From: dhead@comanche.ess.harris.com (David Head)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college
Subject: Re: Wake Forest forfeits to Rhode Island (
Date: 22 Dec 92 16:25:37 GMT
Reply-To: dhead@comanche.ess.harris.com
Organization: Harris Corporation, Government Aerospace Systems Division

In article 14282@hubcap.clemson.edu, grimlok@hubcap.clemson.edu (Mike Percy) writes:
>dhead@comanche.ess.harris.com (David Head) writes:
>
>>In article 1487@hubcap.clemson.edu, grimlok@hubcap.clemson.edu (Mike Percy) writes:
>>>Clemson news:  Clemson won its first road game since traveling to
>>>Western Carolina last Jan. 29th for a victory (you have to go back to
>>>Feb. 21 1990 when Clemson beat Wake Forest for the previous road win --
>>>no road wins in 90-91).  Clemson defeated Furman on the road Thursday
>>>night and the Citadel in Littlejohn Saturday.  The Tiger's take on
>>>Davidson tonight, then go to Charlotte to play App. State in the ACC-SC
>>>double header (and Wake Forest will play Davidson), come home for Mercer
>>>and Furman before starting the ACC season with games at Duke and at
>>>Virginia.  Currently at 5-0, Clemson should be 9-0 when the ACC season
>>>starts. 
>
>>And Southern Conference Champions, right????  What is Clemson doing playing
>>this many Southern Conference schools? (Furman, Western Carolina, Citadel,
>>Appalachian State, Davidson)  I went to Appalachian State and I know we liked
>>taking on the bigger schools (I seem to remember a big 3-2 win in soccer over
>>Clemson around 1980 or so ... ah well.) but I can't see how this will help 
>>Clemson to be competitive with #1 Duke and #5 UNC later in the season.  Of
>>course since I also went to Florida State, I guess I shouldn't be too 
>>concerned over how competitive Clemson is! :-)  :-)
> 
> 
>Exactly, we can't win the ACC, but maybe we can win the Southern
>Conference!  Actually, we aren't playing Western Carolina this year.

But would you get the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament that goes with
it?  :-)  :-)  To be fair about it, you need to play East Tennessee State,
one of the strongest basketball teams in the SoCon.

>Clemson has had Furman and the Citadel on the schedule pretty much full
>time, along with South Carolina as in-state games (and tossing in the
>odd in-state game against SC State, Newberry, Presbyterian, Charleston
>Southern, etc.).  Our home-home situation with Furman this year is a
>result of UNC-C realigning their schedule.

I would think with Greenville being just up the road from Clemson, that
"Vermin" would be a natural warmup for Clemson in most sports.

>
>As the historic stomping mat of the ACC, tough non-conference teams are
>not very interested in playing Clemson when they could have a try at
>Duke or UNC and other ACC teams with national recognition.  And Clemson
>is usually happy to have a weak schedule in December.  I think that the
>perpetual weakness was hurting more than helping, and that the schedule
>is better than in recent years, with a few teams who played in last
>year's tournament and some others who are bound for this year's.

I don't see any reason Clemson needs to keep their position as the
"historic stomping mat of the ACC".  The ACC label alone should be enough
to get the blue chip recruits.  All they really need is a coach to lead
them there.  Look at Georgia Tech.  I don't think they were exactly
winning ACC games right and left BC (Before Cremins, who was shamelessly
stolen from Appalachian State!) and now they are a perennial power.  The
same thing could happen at Clemson (don't laugh you Duke and Carolina fans!)

>
>New bright spots:  For the team who last year set the record for
>poorest free throw shooting at 59%, Clemson (6-0) as a team has shot over 65%
>(not great, but hey) in every game so far.  Last year, they did that
>only 7 times total.  CU is shooting better than 50% from the floor as
>well, with very balanced scoring with 1 or 2 in the 20s, 3 more in the
>teens, and usually 1 or two more with 8 or 9.  And people who can do it
>all too: e.g., senior point guard Chris Whitney scored 20 points, 8
>rebounds, 7 assists and had 4 steals against Davidson last night on a
>6-12 6-6 shooting night.  Clemson has been fouled far more many times
>than they've fouled (one night they shot 28-43 from the line).  Former
>UCLA walk-on Lou Ritchie (eligible last week) has added to our bench as
>a second capable point guard -- we actually have a bench!
>
>It may not be enough to come out ahead in the conference, but it sure
>won't be as ugly as things got last year...

Good; competitiveness will only help the conference.  You think FSU has
any new rivalries going after last year? ;-)  ;-)

>
>Oh, yeah...even Clemson beat FSU once last year...

Yeah, yeah, I remember.  Don't remind me.  But ... we did finish second
in the conference, behind the national champions!  (By the way, you being
from Clemson, I don't EVEN want to talk about last year's college baseball
series with Clemson.  Did Clemson borrow the Atlanta Braves for those games??)

>
>Mike Percy             | grimlok@hubcap.clemson.edu  | I don't know about
>Sr. Systems Analyst    | mspercy@clemson.clemson.edu | your brain, but mine
>Info. Sys. Development | mspercy@clemson.BITNET      | is really...bossy.
>Clemson University     | (803) 656-3780              | (Laurie Anderson)