Friday March 14, 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 cannot believe that Clemson fans don't have the expectations that I think we should have. Ask ANY player on that team what they expect. If it's not win the ACC and at least get to the elite 8 or maybe final 4. Unless anyone has been under a rock we know we know we SHOULD HAVE COULD HAVE beat NC= 2x and Duke once Without having to play the guys in stripes those 3 games Clemson could have been a #2 seed in the ACC right now. So how can anyone being a Clemson fan not have the expectations as Duke or NC fans. Yes, I would love to have an ACC ring and a berth in the NCAA bar none. Clemson has bar none the best team ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But you have to want it and then go get it.
Have a great day
Mike
Mike,
I love the optimism! When Clemson plays well the Tigers can obviously play with anyone in the country. I like the fact that Purnell has openly talked about winning it all in Charlotte and the NCAA tournament. At the same time, I think we all need to understand that the Tigers can lose to anyone left in front of them also. K.C. Rivers has had a couple of down games and Booker has been in foul trouble. Hopefully, this team will peak at the right time.
Great blog today Mickey.
A TNetter grabbed the "tradition never graduates" theme and ran a different direction with it...not sure if you saw it.....I'll paraphrase the TNetter
Clemson has a basketball tradition that we need to graduate....
Could be this weekend is a major "graduation" for the CU Basketball Program. I sure hope so....I'm tired of play- in games, I'm tired of Thursday's absolutely must win games and I'm tired of "hollow prayers" on selection Sundays....
GO TIGERS !!
Thanks Mickey....
Dennis
Dennis,
I did not see that but I understand. In many ways I think just making it as far as they have is a graduation. I am so satisfied with a bye in the ACC tournament and an NCAA bid that now I think any win is only icing on the cake. It would be nice to hang a banner or two in Littlejohn after this season. Hopefully the magic will be there.
Early season Baseball predication.
Based on what we’ve seen so far and considering winning the majority of weekday games.
Overall - 36 - 20
Conference - 16 – 14
This may even be a stretch considering the pitching.
This splits with UGA
Goes 1-3 with USC
Beats the likes of Elon, PC, Furman, WCar etc.
Goes 2-1 with BC, MD, Duke, NC State
Goes 1-2 with FSU, Mia, GaTech, UNC (already 1-2 with Wake)
Goes 3-0 with VA Tech
Don’t see any way to win 40 at this point. May be a stretch to break 500 in the conference.
Not sure 16-14 would make the round-robin ACC tourney.
Might be tough to get into a regional; maybe from former reputation; no way to host.
Need to sign some pitchers soon, along with some power.
I know it has killed CU to lose so many highly touted recruits to the draft before they ever step on campus.
How can Leggett turn this trend around?
Your thoughts.
Bill
Bill,
The season is early and Leggett has turned around seasons in the past so I am confident in his abilities. However, like last year’s team, this team has some issues. I don’t see run producers in the middle of the lineup. There is not a natural lead-off hitter. The starting pitching has been average. The bullpen has been bad in spots. But perhaps the most disappointing aspect so far has been the defense. Now, this team has been able to come from behind and win close games. I think the injuries have been a factor and youth is certainly a big factor. Hopefully they can turn it around but I am cautious at this time. Long term it is difficult because if you recruit better players then many can go pro. I do wish Clemson would sign bigger players at run producing positions but Jack knows more than all of us combined so I will yield to him.
Mickey –
I would like to know if IPTAY feels that the Seat Equity Plan has been a success based on the responses it has received. It has been a little over 3 weeks since the deadline for the 2008 IPTAY dues and the only thing that we have heard from the IPTAY office is cricket chirps. I understand that there are a lot of requests to process, but a large portion of the applications were handled through the website. Do you know when IPTAY will release the results and whether the new IPTAY donations met the goals of the Seat Equity Plan? I would hope that my increased donation had a positive result overall to the goals of the Plan and not just give me a shot at a better seat. THANKS!
Phil
Phil,
I asked Billy D this about two weeks ago and he said they are still gathering all of the information. I can understand. Remember this is a very complicated system and they want to make sure they are thorough in their process. Billy D will be on my radio show in the next week or 10 days and that will be the first question I ask. Wish I could have been more helpful today but they are still gathering all of the data.
Hello Mickey,
The win against Virginia Tech was not pretty. Yet, it gave us third place in the ACC which gives us an extra day of rest before we begin tournament play. I hope we are able to correct some of the problems that continued to plague us from the earlier loss to Georgia Tech, but, nonetheless, it was a win.
Kirk
Kirk,
When Rivers struggles, Clemson struggles on offense. Booker was in foul trouble again. Stitt and Oglesby played well enough to save the offense. I still think Rivers and Booker are the keys to the offense.
Hey Mickey,
I guess I should start by saying that I am only a freshman at Clemson currently, so perhaps I am not as wise as many of your other readers. I have been coming to Clemson for football games since I was 2 years old, though, and I believe my blood runs as orange as any other Tiger fan. Like everyone else that’s ever read it, I love your blog. Recently, some things that have been said by you and other readers really grabbed my attention.
When it comes to Tigger vs. Eeyore I think your post can be taken to heart by many Clemson fans when it comes to basketball. Coach Purnell is attempting to (and succeeding in) changing the culture surrounding Tiger basketball (how about those Tigers on Senior night!) . However, I believe football is another story. In my experience as a Clemson fan, most certainly over the past couple years, if there was anything we as a fan base had plenty of was optimism and high expectations surrounding our football team. In fact, I might say that at times, the expectations of some of the fans have been a bit too high. And I believe these expectations create a sort of culture surrounding our football team – a negative one. A large portion of the fan base seems to never be satisfied, and I’m not sure an encouragement of increased optimism and an elevation of expectations is safe. Recent e-mailers have stated that they believe our fans will be surprised when Clemson is not only in the running for the ACC championship but also the National Championship. I do not disagree at all with the proposed results for the season, but I think that very few fans, at this point would honestly be ‘surprised’ by that result. Our expectations are set that high right now, which is an awesome situation to be in, but also very dangerous. If (I shudder to even think it) the Tigers don’t win the ACC this year (which I believe, like everyone else, that they will), Coach Bowden will jump right back on his perpetual ‘hot seat’ and there will be those calling for his job – which I despise (I don’t believe there is another coach out there that is better suited for this program than Coach Bowden). This creates a feeling of instability, which can’t help recruiting and/or locker room attitude (a feeling I can only hope is countered by Coach Bowden’s recent extension).
I suppose what I am attempting to say is that, perhaps we should collectively take a step back and look at the situation we are in. How great it is to be a Clemson Tiger right now! I would never EVER ask a fan to lower his/her expectations or become a pessimist. But understand that if the team falls short the endless barrage of negativity has to take its toll on the staff and most importantly the players. That is something those of us who seem to never be satisfied should remember come fall.
Randall
Randall,
Great e-mail. Thanks for the interest. I think you are correct but it is hard to get control over expectations now. I understand both sides. Basketball is tougher at Clemson because of the conference and a lack of tradition. So I think Purnell’s job is tougher. I think Bowden will be criticized until he wins the league and hopefully that will be this season. Stay optimistic and stay in touch!
Mickey,
Who are our official basketball recruits for this upcoming class? I see where Mbai Olivier is listed as verbal - has he not officially signed an LOI yet? Coach Smith was here in VA a couple of weeks ago at the Peninsula District Finals watching Mbai and his Bethel team win the district (they have now advanced to the state semi finals) but I was curious if he was a LOI signee yet. Also, is it a definite with the guy from the Asheville area?
Thanks!
KSC
KSC,
Olivier has been reclassified so he is a junior in high school right now. His transcripts needed this and he will be higher recruited next season.
In the upcoming class Clemson has signed three players--Catalin Baciu a 7-1 center from Asheville, Tanner Smith a 6-5 wing player from Norcross, GA and Andre Young a 5-8 point guard from Albany, GA. All three will be in Clemson in August.
They may sign one more for this class and Travis Leslie a 6-4 wing from Atlanta is the best bet at this time.
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Horace Grant's senior year was our best team. We were 25-2 going into our final regular season game at Duke when Grayson Marshall hurt his ankle. The ensuing 4 game losing steak is one of my more painful Clemson memories. The team still finished 13th in the final AP poll and Horace was named ACC player of the year.
Posted by CLEMS75 on March 14, 2008 at 10:51 AM EDT #
Horace Grant's senior year was our best team. We were 25-3 going into our final regular season game at Duke when Grayson Marshall hurt his ankle. The ensuing 3 game losing steak is one of my more painful Clemson memories. The team still finished 13th in the final AP poll and Horace was named ACC player of the year.
Posted by CLEMS75 on March 14, 2008 at 10:54 AM EDT #
Well Clems75, it does'nt matter if it was 3 or 4 games, losing STEAK is always painful!
Posted by CM Shack on March 14, 2008 at 01:39 PM EDT #
Does anybody realize that if we lost to VaTech we still would have been the 4 seed and got a guaranteed bye and would be matched up with UNC in the semis rather than dook. We match up well with UNC, not so well with dook because all of their big guys can shoot the 3 (with the exception of zoubek). UNC is a more traditional offensive team which we can handle with our inside presence (Mays, Booker, Sykes, and Grant).
Posted by drock4484 on March 14, 2008 at 02:39 PM EDT #
Posted by rdt815 on March 16, 2008 at 08:28 PM EDT #