Archive for the ‘Basketball’ Category

Early, Early Picks for ACC Basketball–2010-11

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Here’s a simulcast with my daily ACC blog at On The B. Rink…

Last couple weeks, we looked at the early entrants and the grads–but how about the ACC players coming back and how the ACC dominoes fall next season?

The News & Observer puts together an early projected starting lineup yearly with early entrants/graduation/new recruits factored in and here’s my early picks based off how the ACC is looking at this point.

1. Duke Blue Devils

2009-10: 13-3, first
G Kyrie Irving, fr.
G Seth Curry, soph. (20.2 ppg @ Liberty)
G Nolan Smith, sr. (17.4 ppg)
F Kyle Singler, sr. (17.7 ppg)
F Mason Plumlee, soph. (3.7 ppg)
Bench: G Andre Dawkins, F Miles Plumlee, F Ryan Kelly, F Josh Hairston

Outlook: Loooooooooooooooaded. They will be a unanimous choice for the ACC and one of the top teams in the country.

2. Florida State Seminoles

2009-10: 10-6, third
G Derwin Kitchen, sr. (8.1 ppg)
G Deividas Dulkys, jr. (8.7 ppg)
G Michael Snaer, soph. (8.8 ppg)
F Chris Singleton, jr. (10.2 ppg)
F Xavier Gibson, jr. (5.5 ppg)
Bench: G Luke Loucks, F Terrance Shannon, PG Ian Miller, F Okaro White, F Jon Kreft

Outlook: No Alabi, no problem? That’s what I’m saying–the cupboard isn’t bare at FSU and if there’s a year that Hamilton’s Noles make a run–it has to be this season.

3. Virginia Tech Hokies

2009-10: 10-6, fourth
G Malcolm Delaney, sr. (20.2 ppg)
G Dorenzo Hudson, sr. (12.0 ppg)
F Terrell Bell, sr. (6.1 ppg)
F Victor Davila, jr. (5.3 ppg)
F Jeff Allen, sr. (15.2 ppg)
Bench: F J.T. Thompson, G Erick Green, F Jarell Eddie, F Allan Chaney, F Cadarian Raines, F Manny Atkins, G Ben Boggs

Outlook: The time is now in Blacksburg as they return everybody. Greenberg needs to advance past simply making the ever-elusive NCAA Tourney, but win some games in said tourney.

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

2009-10: 5-11, 10th
G Larry Drew II, jr. (8.5 ppg)
G Reggie Bullock, fr.
F Harrison Barnes, fr.
F John Henson, soph. (5.7 ppg)
F Tyler Zeller, jr. (9.3 ppg)
Bench: F Will Graves, G Dexter Strickland, PG Kendall Marshall, G Leslie McDonald

Outlook: The Tar Heels are an interesting squad to watch this season because they had such a fall from grace last season. Heels are still young and Williams will have quite a coaching job to do to get UNC back to the top.

5. Maryland Terrapins

2009-10: 13-3, second
G Adrian Bowie, sr. (4.8 ppg)
G Sean Mosley, jr. (10.1 ppg)
G Cliff Tucker, sr. (5.7 ppg)
F Dino Gregory, sr. (4.2 ppg)
F Jordan Williams, soph. (9.6 ppg)
Bench: F James Padgett, G Terrell Stoglin, F Mychal Parker, PG Pe’Shon Howard

Outlook: Terps lose three of their biggest starters from last season with Vasquez, Hayes, and Milbourne, but they have a talented group coming back. Sean Mosley has to step into the go-to-guy role and Jordan Williams has to expand his role in the paint for the Terps to stay here.

6. Clemson Tigers

2009-10: 9-7, sixth
G Demontez Stitt, sr. (11.4 ppg)
G Tanner Smith, jr. (8.7 ppg)
F Milton Jennings, soph. (3.2 ppg)
F Devin Booker, soph. (4.5 ppg)
F Jerai Grant, sr. (7.2 ppg)
Bench: G Noel Johnson, G Andre Young, G Donte Hill, F Bryan Narcisse

Outlook: The Tigers are in transition between philosophies with a new coach in Brownell and lose star forward Trevor Booker, but this team still has the guns to compete in a wide-open(past Duke) ACC.

7. N.C. State Wolfpack

2009-10: 5-11, 11th
G Javier Gonzalez, sr. (9.5 ppg)
G Lorenzo Brown, fr.
F C.J. Leslie, fr.
F Richard Howell, soph. (4.9 ppg)
F Tracy Smith, sr. (16.5 ppg)
Bench: PG Ryan Harrow, G Scott Wood, G C.J. Williams, F DeShawn Painter, F Jordan Vandenberg

Outlook: Expectations should be high in Raleigh with a talented crew coming in and back. If Lowe can capture the magic of the ACC Tourney run to the semis, the Pack can go far, but I’m staying a bit skeptical on them.

8. Miami Hurricanes

2009-10: 4-12, 12th
G Durand Scott, soph. (10.3 ppg)
G Malcolm Grant, jr. (9.6 ppg)
G DeQuan Jones, jr. (5.7 ppg)
F Julian Gamble, jr. (3.5 ppg)
F Reggie Johnson, soph. (6.4 ppg)
Bench: G Rion Brown, G Garrius Adams, G Antoine Allen, F Donnavan Kirk

Outlook: Miami will be a trendy pick this season, but I’m on the fence with them. I  like Scott and Johnson, but Miami has a lot to prove right now.

9. Virginia Cavaliers

2009-10: 5-11, ninth
G Jontel Evans, soph. (2.4 ppg)
G Sammy Zeglinski, jr. (8.9 ppg)
G K.T. Harrell, fr.
F Mike Scott, sr. (12.0 ppg)
F James Johnson, fr.
Bench: PG Billy Baron, F Will Regan, F Assane Sene, G Joe Harris, G Mustapha Farrakhan, F Will Sherrill

Outlook: I had the ‘Hoos at ninth in my early, early picks last season and that’s where they finished–completely new team coming to play next season with Bennett cleaning house, but they have some talent.

10. Boston College Eagles

2009-10: 6-10, eighth
G Reggie Jackson, jr. (12.9 ppg)
G Dallas Elmore, jr. (3.9 ppg)
F Corey Raji, sr. (11.4 ppg)
F Joe Trapani, sr. (14.1 ppg)
F Josh Southern, sr. (4.4 ppg)
Bench: PG Biko Paris, F Courtney Dunn

Outlook: New system, several transfers, and a squad of mostly unproven, consistently, players at this level–hard to get behind the Eagles at this point.

11. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

2009-10: 7-9, seventh
G Moe Miller, sr. (3.9 ppg)
G Iman Shumpert, jr. (10.0 ppg)
G Glen Rice Jr., soph. (5.4 ppg)
F Kammeon Holsey, r-fr.
F Brad Sheehan, sr. (1.2 ppg)
Bench: G Brian Oliver, PG Mfon Udofia, F Daniel Miller

Outlook: The Jackets return all of their primary guards, but the problem falls with losing the three best players off last year’s team with Favors, Lawal, and Peacock in the paint. I will stay cautious on Georgia Tech because I’m not sure the Jackets’ guards can carry them.

12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

2009-10: 9-7, fifth
G Tony Chennault, fr.
G C.J. Harris, soph. (9.9 ppg)
F Ari Stewart, soph. (7.3 ppg)
F Tony Woods, jr. (4.6 ppg)
F Carson Derosiers, fr.
Bench: F Travis McKie, F Melvin Tabb, G J.T. Terrell, F Ty Walker, G Gary Clark

Outlook: New coach Jeff Bzdelik has a project on his hands, but the cupboard isn’t totally bare. If he can get the Deacs back to the NCAA Tourney, Bzdelik did a great coaching job.

Who’s too high? Who’s underrated? Can anyone knock off Duke? Early NCAA Tourney bid predictions?

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Spring is here…baseball, basketball, and football

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

Today we will give a Spring shoutout hitting on some aspects of springtime in Tigertown.  Feel free to come visit us at www.shakinthesouthland.com for more insight and updates on Clemson Tiger athletics.

We will start with baseball today.  The season is still young, but I am pleasantly pleased with last weekend’s outcome in the 3 game set with our foe from Columbia.  Clemson was able to fight back for a big win in game 1 and throttled SC in game 3.  The obvious disappointment was the performance of the bullpen in the buffer game of the series, giving up late runs to allow the Gamecocks to dodge a Clemson sweep.

I will be the first to admit that March baseball is relatively unimportant in the grand scheme of things.  You will also hear me state that one or two games really cannot capture how good a baseball team really is.  Baseball is a completely different monster than either of the other two major sports for a variety of reasons.  It differs from college football because a playoff system dictates the winner and the main thing that counts is getting hot late in the year.  The large number of games played puts a premium on consistency.  Series play also gives you a better idea of who the better teams are by allowing teams to immediately avenge fluke losses or a simple bad night on the diamond.  Teams hope to grind through the regular season then peak for the conference then NCAA tournaments, with the good teams showing consistent improvement into the summer.

Purely from a fan’s perspective, I wish these two teams could get together for both an early season and late season series for a good overall comparison.  These two programs have a lot to offer from both a regional and national standpoint. First off, both schools have baseball programs that have been consistently good.  Clemson has been good forever, USC since Tanner came on board.  Both schools can boast nice baseball facilities.  Beautiful Tiger Field has seen substantial upgrades over the past decade and SC has a new stadium that is extremely impressive (especially when you realize the facility is ONLY utilized for USC baseball and does not host a minor league squad after college baseball season).  While we will probably never see any more than three regular season games between the two teams in a given year, more games would be nice for the fans.

That being said, you can take what you wish from the SC series.  I really hope that this team can build some momentum from the SC series as we move towards conference play.  We all like taking the series from the in-state rival, but let’s remember that a baseball season is long and grueling.  The best teams peak at the end and are flush with pitching, something that will be a question for Clemson as we progress.

Basketball wise, this team was one W shy of our preseason prediction of 10 ACC wins this year.  On the year, Trevor Booker has been a disappointment, forgetting the fierceness that he showed in years past.  Lack of effort, basic fundamentals, and a the need for a pure shooter have hurt this team over the long haul.  Honestly, I expected more out of this group and have been sorely disappointed with the output and overall effort shown on the court..  The loss to NCST was indicative of poor effort and a team that was really unprepared for ACC Tournament play.  We were pathetic (as usual) on the offensive end and allowed the Pack to shoot well from the field for most of the evening.

I have to think that Clemson is in the Big Dance, but really would understand if we were left out and would not be too pissed at the selection committee given the epic collapses and lapses we have seen out of this squad this season.  The Tigers have been pretty average all season and, when including the tournament, finished just above average (9-8) in an ACC that is having a “down year” when compared to previous ACC seasons.

While I think the group probably has the ability to make it deep into the NCAA tournament, there are tons of questions left about their heart and character.  We will see if one of the Freshmen can come up big in postseason action.  Can Purnell actually get his team excited about a game in March?  Will Trevor Booker actually give effort all game long?  Clemson has played itself into yet another tough scenario by losing games they should have won, giving minimal effort, and not playing good fundamental ball.  Now the Tigers will suffer with a probable 10-seed.  Thanks for playing.

On to a few football items near and dear to my heart.  Dr. B has already exposed the ridiculousness that is the “indoor practice facility”, so I won’t go into it too much but will fire in a few takes.  First, is an indoor facility absolutely necessary here?  No, this is a luxury item that is nice to have to allow players a year-round practice area but not an absolute necessity.  I will say, there are some facilities–I have toured the Nebraska IPF–that are magnificent.  IMO, these items are an indicator of how serious an administration takes its athletic programs.

However, at a place like Nebraska who’s administration actually wants its athletic programs to succeed, their facility houses a variety of weight rooms, general areas, indoor beach volleyball courts (yes, they are good at beach volleyball in Nebraska–so good in fact that they were not happy with local sand and were importing their beach volleyball sand in from Hawaii when I was out there), and a state of the art indoor practice facility.  While I understand that their climate makes such a complex a necessity, this school did not go half-ass when putting up a structure.

Thus, the core issue that I have with this indoor track facility is that it is a cheap out for Clemson.  B. Robinson sold the fact that it would be a great tool for the football team when not being used by track, when in-fact that is not the case.  I am not sure how necessary such a structure is at Clemson and really don’t have an IPF at the top of my list.  However, for the administration to EVER claim that they were meeting the needs of the football team with this track bubble is preposterous.  The point of the story is that we are (and have been) falling behind and our administration does not care.  We are so preoccupied playing the “shell-game to a Top 20 university” that (I believe) the administration almost secretly roots against the athletic teams and merely views the football program as a revenue stream to subsidize non-revenue sports and the general university coffer.  Clemson would be much better off embracing athletics (and football in particular) as athletic programs are some of the best recruiting tools that a university has.  However, this is how it has worked at Clemson since Jan 1990, and I don’t see it changing especially with the higher ups keen to lag on items that could immediately help athletic programs (training table is a pretty obvious one, but we will save that one for another day).

Moving along, Clemson is obviously in the midst of spring practice.  While I used to get all jazzed up about the in’s and out’s of SP, I have come to realize that this is pretty much a mini-camp for the boys and that half seven-eighths of the crap that comes out of the Spring has no real bearing on fall football.  Hence, I will refer to this period as a refresher course for existing players.  This time period gives the reserves a chance to brush up on Clemson’s playbook, learn basic fundamentals, and begin jockeying amongst themselves for slots in the fall.  That being said, here are a few spots that I am interested in fundamental issues and how the competition looks headed into summer:

1.  Wide receiver.  Our receiver corps was pretty slim last year and is really lacking productivity this season.  When we did see someone other than Ford, Ashe, or Dye as a WR on the field (this happened mostly early in the season), the results were poor as these guys could not catch a cold butt naked in Alaska in the middle of winter.  We have to see vast improvement here.  Hopefully McNeal will step up after his RS year.  I really expect Jaron Brown and Marquan Jones to see more of the field this fall, and would like to see these guys push for starting roles.  Other that Dye, we really have a lot of question marks (and even with Dye, there are still some questions that need to be answered, although I have heard a lot of positives about his leadership and progression for this team).

2.  Tight End.  I realize that Dwayne Allen played a lot as a freshman, and gave this squad some really good snaps.  I am really curious how he will respond being the starting TE.  We know that you can flex him and get quality routes and catches, but how will he hold up out of a three-point stance running the football all game?  Will we have to move a better blocker out there in obvious running situations?  I think that Allen has the ability to do these things and have seen numerous articles writing about the staff being very excited about his ability.  Let’s hope that he will be able to fill Mike Palmer’s void in all aspects of the game.

3.  Offensive line.  We go through this one almost daily, so no surprises here.  With Cloy out, and Brad at the healm be prepared for the usual 5-lineman Monte game that good ‘ole BS likes to pull at any given point.

4.  Linebackers.  Another spring is great for Kevin Steele and crew.  This time period will hopefully allow the staff to straighten up a lot of the issues we saw last season that involved players grossly out of position.  I really wish Justin Parker was in school and could participate in these spring drills, as we are thin and desperately need his services.

5.  Odds and ends.  Obviously we all will be paying attention to Boyd as he gets a lot of reps this spring.  He has wow’ed most of the staff and current players on the practice squad and we are all excited about seeing him rep with the 1st and 2nd-teamers.  I have heard that Ellington has bulked up a little.  As has been stated here numerous times, I am really excited about seeing more of him on the field IF he finds the cure for the fumbleitis he had at points of last season.  Not too concerned about the DB’s and know that whoever does not win the corner battle will still see a lot of action over the course of the season.

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ACC Tourney Begins with NCSU

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

2010_acc_bracket_medium

Clemson Tigers (21-9, 9-7) vs. N.C. State Wolfpack (17-14, 5-11)

When: Approx. 9:30 on Raycom

Kenpom: Clemson 17, NCSU 68, Kenpom predictor says a 7pt Clemson win.

RPI: Clemson 27, NCSU 103

Leading Scorers: All-ACC F Tracy Smith (17.0ppg, 7.7rpg), F Dennis Horner (11.8ppg, 4.8 rpg), Javier Gonzalez (10 ppg, 3.8 apg)

Statistically, NCSU is behind us in pretty much every defensive category, and their offense is similarly bad statistically. They have good players inside but on the outside they are not daunting.

Looking back at our first meeting, we thoroughly dominated the woofers in the 1st half 45-28. We shot like mad (60%) and Booker ate them up early….then Stitt went down, we lost all momentum, and NC State started raining shots all over us in the 2nd half (43.8%) when our offense became stagnant and our shots stopped falling (34%, 1/10 from 3). We were in serious jeopardy of losing it at the end. Booker and Grant also had a bad time inside in the 2nd half getting any rebounds. Neither team turned the ball over that much, 11 for each.

Julius Mays put up 17 against us, Howell 13 points and 12 boards, and Smith put up 16 with 9 boards.

This time around, the big thing may again be how well we do on the boards. We didn’t impress against Wake there, and NC State did very well against us the first time around, particularly in offensive rebounding.

Right now, the team seems more confident than last year heading into the ACC Tourney after blowing our shot at a 1st-rd Bye.

“We kind of stumbled into the tournament last year,” sophomore guard Tanner Smith said. “We went in losing a few more games than we wanted to.”

Clemson went 3-4 in its final seven regular-season games a year ago, including losses in three of its last four.

The last time Clemson finished with a 5-2 flourish – two seasons ago – the Tigers advanced to the ACC tournament title game before losing to top-ranked North Carolina 86-81.

“We did lose our last game (at Wake Forest), but we’ve been playing well,” Smith said. “Confidence-wise, there’s a big difference. Going in on a roll will be nice for us.”

Demontez Stitt feels similarly

“I think that’s one the best things about this team,” said junior point guard Demontez Stitt. “We really haven’t played Clemson basketball for 40 minutes a game this year. We still have something to look forward to. If we start to put the pieces together and come together more, we’re going to be a tough team.

“That’s the exciting thing about it. We haven’t played up to our full potential. We still have a chance to go to the NCAA and make a lot of progress in the ACC Tournament.”

Defense fuels the optimism. In the last eight games, the Tigers have held their opponents under 70 points four times, and both Wake and Virginia Tech scored exactly 70.

“I think the concern in terms of turning the page from last year (was), ‘How are we going to shoot it,’” Purnell said. “I said maybe we won’t shoot it as well but we’re a better defensive team. I believe defense wins. That’s our strength. Now if we shoot it (well) to boot, which I think we’re capable of doing, well we’ve demonstrated that time in and time out (if we do that) we’ve got a chance to get on a roll.”

I’ve always had trouble having confidence in this team, particularly since we tend to choke in the state of NC. I think we beat NC State though.

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29 games played and it comes down to the last game for the Tigers

Friday, March 5th, 2010

29 games played and it comes down to the last game.

Sunday, March 7 at 6:00 against Wake Forest.

The game against Wake will be the Tigers only match against Wake this season, barring an ACC tournament rematch, which is not out of the realm of possibility.

So here we are.

This season the Tigers have played through ups and downs. They beat a then and now ranked Butler team after falling to  Texas A&M in the 76 Classic in Anaheim.

They let a 23 point lead disappear against Illinois in the ACC-Big Ten challenge to lose the game 76-74.

They accelerated the UNC trainwreck with a proper throttling of the Tarheels in Littlejohn.

They played through Stitt’s injury in the NCSU game.

They could not escape the distance and the frigid air in Chestnut Hill and lost a game they should have won to BC.

They battled in the Snow in Blacksburg, but came up short, 70-59.

They followed up the loss to VT with a string of three wins before another Illinois-like collapse against MD, in which the Tigers relinquished an 18 pt lead.

Again, the Tigers showed their resilience after the MD loss and put together two wins, including Trevor Booker and David Potter’s final game in Littlejohn, a 91-80 beat down of GT, who had just barely defeated the Tigers earlier this year in ATL, 66-64.

Now, the Tigers have these options in front of them: (from D1scourse.typepad.com)

No. 3 with a win AND a Florida State win
No. 3 with a win AND a Virginia Tech loss
No. 4 with a win AND a Virginia Tech win AND a Florida State loss
No. 4 with a loss AND a Florida State loss
No. 6 with a loss AND a Florida State win

The formula is simple, a win for the Tigers and they will assure themselves of a first round bye in the ACC tournament.

A loss requires a bit of new math in order for the Tigers to procure a first round bye.

This seeding, of course, predicates the big tournament. Which, according to some analysts, the Tigers are a lock; while to others, the Tigers still have some work to do to make reservations.

This is it Tigers.

Win and you’re in; or out- or whatever preposition you need. Sunday’s game against Wake is nearly a must-win if the Tigers want to solidify their NCAA tournament hopes and grab a first round ACC tournament bye.

Go Tigers!

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How has Oliver Purnell turned the Tigers around?

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

A couple weeks ago, after a very disappointing loss to Virginia Tech, many people started to give up on our chances. I personally thought 7-9 was a likely finish to the ACC slate. Our half court sets were abysmal during our slide since the UNC game and shooting was terribly inconsistent. We knew going into this 3-game homestand that this was the most crucial point in the season: either we’d fall apart like other years, or put it together and make the NCAAs. Well, we got the 3 wins we desperately needed, but how?

To put it simply, we’ve shot better.

The half-court sets are not really better or more advanced these last couple weeks, we’re scoring our points off of the same in-out game on offense and off turnovers, just like we always have. The defense has definitely had its moments, and has been good on the whole, but I wouldn’t call it smothering.

Some stats to put it in perspective:

  • In 5 games prior to this homestand, Clemson shot 113/304 = 37%. The only good game out of that was the 50% shooting performance against Boston College, that we lost. For the 3 game homestand, Clemson shot 67/141 = 47.5%, and 44% against one of the ACC’s best defensive teams in FSU.
  • In 5 games prior to this homestand, Clemson shot over 70% from the FT line exactly 0 times, the best being a 9/13 (69%) performance against Duke. Since BC, where we were 50%, it has consistently risen in every game. During this homestand, we shot over 75% in every game, 66/82 = 80.5%.
  • Since ACC play started, Clemson has not shot better than 40% from the 3 point line.  We have not shot over 30% from the arc but twice, Game 1 vs BC (35.7%), and NC State (40%). In each game of this homestand, Clemson has shot 35% or better in every game and 23/58 = 39.6% for the 3 games.
  • No defensive statistic shows this drastic a change over the homestand. We aren’t defending percentagewise any differently, and other than UVA today (2/13) we actually did a worse job at defending the 3. We didn’t force that many turnovers (15, 14, 12) though we did get 11 steals against FSU. Our own turnovers don’t show a noticeable trend over the last 8 games.
  • Other than a day off 2-pt performance against FSU, Jerai Grant has really stepped up his production on offense since the Boston College loss. He put up over 10 points just 5 times until BC, but has had 5 games over 11 points since, 2 double-doubles and nearly a 3rd after having just 1 all season. He’s finally turned into the offensive threat at the 5-spot that we needed to take some pressure off Booker going forward, averaging 12.3ppg over his last 6.

But why? Well Andre Young has certainly picked up his game since Stitt’s injury. His assists have gone way up along with his production. Demontez Stitt has come back to full health slowly, and until today’s blowout his minutes have been going upwards. David Potter had been trending upwards until Miami, where he again fell off the map offensively (3/13). Trevor Booker’s stats haven’t shown a real trend either, he actually got close to 20ppg from the first Duke game until Maryland, and since the flu he’s been down offensively in part because his minutes have been lower. Over the 3 game set he put up 13, 18, and 14 points in 25 minutes today.

So it’s really not just one player that’s carrying us, we’ve just shot better as a team and hit those much-needed baskets and layups in transition and off the steals we have gotten. Its been different guys to step up in each game.

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Ok, Now Clemson’s ACC Season really starts

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

I know there are no do-overs or whatever, but that game in Cameron was a bust. The Tigers didn’t show up: physically maybe, but that is about it. They looked lost on the floor.

Duke controlled the tempo from the beginning with their defense.

The Tigers were cold. They couldn’t make a metaphor or cliche with all the words in the dictionary.

Our Shooting % was abysmal. You can choose to blame it on the refs and their love of allowing Duke to draw charges, but that is a weak argument at best. The answer is much more simple and less conspiratorial: Hit more shots.

The freshmen played like freshmen. The seniors, juniors, and everyone else, however, didn’t play much better. Stitt and Grant provided us with some strong play. But, if the first minutes of the second half could be bottled, or emulated, or even approximated throughout a game, the Tigers would have been, and would be, in a much better position. It was nice to see OP make some changes at the half, rather than just let it be and stick to the scheme, but those changes have to be fluid.

More than anything, we missed leadership last night. Some will want to say we missed the outside shot, but that is secondary. We need someone to step up and lead- Stitt is beginning to do that, but with this being “(T) Booker’s Team,” that will be difficult for him. Booker needs to play hard for forty minutes. This leading by doing and not saying didn’t work well for KC Rivers and thus far is not working well for Booker.

Uncle Cliff where are you now? That’s right, Cliff Hammonds, modern day Prometheus. With Cliff Hammonds, or any comparable, capable leader, we would be in a much stronger position and feel much more positive about last night’s game, about any loss for that matter, because we would know that the team gave its all. Tanner Smith has some of that fire, and Stitt shows it at times, but others are playing without that.

Now, the Tigers have to start over at home with a game against BC, a team they should beat. This is an important game for the Tigers. 0-2 in the ACC is not insurmountable, realistically, but mentally it could be.

It could be a rough start to the new semester for the Tigers if they cannot play their game. Of course, right now, what is their game. Maybe they do need to play someone else’s game. Who knows?

Either way, Trevor Booker has to show up;  he has been notably absent in many of the games this season. Block-C speculates a little about this here. Stitt has to continue his dribble-drive penetration, but if someone doesn’t slide open for the outlet pass- interior or outside, it could be ugly.

The 4:00pm game will be on the Raycom network and will hopefully show growth from the Tigers.

This one’s important.

Check out more Clemson Basketball at The OP: Clemson Basketball and follow The OP on twitter.

Go Tigers!

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A Look At Clemson

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

clemsonCould it be that Clemson is becoming a basketball school? If Oliver Purnell keeps up this pace, that may very well be the case. Consider- Clemson has won 72 games over the last three years, the highest total in school history. They have finished in the upper division of the ACC the last two years, something Clemson hasn’t done since the mid-sixties. They have finished in the final AP top 25 each of the last two years, a first in school history . And, Oliver Purnell has increased his team’s winning percentage each of the last 5 years, something only Bobby Cremins can claim in ACC history. These numbers confirm what Clemson fans already know- Purnell has built a program.

He will be challenged this year to continue this ascent in the league. Gone are key perimeter players K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby along with the reliable Raymond Sykes. They knew the senior Rivers would be going but Oglesby’s departure was a surprise. He decided to leave school early to play pro ball overseas. This leaves a huge hole on the perimeter for the Tigers to fill. This represents 55% of Clemson’s offense and three starters that must be replaced.

They do have one of the best returning players in the league to lead them. Trevor Booker plays bigger than any 6′7″ player in the country. He averaged a double-double in league play and figures to vie for POY honors. They do need to find him more than 10 field goal attempts per game. Point guard should be a strength with Demontez Stitt and Andre Young back. Stitt is a great penetrator who needs to improve his jump shot. Young is a reliable ball handler who can provide some solid three-point shooting. Jerai Grant had a solid summer and is a prototypical Purnell player – long, athletic and high energy on defense. The X-factor could be David Potter. He showed flashes last year and would help dramatically if he can blossom into a double figure scorer.

The freshman class is outstanding. 6′9″ Milton Jennings is the First McDonalds AA at Clemson since the early 90’s. Jennings has good range and should be a good complement to Booker up front. Speaking of Booker, Trevor’s brother Devin joins him at Clemson. They are similar in size and he should be a solid backup for big brother. Noel Johnson was added late after having been released from his scholarship at Southern Cal. Purnell had recruited him in high school so it turned out to be a good fit. Donte Hill is the final piece of this class. He put impressive numbers in high school averaging 23 points and 14 rebounds a game. All four of these players will compete for significant minutes immediately.

While Clemson did post an excellent 23-9 record last year, they stumbled down the stretch, losing five of their last six games, including their first round ACC Tournament and NCAA tournament games. They must find a way to build into March and gain momentum. This yearÕs team will be more athletic and better defensively than last years. .However, trying to find reliable three-point shooting to replace Rivers and Oglesby will be a key. They must find a way to spread teams out on defense to give Booker room to operate. If the freshmen play as advertised, there is no reason why this team shouldn’t be back in the NCAAs for a third consecutive year.

–Mike Gminski

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Clemson Basketball: Appetizer and Dessert

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Or Apertif and digestif, if you are on a primarily liquid diet.

On Monday, the Tigers wrapped up another easy, early slate of games last night with a 102-66 win over Winthrop. Now, they are heading to Anaheim for the 76 Classic. Of the teams in Anaheim, 6 of the 8 teams participated in the NCAA tournament, 4 of the 8 teams are ranked, and all of the coaches are well-respected in coaching circles.

Consider this tournament both an appetizer and a dessert for SC game on Saturday. The Tigers begin play on Thursday and will play again Friday, and hopefully Sunday, leaving plenty of time to tailgate, recuperate, etc.

The field of the 76 Classic represents eight conferences and eight coaches:

ACC: #19 Clemson- Oliver Purnell, I wish we would play WVU, so we could see an orange suit on one side line and a gold one on the other.

Big 12: Texas A&M- Mark Turgeon, ex-Wichita St. Shocker, Billy Gillespie upgrade.

Big East: #8 West Virginia- Bob Huggins, at his alma mater, looking for another gold suit.

Big Ten: #16 Minnesota- Tubby Smith, ex-UK coach, national championship caliber coach.

Big West: Long Beach State- Dan Monson, ex-Minn, coach, replaced by Tubby Smith.

Horizon: #10 Butler, Brad Stevens third-year coach, building a solid program, a hot commodity.

PAC 10: UCLA- Ben Howland, three final four appearances, Pac-10 champion, lover and fighter.

WCC: Portland- Eric Reveno, 2008 WCC coach of the year, for markedly improving Portland.

The Tigers take on Texas A&M on Turkey Day at 4:30 pm. It’s going to be on ESPN2, and you will have had enough tryptofan and alcohol that all you will want to do is sit in front of the TV and enjoy the game.

It is go time! Check out more at The-OP.

Go Tigers!

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Clemson Basketball is go!

Friday, November 13th, 2009

So far preseason accolades, superlatives, etc are starting to roll in. And while Clemson doesn’t have anything as, for lack of a better word, shocking as Duke with their cinematic masterpieces video, the Tigers are ready- or at least getting ready.

The biggest changes this year are the losses of KC Rivers and Terrence Oglesby. Without each and their respective three point shooting acumen, the Tigers expect to see some zone defense. Noel Johnson should step up, as he did in the two scrimmages, though he still has some work to do, which is par for the course for a freshman. Each player has worked hard this off season and will hopefully be ready the PC game and beyond.

Here is a brief rundown of each player.

Trevor Booker
Booker is, well, Booker. He is receiving preseason praise from around the country. He is still our only starter.
#12 most entertaining basketball player,
#8 big man

Tanner Smith
Smith looks more aggressive and athletic than last year. He will hopefully emerge as a vocal floor leader. His basketball IQ is high and with more playing time, will only get better.

Andre Young
Could he be the outside scoring threat the Tigers need with Oglesby’s departure? As he fights with Stitt for the starting slot, his play will improve. He takes care of the ball well and is fast- maybe not Ty Lawson fast, but getting there.

Jerai Grant
Solid improvement from Grant. He will be expected to fill many roles this year as he fills in down low, plays the point of the press, and helps move the ball inside-outside.

Milton Jennings
He is good and will only get better. He can, and will, do it all. His play is silky smooth. He lets the game come to him. If he steps up the intensity, his game will be even stronger.

Devin Booker
More polished than freshman Trevor, but still a work in progress. Big upside. He will be playing much of the same role as his brother, minus Trevor’s new outside shooting greenlight.

Demontez Stitt
Maybe by default, but the ACC’s leading returning PG. Hopefully he steps up.

David Potter
If he can find and keep a rhythm and consistency, he could help with the long, lean look of the Tigers. Much like Grant, he will be playing many similar roles, but with the addition of outside shooting.

Donte Hill
Nice underrated freshman, He should fit into the rotation well. He will become a solid back-up to Stitt and Young this year. The shot is there, now he justs need the competition to aid in his progression.

Bryan Narcisse
Still bringing the energy and the goggles!

Catalin “Bobo” Baciu
Will Bobo emerge this year with some serious playing time? Hmm. Maybe, but who knows.

Noel Johnson
Solid offensive player; he should improve on defense. He helped move this year’s freshman recruiting class into the top 25. A solid pick up for OP from USC and Tim Floyd.

Karolis Petrukonis
Still waiting.

Jonah Baize
Hmm.

Per this year’s team as a whole, here are Five things we know:

  1. The freshmen are good. (Noel Johnson, Devin Booker, Milton Jennings, Donte Hill)
  2. Trevor Booker is, well, Trevor Booker, and will be the better player in most of any match up he will have this year.
  3. OP preaches defense and the press.
  4. Oglesby is gone and we need to find solid, consistent outside shooting- hopefully from one of the freshmen or upper class men.
  5. The Tigers still need to establish their offensive identity. While we lead with defense, we will have to see if the inside-outside offense will be successful as well. After the PC game, the competition increases in intensity quickly.

Also, in a fit of boredom, I created a run down of the ACC teams as car companies on The OP: Clemson Basketball Blog. Here’s what I had to say about the Tigers:

Clemson- Hyundai.
As much as it pains me to say it, I think this is about where the Tigers are. Think back to the laughable, but efficient Hyundai Excel to now. A lot has changed for Hyundai, they are competing with the bigger, more established car manufacturers. The same can be said for the Tigers, while they had some success 10-15 years ago, that was a blip on the Clemson Basketball radar. Now with Oliver Purnell and this year’s strong recruiting class, the Tigers, with preseason All-ACC selection Trevor Booker, are poised to topple some of the more traditional, established basketball powers of the ACC.

Go Tigers!

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