Thursday January 03, 2008

ACC Hoops Caucus

ACC Hoops Caucus
The 2008 Presidential race picks up steam today with the first official votes cast in the Iowa Caucus. Sunday night Clemson begins its race in the 07-08 ACC basketball season and I have decided to cast my lot with the Tigers. I know you are shocked.

Sunday night is the latest installment of the biggest game at Clemson since…. But I may have a different opinion here.

Don’t get me wrong, I despise North Carolina and want to be the Tar out of the Heels. But I am not sure UNC is our measuring stock right now. North Carolina is the nation’s top ranked team and is a legitimate national title contender. You can win your party’s nomination without winning in Iowa today so I am not too caught up in Sunday night’s opener against the Blue Bellies.

I am more interested in how things work out with the games following the UNC game. I don’t want to see a letdown against Charlotte the next game. I certainly am looking forward to the next three home games against Florida State, NC State and Wake Forest. I think Duke is the second best team in the league but in my opinion Clemson has a better chance at Duke then at home against UNC. A 3-2 start would be a nice beginning but I want more. I want a great “Super Tuesday.”

A win Sunday against a number-one ranked team would give the Tigers instant national credit but we have knocked off the nation’s top ranked team before. I want 10 wins in the league. I want to play deep into the ACC tournament. I want a high seed in the NCAA tournament and I want to be playing after the first weekend in the Big Dance (Sweet 16). Those are goals that are obtainable for this team and this program.

A win Sunday would put pressure back on UNC but remember we have to play at North Carolina in February. In reality, a win would really help the cause but this is a 16-game schedule. Clemson has home conference games with UNC, FSU, NC State, Wake Forest, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia Tech. At this point Clemson would be favored in seven of the eight games at home but we all are entitled to the one “slip up.” A 6-2 home record would be fantastic.

ACC road games include games at Duke, Miami, UVA, UNC, NC State, Florida State, Maryland and Georgia Tech. A 4-4 mark would be an excellent goal at this point.

Give me 10-6 in the ACC and assuming the Tigers beat non-conference Charlotte at home next week that would give the Tigers a 23-7 regular season record. With this mark that would put the Tigers around about the second or third seed in the ACC tournament and about a three seed in the NCAA tournament.

I know. I know. I am getting way too far ahead of the game and we always regret this every football season but this is different. This is basketball. There are zero percent of the votes in but I want to project winners.

Excuse me if I feel like a Missouri football fan or a Kansas football fan. Clemson basketball has not had this kind of opportunity for optimism in quite some time and not very often ever. If John Edwards, Mick Huckabee or Ron Paul supporters can get excited about future results and projections then Clemson basketball fans can as well.

Go ahead an attack my giddiness. Last year I had the 9-7 season planned and talked about NCAA tournament pre-maturely also but a man can dream can’t he?

Of course this kind of pre-ACC season talk is ridiculous and of course no one knows what will happen but I trust this staff and these players. If I am wrong then I will have to be wrong but this program deserves this kind of pre-ACC season hype and expectations. This kind of excitement has been building for the past couple of seasons and I can’t hold it in any longer.

Oliver Purnell has built a program here and the 2007-2008 team is his best yet. Every team has issues but there are less with this team than any in recent memories. This Clemson team has an inside presence with James Mays and Trevor Booker. They have the outside threat of K.C. Rivers, Cliff Hammonds and Terrence Oglesby. This team can defend in the half court. This team can defend with full court pressure. This team can finish games with better free throw shooting.

The components are there. Sam Perry can provide valuable minutes on the defensive end of the floor. David Potter is a tough match-up for some and has developed more offensively. Demontez Stitt continues to get better at the point and is a bright player who can knock down crucial free throws. Raymond Sykes is stronger now and can add quality minutes on both ends of the floor. Rivers is a scorer but also helps on the offensive and defensive boards. I am excited about the future of Jerai Grant and his development as well.

Coaching is not an issue like it might have been in the past as Purnell and crew appear to be solid in the X and O department. The Tigers can play the full court man-to-man defense they have been known for under Purnell but the half-court defense has improved. Also they have the ability to go to a 1-3-1 half court zone with Mays up top to change the look. Motivation is not an issue either.

Offensively, this group has an inside presence and an outside threat to compliment. The Tigers seem to shoot the ball better in their half court sets and are athletic enough to score in transition.

I truly believe the atmosphere in Littlejohn will be outstanding this season also. There are so many components that should seem to be beneficial in place as we open up the 2008 ACC campaign.

The unknowns include the opponents. By opponents I mean the 11 other teams and the Tigers themselves. I think Clemson can handle many of the ACC teams. Maybe the Tigers are the third best team in the league and that is way ahead of schedule in my eyes.

The other opponent is themselves. Can the Tigers handle success and the expectations that go along with it? Can they overcome adversity on the road? The intangibles will rear their heads as well. Injuries can occur. Bad officiating will certainly become a factor at some point. Tough environments and losing streaks await. How this team handles each situation will determine it fate. Every team faces adversity. Even the New England Patriots have faced adversity in this perfect season. It is how each team reacts to that adversity that determines its destiny.

With that said, I will cast my lot with Purnell and this group of players. Maybe these are just campaign promises that will just let us down in the end but I can’t be told that today. Maybe in March, but not today. I believe.

I am a Clemson basketball fan and I approve this message.

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