Tuesday February 12, 2008

The Aftermath: AD, Schedule, Backcourt

The AD
I was extremely happy to see Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips’ correspondence with the Atlantic Coast Conference concerning the officiating from Sunday night’s game. We all know nothing will officially come out of it but there will be some positives that emerge from the calls.

Phillips’ calls send a message to Clemson fans that the administration at Clemson will stand up for its players, coaches and fans.

It also says that Oliver Purnell has the support of the administration. We knew this before but this is a public affirmation and that sends a good message.

This also creates an us versus them mentality on the public front which I think is beneficial at this stage.

So in summary, we should not be surprised to hear that the Clemson athletic department made the call on Monday but it is nice to publically know that they did.

This is essentially what Rick Barnes did a few years ago and one of the things that made Barnes so popular during his stay here in Tigertown. Clemson fans were feed up with it and it was nice to see someone stand up and fight. In the end we all know few results can come from all of this but sometimes you have to hit back and sometimes its good to rally the troops.

The Sun Came Up!
It’s now been two days since the meltdown in Chapel Hill and like many of you I have turned my attention away from the disaster and starting to get ready for the future.

I am very excited about this team and where this program is headed again. Sunday proved once again that there are many positive things going on now concerning Tiger Basketball and I think this team can do some damage in the next few weeks.

The Schedule
Clemson has seven more regular season games including three home games and four road contests. The home games are against Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia Tech. The road contests are at NC State, Florida State, Maryland and Georgia Tech.

The Tigers are 5-4 in the league now and must get to at least 8-8 to have a chance at the NCAA tournament. However, I would obviously feel better at 9-7.

In order to get to 9-7 Clemson must win all three of its remaining home games and go 1-4 on the road. I believe this is more than possible. The Tigers are not guaranteed to win all three home games but it is almost a must win in all three home games or they would have to go 2-2 on the road.

The good news is the North Carolina game will not cost Clemson an NCAA bid (but the Tigers would be sitting nice right now if they could have pulled it out.) Instead, it would be a loss at home or an 0-4 mark on the road that could hurt their NCAA hopes.

Maybe I am wrong and maybe I am either too biased or too optimistic, but I believe in this team. The two games before the UNC game saw Clemson win by 22 and 31 points in conference games. I truly expect the Tigers to play well Thursday and I expect a big, loud crowd in Littlejohn.

Had Clemson defeated North Carolina Sunday we could have started talking about seeds instead of chances of getting into the tournament. However, if this team plays it has the last three games I could see Clemson having a chance to win any or all of their remaining games. The Maryland road game may be the toughest but all other games are not huge uphill battles. I could see a scenario where this team wins six of its last seven regular season games and enters the tournament with an 11-5 mark.

The key is to get in the top four of the league so you get a bye in the first round of the ACC tournament. Clemson can make a run in the ACC tournament but it would be hard if they had to play the opening night.

The Backcourt
The Tigers’ backcourt players have played exceptionally well over the last three or four games. Clemson can make a big run in February and March but here is what the Tigers need to get from each backcourt player coming down the stretch:

Cliff Hammonds-Clemson does not need 31 points from Hammonds like Sunday night because he brings so many solid fundamentals to the floor. His defense has been incredible. It is a bonus when he does get hot from three-point land and Hammonds has been able to drive to his left with ease lately. He does need to gain a little confidence at the free throw line because at some point he will have to make a big free throw. Also, Hammonds has been able to play a ton of minutes at two positions which was a key when Stitt was out.

KC Rivers-The junior scorer has been awesome as of late. Rivers will need to continue to bail Clemson out of some bad shot clock possessions. He is also a very good rebounder and his intelligence will need to shine. Like Hammonds, Rivers will need to regain his nice free throw stroke in the upcoming close games.

Demontez Stitt-The freshman had two terrific games against the Tar Heels this season and his ankle appears to be back close to full strength. Stitt gives the Tigers quickness and his penetration can be a key. Free throws with leads late in games may be his biggest contribution.

Terrence Oglesby-It seems like Oglesby continues to bail Clemson out with big threes in overtime. He has won games before and I think we will see the freshman win at least one more game this season. Also I think Oglesby’s passing and entry passes are keys to the offense.

If the Tigers can continue to this kind of guard play I believe this team can be a factor in the ACC, in the ACC tournament and in the Big Dance.

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