Okay, let me tell you about what I tackled today. I was settling down with my usual morning coffee and the daily crossword puzzle. It’s a nice little ritual I have.
Finding that Coach’s Name
So, I was working my way through the across clues, filling in some easy ones here and there, feeling pretty good. Then I landed on one that read: college basketball coach barnes. Hmm, “Barnes”. My mind immediately went to basketball coaches.
I first thought, okay, who’s a famous college coach named Barnes? The name Rick Barnes popped into my head almost instantly. He’s been around a while, coached some big programs. I remember him from his time at Texas, and now he’s at Tennessee, right?
Before just writing it in, I did my usual check. I looked at the grid. How many letters did it need? Ah, it was looking for a four-letter answer. That seemed right for just the first name.
So, R-I-C-K. Four letters. Did it fit with any letters I already had in the intersecting down clues? Let’s see… Yep, there was an ‘I’ already placed in the second spot from a previous answer. Perfect match.
I didn’t even need to double-check online for this one, felt pretty confident. It’s satisfying when a name you know just slots right in there.
So, I penciled in R-I-C-K. Felt good to get that one down. It wasn’t super tricky, but sometimes those contemporary names in puzzles can be hit or miss depending on if you follow that particular area, like sports. Glad this one clicked right away.
Alright, onto the next clue!
