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Friday January 11, 2008

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've heard much of the hype around MR. Daquan Bowers and what he will mean to our defense. What totally shocked me upon seeing it last week was his RUSHING numbers - over 1,200 yards! I had no idea this guy ran the ball too.

PLEASE tell me you've heard the coaches salivating and talking about using him in short yardage situations and more.

Getting Bowers certainly makes losing Merling to the NFL easier to handle.

Go Tigers.

Bobby

Bobby,
I joked with two Clemson staff members about Bowers playing in short yardage situations and they said they have not mentioned it in staff meetings but they were not against it. He will have to make a few adjustments to the college game but maybe down the road it might work. I like the way you think Bobby.

Hi, Mickey,
I was at sports bar this weekend watching several different games and saw the Under Armor game skills challenge. I don't usually pay too much attention to recruiting until guys are signed but I noticed Kyle Parker is going to Clemson (he finished 2nd in the QB challenge to a NCSU recruit) and they showed an interview with DB who had just announced his commitment, and there was a guy who finished second in the strength challenge who had CU listed.

This got me to thinking about Parker's situation:
I thought Bowden told Korn when he was recruiting him that he wouldn't recruit any other highly rated QB's for a few years.
I was just wondering why a highly rated QB like Parker would want to come to CU now when Bowden has basically promised the starting job to Korn for the next 4 yrs? I know KP can redshirt next season but didn't Korn do the same this year? That would leave Parker behind Korn for (possibly) 3 yrs. This kid really loves Clemson, is really self confident, and/or is very patient. Regardless, this is a testament to how far Bowden has come in recruiting that he can have two great QB's in back-to-back years. Is Parker not as great as I think; I'm not sure how much of an honor it is to make the Under Armor team?

One other quick question, how many years do players like Davis who leave early, have to finish their degrees before it hurts Clemson's GSR?

Thanks again for the great blogs.
Brent

Brent,

The staff told the Korns that they would not recruit a quarterback ion last year’s class not this year. Bowden has not promised any starting job to any player. We have learned that there is no way to tell who develops faster. Remember Tribble Reese was higher rated than Cullen Harper.

Graduation rates are calculated after five years of entering the school.

Mickey,
Glad to see that you are starting to get excited about Clemson B-ball. I love watching this Clemson basketball improve. I have been a Clemson basketball fan for over 30 years. I love ACC basketball and love Clemson.

Right now, I am listening to the Charlotte game on the radio and Coach is not making smart moves yet. Thank goodness we have Booker tonight. Cliff needs to get back to his solid self because he is not being the smart leader that he usually is.

I need to hear Clemson pundits (you and Roy) call it like it really is. Clemson is better than they have been playing. Shout it out loud so Coach Purnell will hear it. (See below)

Purnell is great but he keeps making the same mistakes. I have yet to see him recognize the following problems and work to improve them:
1. Sam Perry has no offensive skills - none
2. Raymond Sykes has no offensive skills -none
3. Sam and Raymond - these days - will each commit a turnover within the first three minutes of when they enter the game. You can bank on that.
4. James Mays continues to flail around the basket (even before he hurt his hand). He does not go up strong to the basket, nor does he use the backboard. He simply flails around and flips the ball up there.
5. Coach does not rein in his 3-point shooters when they are struggling. Grab these kids and tell them to work their way outside. Step in and shoot 2 to get their rhythm and then step out for a 3.

Those problems above are easily corrected and should be done immediately. Just need simple discipline and control. Sam and Raymond should be better than they are at this stage of their careers. Mays has no business thinking NBA when he cannot score a simple contested layup. With 3-Point Shooters, good, smart players learn to play to what is working and not stay stubborn.

Thanks for listening because I had to rant. This team can drive me crazy. Under 4 minutes to go and Clemson is down by 1. Of course they take a 3 point shot by Hammond. Stupid plays. Stupid decisions. First by my favorite player - Hammonds.

Clemson blew a game that they knew would be tough and would require total concentration. Why did it happen?

Down by one why shoot a three?

Ask Coach for me.
Arrrghhhh. Game over. Clemson blew this game and sounded like a crap team.
Don't you dare speak about how good Charlotte is. That is crap. This loss sits square on Purnell.

Clemson Basketball Fan Still But Damn Frustrated... Like Football

Unsigned

Unsigned,
Thanks for the streaming of the game. This team has a few issues but almost every team in the country has issues. I think you will see a very strong effort Saturday against FSU. This team is much better than it showed Wednesday. Hang in there. Things will get better starting Saturday.

Mickey,
I am so surprised you don't like ZZ top bud. They are one of the greatest bands ever.
A couple questions....in your mind, does Jamie Harper pull a CU commitment this weekend since Davis is leaving.

Give me your OL thoughts on 2008 for Clemson.

Wayne

Wayne,
I don’t mind ZZ Top but I don’t need to see them at a halftime show. I think Harper ends up at Clemson but he says he will not announce until signing day.

I think the OL will be OK at center with Thomas Austin and guard with Barry Humphries. There is talent but little experience at tackle with players like Chris Hairston, Corey Lambert, Landon Walker and David Smith. Smith and Mason Cloy may make a move to guard or Cloy could play center and Austin may move back to guard. In the end, this will not be a strength but it won’t be a huge weakness.

Mickey,

Enjoy your radio show and also your blog.

Question: What was the reason Clemson made a coaching change by replacing Coach Davis with our present coach. I have not seen any improvement in our Ladies program. Also, did Coach Davis ever have a team that got beat as bad as Maryland beat Clemson this past week?
Thanks,
Gerald

Gerald,
Thanks for the kind words. Clemson’s women’s basketball is broken. They lost by 64 to Maryland. The lost to Chattanooga and Western Carolina.

Firing Jim Davis made no sense financially, on the court, off of the court, academically and from a community standpoint. In my opinion, the biggest firing in the athletic department sense Coach Ford “mutually separated” from Clemson.

Mick,
A man's opinion is not "wrong", it's just his opinion.

My opinion is that the UNC team that Clemson went toe to toe with, very well may be the all time best UNC team.....yes, better than Black, Daugherty, Perkins, Worthy, Jordan and company.

That makes it a measuring stick game. I would not be surprised in the least if the Tigers end up with 13 ACC regular season victories this year. We did not play our A game Sunday night and still had a chance to win in both regulation and overtime.......... Against a great UNC team!

Thanks,

Dennis

Dennis,

I am looking more at a 10-6 record in the conference. A 13-3 record would mean a #2 seed in the NCAA and a top ten national ranking. I think this team will play well Saturday against FSU and next week against NC State.

Mickey,
Man, the parallels between Purnell and Bowden are beginning to develop.
Can't quite get over the hump.

Free throws vs Special Teams.....
Losing a close one.....

How many years will Purnell be given to win the ACC before folks turn on
him?

Charles

Charles,
The ACC in football and the ACC in basketball are two different stories. The Tigers have improved each year under Purnell and each year they have had more wins. He will be at Clemson as long as he wants to be here.

Hi Mickey

I enjoy your blog and morning show and I hope you keep it up. Since the Peach Bowl (I guess that shows my age) I have been very amused by all of our expert resident coaches who call in or write to Tigernet to complain that our offense is to predictable and that Spence must go. Is throwing a pass while having a second down on the two yard line predictable? Of course not. The issue there was not the play selection it was the play execution.

I challenge any of these expert coaches who complain that Spence's play calling is to predictable to come sit with me at the Alabama vs Clemson football game and accurately predict what exact play Clemson is going to run between the placement of the ball and the snap, or within 24 seconds. Anyone who can do that correctly for 80% of the plays run, I will buy them dinner anywhere in Greenville they would like to go. If they fail then they can buy me dinner. It seems to me that would be an easy task for all of those offensive gurus.

Maybe you should gather all those expert coaches resumes and forward them on to Arthur Blank. I hear he is looking for a coaching genius.

David

David,

I am glad surgery is not a popular sport. If it was then we would have people volunteering to perform surgery better than the trained professional. Spence has done a good job and the offense has broken many records since his arrival.

Hey Mickey,

I'm a fan of your blogs as well as your radio show. I was just wondering since we seem to have such tremendous depth on the defensive line (especially if Merling stays), is there any chance that we try to move Jamie Cumbie to Tight End? We seem to have a lack of athletes at that position and it would be a shame to see such a talented monster remain second on the depth chart his entire career. He has great size for the position and has some experience there from high school. Just curious about your thoughts. Thank you.

Marc

Marc,
If DaQuan Bowers was not coming in the spring then I think Cumbie might have moved back. However, Bowers changes everything. I think the defensive end depth chart would be talented with Bowers, Kevin Alexander and Jarrett Crittenton.

Mickey:

I guess you know that your Blog today probably doomed the basketball team to a mediocre season. You would have been wiser to predict a losing season in the conference -- knock on wood!

Kirk

Kirk,
I take full responsibility for the loss on Wednesday. I should have known not to “doom” the program. Sorry.

Mickey,
Do you know if Danny Pearman will stay on the staff at Duke? If not do you know where he may end up? It seems to me that even though we don't have any open vacancies on the coaching staff, it would still be great to try and get him. I know that one thing that would help unite the fan base a little bit would be having at least one coach with a bridge to the past. If anything he could help make the players more physical while also showing the team the awesome responsibility they have to uphold the traditions and honors of Clemson football. Plus he seems to have done well at UA and VT, and I know all the high school coaches here in Charlotte love him as do other high schools in the Carolinas. Thank you for fielding my question.

Parker

Parker,

Coach Pearman was not retained at Duke. I have not spoken to him in the new year but will to get in touch soon and will get you guys an update. I have always been a Danny “Dog” Pearman fan and have always hoped he would get a chance to return to Clemson.

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Posted by Mickey Plyler @ 09:48 AM EST [ Comments [5] ]