Tigers look to bounce back, again
Clemson hoping to have short-term memory and avoid another letdown
By Travis Sawchik
CLEMSON — As the Clemson Tigers basketball team boarded a plane to return to the Upstate 0-for-54 at Chapel Hill on Wednesday night, some fans were likely rolling their eyes. Not so much because of a loss to a quality North Carolina team, but rather in here-we-go-again fashion.
For the fourth straight season, Clemson has burst out to a fast, poll-ascending start. The Tigers won at least their first 10 games each year since the start of the 2005-06 season. But in the three previous seasons, optimism, public opinion and winning waned upon entering midseason and ACC play.
Clemson followers have seen this play before.
Tiger Tracks
Check out what Travis has to say about the Tigers on the Clemson blog, Tiger Tracks.
Since the 1989-90 season, the Tigers have enjoyed second-half winning records in just three seasons, the only three seasons during that time period when they finished better than .500 in ACC play. To keep credibility, Sunday's 7:45 p.m. home game against Georgia Tech appears to be a must-have.
"We need to bounce back and look forward to the next game,'' said Clemson coach Oliver Purnell of his post-game conversation with the Tigers in Chapel Hill. "We have to make sure when we really emphasize doing something from a technical standpoint, whether it be transition defense or getting ball inside or whatever, we have to do a better job of it.
"If we don't in this league this kind of thing can happen.''
Indeed. The ACC is an unforgiving place, just ask Wake Forest.
The Tigers stressed transition defense in Sunday and Monday's film and practice sessions, lessons that went unheeded in the second half Wednesday, in a raucous Dean Smith Center.
Clemson also neglected Trevor Booker inside, the ACC's most accurate shooter, and the result was few points in the paint and less sagging off Tigers shooters in the second half.
"We didn't throw the ball inside enough,'' Booker said afterward. "We weren't tough enough.''
Said Purnell: "We definitely want to get him touches. I think he only got three shots in the first half.''
While the streak was the major storyline Wednesday, Clemson is now 2-2 in the league.
The losses are mitigated by the fact that they came against top —five caliber teams. Nonetheless, the Tigers are caught in a bottleneck with fellow .500 clubs Florida State and Maryland, looking up at Duke (4-0), Wake Forest (3-1), Virginia Tech (3-1), North Carolina (3-2) and Miami (3-2) in the ACC standings.
Clemson knows impressive non-conference resumes can quickly become worthless.
In the three previous seasons, the Tigers jumped out to 11-0, 17-0 and 10-0 starts before finishing with a combined mark of 24-24 in ACC play, and missing out on the NCAA Tournament twice.
Knowing this history Clemson fans will be following the Tigers curiously and cautiously, but as Purnell said earlier this week, in the ACC, having short memory on the court is critical.
Reach Travis Sawchik at tsawchik@postandcourier.com, and check out the Clemson blog Tiger Tracks at Charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/.
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Comments
theronce (anonymous) says...
We get another shot at both of those losses. I'll take a split this year with those two.
January 23, 2009 at 6:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
actually, we only play unc the one time. Next year, we'll only play unc once also but it'll be at Littlejohn. The Tigers do play Wake Forest at Lawrence Joel Coliseum later this season.
January 23, 2009 at 7:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
Aw, shucks.
January 23, 2009 at 8:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
And a side note to this unspeakable streak: Long ago when usc was still in the ACC, usc and Clemson used to participate in what was called the North South Doubleheader against two ACC teams from tobacco road (always unc and one of the other 3)--the games were played on a Friday and Saturday in Charlotte. In 1967, riding on Randy Mahaffey's (the 3rd of the 4 Mahaffey Bros. who played at Clemson) 31 points, Clemson soundly defeated unc. That game counted as a "home game" for unc in conference stats. So, while this in NO WAY abates the issue, technically speaking Clemson actually has defeated unc "at home".
Once won $50.00 from an ill-informed unc Ph.d student on exactly that trivia question.
January 23, 2009 at 9:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rggr (anonymous) says...
Interesting info, ashleyriver. Thanks.
January 23, 2009 at 10:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
You know, I had forgotten about those games. They played them when I got there in '69. You ought to let those pompous talking heads on ESPN know that, but then that could cut into any future potential income.
January 23, 2009 at 10:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
robbybobby (anonymous) says...
let's get this image: ash talking to pompous talking heads. All he needs is a mirror.
January 23, 2009 at 12:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
You ain't often civil, but you are funny this time, robby.
January 23, 2009 at 12:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
While robbybobby--perpetual rider in the rear of the short bus---"ain't often civil", he is habitually moronic.
Congrats, robbybobby---I see you found your way out of that cul-de-sac......its tough getting lost in one of those, I guess
January 23, 2009 at 12:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rebel1 (anonymous) says...
Since the puttykats live in their own dream world, please sports world state that the puttykats have gone 0-54 at chapel hill. The home of the tarheels. Geez, you have got to be kidding me.
January 23, 2009 at 1:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ashleyriver (anonymous) says...
and like roaches scurrying from underneath the dumpster, here comes another of the gamecock mental midgets.....could someone please hand me the Raid so the educated world won't have to explain all the big words nor the relevance of history.
oh, sorry rebelyell:
relevance - [rel-uh-vuhnts]
adjective bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; pertinent: a relevant remark.
January 23, 2009 at 1:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
softbatch (anonymous) says...
% that either robbybobby and/or Rebel sports a mullet?
I will say 96%.
January 23, 2009 at 2:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sptiger (anonymous) says...
bobbinrobby & rebel - care to comment on the following two links? You two are so quick to jump on anything negative about Clemson. I figure that if you can dish it, you better be able to take it.
http://www.dixiefriedsports.com/Why_C...
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/st...
Reading might be tough for you two but take as much time as you need to process the aforementioned articles. Come back and tell us all of your findings. That is if you aren't too cowardly to do so. Something tells me though that you will both be sliming your way back on here. To everyone else - enjoy the articles!
January 23, 2009 at 3:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sbs920 (anonymous) says...
CU basketball: the orange doormats of the acc
Travis c'mon. . . "bounce back" ? from what?
a double digit loss to WF in Little Jaudice on natl TV, bounce back from what? then 24 pt destruction to UNC and the new NCAA record climbs to 0-54! woooohoooo!
you must mean get "bounced". . .
And now Duke on the Horizon. . . LOL!
Travis, GBTO ! Just GBTO!
January 23, 2009 at 4:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
surfer (anonymous) says...
If Spurrier does get it done it will be another couple of years and it will depend on the hires we made this year. I have no doubt the changes he has made in attitude of the players and fan base (despite what was reported in the press towards the end of this year) is the first step in turning the corner. The absolute worst mistake we ever made was being independent for so long. We lost a major momentum and recruiting edge that you don't gain back simply by joining a conference again even if it is the best football conference ever. We will NEVER erase the past, but I think we're taking to right steps to turn the corner. We'll have some stumbling blocks but things should get better.
January 23, 2009 at 10:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
robbybobby (anonymous) says...
sptiger - good link on the dixie fried sports. Always said it was location, location, location. Love the school, hate the place. Too much concrete. At least no orange clay. Some things just aren't worth it.
PS - flattop.
January 24, 2009 at 9:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rebel1 (anonymous) says...
"and like roaches scurrying from underneath the dumpster, here comes another of the gamecock mental midgets.....could someone please hand me the Raid so the educated world won't have to explain all the big words nor the relevance of history." ............... Hum, and this ststement is coming from the idiot that wrote about the big 12(XII) by writing xxII and a couple of other ways , none of which were right.. I believe we were taught roman numerals in second grade. TALK ABOUT IDIOTS
January 26, 2009 at 11:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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