxing. We need to stay sharp for this one. They are very up and down but they win at home (8-4). We’re the better team but we need to play like it.

2/16: A solid 1st half except for ball handling, 32-23.

We are simply awful with the ball again, 13 TOs. Lloyd gets 2 early fouls. In control of the boards.

We give back most of the lead. With :14 left they have the ball down 3, but we steal and they never get the chance to tie it. 60-57.

+18, -9 (25 TOs again! This has got to stop!), 39-38%, fouls 10-20 which saved us.

Tower, Peay, Dove and Bolt all played well on O. Lloyd did not have a good game.

1 game up with one to play so it’s up to us. If we lose and Ark.-Pine Bluff wins they host the tourney. Any other scenario and we host.

We are at home vs. Alabama State. Beat them by 16 there. They are up and down but not a good team, 9-17, 5-10, 3-12 on the road. They score outside. This is a game we should win but this team hasn’t played many pressure games in the last few years. A sellout crowd should help. I preach taking care of the ball.

2/20: The crowd is LOUD. A very tough 1st half, 38-35.

10 TOs but no one is in foul trouble. We need to stop their 2 and 3, we need to keep rebounding, and we need to take better care of the ball.

We score the first 9 in the 2nd and never let them get closer than 8. 74-61.

+6, +5 (14 TOs, 4 in the 2nd), 48-41%, 6-15 in fouls.17, 4, 4, 1 for Lloyd with only 2 TOs. 13, 12, 5 for Dove, 8, 11, 2, 1 for Tower, who has done well at SF, 14, 2, 1, 1 for Peay. Holz and Phil played well from the bench.

We will host the tourney.

We end the regular season 18-9, 12-4.

I haven’t had much time for Betty Lou. I guess that means she isn’t as important to me as I thought she would be, but that’s me.

Mom and dad had planned to head home this week but they’ve decided to stay through the tourney, and dad will stay as long as we’re playing. He just always makes my teams better.

2/26: RPI is 49, best all season.

[Wayne23]

3/3: Play in day. New Orleans is the only underdog to win. Of course they play Ark.-PB. We play 14-14, 7-9 Southern. Beat them by 17 there.

3/4: 30-22 at the half. Great D and enough O to get it done.

63-47 at the end. D won this one.

+7, -2, 49-27%. Fouls were 11-23. They took 13 more shots but we had a hand in their face for practically every one.

17, 4, 2 for Lloyd, 10, 10, 1 for Dove, 10, 4, 5 for Bolt. Tower, Peay, Holz and Phil did fine.

15-13, 9-7 Texas Southern finished 4th in the conf. They’re next. We won by 7 at their place. They’ve won 4 of 5 and are playing great D. We think we’re the better team and if we play our game we should be fine.

3/5: Back and forth throughout the 1st, 32-31 at the end.

This is a battle and there are no signs that it will change. Our edges are rebounding and fouls. This team simply doesn’t foul much. That’s been true all season. Their PG and C are doing the most damage but both have 3 fouls at the half.

It stays close all the way. With 1:04 left it’s tied and there C fouls out.

It’s only #6 so no shots. On the very next play their PG fouls out. We hit both ends to go up 2, then steal it and Bolt hits a 3. Up 5, our biggest lead of the game, :33.

They throw up a 3 that misses then foul us. Tower hits the 1st, misses the 2nd, and that’s the final, 69-63, so we’ll play for the title!

+12, -2 (but only 12 TOs, good for us), 47-48%. Fouls were 10-16 and we scored 11 more free throws which was more than the margin of victory.

18, 3, 4, 1 for Lloyd, 17, 8, 2 for Bolt, 8, 9 for Dove, 7, 8, 2 for Tower. Peay, Phil and Holz played well.

It’s #2 seed Ark.-Pine Bluff for the title. We won by 16 at home then lost by 4 at their place. They’ve won 9 straight, all by double digits. Playing their best ball of the season. Their starting SF is banged up but he’ll play. We need to contain their C. He can play!

I think we’ll make the NCAA no matter what but the seed will be higher with a win and it would be great to win the conf. in my first season here.

3/6: 15 lead changes and 9 ties in the first and it’s 34-34 at the half. Whew! RBs are saving us, +7.

We talk about tightening the D just a little. No one to focus on though, 11 guys scored in the 1st. So we’ll just stay on the shooter. On O I want to get it inside more and when they collapse we’ll let Lloyd and Bolt take open shots.

It all works. After five more lead changes and 3 more ties we take the lead for good with 9:22 left, and build it to 11. The final is 68-60 and we win the title!

+14, +2, 39-40%. Fouls were 14-13 so for once that wasn’t our edge. We took 10 more shots than they did and made 3 of them, and that was the edge.

20, 6, 2, 2, 1 for Dove, 19, 5, 1, 1 for Lloyd, 10, 8, 3 for Peay. Good 2nd half D.

Now we wait. I think we can hope for as high as a #9 seed but we’ll see.

Holz hurt his calf but it isn’t serious. He’ll miss a couple days of practice.

3/12: RPI #40. Here we go, selection day!

[Wayne23]

Not in the East.

#13 in Milwaukee. I’m disappointed it’s so low. We play Pitt, 24-5, 12-4, lost in the semifinal in the Big East. Not a good draw, to say the least.

3/14: Ark.-PB lost by 3 in the 1st round of the NIT.

3/15: Texas Southern lost by 8 in the 1st round of the CHI. We’re the last in our conf. still playing. Pitt is scary good but last 2 of their last 3. Their 2 can light it up. I can only hope we play well and don’t embarrass ourselves but I’m talking win to the guys.

3/16: They roll over us in the 1st, leading by as much as 17. It’s 25-38 at the half.

We’re rebounding well but throwing the ball way too often (15 TOs). I tell the guys to calm down and slow down on O, and we’ll double the SG who has 17.

I don’t think it will be enough even if it works perfectly but it’s all I’ve got.

We play them even in the 2nd (36-38) but we weren’t about to win this one, 61-76.

+10, -7 (but 8 TOs in the 2nd which was better), 39-56% (They were too quick for us).

13, 2, 3 for Lloyd, and my 7 all played as well as they could. I tell them I’m proud of them and that I thought it was a great season. Lloyd, Dove and Holz will be back but everyone else is gone. On the flip side we have some real talent coming in. I have no doubt we’ll be better, maybe way better next year.

3/19: Chasing recruits.

3/26: Phil Felton, #50 PF, commits.

#1 MD vs. #2 Mich. St and #20 TX vs. #6 KY in the final four. I decide to go. Dad is paying for it and meeting me there. I don’t know if I can stand the hot, humid weather in this hellhole for another year even though I am excited by the team I’ll have. Oh well, probably a win/win. I honestly think we could have won the CHI and the NIT. Oh well.

4/1: #1 MD vs. #6 KY for the title. Lots of interesting conversations with A.D.s. No idea if any will lead to offers.

4/3: Kentucky by 3 in an upset. It was a great game.

4/4: Awards: Ian Lloyd is conf. MOP. Shaz Dove joins him on the 1st team. Jay Bolt makes 2nd team.

4/9: Job offers. Baylor is interesting… but not fascinating. George
Washington is VERY tempting, but after visiting I decide no. Texas- El Paso is the toughest call of all but I’m staying here.

4/16: No coaching staff vacancies.

4/23: Asking for a facilities upgrade. Nope.

End of the season. Next year could be a great season. Lots of potential.

146-44, .768. Ratings are:
Off 22, Def 34, recruit 35, Scout 5, Player Dev. 28, Reputation 27.