Hello out there from the warm and sunny CNU campus! Although it seems way too soon, this is my last blog entry of the 2012-2013 academic year.  For as long as I have been a college coach, around this point I always find myself wondering where the time went. Reflecting on all that has happened since students arrived back in August makes me realize how fortunate all of us here at CNU are to have achieved yet another remarkably successful year.
 
It has been a while since our second round NCAA Tournament loss to Virginia Wesleyan. That loss sent me into a bad case of writer's block as I struggled to adequately sum up another basketball and academic year. Sometimes it can be beneficial to take a step back after a season-ending loss and assess things – mostly so my writing doesn't begin to look like Charlie Brown is writing it. Good grief…
 
The loss to Virginia Wesleyan was a tough one. We certainly didn't play poorly, battling neck and neck with the senior-laden, talented Marlins for the entire game. We played well, but not our best, and we simply didn't make enough winning plays down the stretch.  This is why going deep into the NCAA Tournament, and winning a national championship, is extremely difficult. At that stage there are only great teams left in the field, so the margin for error is razor thin. We came up just a bit short this time, but hopefully we take the experience and the lessons learned to improve ourselves for the next time we get that opportunity.
 
All in all, our very young squad accomplished a great deal this season: a 22-6 record, a regular season conference championship, a conference tournament championship, and the program's first NCAA Tournament victory in twelve years. We took a step forward this year; the key is to continue to build positively on this foundation.
 
That is why the offseason is so crucial in our sport, and in any sport for that matter. I really like Boston Celtics assistant Kevin Eastman's idea that this is not the “offseason”, but rather the “Improvement Season”. For coaches and players alike, we now have the free time and opportunities to really work on developing and enhancing ourselves, both in terms of basketball and our overall lives. It is a period of time that cannot be wasted or underutilized if one expects to reach elite territory.
 
One of the reasons college basketball is so great to me is that it matches up perfectly with the academic calendar and the seasons of the year. The basketball season ends just as spring begins. With spring comes a multitude of hopes about what lies ahead.  As things wind down on campus, it's time for introspection – to catch your breath, see where you were, how far you've come, and what you need to do to get to where you want to go next.
 
For a basketball coach, it means tying up loose ends in recruiting, closing out the spring semester academically, organizing everyone's summer plans, and of course starting to initiate the plan for next year. We closed the curtain on the basketball side last Saturday with our team banquet celebration over in the David Student Union.
 
It was fun time, and a proper way to send off our four seniors: Will Clarkson, Paul Meredith, Jon Snead, and Zach Youngman. These four comprised an amazing group. Although they all had an impact on our success on the court, these high-character seniors will be most remembered for being a group that brought all the intangibles to the table, and put the team before self. Their personalities and leadership will be missed around here.
 
We celebrated a successful season at the banquet, and the hope of a bright future. I'd be remiss though if I didn't mention how along the way we've had a tremendous amount of support from the CNU and local community. We thank each and every one of you who tuned in online or showed up in person to root on the Captains. Hopefully we can continue to build on this momentum and get the Freeman Center rocking every single time out next year.
 
We are especially grateful and appreciative of the various CNU students and staff – from the administrators who provide so much support to the program, to those who keep the Freeman Center an immaculate facility, to the academic advisors and mentors, to the game day workers, to the warm and inviting staff at the dining halls, and everyone in-between. It is your daily efforts that allow us to go out on the court and represent this university. For that, we thank you.
 
This past week the athletic department had its end of year celebration for all the student-athletes and coaches. Fortunately, no one was injured in the stampede that resulted from me taking my spot atop the dunk tank. I eventually made it out without drowning, our basketball players showed why they should stick to basketball, and let's just say I like our softball team's chances in the upcoming NCAA tournament. Those are all stories for another day though.
 
It was another one of those beautiful, blue sky, sun shining, eighty-degree days that we've had so many of lately. As I walked around the football field amongst the athletes and my colleagues/friends in the department, I soaked up the energy of the students, the inviting atmosphere, the vibrancy of the surroundings. Later on that night I walked out of Trible Library after study hall, and for a brief moment I took in the beauty of the Great Lawn and the magnificent buildings lit up around it. In that peaceful stillness I thought about just how amazing of a place this is, and how it's tough to imagine many other places that could be better. As the lights dim on another academic year, I realize how blessed I am to be a part of CNU. Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of this family. Enjoy the beginning of summer. Go Captains!