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[Wayne23]

1/3/2023: We start conf. play with 6-5 Maine here. They score but they give up a lot of points. They have a good C and good guards. They're weak at the forward spots.

I expect to dominate the AEC this season.

1/4: We take a lead farily quickly. Up 6 after 10; Cole is hitting shots. 49-41 at the half. NOT happy with the D; they're shooting 64%. 10 for Long, 9 for Cole. +8 in the paint. Up 8 with 10 left; they're hanging in.

103-89. Most points a team of mine has ever scored but the D was awful. 26, 4 for sub F/C Brin Lee in only 14 minutes! 15, 4, 3 for Cole, 14, 6 for Long.

+9 RBs, +10 in the paint. +7 from the line. They shot 60%.

Dee's team is 12-3. They probably won't lose a game in conf., but it's questionable how far they can go in the NCAAs with their best player out.

[Wayne23]

1/6: At 2-10, 0-1 Stony Brook. They give up 8.5 more than they score but they have some kids who can play, just not that many.

1/7: We start slow then get better. Up 9 after 10. Up only 1 at halftime. I just don't get this team. 17 for Long, 9 for Meek. Too many fouls; Suli has 3. +12 in the paint. Up only 1 with 10 left.

65-79. I couldn't be more disgusted. I don't even talk to them after the game.

17, 4 for Long, 13, 5 for Meek.-9 RBs, +14 in the paint.

The staff is going to meet to rethink absolutely everything.

1/8: There really isn't a lot we can do regarding the lineup, sadly. These guys simply are not playing up to their potential. I mean losing to a team that was 2-10 going into the game? Unacceptable.

Dee and I had a long conversation.

"Sometimes you just need to keep working at it and hope that sooner or later it will all come together. Your guys are horribly inconsistent, that's for sure. I HOPE the highlight of your season won't be the Coaches Classic but it might be."

"I mean we're 244th in PPG Allowed; that's the biggest problem. You know, I'm going to give Brin Lee some of Thor's minutes. We like Tom but he's not that great a defender. That's about the only change I can think of."

[Wayne23]

1/10: 6-7, 2-0 New Hampshire is here. They have trouble scoring.

1/11: Early lead. Up 19 after 10. 62-27 at the half; No idea what to expect from these guys. 3 starters with 11 or more and good bench play.

+12 RBs, 1 TO. Incredibly good D, 25.9%. +14 in the paint. Up 32 with 10 left. Lots of minutes for the bench guys tonight.

78-56 but it wasn't that close. 16, 3, 4 for Bays, 13, 9 for Long. 10, 6, 6 for Lee, 11, 7 for Long.

+13 RBs, 8 TOs, . Held them to 28.1%.

We're 7-0 at home, 6-4 on the road, but really 2-4, since 4 of the wins were at a neutral site, the Coaches Classic.

Dee is still hiking in deep snow and bitter cold and I really don't like it. I actually talked with A. D. Ali Veer about it.

"Her contract is up in the Spring. I may insist on a clause about dangerous activities when we renew. I don't like this at all!"

[Wayne23]

1/13: At 6-8, 1-2 Binghamton next. Their PG has a sore wrist but he'll start. We're a big favorite but the way we play on the road...

1/14: Down 6 after 10. I have no ideas at all. Down 11 at the half.

"I don't know what to tell you... I've done everything I know to get you to play solid D. It hasn't worked in half our games. I've done everything I know to get you to work to get open for good shots on O; it hasn't worked in about half our games. You need to want it. Some nights you actually do want it... some nights."

BIG turn around. Up 3 with 10 to go.

70-59. 41-19 in the 2nd half. I still don't have a clue about this team...

17, 3, 2, 3 steals for Bays. 11, 14 for Suli, 11, 6 for Long.

+13 RBs, +12 in the paint, +13 on 2nd chances.

Marc Cole threw his back out. He'll probably miss a game or at least play limited minutes. Ad Mill will start and Colt Hays becomes the 1st guard off the bench.

Dee sprained the other ankle on a deep snow hike. She had to limp all the way back to her car.

"At least bring a walking stick from now on."

I really am worried about this.

[Wayne23]

1/17: 8-7, 2-2 Hartford is here. We should have a big edge inside.

1/18: Let's see which team shows up tonight.

Early lead. Up 6 after 10. Up 10 at halftime. They have 17 TOs! We've taken 11 more shots. +12 in the paint. Up 10 with 10 to go.

74-58. We're 8-0 at home. 16, 6, 3, 3 for Suli, 15, 8 for Thor, 12, 4, 3 for Mill, filling in for Cole.

+7 RBs. We turned them over a mind boggling 32 times! We took 30 more shots! +22 in the paint, +15 on 2nd chances. There's nothing wrong
with us when we play at home or on a neutral court, but oh the road!

Tom Thor strained abdominals. Out for about a week. Brin Lee will start, Jon Meek is 1st big off the bench.

[Wayne23]

1/20: At 5-11, 3-2 UMass-Lowell. We're favored. They score 12 less a game and give up the same as us. They rebound well, and generally have a good inside game.

Cole is back.

1/21: We fall behind early; it's a road game. Down 7 after 10. Down 9 at the half. They're shooting 68% to our 34.4%. -6 RBs but 8 fewer TOs. Long has 3 fouls.

There's nothing new to say in the locker room, so I don't say anything. Down 6 with 10 left; they're shooting 75%.

90-93. Nothing wrong with the O, but they shot 70.8%.

20, 5, 3, 3 steals for Suli, 16, 4, 3 for Cole, 13, 2, 6 for Bays. We got nothing from our forwards, who were completely outplayed; Long managed to foul out in
10 minutes. We took 29 more shots and lost!

"Maybe I could get a job as an A. D. Somewhere."

"Nah. You're not ready to quit coaching yet. It will turn around."

"I don't see how. We're pathetic on the road. How's the ankle?"

"Healing. I can't exercise though and I just don't feel right when I can't exercise."

"Let's watch a video. There's a new episode of that series you like so much."

I don't know what I'd do without here. We clash sometimes but she's my world.

[Wayne23]

1/27: At 7-11, 2-5 MDBC. They have good guards, especially the SG. This is a team we should beat, but we need to figure out how to play on the road. I've been very positive and upbeat in practice.

Thor is starting and Lee is pretty much out of the rotation; Meek gets his minutes.

1/28: We take an early lead. And stretch it out. Up 14 after 10. Up 16 at the break. 17 for Bays, every once in a while he looks like he's all world, and the rest of the time he's very average. 6 fewer TOs, 11 more shots. The refs aren't calling much but Suli has managed to pick up 3 fouls. He's a freshman and it often shows on D. But he's good and he's going to get better. I praise the guys for their hustle. Up only 6 with 10 left, we're falling asleep.

80-74 but they caught us and actually took a lead. 20 for Bays, 14, 7 for Suli, 14 for Cole, all in the 2nd half. Their bench was terrific, 41 points, to 17 for ours.

11 TOs to 19 for them. We took 22 more shots and made only 3 more.

For once we came back late on the road. In the locker room after the game I emphasized the positives.

All of our recruits hit our SAT score.

"You know, you're bitching, your head is hanging, you'd think you have the worst team in Division I. Hello! Your in a 2 way tie for 1st in the AEC!"

"Yeah, and winning one on the road helped, even if we did almost blow it."

"You're at freakin' Vermont. You're not going to win the national title this year."

"Yeah, you're right."

[Wayne23]

1/31: 12-7, 5-3 Albany is here. They're a good team. Their C is recovering from a strained hammy but he'll play. The stats are close. We'd better come to play!

2/1: I've gone back to playing man-to-man full time the last couple of games; I think it's helping.

We lead early. Up 17 after 10; looking good so far. Up 12 at the half. 16 for Long, 11 for Bays. +7 RBs. We're shooting 60% to 46.2%. Up 12 with 10 left.

90-89 but that's deceptive. They hit a half court three at the buzzer. We were never in danger of losing. But we couldn't put them away when we had them on the ropes. Maybe that's what's missing, that killer instinct that the really good teams have.

20, 4 for Bays, 17, 4 for Long, 12, 8, 4 for Cole, 14, 3 for Suli.

+6 RBs. The zebras called 45 fouls, which is ridiculous. They hit free throws, we didn't, and that kept it close.

"Close one!"

"Yeah. Those last 3 minutes were hard to watch."

"Yeah. We just fall asleep sometimes."

"I think some of your guys don't want it enough. It's more about heart than it is about talent."

"Yep. And I don't know how to fix that. I mean nobody here is going to play pro ball, so they aren't playing to impress the scouts, or to make big money later on."

"Yeah, but this is what they'll remember and tell their grandchildren about. You'd think they'd keep that in mind."

[Wayne23]

2/3: We're at 13-7, 7-2 Maine next. We're tied with them for 1st, 2 up on 3rd place, so it's a big game. We won by 14, 103-89 at our place in a real shootout. They give up a lot of points, and they turn it over. Their big guys and their bench almost beat us last time.

2/4: (Author's Note: My computer, or rather my Open Office program screwed up and I lost the write up for the Maine game. I'll reproduce what I can.)

Down early. Down 9 at the half. Their beating us inside and with their bench, just like last time. 2nd half- we're standing around and getting hosed. We look awful.

67-90. -10 in the paint. They shot 58.2%. Only our rookies played well, 16, 9 for Suli against a very good C, and 17, 3, 2, 3 for Cole.

"You know, Dee, it's not the losing. It really isn't. It's the fact that sometimes they just stop playing."

"Yeah, they do. It's hard to watch."

"It sure is. I have no idea what to do when it happens."

"And it even happens in games you win sometimes."

"Other nights they're world beaters."

"Yeah, it's not a lack of talent, it's a lack of heart."

[Wayne23]

2/7: 5-16, 3-7 Stony Brook is here. They beat us by 14 at their place on a night I'd like to forget. They score 7 fewer and give up 4.5 more.

They beat us both inside and outside last time and we had no O. But if we play our game we should beat these guys; at home we usually do.

2/8: They take an early lead and we catch up. Up 2 after 10. 50-49 at the hlaf. They're one of the worst teams in the AEC and we let them score 49 1st half points; they shot 60.7%. -9 RBs, +10 in the paint, +10 on fast breaks. 18 for Long. UP 12 with 10 left, and now we're playing D, they scored 15 in the 1st 10 min. Of the 2nd half.

98-79. 48-30 in the 2nd half. I remain mystified by my team.

25, 3 for Long, 14, 4 for Lee, 13, 0, 7 for Cole, 12 each for Suli and Bays, 11, 0, 5 for Mill. +24 in the paint, 17 fewer TOs.

Still alone in 2nd place, 1 back of 1st, 1 up on 3rd place Albany, where we end the regular season.

Dee fell in very deep snow on a hike today. She wouldn't have told me but there were two huge bruises on the left side of her face. No sense talking to her, she won't listen.