Clemson

Rise and Fall: ACC Program Review

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:31:31 -0700

Like civilizations, all great basketball programs eventually fall.. replaced by an upstart newcomer. In this week's Rise & Fall series, we'll take a look at which BCS programs are rising, falling, or merely treading water.

ACC

BOSTON COLLEGE - STATUS QUO
Expect more out of the same from the Eagles in coming seasons.. a step forward here and there followed by another step back. Al Skinner is a good enough coach to keep the program from bottoming out, so they should hover in the 15-20 win range for awhile.

CLEMSON - RISING (slowly)
Amazingly, the Tigers RPI has risen every year since 2001. From that low of 168th to 19th this past season. Another gain isn't likely in 08-09, but its hard to imagine that Oliver Purnell and Co. will break through the Top 10 in the neat future. Mays and Hammonds are gone, and KC Rivers just has one moe season left. Still, give Purnell credit for quieting the doubters and getting Clemson back on the rise.

DUKE - STATUS QUO
If anything, it seems like the Devils are slightly on the downwards turn, as they peaked at #1 in the RPI in both '04 and '06. Still, this year's group has top 5 potential and I see no reason why Coach K won't keep loading up on 5-Star prospects in the near future.

FLORIDA STATE - STATUS QUO
Hope and promise. Two things that FSU has had a lot of recent seasons, but they continually manage to avoid the one thing that matters: success. Once again, big time recruits like Chris Singleton join the fray, but another 17-20 win season is likely.

GEORGIA TECH - STATUS QUO
The Jackets have been a middling team for the past two seasons, and change is unlikely this time around. Iman Shumpert was a nice catch for Paul Hewitt, and he should be a major contributor for the next few seasons.

MARYLAND - DECLINING (slowly)
Last year was the 3rd time in 4 seasons that the Terps finished below the top 40 RPI.. disappointing numbers from a program that was once right there with Duke and UNC. Outside of Vasquez, there's not too much to get excited about this year, and its not like there's any monster reenforcements waiting in the wings. The only thing stopping Maryland from a fast decline is that Gary Williams usually manages to get the most out of his team.. he's just not brining in the talent like he used to.

MIAMI - RISING (slowly)
With the exception of Anthony King, most of last year's important contributors return from a 23-win team. Though that total was kind of flukey considering how weak the program had been in recent seasons, more important is the new arena and the signing of DeQuan Jones. More Top 25-50 signings like Jones are needed if Miami wants to seriously solidify its claim as an ACC contender.

NORTH CAROLINA - RISING (quickly)
Simply put, UNC is blowing up into the nation's premier program. Forget last year's #1 RPI ranking, the huge amount of returning talent, and another solid incoming class.. the future could be even brighter. The 2009 recruiting crop of Henson, Strickland, et al is sick, while Roy Williams has already locked up two of 2010's Top 20 prospects.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE - STATUS QUO
Last year at this time, many thought NC State was in the same hyperspeed improvement mode as Wake Forest. But JJ Hickson bolted after a season, Gavin Grant graduated, and Costner and McCauley's production split in half. Suddenly, another last place (or close to it) finish seems likely.

VIRGINIA - DECLINING (slowly)
The Cavaliers have had about one legit Top 25 team in the last decade.. so their current mediocrity isn't terribly surprising. But managing only 5 ACC wins despite a consistent 20 ppg from Sean Singletary was definitely a downer. All hope isn't lost as Dave Leitao has some emerging talents like Jones, Landesberg, and Brandenburg to work with.. but in the ACC, those names are merely par for the course.

VIRGINIA TECH - RISING (slowly)
While the Hokies weren't amazing last year and only project to be in the 30-40 range this year, that's still a major improvement from a team that was one of the worst in major conference basketball just a few years back. Seth Greenburg is proving to be one the best coaches in the league, not necessarily in terms of recruiting (though Jeff Allen was a big deal), but in terms of mastering a system that works.

WAKE FOREST - RISING (quickly)
Perhaps the country's fastest rising program, Wake Forest is on the verge of reaching heights beyond the grasp of Tim Duncan's lengthy arms. Last year's
average 7-9 ACC squad was full of freshman and sophomores, and would have been in line to win 9 or 10 league games even without new enforcements. The addition of three stud prospects though, including the future pro Al-Farouq Aminu, could push the Deacons into the basketball stratosphere.

- Big East Rise & Fall is coming soon...

Poll: Can Kansas State (11) Upset Wisconsin (3)?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:20:56 -0700

Poll: What Is the Most Likely 12-5 Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:14:45 -0700

2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: Clemson

Joel Welser — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:16:03 -0700

Clemson

ACC

by Joel Welser

Big Wins: 11/15 at Mississippi State (84-82), 11/27 Purdue (61-58), 2/27 Miami (79-69)

Bad Losses: 1/9 Charlotte (72-82), 2/19 at Florida State (55-64), 3/6 at Georgia Tech (75-80)

Last NCAA Appearance: 1998, First Round loss to Western Michigan

Coach: Oliver Purnell (0-3 in 3 NCAA appearances)

Probable Starters:

Cliff Hammonds, Senior, Guard

K.C. Rivers, Junior, Guard

Sam Perry, Senior, Forward

James Mays, Senior, Forward

Trevor Booker, Sophomore, Center

Key Roleplayers:

Demontez Stitt, Freshman, Guard

Terrence Oglesby, Freshman, Guard

David Potter, Sophomore, Guard

Raymond Sykes, Junior, Center

Why They Can Surprise:

The Clemson defense can be brutal on indecisive or inexperienced guards. The Tigers will press at almost every opportunity and they have a couple great defenders in guards Cliff Hammonds and K.C. Rivers. When not in man-to-man, James Mays will use his lanky 6-9 frame to amass steal after steal at the top of the zone. As a team, Clemson averages a great 9.8 steals per contest.

There is no single dominating scorer spearheading Clemson’s high powered offense. Instead, the Tigers have five players who average double digit scoring. K.C. Rivers, Cliff Hammonds and Terrence Oglesby are all very dangerous long range shooters. They each hit at least two three-pointers per game and shoot over 40 percent from long range. It would be impressive with one player who shoots that well, but having three makes it extremely difficult to defend.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The turnovers can spell the end of the Tigers, but if that does not do it, the horrid free-throw shooting probably will. Freshman Demontez Stitt commits nearly three per game on his own. Stitt will be the point guard of the future and his starting experience this season will certainly help in his development, but during the tough times in March he may find himself on the bench a little more often. No one player gets to the charity stripe that often, so the poor free-throw shooting is pretty much a team effort. Hammonds, who shoots 47.9 percent from the floor and 41.4 percent from behind the arc, only shoots 41.5 percent from the free-throw line. It does not make any sense, but that epitomizes Clemson’s problems at the line.

Who To Watch:

The frontcourt has plenty of options with do-everything Mays, fearless sophomore Trevor Booker and defensive specialist Sam Perry. Mays is a superb offensive rebounder and Booker has developed into a great scoring option either inside or out to about 18 feet. Perry will occasionally earn the starting nod, depending on the competition, but he will not play too many minutes. But having him and Raymond Sykes available gives Coach Oliver Purnell plenty of options in the frontcourt.

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- All 2008 Tournament Capsules

Games of the Day: Clemson at Maryland

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:54:35 -0800

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

Clemson (20-7) at Maryland (18-11)

7:30 PM FSN

Are the Terps a lock to make the Big Dance? Not yet.. they have some work to do. Take away the UNC game.. and their 2nd best win is against #69 Florida State. That's pretty sad for an ACC team. Realistically, tournament-bound teams are supposed to be favored against Clemson at home.. and the fact this is a pick-em game in Vegas shows you how little those in the know respect Maryland. This is their final regular season chance to prove that UNC wasn't just a fluke.

Prediction: Maryland

Temple (15-12) at Saint Joseph's (17-9)

7:00 PM

This is a must win for the Hawks. I have them in the field of 65 as of now (barely), but other's have them on the outside looking in. A loss tonight and they're done.. not so much because of what they've accomplished, but because they have a brutal finish to the regular season. Games against Xavier and at Dayton remain. At the very least, a win locks up a .500 or better finish in the A10.

Prediction: Saint Joseph's

#12 Indiana (24-4) at #15 Michigan State (22-6)

2:00 PM CBS

This is the day's premier game in terms of overall ranking, but it's pretty meaningless except for seeding purposes. Will Michigan State be a 5 or a 6 seed.. such drama. In 2008, the Spartans have only beaten one half-decent team (Purdue on January 8th). But their 5 point favorites because they haven't lost a home game all year. That trend should continue today, crushing whatever Big Ten title hopes IU had.

Prediction: Michigan State

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions, 74-46)

February 28th - Maryland at Wake Forest (2-1)

February 27th - Miami at Clemson (2-1)

February 26th - Tennessee at Vanderbilt (0-3)

February 25th - Marquette at Villanova (2-1)

February 21st - South Alabama at WKU (1-2)

February 20th - UNC at NC State (3-0)

February 19th - Purdue at Indiana (2-1)

February 18th - Texas A&M at Texas (2-1)

February 16th - Stanford at Arizona (1-2)

February 14th - Wisconsin at Indiana (2-1)

February 12th - Michigan State at Purdue (2-1)

February 11th - Kansas at Texas (2-1)

February 10th - Indiana at Ohio State (2-1)

February 9th - Georgetown at Louisville (2-1)

February 7th - UCLA at Washington State (2-1)

February 6th - Duke at North Carolina (1-2)

February 5th - Florida at Tennessee (2-1)

February 4th - Gonzaga at SMC (1-2)

January 30th - Indiana at Wisconsin (1-2)

January 29th - VCU at George Mason (2-1)

January 28th - Louisville at UCONN (1-2)

January 27th - Duke at Maryland (2-1)

January 26th - Georgetown at West Virginia (3-0)

January 24rd - Dayton at Xavier (2-1)

January 22nd - Akron at Kent State (2-1)

January 21st - Drake at Creighton (1-2)

January 20th - Texas at Oklahoma State (3-0)

January 19th - Marquette at UCONN (2-1)

January 18th - Illinois State at Drake (2-1)

January 17th - Vanderbilt at Tennessee (2-1)

January 14th - Georgetown at Pittsburgh (2-1)

January 12th - Stanford at Oregon (3-0)

January 9th - Rhode Island at Dayton (2-1)

January 8th - Florida at Alabama (2-1)

January 7th - Robert Morris at Boston College (1-2)

January 6th - North Carolina at Clemson (2-1)

January 5th - Western Kentucky at South Alabama (3-0)

January 4th - American at Brown (0-3)

January 3rd - UCLA at Stanford (3-0)

January 2nd - Houston at UMASS (2-1)

Games of the Night: Miami at Clemson

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 04:22:43 -0800

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

Miami at Clemson

7:30 PM

Having won four straight games, Miami has surged back into NCAA Tournament consideration.. and they even have a favorable schedule the rest of the way (UVA, BC, and FSU left). But their by no means a lock, as a loss tonight would drop them below .500 in ACC play. When these two teams met in South Florida, the Hurricanes barely pulled off a 75-72 win. Jack McClinton hit huge threes down the stretch in what turned out to be a crucial win. Its safe to say though in college basketball that if you can barely beat a team at home, you have little shot on the road.

Prediction: Clemson

UAB at UTEP

9:05 PM

Another bubble special, UAB is currently in Lunardi's field of 65.. though not in my own. The Blazers have 5 losses to sub-100 teams, and lucked out by only facing Houston at home and not on the road. Considering they barely beat Houston at home (2 points), its safe to say the Cougars are theoretically better. Add in the fact that UAB still has Memphis remaining, and you're looking at a team that will probably finish 3rd in a weak Conference USA. Tonight's game is a must-win for UAB, but these two teams are too-close talent-wise to give a substantial edge to the road team.

Prediction: UTEP

West Virginia (19-8) at DePaul (10-16)

9:00 PM ESPN2

There's a lot of lopsided games tonight, so this rather blah affairs makes the list because a) it's on TV, and b) there are NCAA Tournament implications. West Virginia is on its way to the Big Dance, but their not a lock, especially with another tough road game at UCONN coming up. Lose tonight and then at UCONN, and the Mountaineers will find themselves back at .500 in conference play along with bubble teams like Syracuse & Villanova. DePaul's basically been a mess all year, barely .500 in home games. But its not like WVU is lights out on the road either, with a 2-point win over Marquette being their only impressive away result.

Prediction: West Virginia

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions, 70-44)

February 26th - Tennessee at Vanderbilt (0-3)

February 25th - Marquette at Villanova (2-1)

February 21st - South Alabama at WKU (1-2)

February 20th - UNC at NC State (3-0)

February 19th - Purdue at Indiana (2-1)

February 18th - Texas A&M at Texas (2-1)

February 16th - Stanford at Arizona (1-2)

February 14th - Wisconsin at Indiana (2-1)

February 12th - Michigan State at Purdue (2-1)

February 11th - Kansas at Texas (2-1)

February 10th - Indiana at Ohio State (2-1)

February 9th - Georgetown at Louisville (2-1)

February 7th - UCLA at Washington State (2-1)

February 6th - Duke at North Carolina (1-2)

February 5th - Florida at Tennessee (2-1)

Daily Poll: Who is the 3rd Best team in the ACC?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:05:49 -0800

Daily Poll: Will Clemson Collapse in ACC Play?

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:12:31 -0800

Picture of the Day: Oliver Purnell

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 10:54:42 -0800

Picture of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, CHN will feature a Picture of the Day, which might include a newsworthy, funny, or simply interesting subject. At the bottom will be a caption or headline that might be informative or amusing. The possibilities are endless!

Oliver Purnell

The Clemson coach seems lonely and dejected in this picture following a recent loss. As the 14-3 Tigers head into Cameron tonight to face 14-1 Duke, perhaps Purnell was beginning to feel the early effects of the Tigers inevitable yearly collapse in ACC play..

Game of the Week: Clemson at Duke

Jeff Borzello — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:34:15 -0800

Game of the Week: No. 24 Clemson at No. 7 Duke (Saturday, 6:00 PM, ESPN)

Take one quick look at the college basketball scene and it’s obvious that the parity around the country is unbelievable. Outside of the top handful of teams, there are dozens of teams that look unbeatable on certain nights and unbearable on other nights. As a result, it makes nearly every game between potential contenders in conference play a key game. This weekend features several of those types of games, including a bevy of Pac-10 showdowns with Arizona State taking on Stanford and Oregon facing Washington State; a couple of Big East battles highlighted by Notre Dame-Georgetown and Marquette-Connecticut; as well as a battle of unbeatens in the Missouri Valley with Drake taking on Illinois State. However, the best game is between the top two contenders to North Carolina’s throne in the ACC – Clemson heading to Durham to take on Duke. Both teams love to spread the floor and attack the basket offensively and force turnovers defensively, so prepare to be entertained all night.

Clemson Team Breakdown

In what seems to be a recurring theme for Clemson, the Tigers got off to yet another hot start, starting 10-0 this season. It was the third year in a row that Clemson began a season with at least 10 straight wins. However, like the past few years, the Tigers have struggled somewhat since the undefeated beginning. They have lost three of their last seven games, including back-to-back home losses to North Carolina and Charlotte. Only a double-overtime win against Florida State kept the losing streak from extending to three. On the other hand, the Tigers own wins over Mississippi State, Alabama, Purdue and South Carolina. They are ranked No. 23 in offensive efficiency and No. 25 in defensive efficiency.

Clemson is a deep and balanced team, with ten players consistently seeing playing time and five guys avearging in double-figures. Wing K.C. Rivers leads the way. Last year’s sixth man extraordinaire has been excellent in the starting lineup, scoring in double-figures in every game but one this year. However, he has slowed down somewhat lately, averaging just 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in his last three contests. He is flanked on the perimeter by freshman point guard Demontez Stitt, who has improved with every game but is still inconsistent, and senior Cliff Hammonds, an all-around solid player who takes care of the ball. In fact, Hammonds may be the most underrated player in the ACC – he can do everything. Sixth man Terrence Oglesby ranks third on the team in scoring despite playing just 18 minutes per game. He has hit 10 of his last 18 three-point attempts.

Up front, athletic big man James Mays and physical rebounder Trevor Booker start. Mays contributes more than numbers – although they are impressive. He is at the top of the team’s press and changes the game defensively. Booker is a beast on the glass and has also shown the ability to score. He has become one of the best big men in the ACC, averaging 21.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his last five contests. Raymond Sykes has shown potential and athleticism off the bench, while Jerai Grant also provides depth. Wing David Potter might be the team’s best three-point shooter, while former start Sam Perry can defend.

Duke Team Breakdown

Duke has bounced back from a disappointing season last year, in which it was bounced in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Eric Maynor and Virginia Commonwealth. The Blue Devils have just one loss on the season, a one-point defeat at the hands of Pittsburgh when Levance Fields hit a step-back three with three seconds remaining. Duke owns marquee victories over both Marquette and Wisconsin. The Devils are extremely undersized, with no one on the roster taller than 6-9 since Brian Zoubek broke his foot. However, they play tenacious defense and have overcome the height deficiency by creating match-up problems at the other end of the floor. Duke is ranked No. 13 in offensive efficiency and No. 4 in defensive efficiency.

Duke’s success starts on the perimeter, where it boasts one of the deepest and most talented set of wings and guards in the country. Five players rotate in and out of the game, with all five averaging at least 16 minutes and six points per game. Gerald Henderson and DeMarcus Nelson lead the way on the wings. Henderson has developed into one of the premier perimeter players in the ACC. He is extremely talented and athletic, and has finally been given a chance to showcase that. Nelson has developed greatly since he arrived in Durham, and is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, and is second in assists. Greg Paulus starts at the point. The oft-criticized junior, despite his quickness and defensive deficiencies, is a solid leader that takes care of the ball and shoots the three. Jon Scheyer started last year, but comes off the bench this year and has developed into one of the best sixth men in the country. Nolan Smith backs up Paulus.

Up front, Kyle Singler has been one of the most impressive freshmen in the country. He is very difficult to guard, due to his ability to shoot the three, score inside and create players off the dribble. He is fundamentally sound and creates match-up problems for nearly any defender. Lance Thomas starts at the five, but he’s more of an athletic forward who can run the floor and finish. Taylor King, who comes off the bench, is one of the best three-point shooters in the country. If he is open from anywhere on the court, he will take a shot. David McClure is a decent role player.

Game Analysis and Prediction

The popular opinion around the country is that the ACC is North Carolina’s to lose. While that may be the case, don’t give them the title just yet. Both of these teams are going to have something to say about it before the year is all said and done. Clemson took North Carolina to overtime and the Tigers probably should have won that game if not for late-game heroics by Wayne Ellington, and Duke is playing some of the best basketball in the country, at both ends of the floor. As mentioned above, both teams like to spread the floor and create opportunities going to the basket. Each team has a plethora of athletic wings and guards who can take defenders one-on-one off the dribble, and then make plays in the lane. Clemson has been getting great production down low from Trevor Booker, and he and James Mays give the Tigers great inside balance to go with the shooters and scorers on the perimeter. Defensively, the Tigers pressure full-court throughout the game, with Mays harassing the inbounds passer. They love to create points off turnovers; if Duke can consistently can break the press, Clemson is in trouble. On the other side, Duke likes to exploit its quickness advantage it has on the opponent. There’s usually at least four players that can shoot the three on the floor at the same time, making them difficult to defend. Defensively, the Blue Devils are tenacious on the perimeter and force their opponents into mistakes.

If Clemson is to go into Cameron and pull off the upset, it is going to have to do several things. First, the Tigers are going to need to force turnovers off their press and get easy points in transition and off fast-breaks. Greg Paulus usually takes care of the ball, but he can get rattled against pressure. Clemson needs to get momentum early if it wants to win the game. Secondly, they need to take advantage of their edge in the paint. Trevor Booker has been a beast down low lately, and no one on Duke can defend him. Furthermore, James Mays is also very difficult to stop when he gets the ball around the basket. Both players need to have big days. Lastly, the Tigers need to knock down free throws and take care of the ball. Demontez Stitt is still a freshman, and he needs to keep his composure on the road against Duke’s pressure and the crowd. Of course, Clemson always struggles with free-throw shooting, so that basically goes without saying; in a close game, it could cost them.

Duke should be the favorite heading into Saturday evening’s game with the Tigers, but it needs to do a few things in order to guarantee victory as well. First, it has to take care of the ball and manage Clemson’s pressure. North Carolina got easy basket after easy basket early in the game until the Tigers finally took off the press. Duke has the athletes on the wings to finish in the open court, but Paulus can’t turn the ball over in the backcourt. Secondly, they have to try and get Booker and Mays in foul trouble. If either of those players is out of the game, it negates the inside advantage Clemson has. Also, because Duke spreads the floor so well, it will bring the bigs away from the basket and open up driving lanes for Gerald Henderson, DeMarcus Nelson, etc. Lastly, Duke has to pressure the perimeter players for Clemson. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Booker and Mays will have solid games, but shutting down K.C. Rivers, Cliff Hammonds and Terrence Oglesby will be important. If they get hot, Clemson is much more difficult to defend.

In the end, Duke will come out on top – and I think it will be fairly handily. The Blue Devils are playing at home, where they are extremely difficult to beat, and they are playing very solid basketball right now. On the other hand, Clemson is struggling, although they might have righted the ship in its last game against North Carolina State. Either way, Duke has too much perimeter talent and they are also playing some of the best defense in the country – the Devils haven’t given up more than 70 points in a game since December 1. Although that mark could be in doubt on Saturday, the winning streak, on the other hand, will definitely continue.

Prediction: Duke 81, Clemson 70