Monday January 14, 2008

The Save; NC State; Recruiting

The Save
As a kid, and even in recent years it always seemed to me that once a year I would catch a Georgia game on the radio and the Dawgs were in trouble. It was usually against a Vanderbilt or a Kentucky when Georgia was a heavy favorite but they would seem to find their way in a hole late in the third quarter. It was at this time almost every year that Georgia would block a punt or make a big interception that turned the tide back in Georgia’s direction and the Dawgs would usually hang on for a close win.

At some point in the last few seconds of those wins or even in the post games you could hear the Dawgs play-by-play announcer Larry Munson claim, “We just reached up and saved ourselves. We saved our season!” Munson would state.

On Saturday night in Littlejohn Coliseum Clemson’s basketball team saved itself and their season not once, but twice.

Around 8:30 PM on Saturday the Tigers had an 11-point lead and seemed to be in total control of the game and their season. Fifteen minutes later Clemson was in desperation mode. The James Mays rebound with a broken hand and his awareness to hit Trevor Booker for a chance at a three-pointer were huge but it only set up one of the finest moments in recent years in Clemson basketball.

Booker’s banked buzzer beater bomb (analyst’s alliterations) was one of those shots that we will share with each other for many years. It was one of those shots that you will remember where you were when it went in. It was a historical effort but it was only a co-play of the game.

Fifteen minutes later the Tigers were in desperation mode for the second time as they trailed by two with less than four seconds to go in oveftime. It was Mays again but this time it was a rebound and a put back that sent the rafters shaking in Littlejohn again. Co-play of the game. Co-play of the season.

The two buzzer beaters set up a three-point party hosted by Terrence Oglesby and the rest of the Tigers. Oglesby had the confidence and rhythm that resonated throughout the coliseum. Not only did he know they were going in but the fans also knew it. Think about how often that happens.

In his post game radio interview Purnell said that as great as the North Carolina game was, the FSU game probably was a better basketball game. It was two teams that played very hard for 50 minutes and probably one of the best games in Littlejohn history.

This is one we need to savor for a while. We need to celebrate some incredible individual performances like:

*Trevor Booker’s 29 points this evening, the second highest scoring game of his career and on the heels of his career best 32 the previous game against Charlotte. Booker was 10-12 from the field including 3-3 from behind the arch.

*Oglesby was held scoreless in the first half before going on a rampage in the second stanza and the two overtimes. The freshman hit 19 points including 6-10 from three. He was 4-4 on three pointers in the overtime periods.

*Mays gave a gutsy effort with 16 points and 11 rebounds despite playing with a heavy bandage on his left hand.

*I was impressed Jerai Grant and thought his effort gives the staff a reason to be excited about the future.

NC State
Now the Tigers turn their attention to NC State which comes to town Tuesday. In many ways this is a really fascinating matchup. First, the Tigers are coming off a different defensive agenda with the FSU game and the Seminole’s four-guard offense and now must shift its focus to the Wolfpack. NC State is a post-oriented offense with four terrific interior offensive players.

If Clemson does have an advantage in Tuesday’s game it will be in the perimeter. The Tigers need to exploit the Wolfpack’s backcourt and impose their will on State.

The second aspect the upcoming game that I find interesting is the mental and emotional side of each team. Clemson is coming off an emotional win against Florida State and a busy week with the losses to Charlotte and North Carolina. State is coming off a very disappointing loss at arch-rival North Carolina in a game where the Tar Heels went on a 25-0 run in the blowout.

How each team reacts to the challenge will be a huge factor when you also consider both teams have one less day to prepare because the game is Tuesday instead of Wednesday.

Recruiting
I told many that I would not expect too many commitments to come out of the weekend but I am hearing outstanding news from the weekend.

The staff now is worried about scholarships as the number of suitors might outnumber the number of spots available. The challenge now is to determine which player or two to turn down and which player or two to take.

Jamie Harper, R.J. Mattes, Antoine McClain, Kenneth Page, Brandon Thompson, Benjamin Jones, Jeremy Lewis, Jerrell Harris and Jaron Brown are nine of the top players Clemson is still waiting on but the staff only has four or five slots still available.

The most difficult aspects now are the decisions. It is a good problem to have but what do you do if Harper, Mattes, Page, Thompson and Brown are committed and McClain and/or Harris want to commit. My guess is that the staff will always find a way to make it work and you never turn down a great player. Three years ago Clemson was full at his position but aren’t you glad they made room for Chris Chancellor now.

I can remember not too long ago Clemson did not have this problem. It was just a few short years ago that heart break late in the process seemed to be the norm.

So now Clemson will wait as some of their targets take official visits to LSU, Southern Cal, Auburn, Florida and Miami. That beats waiting on prospects visiting schools some of our rivals are waiting on.

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