Wednesday January 07, 2009

Ugly Win; Handling Success; The ACC; Interchangeable Parts

Ugly Win
Boy, I knew the culture has changed around Clemson basketball and last night and this morning gives us more evidence of this fact.

Here is a new one…I am complaining about a seven point win over an SEC team.

This was the worst offensive performance of the year. The Tigers did not shoot the ball well. They turned it over late and looked sloppy in the attempt to finish off Alabama and the free throw shooting down the stretch became a problem.

However, a win is a win. Clemson basketball history warns us to cherish every one.

Last night was the first time this season where the Tigers won despite not playing well in the half-court offensive sets.

A different way of looking at it is that it was perhaps the most impressive win of the year. Before you think I am nuttier than squirrel poo, let me explain. Last night was impressive because any team can win a game when they shoot the ball well. Not every team can win when they don’t shoot the ball well. It takes an a special effort to win on the nights where you shoot the ball poorly and not every team is special enough or versatile enough to do that (ask North Carolina).

Last night looked like a throwback to the Rick Barnes teams. Tom Wideman and Greg Buckner would have loved last night’s game. The Tigers did a terrific job on Ronald Steele in holding the star guard scoreless in the final 29 minutes of the game. NBA scouts were out last night and I am sure the focus was on Steele but Clemson did a terrific job on him and forced him to adjust because they did not allow him to come off of screens.

It was not something you will save on your TiVo but it was a win. A 15-0 start and another positive step against another name opponent. But it feels strange to complain about the lack of efficiency on offense.

Handling Success
I want to write a blog in the next few weeks about success and the difficult task of handling success. To me this is a fascinating subject that shows up in sports, in business and generally in most aspects of life.

In a later blog I want to get into the question, “Which is more difficult, the climb to the top or the fight to stay there?”

I believe it is human nature to survive. I think we all have an instinct that drives us to leave the bottom and try to get to the top. We handle our failures with determination. In fact I think we handle our failures better than we handle our success.

We are all guilty if of it. We work so hard to get there but when success hits us, we don’t handle it well.

Sports are a great example of this. Earlier this year there was talk that the Boston Celtics might be the best team in the history of the NBA. They got off to this incredible, record-breaking start. The talk on sports talk radio and TV was about the Celtics chase of the record book. The Celtics could not handle the success and have now lost five of their last seven.

The same city gave us the New England Patriots last season. They breezed through the regular season undefeated and entered the Super Bowl with a chance to be considered the best team in the history of the NFL. The Super Bowl was an afterthought but Giants were less concerned about history and more concerned about execution. After losing the Super Bowl, does anyone still consider the Pats the best ever?

This is not limited to sports. The economy is a terrific example of how we handle success. How did the real estate industry handle success? How is the mortgage industry? Auto industry?

How do we deal with success in our personal life? Do any of us take our spouse for granted when things are going well? How many times have we all gotten in good shape only to stop working out and let ourselves go again?

We know Oliver Purnell can lead the Tigers out of the basement but how will his Tigers handle success?

In the preseason promotional video, Purnell and his players claim they are not satisfied. Will they be satisfied with a 15-0 start or will they work harder than ever to continue the climb?

The ACC
The Tigers have prepared with a difficult out of conference schedule and are 1-0 in the league but the pre-conference schedule is now over. Clemson will face NC State on Saturday and the Tigers should be a considerable favorite but then the schedule gets extremely difficult. After the State game, three of the next five games are against teams ranked in the top four in the country.

While I would love to see the Tigers win in Chapel Hill and beat Duke and/or Wake Forest, don’t let the other teams slip up and upset the Tigers. Remember Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are very important contest and the Tigers don’t need to have a letdown in those games.

Interchangeable Parts
Purnell has branded the program as one that plays a 94-foot game. But another way I think he is branding Clemson basketball is a new deal at Clemson. The Tigers actually have quality depth.

When David Potter went down with an injury last night, did anyone see a drop off when Tanner Smith entered the game? Am I the only one that saw Andre Young playing as well as Demontez Stitt? Is it just me or has Jerai Grant played better than Raymond Sykes in the last couple of games?

Purnell has interchangeable parts and there is not a lot of drop off when a sub comes into the game. This kind of depth enables the Tigers to play the up tempo style and it wears down the opponent. I thought this was a big factor in last night’s game.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer lost will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Corey, Bob and Finn Brookover-Corey is pregnant with Finn and her water broke in mid November even though her due date was not until March. She is doing well but has been on bed rest at Greenville Memorial since November. She is now at 29 weeks and baby Finn is doing well.

Mrs. Kathleen Bowers

Larry in Naples, FL. Larry is currently being kept sedated in ICU and has acute pancreatitis. Larry is going to be transferred this week to Shands in Gainesville, FL for surgery on his pancreas. The doctors are saying that there is a 40% mortality rate with this surgery and if successful, there will still be a very long recovery. Larry is a great guy and a wonderful husband/father. Larry is 32 years old.

RTG-Pawsitive Tiger

Kaitlyn L-4 year old girl in TN who has seizures and a brain lesion that may be a slow-growing tumor. She will likely have a biopsy in February.

Terry Fowler-He will undergo an operation on Thursday to clear up blockages in both legs. These blockages are preventing proper blood flow to the lower extremities of his legs & feet.

Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter)

Sandy Wright

Jo Ann Bachman

Frank Taylor