Tuesday February 10, 2009

BC Preview; Brown Sets Date

Boston College Preview
The Tigers have yet another crucial game tonight as they travel to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College. The Eagles enter tonight’s contest with a 18-7 record and a 6-4 mark in the conference. Boston College has already dropped two conference games so far to Miami and Wake Forest. They have home wins against NC State and Virginia Tech.

The Eagles have a couple of marquee wins this season but the biggest was their January 4th win in Chapel Hill.

Boston College is led by Tyrese Rice a 6-1 senior point guard who is averaging 18 points, 5.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game this season. Rice has been very consistent in his career and that seems to be the case again this season. He has been held in single digits only twice this season and has 12 games this year where has had 20 or more points. Rice’s quickness makes for a dangerous match up for any point guard in the ACC.

Joe Trapani is a 6-8 sophomore who is averaging 13.9 points and 6.8 rebounds a game this season. He is the Eagles biggest threat inside. He has six double-doubles this season.

Rakim Sanders is the Eagles’ third leading scorer but he enters tonight’s game with a questionable wrist that he injured against Virginia. In Boston College’s last game his wrist had to be a factor as Sanders was 0-7 from the field and 1-3 from the free throw line. He averages 12 points per game but managed only a single point against Wake Forest Sunday.

BC plays a flex offense but Clemson usually plays well against the flex played by teams like Maryland and Boston College.

So here we are with another big game and a big game on the road. It is hard to imagine Clemson getting to places we all thought they were headed if they lose tonight to an average Boston College team. I am not sure how many thought the Tigers would have a two-game losing streak after defeating Duke so convincingly so a win against BC is imperative.

A win over BC gives the Tigers their 10th 20-win season in school history. It would also put Clemson at 6-3 in the ACC and the Tigers would enter Sunday’s game with Virginia tied for second in the conference.

A loss would put Clemson at 5-4 and half-way back down the mountain it was attempting to climb.

Clemson’s goals should be a top four finish in the conference and a top four seed in the NCAA tournament. Those goals are very obtainable with a win tonight. A loss tonight makes those goals much tougher to reach.

I want to see a few things tonight:
1. Limit turnovers-Clemson usually does not turn the ball over often so let’s hope Saturday night was a fluke.

2. Rebound-The Tigers have to rebound better. They were on a roll in this category but FSU had too many offensive rebounds which hurt the Tigers.
3. Finish at the Line-Winning on the road often times means good free throw shooting.
4. Be Physical-Boston College plays a physical brand of basketball. Clemson must answer in this department.
5. Play Smart-This team usually plays smart basketball and limits the mental errors. That was not the case Saturday against Florida State.

Bryce Brown Sets Date
I have been trying to check for some information on the Bryce Brown front but must admit that it is somewhat frustrating. Brown is not letting on to his plans and at this point I would say he does not know where he wants to go to school.

This one is complicated because Brown does not let many people know what he is thinking but I can tell you that Clemson is a player in this race. Chris Rumph has done a terrific job with Brown as the two have developed a good relationship.

The Tigers are still probably a long shot but at this time I don’t think any school should feel too confident with Brown. Miami has been the long-time leader but issues have arrived with Brown and the Canes. It is obvious he has begun to look around. He has been to Clemson, Oregon and Missouri. Brown will visit Tennessee this weekend and either LSU, Miami or Southern Cal next weekend. He will sign with a school on March 12.

I was also told that Brown’s recruiting mentor, who has gathered so much attention, might not be a huge factor in the final decision. Brown’s brother, Arthur, is a linebacker at Miami but some have reported that he is not happy in Coral Gables.

I have followed recruiting for over 20 years and have seldom seen this kind of drama. However, this is the kind of prospect that every school in the country would wait on. This is the top prospect in America and a future NFLer.

In summary, this not the normal recruiting situation and the information is hard to come by. However, I can tell you that Clemson is a much bigger player in this race than most of the national media thinks. I am not saying the Tigers will be the eventual choice but I am saying that Clemson is a factor with this superstar.

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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 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, Mrs. Kathleen Bowers, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Kaitlyn L, 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, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, Ronnie Queen, Creighton McCallum, Edward Putman, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Anna Rawl.