FOREWORD

It seems like every season, I decide to go through the schedule and pick who the Flyers will beat and who will probably beat us. I have a bit of a problem with reality however. It is rare that I actually do a fine job of picking the correct number of wins in the upcoming season. But something both strange and wonderful happened about a week ago: I had a dream about how the Flyer season would go. I had this very long conversation with what appeared to be someone dressed in all white and we talked about every game that happened during the 1999-2000 season. It was one of those dreams that I didn’t want to end. As soon as I woke up, I sat down in front of my laptop and wrote down everything that I could remember. Some of the things were a little fuzzy, but I did the best that I could.

The next night I went to bed wondering if I would have a continuation of the same dream. I did have a continuation but it was not what I had anticipated. I don’t know if it was due to the supper that I had eaten at that little out-of-the-way Mexican restaurant or because I had stretched the truth a little with my boss that day, but this dream was one that I woke up from in a pool of sweat. No longer was I talking to someone dressed in white, but someone dressed in red with tiny little horns peaking out of his bushy hair. We went over the season, game by game. Needless to say, there was a great deal of wailing and gnashing of teeth. When I woke up and my heartbeat finally slowed down, I again got out the laptop and started typing. Needless to say, events were a little different. Here are the two versions.

GAME 1: at NEW MEXICO

The Pessimist:
The Flyers walk into the arena and wonder who scheduled this game. The crowd is dressed in red and are looking for a quick kill. The Flyers oblige and the Lobos score the first 13 points of the game sandwiched around two timeouts by frustrated Coach Oliver Purnell. The Flyers finally score on a tip-in by Matt Cooper who is in for Ashman after Ash picked up two fouls. The onslaught continues as the Flyers shoot 23% from the field in the first half to fall behind 48-23. Purnell continues to substitute freely to find the right combination. Doliboa gets hot from three point range and the Flyers creep to within 17 with 10 minutes to go. During the final 10 minutes the Flyers shoot 55% but turn the ball over 10 times and finally leave the Pit a 94-67 loser. Doliboa leads the Flyers with 15. (0-1)

The Optimist:
Although the Flyers are playing on arguably the toughest home court in America, they refuse to let the 17,000+ screaming fans get them out of their game plan. We hang tough throughout the first half, taking our first lead with 2:50 to go in the first frame. In the final two minutes of the half we get outscored 8-0 and retreat to the locker room down 35-28. The second half starts off with a 7-2 run by the Flyers with Stanley leading the team with 15 points. The game remains tight until Ashman gets his fourth foul with 10 minutes left. During the next four minutes, UNM goes on a 10-0 run to go up 62-51. Ashman returns and scores the next six points for the Flyers who pull to 64-57 with 5:45 left. We inch closer until 1:57 remains and Ashman fouls out. The Lobos score the last 6 points in the game and hold off the Flyers 76-68. Stanley leads the Flyers with 21 points. (0-1)

GAME 2: away SAMFORD

The Pessimist:
The Flyers start off strong by employing a full court press and cruise to an early 20-10 lead. With 12 minutes left in the half, Hall gets run over by the Bulldogs’ center, Cory Green, limps off the court and does not return. Samford, who returns all five starters from a team that won 24 games last year, begins to peck away at the lead and trails by three at the half. Down to two wing players, Purnell utilizes Young as a two guard with little success. Ashman gets into foul trouble for the second consecutive game and the Flyers get blown out in the second half and lose 82-69. (0-2)

The Optimist:
With only about 5,000 people in the stands at the beginning of the game, the Flyers think that they have taken a bus to Fairborn to play the Raiders. They come out in a full-court press and outscore Samford 20-4 to start the game. Stanley is unstoppable as he hits his first five shots and leads the Flyers with 12 points. With Morris, Stanley, Hall, Holland and Ashman in the lineup, the Flyers continue the press and score several buckets off turnovers. They cruise to a 53-29 halftime lead with three players in double figures. Samford starts five different starters in the second half and outscore the Flyers by 10 but still fall 90-76. (1-1)

GAME 3: MT. ST. MARY’S

The Pessimist:
Playing more like the team that made it to the NCAA tourney last year instead of 206 in the final Sagarin ratings, MSM jumps out to a 20-9 lead in the first 14 minutes of the game. Poor shooting continues to slow the Flyers who are again playing without Brooks Hall and his bad ankle. During the last six minutes of the first half, Yuanta Holland plays like a man possessed and brings the Flyers back to within 29-26 at the half. In the second half, the crowd gets into the game as the Flyers ride Tony Stanley’s 12 second-half points to a 63-52 victory. (1-2)

The Optimist:
Despite a trip to the NCAA last year Mount Saint Mary’s is not the level of the typical team on the Flyers’ schedule. Despite a sluggish first half the Flyers stretch the score out to a 75-59 victory before the home fans. Mark Ashman led the Flyers with 23 points and 10 rebounds and stated after the game, “It was nice to see New Mexico, but it sure is a lot more fun playing in front of the home crowd.” (2-1)

GAME 4: away KENTUCKY

The Pessimist:
In one of the biggest games of Oliver Purnell’s career, the Flyers come out cold and stay that way for the entire first half. We trail 55-23 and I am wondering why I paid this much for my ticket in the rafters. We play a little better in the second half and lose 99-65. Matt Cooper leads the way with 11 points. Fitz came in for spot duty in the second half and played well enough to finish the game on the court. (1-3)

The Optimist:
In a game we have all been waiting for, the Flyers trade punches with the Wildcats through the first 10 minutes and trail by just two at 27-26. Brooks Hall has his coming out party and scores 18 points in the first half as the Flyers surprise the UK fans by taking a 53-43 lead at the half. The only real concern is the fact that Ashman continues to have foul problems and sits the last six minutes of the half with two fouls. Thirty seconds into the final half, Mark gets his third foul and takes a seat on the bench next to Matt Cooper. To battle the quickness of UK, Purnell elects to go with a lineup of Morris, Stanley, Hall, Doliboa and Holland.
The strategy works to perfection as we stay hot from the outside and continue to lead by six points with eight minutes to go — just as Ashman re-enters the game. UK immediately attacks Ashman and scores four straight points. Ashman scores on the ensuing possession but picks up a fourth foul in doing so. Both teams trade baskets until 1:03 remains with the Flyers in front by 2. Kentucky runs 30 seconds off the clock before firing a three — they miss but get the rebound. With seven seconds left they fire up a three and convert to take a 92-91 lead. OP calls a time out and tries to pull a miracle out of his hat. The Flyers throw the ball to half court and call another time out with five seconds left.

Because I live more than two hours away, I decide this would be a good time to leave and beat the crowd. By the time I get out to the car, Mark Adams is going nuts on the air talking about the greatest win in Flyer history. I’m afraid that you will have to read the morning paper to see how we did it. (3-1)

GAME 5: MD-BALTIMORE-COUNTY

The Pessimist:
Still smarting from the shellacking that we take at the hands of the Wildcats, the Flyers attack with reckless abandon. We blitz them by 109-65 as all 5 starters score in double figures. Holland leads the way with 18 points and 17 rebounds, while seldom-used Joe Ashburn banks in two treys late in the game to take home the “Rudy” award. (2-3)

The Optimist:
The sacrificial lambs show up after the “greatest win in Flyer history” and make it interesting for a while. Morris has a second half spurt that produces 12 points and 8 assists and the Flyers pull away for an 87-56 victory. (4-1)