Dean Koontz Books

Latest Updates Dean Koontz Books:-Recently, Dean Koontz’s “Breathless” helped dissipate the miles. Other days, it’s some work by James Patterson, Michael Connelly, Patricia Cornwell or Nelson DeMille. O’Neill plows through two, sometimes three books a week in the off-season, just one a week during the season.
The title of his latest read fits his team.Breathless, exhausted and empty, a shriveled orange squeezed of its juice so that only arid pulp and rind remain. “That’s a very good description of where we’re at,” O’Neill said.
Still, for a team picked to finish ninth in the Pacific 10 Conference, the Trojans have won 16 games and were in contention for the league title until this week.
Today’s game against Arizona ends USC’s season, which started slow but was gathering steam — eight straight wins, including three over teams that appear headed for the NCAA tournament — before the school in January announced self-imposed punishment that included a ban on participation in any postseason tournament this year.
The Trojans are 6-9 since that announcement but have been competitive in every game and rank fourth in the nation in defense, giving up 56.2 points per game.
Hanging in there hasn’t been easy.
“I’m as tired now as I’ve been in any season, including an NBA season,” said O’Neill, who has coached 28 years, including eight in the NBA. “I’ve coached uphill a lot, but the incline on this one was pretty good,” he said.
Three players left early from last season, five committed recruits never showed up and, early on, injuries thinned a lineup already missing two key players who began the season ineligible.
“You couldn’t write a script with more difficult circumstances,” O’Neill said.