A burned out basketball coach takes a job in Ireland and is surprised by what he finds.

Discover the David vs. Goliath rise of Catholic college basketball, from Villanova to Georgetown to Gonzaga, where small schools perennially shoot past the big power conference programs. In MIRACLES ON THE HARDWOOD, author John Gasaway traces the rise of Catholic college basketball—from its early days (Villanova made an appearance in the Final Four in the first NCAA tournament in 1939) to the dominance of the San Francisco Dons in the 1950s and the ascendance of powerhouses Georgetown, Villanova, and Gonzaga—through their decades-long rivalries and championship games. Featuring interviews with notable coaches, players, alums, and fans—including Loyola Chicago's most famous and dedicated fan, 100-year-old Sister Jean—to get at the heart of how these universities have excelled at this sport. Small in number but devout in the game's spirit, these teams have made the miraculous a matter of ritual, and their greatest works may be yet to come.

The first book written about the tradition of Irish hoops in over 15 years, ranks among the most comprehensive efforts on the subject ever undertaken.

Housesitting at the ultra-modern apartment of a composer friend in a glum Eastern European city, a British copywriter accidentally spills wine on the apartment's priceless wooden floor and endures a psychologically disastrous week of perfectionist repair and maintenance.

I've spent forty-four years of my life telling the world I'm a carpet man. Is it too late to admit to myself and everyone else that deep down I'm really all about the Hardwood? It took me over thirty-five years to admit to myself that I'm gay, another seven to find the courage to say it out loud to anyone else, and exactly thirty seconds to develop a massive crush on my daughter's music teacher. It's really not my fault, have you even seen those cute bowties he wears? After everything it's taken to get here, am I going to work up the nerve to come out to my ex-wife and my best friends? Am I ready to shake up my comfortable, simple life and take a chance on Watson? Or am I going to throw a wrench in my own chance for happily ever after?***Hardwood is a steamy, seriously so much delicious tension, single-dad, gay awakening, low angst story, which happens to be the third in the Four Bears Construction Series. It CAN be read as a stand-alone. There are NO shifters in this series, only the OTHER kind of bears.

Marquette University Men's Basketball has a long and storied tradition. Tales of Marquette Basketball takes a look at the high, and low points from McGuire to Crean and everything in between by weaving personal interviews with many great Marquette players and coaches including Hank Raymonds, Rick Majerus, Mike Deane, Tom Crean, Glenn 'Doc' Rivers, Jim Mcllvaine, Travis Diener and Tony Smith as they give insight to memorable moments, both on and off the court. Under the colorful Coach Al McGuire, Marquette University basketball flourished as one of the top collegiate programs in the country. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the super salesman made successful pitches to some of America's finest young players. These young men experienced an entirely different way of life. But the life lessons they learned from Al prepared them for success-in the basketball arena-and beyond. Behind the scenes stories, based on numerous interviews, will help give unique insight to this mesmerizing personality. Of course, the focal point is that magic carpet ride to the 1977 NCAA Championship! Many observers wondered if the once proud Marquette program would ever again approach the standards set by Al McGuire. Exit Bob Dukiet, enter Kevin O'Neill, in 1989. The ultra intense assistant coach at Arizona used salty language, but in his fifth season at the helm, K.O. took Marquette to the NCAA's Sweet Sixteen. In his fourth season, Crean and All-American Dwyane Wade led Marquette to the Conference USA championship and a return to the Final Four! Somehow, the Marquette program had come full circle. Before his death, Al McGuire spent hours just talking with Tom Crean. In some ways, Al became the father Tomnever had. We hope you enjoy these Tales of Marquette Basketball.

Hardwood Heroes tells the tale of Minnesota basketball, including high school, college and professional male and female teams. It is a great book full of wonderful stories, along with personal memories and photos.

From one of the most passionate and energetic high school coaches in the state of Illinois, Mike Winters provides a basketball coaches' guide to building and sustaining a championship program. Drawing from 25 years of experience, Coach Winters provides glimpses into what it takes to build a championship culture and provides guidance on how to build your offensive and defensive philosophies as well as how to prepare your teams for special situations and how to determine and develop your late game coaching philosophies. The Journey: Lessons from the Hardwood will provide everything a leader needs to consider when it comes to building his or her philosophy around the strengths of their teams whether in the world of sports or in the business world, and ties everything together with anecdotes and examples from a successful career in coaching. Coach Winters knows what it takes to win at the high school level. In The Journey, he provides an all encompassing perspective of what it takes to be a leader, a successful coach, father and husband all at the same time. The Journey chronicles his rise from being a 26 year old head coach to now being a father and a husband and how his perspective has changed on what matters most.

A burned out basketball coach takes a job in Ireland and is surprised by what he finds.