Hereafter

[Wayne23]

1/25: Big early lead. Up 9 after 10. Up Up 16 at the half. (Betz is either in foul trouble or he got hurt; wish the game would let us know about injuries when they happen.) Up 20 with 10 to go.

93-64. 26, 3, 4, 3 steals for Shay. 18, 7 for Fox, 17, 1, 5 for Ston.

+7 RBs, 8 TOs. +15 at the line. +14 in the paint, +10 on 2nd chances.

A VERY expensive win. Del Betz severely bruised an already hurt calf muscle. The docs say he's out 3 weeks. We're going to be really thin inside. Fox will start. Like Alan, Betz got hurt in the first minute of the game.

#12 Cal, 17-3, 5-2, is here. They're in a 2 way tie for 3rd in conf., 1-1 vs. ranked teams. Interestingly enough, they're favored by 1 ½ points! They have really good players at PG, SF, and C, and they have a deep, talented bench. With two of our starters out, yeah, maybe they should be favored.

BUT, they give up a lot of points, and they don't hit the boards very hard. If no one else gets hurt we can beat this team if we play well. But for the next 2 ½ weeks we'll just need to grit our teeth and do our best, we're really short handed.

Eliana Ramos has asked to speak to me and promised she would open up if it is allowed. The Council votes at our next meeting on Monday.

[Wayne23]

1/28: Here we go. The pressure is definitely on us.

They take an early lead; we look a little lost. I call a TO to settle them down. Down 12 after 10. I go max D and man-to-man. It's not helping much. Now it is. Down 4 at the half. Down only 1 with 10 left but foul trouble inside where we can't afford it.

73-80. They beat us up inside, 47-35.

29, 6, 3 for Shay, 17, 13, 3 for Udel, 10, 8 for Savo.

-4 on the boards, which should NOT have happened. Only 2 fewer TO, 10 to 11. We shot 37.3% to 46.7%.

This loss isn't the end of the world. We've got two terrific players out and we're still in first by one game in the PAC 12. It is very important that we bounce back in our next game though.

14-7, 4-4 Arizona ST is here. We won by 28 there. They have a very good C but not much else.

Del Betz is #4 and Scot Shay #8 on the Norton list.

1/30: The Council votes 9-3 to allow me to visit with Eliana Ramos.

1/31: I visited with Eliana. Just left.

She is clearly deeply mentally ill. She is convinced that the Tralmorian babies, as she called them will enslave us, take over the ship, and go on a mission to destroy all life forms in the galaxy. There was no reasoning with her on this. I wound up telling her that I would report what she said to the Council. She got very heated:

“You MUST convince them! Not only our lives, but ALL lives are depending on this. I tried to destroy the ship to prevent the loss of billions of lives. You must believe me!”

It went on like that for some time.

The Council will hold a special meeting to discuss this, and what to do about Eliana, tomorrow.

[Wayne23]

2/1: I emphasized that the big guys have to stay out of foul trouble a minute ago. Let's see if it helps.

We fall behind early again, but we catch up. Tied after 10. Damn! The big guys are fouling too much! Up 9 at the break but I'm worried about the fouls. I emphasize it again in the locker room. We start the 2nd half with a big run. Up 17 with 10 to play.

81-46. The D outdid itself tonight. But all three starting bigs wound up with 4 fouls. We went small a lot and our only big on the bench, Jay Winn played 27 minutes; he did well, 11, 5, 3 steals.

23, 11 for Shay, 17, 15 for Fox, who really came through. But Udel played only 9 minutes because of fouls. I'm going to kick his butt later, but privately.

+19 RBs, 10 TOs to 19. They shot 35.6%. +12 in the paint, +13 on 2nd chances.

At 11-10, 5-4 Arizona. If we stay out of foul trouble and no one else gets hurt this should be a W.

The Council discussed Eliana Ramos for three full hours and adjourned with no clear idea what to do about her.

She is clearly severely mentally ill, so if she's convicted at trial do we really think it's right to execute a person this mentally ill? Is she even fit to go to trial? If she is, and if she gets convicted, what do we do to her if we feel we can't execute her.

We adjourned without a consensus or a clear plan. The Chair will act as judge when the matter comes up to decide whether she is mentally competent to stand trial. Her representative told us she will make every effort to prevent a trial. This one is tough.

The GlurrR are the people of the solar system the probe communicated with. They made it clear that they inhabit three planets and four moons.

“We do not welcome visitors. Please travel in a different direction. We are not warlike but we will defend ourselves if you approach any closer. Please change direction immediately.”

As soon as we received and translated that message we turned the probe away from the solar system. This is really too bad. It is an opportunity lost.

[Wayne23]

2/4: They take an early lead; we catch up. Up 1 after 10. Down 1 at the half. I'll come out in man-to-man, max D. Lots of foul trouble inside and we're in trouble. Down 8 with 10 to play. It's a war!

76-68. We came back and tied, it, then the lead changed hands a bunch of times, then we score 8 of the last 10 points.

20, 5 for Shay, 13, 12, 4 for Fox who is playing really well! 11, 4 for Hart, 10, 3 for Winn. Udel has simply not risen to the challenge, 14 minutes due to
foul trouble. I kicked his ass once already and I'm going to do it again. If I could I'd sit him; can't do that right now though.

+4 RBs but 23 TOs, the most since I got here; they had 26 but still... We won it at the line, 34-24.

Betz is out for 2 more games. I wish we had him for the next one against #22 Utah, there. They're 16-5, 8-2, and they're going to be a real challenge.

They have very good guards, especially their SG, and if the threes are falling we're in trouble. Inside, we should control the boards but that was true in our last game and it didn't happen. Their D is not that strong.

Eliana's pre-trial hearing comes up soon.

[Wayne23]

2/8: Just before going out to start this one I challenged my guys to dig deep.

We take a quick lead and stretch it to doubles. Up 10 after 10. Up 12 at the half, but too many fouls inside. Up 16 with 10 to go; we're in good shape!

95-80. Not much D but plenty of O!

Al Savo was unstoppable, 28, 13, 4, 3 steals. 16, 5 for Fox, 17, 3, 3 for Shay, and finally a good game for Udel, 13, 8, 3, and only 2 fouls. He got big time praise in the locker room.

+11 RBs but 16 TOs. We shot 51.7%.

The lead is now 2 over both Utah and Cal. 4 or more over the rest with 7 to play. We somehow dropped to #2 in the polls. I don't get it. Wisconsin's #1 and we clobbered them.

8-14, 1-10 USC is here. We won by 29 there. I don't even want to play this game. Maybe I should go coach there and see how long it would take to turn their program around... Nah.

The pre-trial hearing for Eliana lasted a whole day. The Judge (Chair of the Council) ruled that she is mentally unfit to stand trial. He referred the question of what to do with her to the Council

“The defendant will remain in custody pending the decision of the Council, which is expected in ten days or less.”

Tall order!

[Wayne23]

2/11: I REALLY don't want to play this game. Nothing good can possibly come of it.

Early lead. Up 8 after 10. Up 12 at the half. Up 18 with 10 left; we're not playing nearly hard enough.

91-69. Boring game. 20, 15 for Udel, who was spectacular. 13, 6, 10, 3 steals for Shay, 14, 8 for Savo. +17 at the line. They hit 12 threes, which was about all they did right.

+20 RBs but 13 TOs, which is too many! +24 min the paint, +15 on 2nd chances.

Betz is back. Fox will sit although he played excellent ball.

At 6-17, 3-9 Washington ST. We won by 46 at our place and I don't want to play this one, either.

Shay is #5, Betz #6 on the Norton list.

Maybe I'll create a super conference and join it... Hm...

[Wayne23]

2/15: We're listless and they're hanging with us. Down 1 after 10. We're not playing D. Down 3 at the half. I try to wake them up in the locker room. I'm not upping the D or going to man and I make that clear. Finally a run and we're up 9 with 10 left.

89-68. It took a long time for us to get it together and Betz was very rusty.

20, 9 for Fox, 20, 3, 4, 4 steals for Shay. 13, 9, 3 steals for Betz, nearly all of it late. 15, 6 for Udel.

10 TOs to 24. +10 at the line.

9-15, 5-8 Oregon ST is here. We won by 20 there. Yet another game where we have not a thing to gain. They're 0-5 vs. ranked teams, all of them blowouts.

The Council has ruled on Eliana. She will not be allowed to touch or be near any electronic device. She will continue to, or return to, her living quarters, again, with all electronics gone from the room, and she will not be allowed to leave the room without an escort. This is for life. She will hear emergency announcements due to a special hookup.

All of this is definitely an inconvenience for the ship, but we cannot justify executing her, and we can't allow her near electronics; she is simply too knowledgeable about them.

[Wayne23]

2/18: It's going to be tough to play a good team after all of these lousy teams.

Big early lead. Up 22 after 10. Up 24 at the half. Up 27 with 10 left.

79-54. The O was sluggish but the D was great.

25, 20, 4 blocks for Betz; hell of a game!

+10 RBs, 6 TOs. We held them to 29.4%! +28 in the paint.

4 left and we should win them all. We now have a 3 game lead in conf.

At 13-12, 6-8 Washington. We won by 22 at home.

Eliana's first few days of relative freedom have not led to any problems. She gets therapy every day. I sincerely hope it helps.

[Wayne23]

2/22: Utah is at Cal so only one team will be 3 behind us at the end of today, assuming we win.

It's close early. Up 6 after 10. We're flat yet again. My guys need a challenge. Down 5 at the half and I won't change anything. I tell my guys to play harder. Up 8 with 10 left after a mini-run.

86-66. 29, 7 for Betz. 16, 4, 3 for Savo.

11 TOs to 23. We shot 51.8% and took 12 more shots.

3 up on Utah, who beat Cal.

We're back at #1 in the polls, #1 NET. 27-1, 14-1. 1st in PPG, 2nd in RBs.

18-10, 9-6 Oregon is here. As the season has progressed they've kind of faded. We need a challenge but I don't know if they have the horses to provide one.

The probe to our right, which is about as far away from the ship as it can get and still be able to communicate, has been contacted by a ship. They are still translating the message.

[Wayne23]

2/25: They do have Chris Hicks at PF and he may be the best player in the country. They don't have much else though.

Close early. Up 10 after 10 after a run. Up Up 13 at the half; we held Hicks to 2 points. Up 14 with 10 to go.

74-66 but we were never in danger.

18, 4, 3 for Shay, 13, 6, 3 for Betz.

They shot 36.4%. We won it at the line, +11. Not our best effort but not really a challenge either.

At 11-17, 5-11 Stanford. We won by 46 at home so it's going to be another yawner. I am definitely going to create a super conference on May 1.
It is now clear that Alan won't play again this season unless we make the final Four.

The message our probe received was from the friendly race we met at the first rest station, the MuuGi. They invited us to visit their solar system
and gave us directions. If we accept we'll be there in mid-July.

The Council will take it up at its next meeting.