Milton Jennings, the Future of Clemson Basketball ?

Tomorrow, Milton Jennings plays in the McDonald's All-American game at 8pm. Read about other games next year's class will be participating in here.

Since arriving in Miami, Milton Jennings has already placed 2nd in the first-ever all around basketball skills competition. He finished with a time of 37.9 seconds, losing by just .9 seconds to Dante Taylor.

And while Milton Jennings will have a role in the future of Clemson Basketball, the rest of the team, at least in the starting positions, will be open up to competition, per Oliver Purnell.

With us not finishing the way we’d like to, the mix is not necessarily the mix we’re going to go with next year. We’re going to play guys who defend and make an effort, plus be effective as one defensively and offensively.

Trevor Booker might be the only lock as a starter, as Booker will be coming back next year. Here is a link from draftexpress.com analyzing Trevor's game and potential draft status.

Elsewhere around the Clemson Hoops world:

Clemson student Adam Linkenauger won a dunk competition and will featured in a commercial for something I probably won't buy.

Ex-Clemson/Florida/Shyatt assistant and co-hort Shaka Smart will take over for Anthony Grant at VCU.

Here is a long list of links to pictures from the Greenville News of this year's games. The games are listed in reverse chronological order.

Michigan 62, Clemson 59

ACC tournament, part 1

Georgia Tech 86, Clemson 81

Wake Forest 96, Clemson 88

Clemson 75, Virginia 57

FSU 73, Clemson 67

Virginia Tech 80, Clemson 77

Clemson 81, Georgia Tech 73

Clemson 93, Maryland 64

UVA 85, Clemson 81

FSU 65, Clemson 61

Clemson 74, Duke 47

Clemson 86, Virginia Tech 82

Clemson 73, Georgia Tech 59

UNC 94, Clemson 70

Wake 78, Clemson 68

Wake 78, Clemson 68

Clemson 63, N.C. State 51

Clemson 66, Alabama 59

Clemson 77, East Carolina 66

Go Tigers!

Clemson Basketball: 2008-2009 slide show

No, I didn't abandon the Tigers. I just needed to cool jets. Now, I think I have.

It was a long, sine wave of a season. Though some fans may be disappointed, I think for the most part, they are proud of this year's seniors- KC Rivers, Raymond Sykes, and Jesse Yanutola. This year's seniors have accomplished things no other senior class has done.

Congratulations and Thank you for everything you did for Clemson Basketball and Clemson University. For the underclassmen, you are part of the Clemson family, for better and worse. And let's always hope for the best.

I took the pictures I posted this year on the blog and randomly placed them in a slide show. Most of the images appeared on the OP blog earlier this year. Some came from other sources. I am sure someone, somewhere could do a better job. Let me know if its you and I will post your video.

Here it is. Enjoy.

Go Tigers!

Clemson loss: postgame reactions

"It's not good enough for me, it's not good enough for them." - OP

I still don't really know what I think. . On the positive, to have played that poorly and have only lost by three, that seems encouraging. But, it was the last game of the season.

I have a basketball hangover and only the first day of the tournament has happened.

Read the news, its ugly:

Tiger's Smith feels for seniors Rivers, Sykes
Oglesby's ejection part of bad night for the Tigers
Michigan eliminates Clemson from NCAA Tournament
Offense fails Tigers in opener
Clemson loses 62-59 to Michigan in NCAA Tournament
Oglesby Ejected, Clemson dejected
Clemson's outside game missing in action

Go Tigers.
Poor perimeter shooting hurts Tigers again

Thank you seniors.

I don't know what else to say. You have said it better than I can, and surely peppered with more obscenities.

Tonight was a valiant effort in one of the worst officiated games I have ever seen.


Next time, leave stopping short to Frank Costanza.

go tigers.

Is it 7:10 yet?

So I tried to coordinate a back and forth between The OP and a few Michigan sites. Both fell through. Still, their sites, Mgoblog and Umhoops will be providing previews of tonight's game.

If you want to read a little back and forth from a Clemson perspective and and Michigan perspective while learning to "Know your Wolverines," check out Block-C.

Also posted on Block-C is this video from ESPN Katz interviewing OP.
Katz didn't seem quite as smug with OP over the phone, as he was with Obama.
A new entry was added to the tournament diary on the official site.
Buried deep within the text is this gem:

A decent crowd was on hand to see the Tigers, and freshman Bryan Narcisse rewarded them with a sick windmill dunk to end the session. A smattering of applause soon followed.

And here are some obligatory, anticipatory morning links:

Late Nights help Oglesby's Range- Range? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
You've lost that loving feeling: Tigers look for winning feeling again in Kansas City
Tigers have talked, but can they walk the walk- or include another cliche in the headline?
Deadspin Clemson v. Michigan preview

And finally, some pre-game reading before you tailgate tonight from UMhoops. They do a good job breaking down tonight's game from angles I can see.

Go Tigers!

Clemson Basketball Press Conference transcript

The following is a link to the KC, MO press conference. It isn't extremely long, but very insightful. It isn't a sunshine fest.
Here is the .pdf file.

Terrence Oglesby had this to say about the team

Right after we lost to Georgia Tech, we had practice the very next day after the bus trip back. We've had an abundance of team meetings, and, you know, I think we've really come together a lot more as a team and just being able to focus on our goal and establishing our goal and our goals to advance. And obviously, you know, we have to carry forward and, like I said, play as a team in order to get that, and I think that's one way you rebound is just getting the mental part back into -- back into focus.

My favorite line is the euphemistic usage of "an abundance of team meetings."

The file is a worthwhile read. OP reflects on the dusty nature of our zone offense and what occurred in the Michigan losses, very insightful. The players sound knowledgeable, intelligent, in addition to being focused, loose, and ready.

Go Tigers!

New Clemson Men's Basketball Video Diary Posted

The Tigers are at the Shoot around practice. So now you have time to Wateh the video of the team Enjoying the College Basketball Experience- again, Silverlight is needed.

You'll see

Notice KC being self-reflexive with the KC hat.

TO and Booker in the broadcast booth.

And Jerai plays the air saxophone and reveals he went to band camp in this video.It's nice to see the team have some fun.


Here's the link to the full image gallery. Enjoy from ClemsonTigers.com

And from the College Experience on Team Building:


Go Tigers!

The X's and O's of the Clemson vs. Michigan matchup

Thanks to UMHoops for the link.
Here is a breakdown from Lavin of the Clemson Full Court Press and of course, how to beat it.Conversely, here is a link from coachingbetterball.blogspot.com explaining the Michigan 1-3-1 zone and how to beat it. Basically, he says you have to penetrate the gap.

Which, I think means Stitt is going to have to drive.

Then, Gapping the Zone:

Against the 1-3-1, I think the best way to do that is with a double high post like the 1-4 high. When the ball goes into one of the high posts, the other post can dive and you can either shoot, drive or go hi-lo, the other option is the 3-pointer in the corners,

Read This post from coachingbetterball.blogspot.com for a complete explanation; it contains more diagrams, explanations, and coach-speak on the 1-3-1.

Go Tigers!

Wednesday Morning Links

As everybody is getting ready for tomorrow night, here are a few links to get you ready for today.

Mental Skills aid Tigers
Certainly, I am no mentalist, but the Tigers needed some of this kind of psychology a few games ago. Let's hope it works again tomorrow.

Tigers hope to avoid danger zone
Clever Top Gun reference from The State. Kenny Loggins would be proud, though Beilein says, “We haven’t played as much zone as people would think,” estimating the Wolverines have used the 1-3-1 on about 10 percent of possessions.

KC Rivers: "We just got too satisfied"
Complacency is the enemy of cliches.

Clemson needs to find its defensive mojo quickly
Again, Clemson channels the 1990s. Though, Michigan guard CJ Lee said this of Clemson's defense:

Our staff is going to have us ready and the key will be to break their press as quickly as possible to get into our half-court offense. We’ll know their execution and hopefully we can change that with our defense and throw some different looks at them.

Tigers looking to get energy, identity back
Stitt talks up the cumulative effect of Clemson's press

I don’t think they’ve seen the press that we’re capable of putting on people. Manny Harris is a good player and they have some good guards, but at the same time, if we can impose our will on them, they’ll be tired by the end of the game.

Today's KC practice times were announced yesterday
Clemson holds court for thirty minutes, 4:25-5:05 p.m, Central time. Do the math for Eastern time conversion.

And just so you remember what it is like to win, and win big:

On the plane to KC.

Here is the first link to the Clemson Video Diary- you need MS Silverlight-
The first installment involves Terrence Oglesby interviewing Jerai Grant, Tanner Smith, Bobo, a band member, a cheerleader, and a rallycat in a segment TO calls "The Air up There Hot Seat"


Enjoy the narrative diary link as well.

Go Tigers!

The Tigers have landed

Kansas City here they come.
About four hours ago, the Tigers landed in the relative flatness of KC, MO.

Now, it is time for the first practice.

OP and this year's Tigers earned another first for the University- They were included in the final regular season rankings in consecutive years for the first time ever.

You can follow a video diary of the team's KC journey. I don't know if it is set up yet.

Go Tigers!

Clemson Basketball Morning News- St. Patrick's Day Edition

The team is on the plane en route to KC.
Now, let's begin with an article from the Greenville News about Beilein his surprise NCAA tournament bid.

Apparently Beilein is watching video of Clemson- The Greenville News

“When I saw the block M come up there, I didn’t know who we were playing, where we were playing.” “I felt like Jim Valvano (after N.C. State’s 1983 national title). I was trying to look for someone to hug. My family was in a group hug and they didn’t even know I was hugging them, it was great.” John Beilein after selection Sunday.

Here is a little advice for the Tigers from The State.

Also, from the Anderson Independent, Tigers, Wolverines very familiar with each other.

From the world of Michigan:
Michigan point guard Lee's road less traveled to NCAA tournament pays off.
Beilein has made Michigan a tournament team
Get ready to run- here comes Clemson

Go Tigers!

Early Michigan preview

Firstly, after the darkness of the ACC tournament, I am reinstating the optimistic white background.

Secondly, Oliver Purnell sent out a brief newsletter today

March Madness!!!

March Madness officially began on Sunday with the NCAA Selection Show. Our entire team and staff joined me at my home to watch the unveiling of the bracket. The excitement grew as the TV flashed the Clemson Tigers on the screen as a #7 seed in the South Region. Our staff immediately went to work preparing for our match-up against 10th-seeded Michigan. Our team will head out to Kansas City on Tuesday. We will be working around the clock to make sure that we are ready for the Wolverines.

Our appearance in the national tournament marks the second consecutive year Clemson has reached the NCAA Tournament. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our program. Expectations have been raised for Clemson Basketball and we will continue to work hard to take the program to new heights... Above and Beyond!!!

Go Tigers!

Coach P

Now, onto the Wolverines.

Michigan runs a 1-3-1 zone. G Manny Harris averages 16.8 ppg, while F DeShawn Sims averages 15.7 ppg, both of whom account for 48.59% of Michigan's total points. Sims and Harris will probably be matched up against Booker and Rivers, respectively. After that combo, there is a precipitous drop-off in point production from the Wolverines. Their next leading scorer is freshman guard Zack Novak at 6.8 ppg. Additionally, no one on their team averages more than 7 rebounds a game.

NCAA Basketball Stats

And while Michigan has faced a press prior to this game, they have not had to handle it for as long and as fast as Oliver Purnell commits to it. UCONN ran it some against Michigan, and the Wolverines came up just short 61-69. The Tigers will present problems here for UM, as frustration can mount. Oliver Purnell talks about the cumulative effect of the press and against a relatively young team without previous tournament experience, this could become a factor and lead to an easy Clemson victory.

On the otherhand, one of the easiest ways to beat the press is to have at least a strong ballhandling and/or scoring guard and a decent big man who can move handle and move the ball himself. Both of which Michigan have in Sims and Harris and as such, could give Clemson trouble.

Per the coaches, they have both coached multiple teams to NCAA tournament, Beilein 4 (Canisius, Richmond, West Virginia, and Michigan) and Purnell 3 (Old Dominion, Dayton and Clemson). And while the Tigers have current tournament experience, Beilein had tournament winning experience, while Purnell does not. So, this could be a general concern for the Tigers, as the Wolverines can put their trust into Beilein in a different way than the Tigers can Purnell- at least as of now.

The three point shot could define the game. Michigan likes to shoot threes, alot. They rank 3rd nationally in 3pt attempts and 10th in 3pt made. However, they rank 207thnationally in 3pt%. Clemson ranks 7oth nationally in 3pt attempts and 37 in 3pt made, but rank 35% in 3pt%. While the Tigers might not take as many threes as the Wolverines, they are more efficient when they do.

Here is a link to a side-by-side comparison of Clemson and Michigan this season with all sorts of charts, graphs and numbers.

Read a preview of the Tigers from a Wolverine perspective on UMHoops.com to see what they think of the Clemson-Michigan matchup.

Go Tigers!

Oliver Purnell discusses Michigan draw

Surprise Meeting- The Airing of Grievances

Tigers cheer 1st round game against Michigan

Go Tigers!

#7 Clemson draws #10 Michigan

The Clemson Athletic Department lists many of the similarities between the 1996-1997 team and this year's team. Coincidence? God I hope so, because, we lost to a Big Ten team that year- Minnesota and Bobby "Socks" Jackson. It turns out, they were cheaters, though.

Now, we face Michigan. They are just happy to be in the tournament.




The Clemson team gathered at OP's house to watch the selection. Surely, it was muted excitement, as the Tigers have let a few things slip in their recent performance.

Nonetheless, they have been granted a second lease on basketball life after the inexplicable loss to GT. Inexplicable because it might have been the worst game of the season and came at the worst time of the season for the Tigers.

Onward, Michigan and Clemson have faced several common opponents.
Duke, Maryland, Illinois
Duke, split, (56-71L) and (81-73W)- yes, they played them twice, in Nov. and Dec.
Maryland (70-75L)
Illinois, split, (74-64W), (51-66L), and (50-60L)
Savannah St (66-64W)

All four teams we beat, Duke (74-47W), Maryland (93-64W), Illinois, (76-74W), and Savannah St. (81-49W).

This could mean everything, or nothing, probably the latter. Oliver Purnell had this to say about the Michigan matchup:

We have played a tough schedule down the stretch and know we will have to play well to beat Michigan. We have had many meetings and two good practices since the ACC Tournament loss to Georgia Tech. We know we need to make improvement.

Michigan is a fine team with outstanding players. I saw them play against Duke earlier in the year on TV. It will be a tough assignment for us. We are familiar with their style because we played against Coach (John) Beilein's West Virginia team in the finals of the NIT two years ago.

Here is an ESPN Bracketology video to get you excited: ESPN Bracketology Video Link

Now, notice on the official Michigan Athletic site, they already list the Michigan in the following game against either Oklahoma or Morgan State.

Michigan Basketball Schedule

A little presumptuous, No?

Go Tigers!

Clemson Chosen as a #7Seed, will play Michigan in KC

CBS Bracket

Michigan. ACC-Big Ten Challenge, part Deux

I don't know what I think of this yet.

Pre-Selection, Sunday Morning Clemson Basketball links

The news is not entirely upbeat, but it really should be. We are debating a difference in numbers. The Tigers can lament over not getting a higher seed, or whatever. This year is not a letdown. Clemson is on the precipice of going to the NCAA for the second year in a row. A feat that has not been accomplished since the olden times of the tailored-collar-wearing Rick Barnes.

NCAA Clemson Tickets information- IPTAY points tiered- contingent, of course, on being invited to play.
Tiger await their fate as projected seed drops- Greenville News
Late season swoon has Tigers dreading NCAA seeding- The State-- dreading? Seriously. They will still probably play in the tournament. And will play a team they should/can beat if they play as a team.
Second Season Chance for Turnaround- Anderson Independent
KC Rivers: "We just got too satisfied." Charleston Post and Courier
Clemson, Carolina might hear not-so-good news today- Greenville News-- I understand the need to connect with your audience, but "not-so-good-news" Clemson should still be playing in the NCAA tournament.
Clemson, USC still worthy of praise- The State
Inside the Bracket- Retractable claws: Clemson continues to start fast, stumbles down stretch- ESPN Insider

Tiny Tigers

In examining Clemson's profile on kenpom.com, one thing immediately jumps out at you, and that's their height. Or rather, their lack of it. The Tigers rank 200th in Division I in effective height, which obviously makes them vulnerable against taller teams.

Sure enough, that's been a factor in their recent losses. Here's the ranking in effective height of their losses: Georgia Tech (Effective Height - 28), Wake Forest twice (1), Florida State twice (4), Virginia Tech (194), Virginia (33), North Carolina (67)

Clemson's lack of height has really been on display on the defensive boards, as they've allowed opponents to grab 36.4 percent of offensive boards, which ranks 299th in D-1. The Tigers have only one player over 6-foot-7, and that's Raymond Sykes. And though the 6-9 center is a nice complementary player, he's no match for elite bigs. Trevor Booker plays big at 6-foot-7, but he is the Tigers' only real interior threat. And part of the reason he grabs so many rebounds (9.7 rpg) is because no one else is around to get them. When Clemson plays bigger teams in the Tourney, they're going to be in trouble if they're not shooting well from deep.

OK, so there you go. Some pre-reading to get you up to speed before the 6 o'clock hour.

Go Tigers!

Oliver Purnell news and rumors

This is from the inimitable kornblut; so whatever, but here it is. -Alabama is interested in OP. This isn't really new. But, the phrase, "the feeling appears to be mutual," which if true would be. A move to Alabama would be lateral at best. That's assuming the SEC has an up year. Let's hope this is nothing more than rumor.

Also, here is an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal concerning collegiate basketball coaches from a monetary standpoint. Clemson and Oliver Purnell are mentioned twice.

One interesting point in the article is the amount of money the basketball program netted Clemson University- $800,000 compared to Jamie Dixon and Pitt who netted $5 million and Boeheim and Syracuse, which gained $9.1 million.

What does all of this mean? It means it is time to fully support the Tigers. Regardless of their recent missteps.

Go Tigers!

Clemson ACC tournament loss afterthoughts

The oh-so-clever headlines concerning being stung in both active and passive voice are stale.

The Tigers were outplayed yesterday in all aspects of the game.

NCAA Basketball Stats

I have thought about it and have decided that was the worst this team has played all season.
This decision is not based upon missed shots, missed opportunities, etc. But rather, on the the Tigers' inability to play as a cohesive unit.

KC reflected:

“You could see it. They had nothing to lose. They made a mistake, they had a smirk on their face, patting each other on the back. We’d make a mistake, and it’d seem like we were scared, got too timid to do anything else. The frustration crept in at times and it got to us. We kept dwelling on what happened the play before.”

Tanner Smith, though, says it all:

"If you go back and look at all of our losses, they're just like this. We have long stretches where the energy just disappears."

Yesterday, that long stretch was 40 minutes.

Maybe the Tigers were distracted by TO- the famous one, not Terrence Oglesby- sitting right behind the bench.

The Famous TO- Greenville News

Concerning Grant starting, OP had this to say,“Jerai played well against Georgia Tech, gave us some physicality, and I thought against their big front line he’d really help us. He had foul trouble and we didn’t have him throughout the course of the first half. Jerai has been good for us all year long and we thought we’d shake things up a bit.”

The shaking continued as Narcisse got into the action. While I am excited to see him play, I guess I don't understand the psychology substitutions. Starting Grant over Sykes seemed to get Raymond a little more into the game than he was against Wake, but he seemed, as did the rest of the team, slow and almost uninterested.

While the loss to GT was obviously disheartening, I don't know this is, as the Anderson Independent states, rock bottom. Despite playing poorly and Clinch playing lights-out, the Tigers lost by five to a team with nothing to lose. And remember, this type of all or nothing underdog win has happened in the Georgia Dome before with the other big State school. Yes, it was the SEC and the tournament was abbreviated, but it is a valid point, I think.

Now it is time to wait.

The Tigers should be in the NCAA tournament. About their seeding, KC Rivers said,

"Seeding? I don't care about that mess, man. A seed is just a seed, you still got to play. All that matters is who's more motivated."

“It’s up to us to believe in our principles, believe in ourselves, turn the switch at some point,” he said. “It turns one way or the other. It’s been (turned the wrong way) long enough. We need to turn the thing back, play good Clemson basketball and go win.” from the Anderson Independent.


Go Tigers!

The ACC Tournament is over today

I've gone dark.

A deep malaise of woefully uninspired basketball has drifted my way. It is probably not healthy to care this much.

I didn't understand the starting lineup switch from the beginning and I didn't understand our inability to stop anything GT was doing.

I understand that playing in a dome can be difficult for shooters, but Booker's peripheral vision should not be much different when he is down low. Get him the ball. Play defense. Win.

Clemson Fail- I don't even know the score.

Go Tigers!

The ACC tournament starts Today

from the Greenville News

I don't know if today's game counts as a home game for GT or not. They have no reason avoid playing at the top of their game. And for as bad as GT has been this year, they have several big, strong athletes. No team preview is necessary. The Tigers just need to win.

Right now, the line on the Tigers is -9.5.

Here is a Raymond Sykes profile
Tigers welcome a long ACC tourney stay
Tigers eye Shiny ending in ACC

The ACC Record Book is posted online for the first time by the ACC

If you sign up now, you can sign-up for FREE Fantasy ACC Basketball challenge- you have only about four hours.


I am going to have to figure out a way to skip out of work early today.

Go Tigers!

Oliver Purnell named USBWA District III Coach of the Year

The US Basketball Writers Association-of which I am not a member-voted Oliver Purnell as the Coach of the year for District III, covering VA-MD-NC-SC. Trevor Booker was named to the All-District III Team.

The Greenville News, or at least someone there, doesn't even know how to spell Oliver Purnell's name.

I should expect more from a flagship news organization in the upstate. But, is this subtly indicative of how people really feel about Clemson Basketball or just a headline mistake?

While OP represents district III, here are the other coaches and their respective districts:

I: ME, VT, NH, RI, MA, CT
Jim Calhoun, UCONN

II: NY, NJ, DE, DC, PA, WV
Jamie Dixon, Pitt

III: VA, NC, SC, MD
Oliver Purnell, Clemson

IV:KY, TN MS, AL, GA, FL
John Calipari, Memphis

V: OH, IN, IL, MI, MN, WI
Brad Stevens, Butler

VI: IA, MO, KS, OK, NE, ND, SD
Bill Self, Kansas

VII: TX, AR, LA
Trent Johnson, LSU

VIII: WY, UT, ID, NM, CO, NV, MT
Stew Morrill, Utah State

IX: CA, OR, WA, HI, AZ, AK
Craig Robinson, Oregon State

Not bad Company.

Go Tigers!

Booker All-ACC 2nd Team; Tigers move up in both polls

Trevor Booker demonstrates his silky, soft touch. (Greenville News)

Trevor Booker today was named to the All ACC's Second Team and to the All Defensive Team
Joining Booker on the second team, (votes):

Jeff Teague, Wake Forest (185)
Trevor Booker, Clemson (156)
Tyrese Rice, Boston College (151)
Kyle Singler, Duke (128)
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland (116)

Congratulations Book!

KC Rivers demonstrates perseverance and quiet leadership (Greenville News)

KC was selected as an honorable mention selection, along with his UNC nemesis Wayne Ellington and UVA freshman, Sylven Landesberg.

Both Booker and KC could, I think, have been higher, had they been a little more consistent in stretches. Nonetheless. Solid work Tigers. Additionally, Booker could move into a first team slot next year, assuming he decides to stay and play alongside his brother.

Also, even losing and San Jose writer Jon Wilner can't stop the machine that is the Clemson Tigers, as they actually moved up in both polls after the loss to Wake.

Go Tigers!

Tigers can't close the deal against Wake

The OP Stat of the Game: Demontez Stitt 21 points, 3 ast, 3 stl

So it is. The Tigers close the regular season with a loss. Last night's game is a microcosm of the season thus far.

Season: started 18-0
Game: started slow, built up an 10 point lead

Season: 2 back-to-back losses
Game: finished 1st half with a respectable 4 point lead, despite defensive collapse at the end of the half.

Season: 4-5 last nine games, including a blow-out win over Duke
Game: stayed in the game until the final stretch, Wake pulled away for the win 96-88.

The Tigers were winning when they were the aggressors, but lost because they did not sustain the aggression- offensively or defensively. Case in point: FTs. Wake shot 24, Clemson shot 15. I don't think this is entirely because of officiating or blown calls- the refs seemed to make up for those almost immediately after so doing- but rather, our inability to push the ball inside, drive the lanes, and make shots. Which, on the other hand, is exactly what Wake was able to do.

Wake hit nearly 60% of their shots, and was shooting even higher than that for the second half. The Tigers couldn't do everything that needed to be done. Had the inside presence been stronger and TO been on, it would have been a different.

Nonetheless, Stitt played well. KC kept us in the game and even our bench: Young, Grant, and Smith provided some solid minutes. Notably absent after his strong senior day performance was Sykes. He was a non-factor offensively and defensively. Much of this is because of Wake's size, but we needed more from him last night.

The final game was a disappointing end to a captivating, exciting regular season. Hopefully the excitement this team has generated spreads among the Clemson fanbase into the postseason this year and beyond.

Read what the real news says about the Wake game:
Clemson falls to Wake Forest
Some Greenville News Commentary
Tigers come up short in Tall Task
Clemson Basketball Buzz
Tigers fall to Wake, limp into post season
Now, it is off to Atlanta to play GT in the ACC tournament as a 5 seed.
Here's the official .pdf bracket. We play at 2pm on Thursday.

Powers Out!

Go Tigers!

Tigers take on Wake tonight

Tigers finish regular season against Wake Tonight

Where: LJVM, W-S, NC
When: 3/8/09 6:00pm
Listen: WCCP-FM
Watch: FSN
Follow: SCACCHoops

It has been a little slow around the OP lately. Today things start hotting up again starting at 2 with FSU at VT, then 4 Duke at UNC, possibly without Lawson, and capped at 6 by Clemson at Wake.

A few things have popped up around the internets in anticipation of the tonight's last regular season game against Wake.

Tonight's game affects the Tigers in one way- seeding for the ACC tournament. It is 4 or 5. To be a four seed, the Tigers have to win and FSU has to lose to VT. Anything else and the Tigers are five a 5 or a 6 seed. As a 5 seed, we would play 12 seed GT next Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in the first round of the ACC tournament or; as a six seed we would play against 11 seed UVA at 9:30. From the Greenville News. UPDATE: We can slip to sixth now because of the BC win- Here is an explanation. (Thanks for the comments)

Would a win by FSU affect the way Clemson plays:
"It could," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell admitted Friday. "Our guys are human. But I like to think that with the experience of our club, they understand the importance of us playing well regardless."

Tanner Smith continues the tradition of Academic excellence for Clemson Basketball players- no I'm not joking. Think Cliff Hammonds- as he was named to the Academic All-ACC team.

Booker is set to lead the ACC in rebounds and FG%

Rivers is hurt and will be probably be wearing some sort of elbow protection today.

So today, the task is to beat Wake in Winston Salem, where the Tigers haven't won since Feb 21, 1990. This is a real possibility. Wake gains nothing with a win. We need/want a win, hopefully more than them.

Wake is tall, fast, and has several NBA-type players. The 10 point loss earlier this season was tough. Wake outclassed us on the court- maybe not off, remember McFarland vs. Clemson Fan. Today could be different.

I got to thinking about it. I don't know which arena is most difficult to play in for a visiting team, but can anywhere be more visually disturbing than Lawrence Joel Veteran's Coliseum? That giant black and gold tie-dyed roof bandana is atrocious. I usually don't discuss fashion tastes, but that tie-dye is heinous.

A scouting report is not really necessary for Wake at this point. They like to run fast, score a lot, and pack it inside. However, here it is- Aminu, Johnson, McFarland and even Tony Woods and Ishmael Smith all score primarily in the paint. Johnson likes the right baseline as well. Outside of Teague, no one on their team shoots many 3pts. Teague can shoot from most anywhere, but doesn't shoot alot from the corners- Let's try to force him to shoot from there.

Per the Tigers, we are going to have to try to make them uncomfortable defensively. The press will be used, but it will need to be adjusted and mixed up, because Teague and Smith can run right through it or pass over it. If our outside game is on and our defense can pressure them, it could be a good game. If FSU wins and the Tigers know, however, it could get ugly.

It pains me to say it, but let's root for the Hokies.

Powers Out!

Go Tigers!

Jesse Yanutola!

Get It, Jesse!

Tigers clear the bench against UVA, 75-57

The OP Stat of the Game: Jesse Yanutola, 2 minutes played; Raymond Sykes 14 points, 2 asts, 5 reb

Please. Don't taunt my boy Stitt. You will lose. What's your name again?

Tonight was big. Hopefully, it helps us get back, on track. Not just for the seniors, but for the future. It was nice to see everyone get some playing time, but I really wish KC would have had a bigger last home game. He still has time for some big games and as a whole, the Tigers have played well on the road.

Tonight, our defense drove our offense. Landesberg was a non-factor and Calvin Baker couldn't sustain his early procution. Our offense produced- if sporadically. I only wish Narcisse, Anderson, Baicu, Baize, Petrokunis, and Jesse "Nuts" Yanutola could have scored.

Terrence Oglesby lead the team stoically with 18 points. Many of those points came from his designated hitter position as Technical foul Shooter. In this respect, UVA gave up way too many points. It is almost unfathomable that the Tigers lost to the Hoos the first time around, especially when you look at the size of Leitao's blazer. It had nothing on the orange suede.

Here's a view from the floor, as Landesberg misses a shot:

Brick.

Again, things are might fall in place for the Tigers, as Duke beat FSU and Maryland is in a tough game against Wake.

Congratulations Seniors!

Read a few stories about KC and Raymond to reminsce on the Class of 2009:
Rivers closing out career at Littlejohn- The State
Rivers takes final bow at Littlejohn- The Greenville News
Sykes wraps up memorable Career- The Greenville News

Go Tigers!

OP Video preview of UVA game

Below is a video preview of the game

and a link to CUTigers article: Big Night for Rivers, Sykes




Go Tigers!

Tigers slip to 18 AP, 19 Coaches, UVA coming to town tomorrow

When: 7:00pm, Tuesday, 3.3
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum
What: UVA comes to Clemson for KC, Sykes and Yanutola's senior night.
Watch: Raycom
Listen: WCCP
Follow: SCACChoops
Scout: Check out the new scouting feature at SCACCHoops The Clemson page; The UVA page .


Despite a less than impressive 4-4 February, the Tigers are still ranked in the top 20. They are projected, as of now, to get a four seed in the NCAA.

It seems everyone in the SC Media thinks they know what the Tigers need to do:

Slumping Tigers need quick turnaround before March's madness Begins- Anderson Independent
Tigers need to be more physical- The Greenville News
Tigers need to re-find Defense-Charleston Post and Courier

No one, though, knows more than OP. Watch as he discusses the loss to FSU.

OP probably knows more than they do, as he is a finalist for the Henry Iba Award, an honor which is presented each year to the National Coach of the Year by the United States Basketball Writers Association.

The only thing the Tigers need to do, is play CLEMSON BASKETBALL.

Take care of business against UVA for the seniors, for the rest of the team, for the future.

Go Tigers!

Tallahassee is a Bust- Tigers lose 73-66

The OP Stat of the Game: 23 Turnovers

Losing Sucks (from the Greenville News)

I thought that if I waited long enough, it might go away. That after starting 18-2, 4-4 February was a bad dream.

February started out with such promise- a routing of Duke- but now it is March and it is snowing.

The Tigers were not aggressive throughout the game yesterday. Had they had the fire they had in the second half, they probably would have come out on top in Tallahassee. Nothing is more reflective of their lack of drive- not really heart, because they surely wanted to win- than the fact the team only had eight FTs. Eight.

If we are going to continue to improve this season and into any tournament, ACC or beyond, we are going to have to move the ball inside. Their big men held Booker in check and Sykes was able to draw some fouls with his 26 minutes of play. However, Booker needs to be the point of the inside attack.

Per the turnovers, 17-23 were committed by the starting lineup: Rivers, Stitt, and Booker each with 4, while Oglesby had 3, and Sykes 2. For all of the complaining I and other Clemson fans do about Sykes' hands, they weren't even the primary culprits today. Young is still handling the ball well, but is not getting-or looking for- the offensive minutes and attempts. He had 3 points, 1-1 shooting.


Defensively, we didn't play horribly, but they made us look porous in the first half. FSU had a comprable FG% to Clemson, 46%-43%, but they were the aggressors, as they shot 21 FTs, hitting 14.

Offensively, the Tigers are off, out-of-sync, whatever. The halfcourt sets are not working for us right now. I don't know if we are not adjusting to the focused inside pressure on Booker, if the bench is not performing adequately, or what. But it is not working.
The Four Factors to winning at basketball

• Florida State did better than Clemson at Free Throw Rate (37.5 vs 13.8) and Turnover Pct (22.9 vs 32.9).
• Clemson did better than Florida State at Effective Field Goal Pct (53.4 vs 52.7) and Offensive Rebound Percentage (40.0 vs 32.4). (statfix.com)

The game might have gone the other, but it didn't. We have one more home game against UVA on Tuesday night. The Tigers have to at least get this game to finish with a winning ACC record, but also to send KC Rivers and Ray Sykes out as winners on their senior night.

Loose internet links:
FSU game photos
Tigers tumble from high wire- The State
Turnovers undo Tigers [in Tallahassee] against Seminoles- Greenville News
Tigers fall in Tallahassee- Greenville News
Milton Jennings- Panthers capture 4th straight State Crown- Charleston.net

Go Tigers!