Alone

[PointGuard]

29 points!!!!! and 39 points two games before that.

I'm sorry but that ain't OK.

BREAK UP THE SOONERS!!!!

Gonna have to limit OK to just 3 players on the court at a time.

[Wayne23]

I agree that it ain't OK. Those numbers are simply not realistic.

[Wayne23]

1/28: 86-50 over Texas Tech here. 28, 13, 5 for John, 10, 18, 4 for Burr. +19 RBs.

2/1: 89-70 at Iowa ST. +17 at the half. 24, 12, 5 for John, 23, 7, 5 for Burr. +9 RBs.

2/4: 92-67 over #6 Oklahoma ST here, which gives us a 2 game lead with 7 to play. 21, 17 for Burr, 26, 4 for Cota. +17 RBs, 8 TOs. It's great to blow out a really good team!

"Mack Reed, have you decided about my offer to accelerate the ship?"

"It's not my decision, Krol."

"I am aware. What does the Captain Argo say?"

"He is skeptical, of the plan and of you in general."

And the Council Chair, Darma Rayne?"

"She favors the plan but she has no power until the ship's people are on the planet here."

"A complex situation."

"Yes it is."

"And so the ship will take all the years to get here rather than the 2.35 years?"

"At present that is the situation but we continue to discuss it."

"This is not logical, Mack Reed."

"Humans are often not logical, Krol."

"I am learning this."

2/8: 83-52 over Kansas here. Blowout. 16, 11 for Burr, 18, 2, 4 for Fisk, 13, 11, 3 for John. +23 RBs.

2/11: 87-66 at Offal Roberts. 34-25 for John. HELL of a game! +25 RBs, 10 TOs.

2 up on OK ST, 4 or more on the rest with 5 to play. #1 ranked, #2 RPI.

I keep trying to persuade Captain Argo to take the Kree up on their offer, as does Darma. No luck yet, but he seems to be considering it.

[Wayne23]

2/15: 84-75 at #18 Kansas ST. 24, 9, 4 for Burr, 16, 12 for John. +21 RBs.

John hurt his knee but it seems minor. He's day to day. Sub Forward Dan Ross hurt his foot. Out for a week.

2/18: 61-51 at Baylor. 36-14 at the half. The 2nd half was boring. 24 for PG Kin Fisk, 15, 7 for Rane, 9, 13 for Burr. 3 game lead with 3 to play.

I think Captain Argo is about to cave and allow the acceleration. That would be great.

2/25: 79-57 over TCU here to clinch 1st place in the Big 12. 12, 14, 5 for Burr, 17 for Fisk, 12, 6 for John.

3/1: 79-87 to #17 Texas here. They have now beaten us twice this year. Our only losses. They led for the last 30 minutes and we never got it to a one possession game in the 2nd half. Terrible D. Their SG had 34. 22, 10, 4 for John. While it was a meaningless game I am not happy. If we play this team in the Big 12 tourney they will be very confident.

"Krol, Captain Argo has agreed to the acceleration of the ship."

"We will commence immediately, Mack Reed. This will take three of your days to put in place. The ship will then arrive in orbit around Terra 2 on June 16, 2240."

Great news. And we're ready for them. All buildings, including the optional ones, are finished.

3/4: 50-60 at #21 West Virginia. We shot 34.6%, 6-18 on threes. 22 TOs. No one had more than 10 points.

NOT the way I wanted to end the regular season!

AND... Gem Burr goes pro. I'm kind of shocked that John didn't go. Hell of a weekend.

28-3, 13-3; we win the Big 12 but only by 1 game. #3, RPI #4. +19.1 PPG, +12.6 RBs, -2.1 TOs (12.7- meh). John leads us with 15.8 PPG, 11.0 RBs. Burr gets 13.8, 10.0.

[Wayne23]

3/9: We play #9 seed Iowa ST, 16-14, 9-11, in the quarter finals.

3/10: 79-55. 51-30 at the half. 18, 11 for Burr, 16, 9, 4 for John. +15 RBs.

#3 guard Dal Nill hurt his foot. He's out for the rest of the Big 12 tourney.

#4 seed, #21 ranked West Virginia, 22-9, 10-6, in the semis. We split a pair but they beat us by 10 last week.

Our nemesis, Texas, was shocked by last place Baylor.

3/11: 64-45. Great D. 18, 7 for Cota, 14, 10 for Burr. Held them to 28.6% shooting.

Backup forward Dan Ross hurt his wrist. Out for a week.

#2 seed, #9 ranked Oklahoma ST, 29-5, 12-4, for the title. We routed them at our place but they're a really good team. I think getting a #1 seed is riding on this game.

3/12: 88-72. 41-25 at the half. 20, 12 for John, 15, 16 for Burr, 25, 5, 6 for Cota, the tourney MOP. +26 RBs.

#1 South. We play #16 Columbia, 16-15.

3/17: 77-50. 18, 7 for 6th man C/F Lou Hix, who figures BIG in our plans for next season. 18, 5 for John, 14, 7, 3 for Burr. 9 TOs.

Darma and I have been talking and it is obvious to both of us that we really are attracted to each other. Having to wait only 2+ years instead of 8 is great.

#9 seed Mississippi ST, 22-10, in round 2.

3/19: 81-68. 17, 15 for John, 21, 6, 3 for Burr, 15 for Rane. +15 RBs.

#4 seed, #19 ranked North Carolina, 25-9, in the Sweet 16. We're favored but we'd better come to play.

3/24: 76-82. Damn! 4-22 on threes, 31.7% shooting. That really was the story, the shots didn't drop. And many of them were good shots. 32, 7 for Burr in his last game with us. 18, 12, 3 for John.

4/3: #1 Michigan ST is the champ.

4/4: Awards: Kurt John and Gem Burr make the Big 12 1st team. Kin Fisk makes 2nd team.

Yes, I would move for the right situation.

4/9: Going to UConn. They have some decent players coming back and an incredible recruiting class coming in.

4/23: We need $.

Got $16,000. That will enable us to recruit nationally.

33-4, finished #4. Overall, for 16 seasons, I'm 407-140, .744. On to a new adventure!

The ship is on its way at a little less than 4 times the previous speed. No issues according to Captain Argo, the engineering crew, and Darma. Darma is making plans with those on board regarding housing accommodations when they get here. She says that's the first priority. Then they'll get to jobs, then all of life's other necessities.

"It is good, Mack Reed. Your people will arrive to begin their new lives. There are many ways the Kree can assist all of you and I will tell you of those when the Council Chair, Darma Rayne is here with the rest of the Council and the people."

Now THAT has me curious!

[Wayne23]

5/1: #1 recruiting class. #3 preseason ranking. Moving to the Big 10.

6/5: Room for a transfer.

6/16: No luck.

6/26: 5 scholarships but since we have no juniors I may bank one or two. We'll see how it goes.

7/11: It's a time for planning. I spend a lot of time communicating with the ship, discussing housing, arrangements for which are almost complete, and work assignments, which discussions are just beginning. Since housing is assigned I am having our robots put plaques near the doors of all dwelling units, identifying who resides within each. That will take some time but it is moving along. I also, have the robots check all areas of the settlement, and all buildings on a daily basis, just to be certain that there is no damage. There's no reason to suspect any, of course. I personally check each building as well, on a 25 day rotating basis. There are LOTS of buildings and it takes me five weeks to get around to every one of them, considering that I do a walk through of each as well as checking the outside.

Residents will have meal choices, since there will no longer be the need for cafeteria style dining. Each resident, in their own dwelling, will be able to 3D print a meal of choice at any time one is desired. There will be communal meals at times- by department, by building, for any other reason, but private dining was near the top of the list of things the ship's people wanted here. That's at least in part due to the fact that there is only cafeteria dining aboard the ship. We will have a number of dining establishments in the business buildings around the settlement, as well as clothing shops, gyms, electronics shops, furniture and household items, and other facilities. I say "business" but ours will be a moneyless society. People's "purchases" will be monitored electronically but only if someone seems to be making unnecessary purchases, or too many purchases, will the Council be informed.

Farming will be a thing, too. Yes, we could get our food from the 3D printers- all of it. But we will want crops for many reasons, not the least of which would be a breakdown or power failure of some kind. Also, many people are convinced that fresh fruits, vegetables, bread... taste better. There will be no farm animals. "Meat" will come from the 3D printers. The crops will only be available at first after one growing season, of course, although I am thinking about having the robots prepare crops to be ready upon the ship's arrival.

There are lots of other considerations. I'll speak of those as time passes.

I have more free time now, since I work 5 six hour days. I try to exercise every day, spend time on the boat, read, relax, and occasionally even cook the old fashioned way.

8/7: PF Ab Mell is #3, and SF Dan Henn #32 on the Norton list.

8/21: We offer to 2 PGs, an SG, and a PF.

9/11: We get the C, #40.

9/18: We get an SG, #7, a PF, #9. Lose 2 PGs, after 2 more.

Going to the Tip Off in Paradise. Challenging schedule.

9/25: We get a PG, #62, lose one.

10/2: We get a PG, #60. There will be one more change in Nov., but right now we have #8, 10, 40, 60, 63.

1st day of practice. This is a good team, but top 5 in the nation? Maybe.

11/6: Final recruit #s: 7, 8, 40, 57, 64.

My team: Frosh Jay Mann starts at PG. He's an SG but I don't have a single PG on the squad. Soph Mo Huge starts at SG, backs up at PG. If he winds up looking better at PG I will switch these two.

Senior Dan Henn is at SF. Frosh Ted Jeng is an SF but he will play PF. He looks like a potential superstar. Frosh Ab Mell is a PF starting at C. He should be our best player.

Soph SF Cris Moon will sub at SF and SG. Soph Matt Kirz will sub at PF and C. Senior Des Buck is available at guard. No one else figures to play much.

While much of the work here will be done by robots, some will not. Humans will supervise even though the Kree have enhanced our robots and will enhance them more when the new needs begin. And some jobs need to be done by humans. No one should need to work more than about 20 hours per week, at least by current estimates. Building maintenance, water quality, sewage treatment... are all considerations. Due to the moderate climate here, heating and cooling needs will be minimal.

And I have decided to have the robots plant and harvest crops. Not yet, of course, it's too soon.

[Wayne23]

11/28: 82-56 over Gonzaga here at the Civic Center. 27, 7, 3 with 5 blocks for Mell. 7 TOs.

Everyone on our per-conf schedule was ranked when we set up the schedule. Just about all of them have fallen out of the top 25.

Rain, rain, rain... It seems the rainy season during the first few years I was here was atypical. It has been near torrential with lots of flooding during the last ten years or more. We'll need to deal with this when the ship arrives. It will make travel to work difficult for many. Things do grow well here though. I planted a very small garden to test, and the carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and squash are all growing very well.

12/1: 81-59 over Georgetown at home. 22, 6, 8 for Mann, 17, 12, 3 for Mell, 16, 7 for SF Dan Henn. +18 RBs.

We've done a good job of diverting flood waters away from buildings. That was one of the upgrades the Kree helped us with. So yes, there's LOTS of water everywhere, but not in places where it can do any serious damage. It's still very difficult to make my rounds though. Travel is uncomfortable, difficult, maybe even a little dangerous, with puddles of unknown depth everywhere.

12/5: 82-41 over #3 Florida here. We absolutely blew out the #3 team in the country. 29, 7 for Mell, who is #1 on the Norton list. 17 for Henn. +13 RBs, 9 TOs.

2 more pre-conf games, both on the road, both against ranked teams.

12/12: 66-74 at #13 Butler. The win streak ends at 9. Mell and Huge both fouled out, playing 21 and 16 minutes, respectively. That was the story, really. Neither of these guys fouls a lot and this was a horrible job by the officials. I got tossed in the final minute of play, when the result was determined.

Fell off the cart I was driving during work. It hit a deep puddle and threw me. I hurt my back and couldn't get up. I lay there for an hour or more as the heavy rains came down. I was completely soaked, lying in water. Fortunately one of the robots came along eventually. I was then brought to the holo hospital. I am in traction.

12/14: "Mack Reed, why do you not have communication devices to call the robots in case of need?"

"Good question, Grol."

"If you wish, we, the Kree, can have these ready for you in a matter of days and we can equip your robots with devices whereby they can hear and respond, and
even call in case of difficulties or unforeseen circumstances."

"I've been meaning to ask about that for a long time. Sounds great."

I'm still in traction, and in quite a lot of pain. I'm getting therapy which is very painful and doesn't seem to be helping. The doctor says it will help but it takes a bit of time.

12/17: Today was the first day I felt better. My pain level is much lower.

12/19: 80-92 at #25 North Carolina. So I guess we don't play well on the road. 28, 19 for Mell but UNC's starting backcourt combined for 52, and that was that. Our outside D was awful.

9-2, #2, RPI #2. +18.6 PPG, +12.0 RBs, -0.4 TOs- this is our weak spot, 13.1. 23.0 PPG, 10.5 RBs for Mell.

The exercises and the traction have gotten me to the point where the pain is just an annoyance.

The end of the rainy season was about a week and a half ago and the waters have finally receded, thankfully.

[Serafino74]

Get well soon! Is there a way to recruiting through 3D Printers? How about recruiting robots? Nobody wants to play for me, hehe!

[Wayne23]

That would change the game!

[Wayne23]

12/22: I am out of traction and mobile. Moving slowly, but I'm moving.

12/25: I am out of the holo hospital. I'm wearing a brace, I need to do the exercises twice a day, but I am able to function.

12/30: 51-41 over Purdue. Not sure what happened to my team but three poor games in a row. Not good. We were never in trouble in this one but the O wasn't there. 19 for Mann, 12, 11 for Jeng.

1/1/2239: A year and a half until the ship arrives.

1/4: 73-63 at Minnesota. Definitely more O tonight. We led all the way. Our starters all had between 10 and 16 (Huge). +9 RBs.

1/6: 79-61 at Ohio ST. 12, 10 for Mell, 14, 2, 5 for Mann. +11 RBs. Too many TOs every game lately; 19 tonight.

My back acts up now and then but I'm doing the exercises morning and evening, and that helps.

"Help is on the way, Mack Reed?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You will see in time."

Why is Grol so enigmatic!

1/11: 79-63 over Illinois here at Gampel. 26, 5, 5 for Mann, 19, 6 for Mell. +9 RBs, but 15 TOs.

The back continues to improve. The talks with Captain Argo and with Darma are also continuing. The Captain is so straight laced and humorless that it's difficult to feel that I accomplish much when speaking with him. Darma is, of course, a completely different story. Can't WAIT until she gets here!

1/13: 58-30 over Indiana at the Civic Center. They played slow down, which did them no good and led to a very boring game. 15, 8, 3 for Jeng, 11, 9 for Mell. +10 RBs but 17 TOs.

1/18: 83-73 at Rutgers. 16, 13 for Mell, 21, 6 for Mann. +20 RBs, 11 TOs.

1/23: 47-60 at Purdue. We scored 17 in the 1st half and never got anything going; 32.1% shooting, 5-30 on threes.

15-3, 6-1, #2, RPI #1, tied for 1st in the Big Ten with Michigan ST.