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View Full Version : Clemson - Different than in the Past?



gw67
12-17-2007, 12:08 PM
Clemson has again started fast and is 8-0. The inclination is to dismiss them; however, it appears that are some differences from years past. First, they have defeated Mississippi State, Old Dominion, Purdue and South Carolina. They are not top ranked teams but they are not cupcakes either. The second reason is that there seems to be a shift in the type players Purnell is recruiting. In the past, it appeared that Clemson often recruited athletes who did not have strong basketball skills. In his last three classes, he has gotten Rivers, Booker, Potter, Stitt and Oglesby. These youngsters are good, not great athletes, but they have good basketball skills. Combined with Seniors Mays and Hammonds, it appears that the Tigers have some players who can put the ball into the basket, even when shooting foul shots. While they don’t have the talent of UNC or Duke, I expect that they will rise above the rest.

In addition to the Duke-Pittsburgh game this week, I’ll be interested in the Clemson-Mississippi game in Puerto Rico. Mississippi is also undefeated and is highly ranked in Sagarin. This matchup and a subsequent game against Alabama should be indicators of the strength of this Clemson squad.

gw67

Olympic Fan
12-17-2007, 12:38 PM
It's not too much change from the past -- this is pretty much the same team that started 17-0 last season (becoming the nation's last unbeaten team), yet still failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Aside from trading Vernon Hamilton for Stitt and Oglesby, it's the same team.

If there's a difference this year, I don't think it's a change in the type player Purnell is recruiting, but experience -- his starting lineup of Mays (senior), Hammonds (senior), Perry (senior), Rivers (junior), and Booker (a sophomore who started 36 games last season) is the most experienced in the ACC.

I think they are very much like Virginia Tech last year -- a good team that will finally get over the hump this season and make the NCAA field. I think their season will be different this year ... but I don't think they will challenge UNC and Duke for the ACC title (unless one or both of those teams slump badly).

I have been impressed with their performance this year. I think their experience showed up in a road win at Mississippi State (where Miami also won) and in impressive homecourt wins over Purdue, South Carolina and Old Dominion. They also blew out East Carolina in Greenville, NC, just a few days before the Pirates beat NC State.

Starting Thursday night, the Tigers play three games in San Juan -- they'll face DePaul and Ole Miss. Then they come back on New Year's Day and play at Alabama.

They open in the ACC Jan. 6 when North Carolina visits Littlejohn. In fact, they open in the ACC with three straight home games (FSU and NC State also visit) before playing their first ACC road game at Duke on the 19th.

As of this moment, I think Clemson is a clear No. 3 in the ACC ... in fact, let's try an ACC power ranking (as of Dec. 17, 2007):

IN THE NCAA FIELD TODAY
1. North Carolina (they are ahead of Duke in the RPI and the polls)
2. Duke
3. Clemson
4. Miami (unbeaten and No. 1 in the RPI!!)

ON THE BUBBLE
5. Boston College (1-0 in the ACC and a surprising 7-2 overall)
6. Virginia (good win at Arizona ... bad loss at Seton Hall)

NIT BOUND
7. Florida State (very erratic)
8. Wake Forest (not great, but maximizing their opportunities)
9. Virginia Tech (struggling to stay afloat)

UNDERACHIEVING
10. Maryland (no good wins and some dangerously close bad wins; homecourt loss to BC hurts)
11. N.C. State (actually good enough to make an NCAA run, but based on results to date, the ACC's most disappointing team)
12. Georgia Tech (see NC State comment ... it's pretty much the same)

Let me repeat, those are the rankings AS OF TODAY, based on their current accomplishments -- not how strong I think the teams actually are. I think those bottom three teams are more talented than the three teams in front of them and SHOULD move up.

gw67
12-17-2007, 01:13 PM
Olympic - You are correct regarding the team experience but I think an equal or greater factor is the larger number of players who can shoot the ball. I don't know whether Perry is injured but he has barely played and Stitt apparently has taken his place in the line-up. Stitt, Potter and Oglesby all shoot better than 80% from the foul line so late in the game, there are players other than Rivers who can make a foul shot.

I agree with your list of teams and their NCAA Tourney standing as of today. I expect the 4-12 teams to flip around during the season although Virginia and Miami may be good enough to make the tourney in spite of their coaching.

gw67

JasonEvans
12-17-2007, 02:15 PM
... although Virginia and Miami may be good enough to make the tourney in spite of their coaching.

Would you care to elaborate on this. In regards to Virginia, I feel like Davey-boy is a pretty good game coach. I just don't think he is all that much of a recruiter.

--Jason "I have not seen enough of Miami-- I swear I barely remember they are in the ACC-- for some reason BC and Va Tech resonate with me in a way Miami does not" Evans

gw67
12-17-2007, 03:27 PM
Jason – I had a senior moment lumping Miami with Virginia. I had former Canes coach and current Florida State coach, Leonard Hamilton, in mind. Hamilton had the reputation as a recruiter as an assistant at Kentucky but his coaching stints at Miami, the Wizards and Florida State have not been that successful. While here with the Wizards, he came across as a good guy who was overwhelmed. Haith on the other hand, appears to have gained the requisite experience from his many assistant jobs and his team has, for the most part, been very competitive during his tenure. They play tough defense and he always seem to have one or two guards who can put the ball in the basket.

It is probably just my bias, but I don’t consider Leitao that good of a game coach. In the games I’ve watched, including one in person last year, his substitution patterns didn’t seem to make sense, he seems to react rather than lead and he spent a lot of the time in timeouts yelling in the ear of a couple of his players (and he has a very deep, loud voice) rather than coaching. He still has a couple players left over from Gillen. It will be interesting to see how well Virginia does with his players next year.

gw67