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Friday January 23, 2009

Friday E-Mail Bag

Friday E-Mail Bag
Each Friday I publish your comments and answer your questions. To submit a comment or questions please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com.

Mickey,

I agree with you, the season is not over for Clemson basketball. I still believe this team belongs in the top 25 and have not forgotten the games we won at Illinois, USC, and Miami. This team has a lot of potential to succeed the rest of the season and enough time to figure out what they need to fix on offense and defense, and I have all the confidence in the world that coach Oliver Purnell can get it done. However in regards to talent, we all know that year in and year out, teams like UNC always recruit 5 star, McDonald's All-American caliber athletes. I have noticed that each year Coach Purnell's recruiting classes keep getting better and better and he makes the best use out of the talent he has year after year. (Don't get me wrong, I believe we have great talent at Clemson now.) With that said, do you think Coach Purnell ever get Clemson to that elite recruiting level in basketball? If so how long?

Also I enjoy reading your comments on anything related to Clemson and all that you do. I keep you and your family in my prayers and wish the best of luck to you and Ryan.

Regards,

William

William,
Thanks for the kind words about Ryan. He is doing so well right now. We are extremely lucky.

Purnell continues to upgrade the talent every single year. Next year’s class will be the best he has ever signed. Milton Jennings will be Clemson’s first five star player. Devin Booker is a better prospect than his brother according to some college coaches I talk to. But I am not sure Purnell will ever be able to recruit five-star players like UNC, Kentucky and UCLA. Clemson basketball gets better every year so it is hard to tell where the ceiling is. However, I doubt it will ever be at the level of UNC.

Mickey,
There has been talk about the offensive line for 2009 and how some may be moved around and how the redshirt or true freshman my work into the two deep chart, but I was wondering if the stronger bigger guys may jump the smaller quicker players of recent years due to Dabo being more in favor of the 3-point stance. Some that I talk to say certain players are more of a straight ahead blocker and that they struggles with balance when backing up out of the 2-point stance. Just wondering if dropping to a 3 point stance may play to the strengths of some that have not seen much playing time this past year and may see more of the field in the future due to the new blocking scheme.
Thanks for the time,
Cole

Cole,
I think the 3-point stance will make a difference but I think maturity and experience will make a bigger difference. Cloy moving to center will be a key to the success. Austin returns for his senior season and should be one of the best guards in the ACC. McClain is a talented freshman that should move into the starting lineup which means a talent upgrade. Hairston and Walker will be a year older, stronger and more experienced. Depth will also be improved. I really look for much better play in 09.

Mickey,
Not jumping off the "bandwagon". You make some valid points in today’s blog. I still say they can have a very successful season. However, they are not right now in the upper echelon of the ACC. They aren't as good as Duke, Wake, UNC and probably VT. They don't have the depth that we thought to match up in an entire game with these teams. They are still susceptible to dumb fouls and out of control play that keep them in the upper half of the second tier. That may change but hasn't yet. Hope it does. And the right time to peak is still a month away.

Jack

Jack,
Clemson is not as good as Wake, Duke and North Carolina but I think they are as good or better than Virginia Tech. There is no shame in being behind top-ranked Wake, second-ranked Duke and fifth-ranked North Carolina. Clemson is 16-2 with two losses to two top-five ranked teams.

Mickey,

I confess that the streak bothers me! The only way that I can deal with it is to not watch the game and go to bed and get a good night sleep.

On the positive of the last two games, maybe Trevor Booker will realize that he isn't ready to go to the NBA yet. He sure doesn't seem to be ready for the next level when playing against top competition.

Unfortunately, the national media may have been correct when they refused to give us any respect in the polls.

Frustrated

Frustrated,
I don’t blame you for being frustrated. It means you care. But don’t worry about the streak. It only gives UNC more credit. Booker is not ready for the NBA but I hope we knew that before the last two games.

Good morning Mickey.
Hope Ryan's improvement is going well.

The game at Chapel Hill last night was one I have seen many times over, being a 79' CU grad and lifelong fan. I agree with you that this futility probably will never end - at least in my lifetime. The majority of the 50-whatever games have normally been like last night - not close. The reason is clearly the talent level. Although CU has shown recent improvement under Purnell, tell me who on the Tiger's starting 5 would start for UNC, Duke or Wake. Also, when one of those schools has what is considered a good / great recruiting class, those players come in and immediately' contribute. That is still not the case at Clemson. Until that changes, which you and I know that it is almost impossible for CU to get 5-star McDonald AA players, Clemson will always struggle with the top teams in the ACC. They now have a 12 game season and 8-4 and 9-3 is still possible, which should put them in the top 4 in the conference. Like you stated, win the ones you are now supposed to and steal a couple of others, then see what happens in the tourney.

Regards,
Bill

Bill,

Thanks for the e-mail. You are way too level headed to be called a fan. You are too rational. Just kidding. Thanks again.

Mickey,

I still think Clemson is on track for 25-5 (11-5) in the ACC, they can go 9-3 the rest of the way. If they stop the trend of shooting 40% from the field and get back to pressure defense. Teams other than Wake, UNC, and Duke are not going to handle our press very well especially at the end of games when they are tired.

That is if we start seeing a better effort from this team.

I am not going to take away from Wake and UNC they are in the top 5 for a reason, but the UNC game only Ty Lawson, Deon Thompson and Danny Green were actually playing defense. Danny Green did an excellent job on KC Rivers, but that being said I think KC could have been more active off the ball, and he did get some open looks that he missed in the 2nd half.

I agree that Booker is not taking the ball to the basket and is not receiving the ball on the low blocks like he was in the early going, Teams are playing a good high / low defense on him right now and I have not seen anything in the offense to free him up. He is not receiving the ball down low, they are trying to let him create a shot or take a lane to the basket from the top of the key. Maybe he will get better at it.

Demontez Stitt played arguably his worst game in a tiger uniform last night. It is pathetic to be late in the first half and your point guard has 4 turnovers and no assists. I agree his dribble needs work, but what is bothering me is he is not taking control of the offense and managing the games anywhere near as well as he was earlier in the season. I have not checked but I am sure his assists in the last 4 games have declined while his turnovers have doubled. I know playing Wake and UNC has something to do with that, but I believe the trend actually started in the South Carolina game.

The only thing that really worries me about last night is the fact that the team tanked it with about 8-9 min to go down 16. This to me was unacceptable and embarrassing (Watch it on Tivo). I strongly believe that the team thought that they could compete with Wake and UNC when they walked on the court. I hope the results last night brought them back to Earth.

In the end I still believe 25-5 (11-5) is possible.

Jim

Jim,
I am not concerned about Rivers. He had an off night but he has earned the right to not be questioned. I am concerned about Booker’s role and Stitt. Booker has to realize that the offense needs to go through him on the blocks. Stitt has fundamental issues with his protection of the basketball. His dribble is too high and not tight enough. He will have to protect the ball better or run the risk of Andre Young taking more minutes away from him.

Mickey,

Why didn't Clemson redshirt Catalin Baciu?

David

David,
I am not sure. Maybe he wanted to play this season or maybe the staff felt he could contribute more. I think his future is bright but I also thought he would play a few more minutes than he has.

Mickey,
The culture of Clemson basketball will never change if people like you constantly cry about the injustice when playing in Chapel Hill. The fact is Clemson has not had the talent to win there in the past...they do now. Booker hasn't got the calls in past games because he has chosen to shoot jumpers and fall aways and has not taken the ball to the basket. North Carolina's problem on defense has been that they don't foul enough when teams take the ball to the basket-they've chosen instead to let them score and then start the offense.

Constantly crying does nothing but get fans agitated and make you and them look petty. The Clemson program is better than that now with Purnell as the leader and unlike coaches before him, you would never hear him utter such nonsense.

Hobbs

Hobbs,
I think you are giving me too much credit. I have nothing to do with the culture of Clemson basketball. I also have said many times that the reason why UNC has beaten Clemson 5-4 straight times is the Heels were the more talented team in about 50 of those. However, there is no way you can tell me that officiating has not been a major factor in several games. We may have to agree to disagree on this one.

Mickey,

Check this out. "If I can score, I can help this team, as long as it is within what Coach Purnell wants us to do.”
This is a quote from Oglesby.

I continue to be impressed with the selfless attitude of this team and the transformation of Clemson basketball brought about by Coach Purnell. I have been impressed every year with the improvement of the team from the beginning of the season to the end. Considering how we are looking right now at the beginning of our ACC schedule, I can't wait to see our polished product in the postseason.

Go Tigers!

Michael

Michael,
Good points. Thanks for the e-mail. I think that Clemson will definitely be a better basketball team in post-season and your points are right on target.

Mickey,
At times I have been as confounded as other fans by the slow-to-develop recruiting class of the Tigers, compared to that of say, USC or other schools. We all know the coaching change at Clemson has A LOT to do with this, but when Dabo was confirmed as HC, I for one expected at least a couple of guys to come back to the Tigers. That did not happen and it leaves many asking, "How could (fill in the blank) choose (fill in the blank) over Clemson!" How dare they.

Now you hear this Shuey kid saying that he visited Wake after seeing Clemson and was "just blown away." Yeah, I guess their stadium and game-day atmosphere is far more impressive than Clemson's. "Blown away." Really???

What I am being reminded of is that players often choose schools for different reasons that fans would. Apparently, many of the kids flocking to play for the Gamecocks perceive an abundance of playing time as a freshman given the exodus of players this year. Never mind the coaching exodus, these kids just want to get on the field. For a lot of kids, to heck with tradition or wins and losses... it's about PT, baby. Other kids want to stay close to home no matter who the school is...others want to get as far away as possible. Some want academics and others the ability to skip classes. This one wants a Godly man to lead them, the next could care less. There simply isn't a science and fans - me included - will seldom be able to understand how "such-and-such" got away as long as we remain rightfully biased Tigers.

We will have a decent class if we sign no one else. The fact is we will sign a few others and everything will work out come signing day... just not as some fans had hoped.

Go Tigers!

Bobby

Bobby,
First, I think Shuey is firm. Also, I agree with you that this class is not as good as others in the past. However, recruiting is about success, stability and relationships. Clemson’s situation was so unstable throughout most of the season that the prospects looked around. Unfortunately Dabo and the staff had a hard time convincing some to break their commitments to other schools this late in the process. I do think you will see a big recruiting year next season as the staff has time to build relationships.

Mickey,
Wake was the better team, but here are a couple of questions about the game.

Did our press give up more points and easy transition baskets than we generated turnovers and steals? Did we get any points off of turnovers from our press? If not, then should we have pressed less during the game?

How many dunks did we give up in the game? In those dunks, how many times could one of our players have prevented it, but instead of getting in their way we just watched?
David

David,
Yes, against Wake Forest the press was ineffective and yielded too many easy baskets. The press also produced too few turnovers and easy baskets. I don’t know the number of dunks but the Tigers did give up way too many easy baskets Saturday.

Mickey,
Thanks for all you do. Two questions for you. The first one is that I read that Napier wants to put the Spread offense in this coming year. If so, will this cause Spiller's touches to decrease as far as carrying the ball or will it cause a dual threat with Korn/Parker now having room to run? My second question is about the matchup with Parker vs. Korn. Is it possible for the biggest hyped QB in Clemson history(Korn), to get beat out by Parker if Parker doesn't enter MLB draft. The reason I ask is that I have heard that Parker has all the credentials as well and at times looks more fluent and more natural than Korn.

Thanks Mickey,
Brandon

Brandon,

Thanks for the e-mail. Spiller will get more touches in his senior year than any year he has been here. He will be the focus of the offense. The staff will make sure he gets more than his fair share of touches. Parker could beat out Korn. He has the stronger arm and is a competitor. However, Korn has been injured and it is never fair to judge the injured. Also, Korn is a tremendous leader. At this point, I am excited to see the competition and think the quarterback play will improve from last season.

Prayer List

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

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 list 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:
Finn Brookover-was born Wednesday, January 14 several weeks pre-mature and was 2 lbs. 15 ounces. She is doing well but like all pre-mature babies she will have to get through several issues over the next few weeks.

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.

Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter)

Sandy Wright

Jo Ann Bachman

Frank Taylor

Kenneth Bryant

Pruitt Martin

Got igers and his family

David Rowland

Leonard Gillespie and his family

Jim S

Christine Hepfer

Daniel Rosborough-4-year old Inman, SC who will have a kidney transplant 1/14/09 in Charleston

Special Prayer Request from Peggy Lesley at Brookwood Church .

I am starting a signing for my son's best friend who has cancer (Hodgkin's Lymphoma). He is 11 years old and is not doing well at all. He was diagnosed with this cancer 2 weeks ago and the tumor is next to his jugular vein and entwined in it...has moved his wind pipe over a inch making it hard for him to breathe. The tumor is the size of a large eggplant and is sitting right above his heart. This little boy needs all the prayer he can get. I would like you to sign this and pass it on to as many people as you can. Once we get to a thousand people can you please send this back to me at: 1volsgirl@bellsouth.net When I get the 1000 people that have signed it...I am going to print this up for my sons best friend and show him how many people care and how many people are praying for him to get better. If you have a heart at all, you will all do this for me. I love this child as though he is my own and we really need all the prayers!

Thanks,
Peggy

Amy Murphey - diagnosed with ALS, pray for healing

Jack Huffman

Nancy Winkler

Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan

Posted by Mickey Plyler @ 10:23 AM EST [ Comments [4] ]