After stumbling, Clemson finds footing vs. FSU win 53-50

The OP Stat of the Game: FSU, no double-digit scorers

It looked like the Tigers were going to slide from the second half of the MD loss. It looked like the Tigers were going to best, or worse (?) their 12 point Duke performance. It looked like the team was in the midst of another late-season collapse.

It looked like all these things and worse, but Andre "the Little Giant" Young kept the Tigers close in the first half with a half court shot to go to the half and a late game 3PT shot to give the Tigers the lead. Andre was playing close to home (Albany, GA) and played like he was in his hometown. He stepped up when necessary.

And Trevor Booker came up huge in the end with the block. I think everyone on the Clemson team knew where the ball was going, but it was Booker who got the block. The block went with his 19 pts and 11 rebounds. No one on FSU scored, nor rebounded in double figures.

Looking at the statistics it would seem that the Tigers lost this game.
They shot 33.3% FG (17-51) and 22.2% 3PT (4-18) and 78.9% FT (15-19). Numbers wise, the 15-19, including Booker's 4-4 stretch in the final minutes, saved us, 53-50.

But, it was bigger than that. The Tigers put in an all out solid 2nd half performance. The biggest win in this game, beyond the W itself, it the psychological mountain the team climbed and the storm they weathered to do so.

OP said, “I'm proud of our guys because of their toughness and their defensive effort. Our defense kept us in the game.”

Yes, that is true. Booker's block to end the game sealed the deal- which is something we haven't been able to do since, um, I'm at a loss here, maybe ever.

If the Tigers can bottle the psychology of this win, they should be able to finish strong against GT and Wake.

Yes, the Tigers control their own destiny, as Booker said, but the FSU/Wake game on 3/2 is big as well. We own the FSU tiebreaker, but VT plays NCSU, and finishes against GT.

Some of that new math might be needed to figure out the myriad possibilities for the Tigers to get the first round ACC bye with at least a fourth place finish. If you can figure it out, do so.

Up next, Senior Night. Let's send off Trevor Booker in style.

Go Tigers

Clemson drops FSU 77-67 in Littlejohn

One of the best things about last night, beyond the W of course, was the team’s ability to play tough throughout. Every time it looked as FSU was going to claw its way back into the game, the Tigers found a way to move ahead.

The difference in this game: Ball.

Yes. They were falling for Andre, DBook, and DP last night; all of whom scored career highs. Andre Young seems to have found some confidence after a few starts and a return back to Littlejohn. And hopefully, after last night’s 19 pt, 4-5 3FG performance by David Potter, I can go back to referring to him as DP3. In the last two games, Potter is shooting 6-10 3FG.

Andre Young seems to have grown. He was playing strong and tall against the taller FSU team. He was driving the ball, dishing, taking the shots when necessary. With Andre playing like this and a fully healthy Stitt, the Tigers can definitely continue this upswing.

 

Andre "The little Giant" Young vs. Chris Singleton (Greenville News)

Stitt, though, did not 100% last night. He seemed to be playing tentatively. He turned the ball over 3 times without an assist. He might be almost 100% physically, but mentally, he did not seem as sharp, nor focused. He wasn’t moving with his usual focus. It was nice to see him play some meaningful basketball, but he is not back to his pre-injury self. This might be from rust, or other concerns. Either way, just having him on the floor is a plus for Clemson. They need his leadership and dedication on the floor for every game.

And what about little Devin Booker? At times he played with nearly as much polish as his older brother. He is definitely going to continue our inside post play next year. His high light of the game, aside from his career high 14 pts., was the monster dunk over Alabi. He made quick work of the back screen and put it in the basket with authority.

 

Devin Booker Dunk (via Greenville News)

 In fact, Devin outscored Trevor last night. And while some of this can be attributed to the attention Trevor draws to free space for Devin, it certainly will be a point for some gentle brotherly competition for the remainder of the season. The Bookers together scored 27 points. 

Last night the Tigers -or the refs- continued to foul –or whistle fouls- with regularity. Milton Jennings had 4 fouls in 9 minutes. Devin Booker and Jerai Grant also had four fouls, while Potter and Smith had three a piece. FSU had 26 total fouls and Clemson had 22. The fouls in the other ACC games last night are, for what it is worth, as follows:

VT: 19, NCSU: 17; Duke: 16, UNC: 16; GT: 17, UM: 16

 I don't know if it was the ugly, foul-ful basketball, but the stands were empty last night.

Now, the Tigers are back to .500 in the ACC at 5-5. They are in a giant tie in the middle of the ACC and can create some room for themselves in the next  few home games. This is the final home stretch/stand before a few away games and the ACC tournament.

If the Tigers continue to play like they did last night, they can make some noise in the rest of the ACC. Let's hope David Potter and his new haircut continue to hit shots and that Milton Jennings and his newly shorn head keeps passing the ball.

 

Dreadlocks guy loves it (Greenville News)

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!

Clemson Wins at Georgia Tech 81-73

The OP Stat of the Game: Andre Young, 4-4 3pg, 12 pts.

The fans in the ATL echo the sentiment of the Clemson Fan Base.

OP addressed any concerns about his leaving in the GT pregame press conference, with video from the Greenville News.

On to the game, while the stat of the game could have gone to KC, Booker, or Young, I chose Young because of he provided a spark from the bench. Booker and Rivers should be playing like they did today. Young, though, really stepped up his game. While he had two careless turnovers, his scoring more than made up for the mistakes.

Today's game began a bit ominously, as the Tigers started slowly- again- it looked like the Virginia game all over again. Georgia Tech moved ahead early and lead by as much as 12, 27-15, with about 7 minutes to go in the first half. The yellow jackets were hot for most of the first half, shooting 62%.

The Tigers cut the lead and went into the half tied at 33.

The opening minutes of the second half belonged to Clemson. The Tigers forced several turnovers and KC few big shots, a 3pg and an FG within the first 21 seconds of the 2nd half. The pace quickened a bit throughout the second half, as GT would let the Tigers move more than a few points ahead. Lewis Clinch had a career game today and was almost single-handedly responsible for the Yellow Jackets staying close.

In the end, the Tigers proved they can actually play on Sunday, or on the weekend. This coupled with the maturation of Young and Stitt (9 pts, 7 ast, 1 to) should help us in the upcoming weeks.

Noticeably absent from today's game was Terrence Oglesby, who was playing with the flu- I also didn't see dreadlocks guy, though he was in the Raycom pregame video. And while Oglesby did not have a great game, David Potter stepped up and played efficiently today. Hopefully, the Tigers are ready for this tough stretch run before the ACC tournament.

Up next, the Tigers play Virginia Tech Wed, followed by a surging(?) FSU team, Virginia, and they conclude at Wake.

Go Tigers!

We're not going to follow some old script

While CJ Spiller might be making his announcement today at 4pm, something bigger is going on just across the street from Death Valley this weekend.

In anticipation of the meeting of two of the three undefeated teams, here are a few links, Enjoy:

from The ACC: Booker Assumes Leadership role in frontcourt for Clemson
from CBSsportsline: There should be no doubt about Clemson clout.
from The Greenville News: Booker raises his Game
from The Anderson Independent: Tigers crack national top ten ahead of huge showdown with Wake
CnnSi power rankings: Power Rankings, #6
Espn DailyRPI: Ranked #3
ESPN Bracketology: #2 Seed
DeCourcy, Sporting News:

4. Saturday is loaded with outstanding games. If we can only see one, which game should we choose?

Choose one? Where are your priorities?

If you ask which is the most important game of the day, it would have to be Wake Forest against Clemson.

The Tigers are getting very little respect although they own probably the three best road wins of any team in college basketball: Illinois, South Carolina and Miami.

I'm getting push-back from some fans regarding that declaration because none of those teams was ranked in the most recent AP poll. I can't imagine what could mean less than a midseason poll, but apparently there are those who don't believe a team is any good without a ranking next to its name.

I'll remind you Davidson was not ranked entering last year's NCAA Tournament.

from Albany Herald: Ex Deerfield star [Andre] Young shining for Clemson
Clemson Scout: Video Preview of the Wake game: part 1, part 2

Enjoy!

Clemson moves up in both polls

KC Rivers (from the Greenville News)

With the myriad teams losing this week, the Tigers moved up to 12 and 11 in the AP and Coaches' poll respectively.

Congratulations Tigers. The Crimson Tide is up next. To help you get ready for Alabama and the ACC, check out this photo gallery from the Greenville News.

Also, this week's episode of the Oliver Purnell Show is up on the internet tubes.
(You need to register to watch, though.)
The video features highlights, including Sykes TB dunk at USC, OP interviews, and an interview with Andre Young.

Before the game tomorrow, read this pre-UNC-loss column from the WWL which includes the following concerning the Tigers:

Oliver Purnell: Clemson fans have gotten very good at holding their breath, waiting in fear for the other shoe to drop, the sky to fall and the world to come crashing down on their heads. Two great starts, two average finishes. There's no doubt Purnell is doing a good job with the Tigers, but until Clemson's hot start matches a fast finish, Tigers fans will turn blue.

[and]

Player to watch: K.C. Rivers. The senior is one of just three players in school history to top 1,400 points, 600 rebounds and 200 assists.

Circle the date: Feb. 4 vs. Duke. You won't be getting a ticket. The Tigers athletic department already announced the game as a sellout, so might as well settle in with a beverage (may we suggest Hoegaarden?) and some popcorn and decide for yourself if this Clemson team is for real. There's a very good chance the Tigers could be -- at worst -- 18-2 at tip-off.

Good sign: The Tigers were down 12 points to Miami, a bad omen in the league opener. Instead of wilting, Clemson rallied with a 16-0 run that left the Hurricanes weakened. If the Tigers can stay mentally focused, their scrappy defense makes them a very difficult team to play.

Bad sign: This is all too familiar. Two seasons ago, the Tigers started 17-0, finished the regular season 21-9 and ended up in the NIT. Last year it was a 10-0 start that drizzled to a 10-6 mark in the league that re-emerged as a run to the conference tourney title game and ultimately ended in a first-round loss to Villanova in the NCAA tournament.

Why you should care: Reasonable people are reserving judgment on the Tigers, bitten twice by early-season success and midseason swoons, so Clemson is flying slightly under the radar. But the Tigers are older and wiser -- Rivers is a senior, Trevor Booker a junior -- and could pull off some in-league surprises.

NCAA outlook: Barring a disaster a la the 2006-07 season, the Tigers are in the tourney and appear to have the mental fortitude to advance.

Now it's time to welcome the students back to Littlejohn for the Alabama game tomorrow night.

Go Tigers!

Clemson wins Charleston Classic, defeats Temple

OP Stat of the Game: Trevor Booker double-double, 16 reb, 15 pts.

The Tigers were still plagued by the turnovers, 22 this time. They were up by as much as 14. The Owls kept the game interesting. They were undeterred with their 5 guard lineup. Christmas was held scoreless through the first half, but picked up his pace and ended with 14 points.

Terrence Oglesby continued his strong play and finished with 16 points. For the tournament, TO averaged 15.7 pts and Booker raised his rebound average to 13.7 rpg. For both, nice work.

Jerai Grant and David Potter might have been absent offensively, but both were the defensive stalwarts for the Tigers. But, it was David Potter's offensive rebound with 27 seconds left that finally sealed the deal for the Tigers. The lead was down to three, but with the rebound and pass to Booker, who hit both of his FT, the lead was increased to 5.

It was a good tournament and provided solid experience for the Tigers. When all cylinders were not hitting, support came from the freshmen, Tanner Smith and Andre Young, from the senior leader KC Rivers, the Nordic god, Terrence Oglesby, and the guidance of Demontez Stitt- all of which was anchored down low by Big 35- Trevor Booker.

The Tigers next match up against the Wily Terriers of Wofford, who play OP's previous school, Dayton, tonight.

Congratulations on the inaugural Charleston Classic Championship.

Go Tigers!