Friday, May 1, 2009
We've moved
As we posted earlier today CUOrange Blog has moved to a new location. Please bookmark THIS LOCATION and visit often.
CUOrange Press Release
May 1, 2009 - CUOrange World Headquarters Buda, TX
CUOrange is proud to announce that in the coming weeks we will be upgrading our site due to the ever increasing interest in our site.
This upgrade will require a new, though similar address, so please bookmark the new address when we notified of the change.
This upgrade will allow us to post relevant video content and enhance our reader's experience.
From his office, CUOrange President and CEO Marty Coleman said, "Our readership and the public at large has been demanding this upgrade for some time. We have grown to the point where our current site cannot keep up with the demand and we refuse to compromise our customer's viewing experience. It is our intent to complete this upgrade within the next two weeks with no interruption in service to our loyal readers."
CUOrange saw their site hits explode when the editors successfully picked the NCAA basketball champion from a field of 65 in March.
CUOrange will maintain this site for an undetermined period of time in order to faciliate the move to the new software.
CUOrange is proud to announce that in the coming weeks we will be upgrading our site due to the ever increasing interest in our site.
This upgrade will require a new, though similar address, so please bookmark the new address when we notified of the change.
This upgrade will allow us to post relevant video content and enhance our reader's experience.
From his office, CUOrange President and CEO Marty Coleman said, "Our readership and the public at large has been demanding this upgrade for some time. We have grown to the point where our current site cannot keep up with the demand and we refuse to compromise our customer's viewing experience. It is our intent to complete this upgrade within the next two weeks with no interruption in service to our loyal readers."
CUOrange saw their site hits explode when the editors successfully picked the NCAA basketball champion from a field of 65 in March.
CUOrange will maintain this site for an undetermined period of time in order to faciliate the move to the new software.
Friday Follies
Clemson fans have been known to be creative. Especially when it involves torturing our feathered friends from Columbia. There was the billboard and of course the YouTube Video of Hitler set to subtitles of Spurrier ranting over the latest loss to the Tigers and a lowly ACC team (again).
This week we share a couple of pictures discovered while cruising the Internet on Clemson sites. One doctored a bit, the other simply titled "Our Rivalry Is Broken".
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Clemson baseball statistical analysis
Clemson baseball rankings in the critical categories through games of April 29, 2009. The pitching remains the high point and there has been improvement across the board over the last month. Work to do if they hope to make it out of a regional.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tigers take 2 of 3 from Jackets
Clemson (30-15, 14-10) beat Georgia Tech on Sunday to win the series 2 games to 1.
After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the 1st, the Tigers rallied for 3 in the bottom of the first and never trailed again in route to a 6-3 victory.
Wilson Boyd went 3-3 with 2 RBI in the victory over 4th ranked Tech (28-11-1, 14-7-1).
Georgia Tech won game 1, 5-4 on Friday, and Clemson rebounded for a 8-5 win on Saturday.
Trey Delk (2-1), the first of 4 pitchers for Clemson pitched 3 innings to pick up the victory.
The Tigers are off until Saturday, when the Maryland Terrapins come in for a 3 game series.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Friday Follies
In our first Friday Follies we present the Washington Natinals. No, that's not a misprint. That's how the soon to be out of business Majestic Athletic spelled the team name on the jersey's of Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman this week. The jerseys were worn for three innings before the players changed into jerseys with the names spelled correctly.
No word on whether the players realized the team name was spelled incorrectly.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Clemson unloads on Gamecocks, 12-2
What a difference 24 hours makes. Yesterday at this time the Tigers (28-14, 12-9) were facing a 3-1 deficit to Coastal Carolina with two strikes and two outs in the 9th and a tough road game at arch rival South Carolina tonight. Suddenly, 26-16 was staring the Tigers in the face. We know what happened next.
This evening it took the Tigers until the 6th inning to get a hit, but then the floodgates opened for 12 runs over the last 4 innings, including a solo home run by Ben Paulsen and a 3 run shot by Kyle Parker. Parker finished the night 2-4 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI.
Clemson finished the game with 11 hits, while holding South Carolina (27-15) to 6.
Parker now sits at .301 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI. Not bad for a guy who started the first two weeks of the season in the .130 range.
Scott Weismann started for the Tigers and pitched 4 shutout innings. Matt Vaughn (3-1) followed with 3 shutout innings to pick up the win. Thomas Cruz finished the game for the Tigers allowing two runs in two innings.
Make no mistake, this team still has some shortcomings and will struggle against good pitching in the regionals. Defense can also be a question mark at times. However, the last two nights the Tigers have showed some resiliency, first at home and then on the road in a hostile environment against their arch rival that has dominated the series lately.
How far, if anywhere, will these two wins take the Tigers? We'll begin to find out Friday against Georgia Tech in the first game of a three game series in Clemson.
This evening it took the Tigers until the 6th inning to get a hit, but then the floodgates opened for 12 runs over the last 4 innings, including a solo home run by Ben Paulsen and a 3 run shot by Kyle Parker. Parker finished the night 2-4 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBI.
Clemson finished the game with 11 hits, while holding South Carolina (27-15) to 6.
Parker now sits at .301 with 10 home runs and 45 RBI. Not bad for a guy who started the first two weeks of the season in the .130 range.
Scott Weismann started for the Tigers and pitched 4 shutout innings. Matt Vaughn (3-1) followed with 3 shutout innings to pick up the win. Thomas Cruz finished the game for the Tigers allowing two runs in two innings.
Make no mistake, this team still has some shortcomings and will struggle against good pitching in the regionals. Defense can also be a question mark at times. However, the last two nights the Tigers have showed some resiliency, first at home and then on the road in a hostile environment against their arch rival that has dominated the series lately.
How far, if anywhere, will these two wins take the Tigers? We'll begin to find out Friday against Georgia Tech in the first game of a three game series in Clemson.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Schaus' 2 out grand slam in 9th lifts Tigers
Jeff Schaus' slam was preceded by Chris Epps working a walk on a 3-2 count after fouling off two pitches. Schaus' game winner came on the very next pitch.
Clinton McKinney (3-0) was the winning pitcher for Clemson (27-14, 12-10). Coastal Carolina, ranked #18, falls to 30-10.
Clemson travels to Columbia tomorrow to take on South Carolina for the final time this season.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Tigers salvage game 3
After losing the first two games of the series by scores of 5-2 and 7-3, Clemson (26-14, 12-9) took game 3 by a score of 8-1 in Blacksburg, VA on Sunday.
Kyle Parker hit a three run homer and Casey Harman (4-3) pitched 6 innings of shut out ball for the Tigers. Mike Freeman went 3-4 with a HR and 3 RBI and Matt Sanders also had 3 hits for the Tigers.
The Tigers have a huge week ahead, both out of conference (single games with Coastal Carolina and at South Carolina) and in conference (3 games against Georgia Tech) in the coming week.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Legend of Kyle Parker
Kyle Parker hasn't played a down of football yet, but his legend is growing among Clemson fans, cemented by his triple duty on Saturday. Kyle played QB for the winning "White" team on Saturday beginning at noon completing 13 of 21 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown while not throwing an interception. Immediately after the spring game ended Parker crossed the street and arrived in the 3rd inning of the Tigers baseball game with Miami. He entered the game as a pinch hitter and singled home a run. He later homered in that game. In game two against Miami he also homered, bringing his baseball totals for the day to 3 for 7 with 2 HRs and 5 RBI. Not a bad day.
All Parker has done at the plate since spring football ended is go 8 for 11, scored 5 runs and tallied 8 RBI, with 2 HR including a grand slam.
I've seen athletes at Clemson compete in two sports before, most notably Mike Eppley as a QB for the football team and point guard for the basketball team in the 80s. Eppley was good at both sports, but he wasn't the burgeoning superstar that Parker is in baseball (All ACC and Freshman All-American in what should have been his senior year of high school) or the celebrated QB that Parker was (Elite 11 QB, 10th ranked pro-style QB) coming out of high school.
There were some who said Kyle Parker would never play a down of college football because of Willy Korn. I'm here to tell you they were wrong. I have no idea if he will be a super star QB, a four year starter, or even start this fall. My guess is he will play and he will play well. It's rapidly becoming apparent that Parker has the focus and drive to be good in two sports and we are just beginning to see the athlete that Parker will become.
I've seen athletes at Clemson compete in two sports before, most notably Mike Eppley as a QB for the football team and point guard for the basketball team in the 80s. Eppley was good at both sports, but he wasn't the burgeoning superstar that Parker is in baseball (All ACC and Freshman All-American in what should have been his senior year of high school) or the celebrated QB that Parker was (Elite 11 QB, 10th ranked pro-style QB) coming out of high school.
There were some who said Kyle Parker would never play a down of college football because of Willy Korn. I'm here to tell you they were wrong. I have no idea if he will be a super star QB, a four year starter, or even start this fall. My guess is he will play and he will play well. It's rapidly becoming apparent that Parker has the focus and drive to be good in two sports and we are just beginning to see the athlete that Parker will become.
Parker's slam leads Clemson
Kyle Parker continued his torrid two weeks by hitting a first inning grand slam as Clemson (25-12, 11-7) humbled Western Carolina (20-14) for the second straight night. Parker finished the night 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 4 RBI in the 13-2 win.
The Tigers banged out 15 hits during the contest, while 5 pitchers combined to give up only 7 hits.
Alex Frederick (1-0) got the win for Clemson.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Spring football thoughts
As spring practice ends, some thoughts and observations about the Tigers outlook for 2009, especially with a new coaching staff in place and an upgraded non-conference schedule that includes TCU.
Coaching
This is one of the biggest question marks for me. Love Dabo, but he is unproven. While it's not completely fair to judge him solely by what occurred on the field over the final 7 games last year, there are definitely things that need to be improved upon, namely the timing and tempo of the offense, getting plays in quickly, efficient use of timeouts and better play calling.
While the defense has upgraded the staff with veteran, proven hires (Kevin Steele, Dan Pearman, Charlie Harbison, Dan Brooks), the offensive staff remained largely intact since Dabo took over the team in October. The biggest questions center on Dabo himself and 29 year old Billy Napier as the OC. Both are unproven and untested.
Quarterback
Both Willy Korn and Kyle Parker have shown they can play the position at this level, albeit in the spring. Parker seems to have pulled ahead in the last week of the spring. My guess is that both get significant and meaningful snaps early in the year. Parker has the stronger arm, but Korn has touch and is a better runner.
Whichever, QB goes under center (or in the shotgun) on September 5 is not going to have much, if any, experience - Korn has 100+ snaps over two seasons, while Parker is a redshirt Freshman. Inexperience will play a huge role here.
Running Back
C.J. Spiller. Enough said. All reports have been favorable on Jamie Harper (lost 20 lbs) and Andre Ellington appears to be developing into the "next C.J. Spiller". Behind Spiller there is little experience with Harper and Ellington.
Rendrick Taylor, all 260 lbs of him, has shown a capability to pick up some tough yards, which is something this team has missed the last few years. How many carries he gets is debatable.
Offensive Line
This group should be improved, but being improved when you aren't very good is relative. I think there are still some weak links here and that doesn't bode well for the Tigers offense in '09. Having a quarterback that is not a statue will help.
Receivers
Jacoby Ford needs to have a huge year. Another big question mark is who is going to replace Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham. Though several players had their moments, no one jumped out as likely candidates. My guess is that RS Freshmen Jaron Brown and Brandon Ford step up at some point in the season, but that's just a guess as I have never seen them under game conditions. Neither has played a down of college football.
Defense
A lot less worries on this side of the ball, mainly because of the returning players and solid coaching staff.
The defensive line is talented, but thin. Rennie Moore, Jamie Cumbie, DaQuan Bowers and Miguel Chavis all had good springs. Add in Jarvis Jenkins and Brandon Thompson, plus Rickey Sapp returning from injury and you have to be encouraged.
I expect a big jump in linebacker play with Steele on the staff, though the type of linebacker Vic Koenning recruited is not the same as Steele prefers.
The defensive backs seem to be in good shape, but one area of concern is the safety position opposite DeAndre McDaniel. I don't care how well you tell me Sadat Chambers played this spring. I think this is a weak link in the defensive backfield.
All in all though, I would expect another defense in the top 20 range, with more pressure put on the quarterback due to Steele's philosophy versus that of Koenning.
Kicking
Huge concerns here as both Buccholz and Maners have departed. Richard Jackson and Spencer Benton have been inconsistent in the spring on placements while Dawson Zimmerman is the lead horse for the punting job.
Benton has grown more consistent as the spring wore on and I am guessing he beats out Jackson, though Jackson may be the designated long-field goal kicker with his strong leg. This is an area that could cost the Tigers this year.
Zimmerman, who punted 12 times as a true freshman last year, should be serviceable as a punter.
Overall
The Tigers have some major holes. A definite winning season took a slight detour when it was announced that TCU would replace Idaho who had replaced Central Michigan on the schedule. Another schedule wrench was thrown in when the ACC in its infinite wisdom decided that Clemson and Georgia Tech would play in Atlanta on the Thursday after the opening weekend.
The Tigers non-conference schedule has been upgraded (Middle Tennessee (beat Maryland last year), TCU, Coastal Carolina, and South Carolina) and Miami replaced Duke on the conference schedule. So, on paper at least, the schedule is more difficult.
Add all that in with a rookie head coach and offensive coordinator, inexperienced quarterbacks and receivers, along with a shaky offensive line and you have a recipe for a season similar to last years. The big question is can the change in attitude and toughness (I'll believe it when I see it) make the difference in so many close games that the Tigers have lost over the last few years.
Coaching
This is one of the biggest question marks for me. Love Dabo, but he is unproven. While it's not completely fair to judge him solely by what occurred on the field over the final 7 games last year, there are definitely things that need to be improved upon, namely the timing and tempo of the offense, getting plays in quickly, efficient use of timeouts and better play calling.
While the defense has upgraded the staff with veteran, proven hires (Kevin Steele, Dan Pearman, Charlie Harbison, Dan Brooks), the offensive staff remained largely intact since Dabo took over the team in October. The biggest questions center on Dabo himself and 29 year old Billy Napier as the OC. Both are unproven and untested.
Quarterback
Both Willy Korn and Kyle Parker have shown they can play the position at this level, albeit in the spring. Parker seems to have pulled ahead in the last week of the spring. My guess is that both get significant and meaningful snaps early in the year. Parker has the stronger arm, but Korn has touch and is a better runner.
Whichever, QB goes under center (or in the shotgun) on September 5 is not going to have much, if any, experience - Korn has 100+ snaps over two seasons, while Parker is a redshirt Freshman. Inexperience will play a huge role here.
Running Back
C.J. Spiller. Enough said. All reports have been favorable on Jamie Harper (lost 20 lbs) and Andre Ellington appears to be developing into the "next C.J. Spiller". Behind Spiller there is little experience with Harper and Ellington.
Rendrick Taylor, all 260 lbs of him, has shown a capability to pick up some tough yards, which is something this team has missed the last few years. How many carries he gets is debatable.
Offensive Line
This group should be improved, but being improved when you aren't very good is relative. I think there are still some weak links here and that doesn't bode well for the Tigers offense in '09. Having a quarterback that is not a statue will help.
Receivers
Jacoby Ford needs to have a huge year. Another big question mark is who is going to replace Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham. Though several players had their moments, no one jumped out as likely candidates. My guess is that RS Freshmen Jaron Brown and Brandon Ford step up at some point in the season, but that's just a guess as I have never seen them under game conditions. Neither has played a down of college football.
Defense
A lot less worries on this side of the ball, mainly because of the returning players and solid coaching staff.
The defensive line is talented, but thin. Rennie Moore, Jamie Cumbie, DaQuan Bowers and Miguel Chavis all had good springs. Add in Jarvis Jenkins and Brandon Thompson, plus Rickey Sapp returning from injury and you have to be encouraged.
I expect a big jump in linebacker play with Steele on the staff, though the type of linebacker Vic Koenning recruited is not the same as Steele prefers.
The defensive backs seem to be in good shape, but one area of concern is the safety position opposite DeAndre McDaniel. I don't care how well you tell me Sadat Chambers played this spring. I think this is a weak link in the defensive backfield.
All in all though, I would expect another defense in the top 20 range, with more pressure put on the quarterback due to Steele's philosophy versus that of Koenning.
Kicking
Huge concerns here as both Buccholz and Maners have departed. Richard Jackson and Spencer Benton have been inconsistent in the spring on placements while Dawson Zimmerman is the lead horse for the punting job.
Benton has grown more consistent as the spring wore on and I am guessing he beats out Jackson, though Jackson may be the designated long-field goal kicker with his strong leg. This is an area that could cost the Tigers this year.
Zimmerman, who punted 12 times as a true freshman last year, should be serviceable as a punter.
Overall
The Tigers have some major holes. A definite winning season took a slight detour when it was announced that TCU would replace Idaho who had replaced Central Michigan on the schedule. Another schedule wrench was thrown in when the ACC in its infinite wisdom decided that Clemson and Georgia Tech would play in Atlanta on the Thursday after the opening weekend.
The Tigers non-conference schedule has been upgraded (Middle Tennessee (beat Maryland last year), TCU, Coastal Carolina, and South Carolina) and Miami replaced Duke on the conference schedule. So, on paper at least, the schedule is more difficult.
Add all that in with a rookie head coach and offensive coordinator, inexperienced quarterbacks and receivers, along with a shaky offensive line and you have a recipe for a season similar to last years. The big question is can the change in attitude and toughness (I'll believe it when I see it) make the difference in so many close games that the Tigers have lost over the last few years.
Tigers bash Catamounts
Clemson (24-12, 11-7) bashed Western Carolina (20-13) on 11-1 on Tuesday. Graham Stoneburner pitched 7 strong innings, giving up 1 run while striking out 11 and Clemson's 3-4-5 hitters went a combined 9-12.
Kyle Parker moved his average over .300 with a 3-3 day with two RBI, continuing his torrid streak that saw him win the ACC Player of the Week honors last week.
The two teams play again tonight, this time in Clemson.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Tigers take 2 of 3 from Miami
After losing game 1 12-8 Saturday afternoon, the Tigers (23-12, 11-7) rallied behind the 2 hit pitching of Chris Dwyer and the bat of Kyle Parker to win the second game, 9-1. Parker had a home run in each game.
In Sunday's rubber game Matt Sanders went 3-4 with a home run and 4 RBI to lead the Tigers at the plate, while 5 Clemson pitchers held off the Hurricanes (25-10, 11-7) in a 9-6 victory.
In Sunday's rubber game Matt Sanders went 3-4 with a home run and 4 RBI to lead the Tigers at the plate, while 5 Clemson pitchers held off the Hurricanes (25-10, 11-7) in a 9-6 victory.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Final College Hoops Thoughts
Just like during the football season, my basketball stats held up. I gave you three teams (including the overall number one seed) that wouldn't win the tourney and also gave you the team that would - North Carolina.
I'm not claiming to be able to predict champions - what I did was looked at the attributes of teams in the past that have won the national championship and applied it to this years teams.
On the other hand, the mouths that people listen to, look up to and hold up as the greatest prognosticators ever, well, fell flat on their face.
On SI.com, 3 of the 5 had the right champion, but of the 20 picks for the final four only 8 made it. 2 had Wake Forest in the final four and they didn't win a game.
On Fox Sports, Jeff Goodman had one of the final four teams and came in 569th in the pool.
Also on Fox, Jason Whitlock gave us 10 picks we could book. Problem is, Whitlock's 10 locks went 4-6.
Colin Cowherd is widely thought of to be dead spot on with his picks. While, it's since been removed from his web site (shocker!), Cowherd came in 3rd on his own show (just ahead of the two women) out of 5 contestants. Somewhere around 50,000 people came out ahead of him in his own pick 'em. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
The facts are that in the last 6 years no team has made the final four with a defensive efficiency of less than 25. In those same 6 years, the eventual champion had an offensive efficiency of no lower than 4. 3 of the 6 were ranked #1 in offensive efficiency, including North Carolina this year.
So while people were saying Louisville or Memphis and maybe even Connecticut, I knew these teams didn't stand a chance (statistically speaking). Then Duke and Pittsburgh went out and it became clear that UNC would win it all. And they did.
I'm not claiming to be able to predict champions - what I did was looked at the attributes of teams in the past that have won the national championship and applied it to this years teams.
On the other hand, the mouths that people listen to, look up to and hold up as the greatest prognosticators ever, well, fell flat on their face.
On SI.com, 3 of the 5 had the right champion, but of the 20 picks for the final four only 8 made it. 2 had Wake Forest in the final four and they didn't win a game.
On Fox Sports, Jeff Goodman had one of the final four teams and came in 569th in the pool.
Also on Fox, Jason Whitlock gave us 10 picks we could book. Problem is, Whitlock's 10 locks went 4-6.
Colin Cowherd is widely thought of to be dead spot on with his picks. While, it's since been removed from his web site (shocker!), Cowherd came in 3rd on his own show (just ahead of the two women) out of 5 contestants. Somewhere around 50,000 people came out ahead of him in his own pick 'em. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
The facts are that in the last 6 years no team has made the final four with a defensive efficiency of less than 25. In those same 6 years, the eventual champion had an offensive efficiency of no lower than 4. 3 of the 6 were ranked #1 in offensive efficiency, including North Carolina this year.
So while people were saying Louisville or Memphis and maybe even Connecticut, I knew these teams didn't stand a chance (statistically speaking). Then Duke and Pittsburgh went out and it became clear that UNC would win it all. And they did.
Tigers edge Gamecocks, 7-5
Finally. The Tigers (21-11, 9-6) finally held on to a 9th inning lead and beat South Carolina Wednesday in Clemson.
Kyle Parker went 3 for 4 and the Tiger bullpen gave up only two runs in 6 innings.
The Tigers open a 3 game weekend series with Miami (24-8) on Friday in Clemson.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
South Carolina rallies past Clemson
For the 32nd time this year, Clemson (20-11, 9-6) lost in the 9th inning. Just kidding. It only seems like the 32nd time, but I can count at least 5.
The Tigers managed to score 6 runs on only 7 hits, but South Carolina rallied for 2 in the ninth to beat the Tigers, 7-6.
Rematch tonight in Tigertown.
The Tigers managed to score 6 runs on only 7 hits, but South Carolina rallied for 2 in the ninth to beat the Tigers, 7-6.
Rematch tonight in Tigertown.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Clemson takes 2 of 3 from Duke
In the past a 2-1 series victory over Duke would not have been cause for a celebration in Tiger town. However, considering where the Tigers are and how the Blue Devils (20-11, 7-8) have improved, the Tigers did a nice job in winning the third game to take the series 2-1.
After splitting the first two games, Clemson (20-10, 9-6) lambasted Duke on Sunday to regain first place in the ACC Atlantic.
Clemson coach Jack Leggett earned his 700th win with the victory.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Tigers fall in 9th
In what has become an all to familiar occurrence, Clemson (18-9, 7-5) lost a 9th inning lead and lost to Georgia, 4-2 on Wednesday. It was at least the third time in 27 games that the Tigers have taken a lead into the 9th only to lose the game.
The Tigers get back into ACC play Friday with a 3 game series against Duke.
The Tigers get back into ACC play Friday with a 3 game series against Duke.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Tigers fall at Georgia
The third inning did in Clemson (18-8, 7-5) on Tuesday as #1 Georgia edged Clemson 6-5 in Athens. The two teams play a return match in Clemson tonight.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Tigers take 2 of 3 from BC
After being humbled by a score of 13-1 in game 1 on Friday, Clemson (18-7, 7-5) came back to sweep a double header from Boston College on Saturday.
The Tigers won game one 7-6, with 3 two-run homers and a solo shot and then rallied to outlast the Eagles in game two, 5-3.
The two victories put the Tigers in first place in the ACC Coastal Division.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Status: Clemson baseball
Clemson baseball rankings in the critical categories through games of March 22,2009. The pitching (except for the closer position) continues to be lights out. The other three categories are not close to being competitive for a national championship.
Tigers sweep Elon
Clemson (16-6, 5-4) swept a double header from Elon on Tuesday at Clemson.
In game 1 Clinton McKinney (1-0) pitched 3 innings of shut out relief and John Nester (.222, 2 HR) homered as Clemson prevailed 5-3.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Tigers lose 2 of 3 in Tallahassee
Clemson (14-6, 5-4) blew a 9th inning lead to lose the third game at Florida State on Sunday.
The Tigers face Elon on Tuesday and Wednesday before trekking to Chestnut Hill, MA to face Boston College Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Game 1 BoxGame 2 Box
Game 3 Box
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Ker-plunk
or better yet, CLANG. Michigan mercifully ended the Tigers season tonight, though Clemson did make it interesting at the end.
What showed in the end was that this was really a team of over-achieving 3 star role players who had played above their head for half a season - the first half of the season that is.
What showed in the end was that this was really a team of over-achieving 3 star role players who had played above their head for half a season - the first half of the season that is.
Three teams that can win it all
- Pittsburgh
- North Carolina
- Duke
Everyone seems to be off the Duke bandwagon after the sub-par performances the last couple of years in the tournament. Fair enough. Will that continue this year or will the Blue Devils break through? The numbers say that Duke is the closest statistical match to a national champion this year heading into the tournament, only missing the defensive efficiency requirement by 5 spots. Odds are that the Blue Devils will improve their defensive efficiency in the first two games this weekend. Yet this is a team that lost by 27 while only scoring 47 against Clemson in early February, and has lost to UNC twice, so questions remain.
Which brings us to Pittsburgh and North Carolina. Both have stellar offensive units (ranked 1 and 2 respectively), both have mediocre defenses (ranked 34th and 35th respectively). These defensive ratings indicate they aren't contenders for the title. But remember, they potentially have 6 games (including bottom feeders in game 1) to improve that ranking.
The wild card is Ty Lawson's injury (or any one's injury for that matter). If he plays without the effects you have to like UNC's chances. If he doesn't play or plays injured you don't.
Duke and North Carolina could end up playing each other in the South Regional Final. North Carolina has beaten Duke twice this year. If they met for a third time who would have the advantage? North Carolina? Duke?
Over the last 5 years the worst defensive efficiency for a national champion was 12th. The lowest offensive efficiency was 4, which is why I wrote yesterday that Connecticut, Louisville and Memphis won't win it all.
The lone dark horse we see is Gonzaga, which happens to be ranked 6th in OE and 9th in DE. Problem is their schedule has not provided much competition except for Memphis in the last 19 games (18-1), so the RPI isn't where it should be. Yet this is a team that has beaten Tennessee twice, plus Oklahoma State and Maryland. To pick Gonzaga would mean a leap of faith that the Zags would end the season winning 24 of 25 and consistently beat much better competition than they have faced all year. Possible, but not likely.
The tournament truly appears to be wide open this year, with no dominant team establishing themselves as the clear cut favorite, at least statistically.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tigers no-hit USC-Upstate
Five Tiger pitchers combined for a no-hitter and Mike Freeman had 7 RBI as Clemson (13-4, 4-2) ripped USC-Upstate 14-0.
Three teams that won't win it all
While still figuring out who will win it all, we came across three teams that a lot of people have chosen that won't:
- Memphis
- Louisville
- Connecticut
While Memphis and Louisville have lock down defenses, they are going to have trouble scoring against better teams later in the tournament. Connecticut's offensive numbers are better, but still not good enough to win the championship and their defensive numbers are not near as good as Louisville or Memphis.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Pre-Tourney look at the contenders
Duke is playing solid basketball right now. Whether that continues through the tournament is any one's guess. North Carolina's suspect defense has reared it's ugly head At this point, Duke looks to be the team to beat, but other teams are lurking (see below).
Here are some teams to keep an eye on, the most intriguing one being Gonzaga, but remember only one of the last 20 final four teams has had an RPI out of the top 16. More realistically, Pittsburgh and North Carolina could move back into the top table with a couple of impressive outings this week.
| Team | Def Eff | Off Eff | RPI |
| Duke | |||
| Connecticut | |||
| Missouri | |||
| Kansas | |||
| Memphis | |||
| Michigan State | |||
| Louisville | |||
| Washington | |||
| Villanova | |||
| Wake Forest |
Here are some teams to keep an eye on, the most intriguing one being Gonzaga, but remember only one of the last 20 final four teams has had an RPI out of the top 16. More realistically, Pittsburgh and North Carolina could move back into the top table with a couple of impressive outings this week.
| Team | Def Eff | Off Eff | RPI |
| Pittsburgh | |||
| North Carolina | |||
| Oklahoma | |||
| West Virginia | |||
| Purdue | |||
| Gonzaga |
Monday, March 16, 2009
Charting Baseball at quarter season
The Tigers have some work to do if they hope to reach Omaha. Stellar pitching has provided some hope, but the other three categories need to improve.
| 7 Year Average | 2009 Clemson | |
| Fielding % | ||
| Earned Run Average | ||
| Batting Avg | ||
| Slugging % |
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Clemson vs. Michigan
Clemson drew Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. I like the match up against Michigan. Not so much vs. Oklahoma, if the Tigers get that far.
Tigers finish off sweep of Wake
Clemson (11-4, 4-2) beat Wake 7-3 on Sunday to wrap up a much needed 3 game sweep of the Deacons. Chris Dwyer (2-0) pitched seven strong innings and Ben Paulsen hit a two-run homer to lead the Tigers.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Parker, pitching power Tigers
Kyle Parker went 6 for 9 with 2 HR's and 6 RBI as Clemson (10-4, 3-2) swept a double header from Wake Forest on Friday.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Tech cages Tigers
Did not see it. Can not win with it. I didn't see the game, but I did hear that Tanner Smith led the Tigers with 10 points at the half. I knew Clemson was in trouble when I heard that, no offense to Tanner.
Tigers 6 Spartans 1
Tigers (8-4, 1-2) sweep 2 game series. Kyle Parker goes 0-4 to drop his average to .136.
Three game series with Wake coming up this weekend.
Three game series with Wake coming up this weekend.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Clemson 15 Michigan State 2
except Kyle Parker's slump continues. Currently batting .150 with 0 home runs. Now he's into double duty with spring football practice starting this evening. One wonders if the battle between Parker and Korn for the starting QB job has been on Kyle's mind.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Billy Clyde
When Billy Gillispie decided to leave Texas A&M for Kentucky unlike many people I wondered why. The typical answer? Because it's Kentucky! Which just happened to be my reason for wondering why. After all, Kentucky had just run off a coach who had won 76% of his games (75% in the SEC), a national championship, had 3 Elite 8 teams, two Sweet 16 teams, averaged over 26 wins per year and never won less than 22 games in a year over 10 years.
But it was more than that. At A&M Gillispie had the opportunity to be THE guy they build statues of on campus or name the arena after when he retired. He could have been the guy that other coaches tried in vain to follow. He could have set the bench mark for success. At Kentucky? No matter how many games or championships he won he would never coach in Gillispie Arena or on Gillispie Court. He would always be trying desperately to live up to Rupp or Hall. In short, there was no way he was going to "succeed" at Kentucky.
Two years later Billy Clyde has a nice house and a 37-25 record (59.7%), including a 20-12 (62.5%) record in a weak SEC. He also is the proud owner of home losses to Gardner-Webb and Virginia Military Institute. He's lost 10 home games in two years, when the previous coach lost 19 home games in TEN years.
Kentucky slipped into the tourney last year then left without so much as a whimper. This year the Wildcats will most likely be playing in the NIT if they can hold their noses long enough to accept a bid.
It's going to take some time for Billy Clyde to restore his reputation and here's guessing it ain't going to happen in Lexington, Kentucky.
But it was more than that. At A&M Gillispie had the opportunity to be THE guy they build statues of on campus or name the arena after when he retired. He could have been the guy that other coaches tried in vain to follow. He could have set the bench mark for success. At Kentucky? No matter how many games or championships he won he would never coach in Gillispie Arena or on Gillispie Court. He would always be trying desperately to live up to Rupp or Hall. In short, there was no way he was going to "succeed" at Kentucky.
Two years later Billy Clyde has a nice house and a 37-25 record (59.7%), including a 20-12 (62.5%) record in a weak SEC. He also is the proud owner of home losses to Gardner-Webb and Virginia Military Institute. He's lost 10 home games in two years, when the previous coach lost 19 home games in TEN years.
Kentucky slipped into the tourney last year then left without so much as a whimper. This year the Wildcats will most likely be playing in the NIT if they can hold their noses long enough to accept a bid.
It's going to take some time for Billy Clyde to restore his reputation and here's guessing it ain't going to happen in Lexington, Kentucky.
Heading into the conference tournaments
Pittsburgh creeps into the picture. The Panthers are now 27th in defensive efficiency and with a good showing in the Big East Tournament, could move into the national championship picture.
| Team | Def Eff | Off Eff | RPI |
| North Carolina | Duke | Connecticut | Kansas | Missouri | Michigan State | Memphis | Louisville | Washington | Wake Forest | Xavier |
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Wake beats Clemson again
No surprise here. The only real surprise was Clemson's run near the 5 minute mark of the first half. After that, Wake turned it up and Clemson didn't have any answers.
Tar Heels take game 3, 9-8
Clemson rallied in the 8th and 9th, but UNC won it in the bottom of the 9th. I'm encouraged by their refusal to give up down 7-1, but discouraged by the bullpen.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
UNC 5 Clemson 2
3 hits. 0 extra base hits. Lucky to score 2 runs.
It's early in the season, but a big game tomorrow. Would be nice to win the first conference series of the year, on the road at UNC.
It's early in the season, but a big game tomorrow. Would be nice to win the first conference series of the year, on the road at UNC.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Clemson 5 North Carolina 4 (10 innings)
Clemson (6-2, 1-0) scored a run in the top of the 10th to beat UNC in Chapel Hill on Friday.
Nice win by the Tigers, who saw a 4 run lead evaporate, but didn't give up on the road against a good UNC team.
Nice win by the Tigers, who saw a 4 run lead evaporate, but didn't give up on the road against a good UNC team.
The Tigers had 9 hits, including 3 doubles and a home run and the bullpen only gave up one run in 7 1/3 innings. Tomas Cruz (1-1) was the winning pitcher for Clemson.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Can Pitt compete?
Each of the 11 teams below is a candidate to make the final four, but the thing to note here is that once you get to the final four offensive efficiency becomes much more important, so for instance, if North Carolina manages to make it to the final four then they would be my favorite to win it all. That is unless Pittsburgh gets itself together defensively and somehow makes it to the top 25 in defensive efficiency.
| Team | Def Eff | Off Eff | RPI |
| Duke | Connecticut | North Carolina | Missouri | Kansas | Memphis | Michigan State | Villanova | Washington | Louisville | Wake Forest |
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tigers pound UNC-Asheville 17-2
This game proves....absolutely nothing. I'll be more impressed if the Tigers manage to win this weekend at UNC. Kyle Parker did bust out of his slump though, if you can count 1 hit in 4 at bats "busting out" (he did have 3 RBI).
I'll have to run some numbers, but I believe a pattern from last year is repeating itself. Fatten your stats on also-rans from non-BCS conferences and struggle mightily against the better teams on your schedule. While most teams have this problem to some extent, I get the feeling that Clemson does so more than others. I think the 0-16 record against top flight competition last year proved this.
Tigers awaken in second half
Clemson slept through another first half on Tuesday, leading Virginia 33-32 at the half. But the giants awoke in the second half and Clemson's front line turned the game into a dunk fest as the Tigers beat Virginia 75-57.
The Tigers had 10 turnovers in the first half, but only 5 in the second. And while seemingly everyone had a hand in the turnovers, you have to wonder what has happened to Tanner Smith. Smith has gone from a solid contributor as a freshman to someone who turns the ball over with alarming frequency. He had two more turnovers in 7 minutes (and 0 points) against Virginia. If this continues Clemson's "deep" bench, suddenly gets a bit shorter.
The Tigers had 10 turnovers in the first half, but only 5 in the second. And while seemingly everyone had a hand in the turnovers, you have to wonder what has happened to Tanner Smith. Smith has gone from a solid contributor as a freshman to someone who turns the ball over with alarming frequency. He had two more turnovers in 7 minutes (and 0 points) against Virginia. If this continues Clemson's "deep" bench, suddenly gets a bit shorter.
Furman rallies past Tigers, 4-2 in 14
Furman got it's first hit of the game with two outs in the ninth and then managed to beat the Tigers (4-2) 4-2 in 14 innings on Tuesday.
While it is early in the season, last years disturbing trends are reappearing. While the Tigers have a good ERA (2.55) and fielding percentage (.988), they are struggling at the plate with a .218 team batting average and .325 slugging percentage.
Kyle Parker, a Freshman All-American last year, has managed a .105 batting average through the first 6 games this year.
While it is early in the season, last years disturbing trends are reappearing. While the Tigers have a good ERA (2.55) and fielding percentage (.988), they are struggling at the plate with a .218 team batting average and .325 slugging percentage.
Kyle Parker, a Freshman All-American last year, has managed a .105 batting average through the first 6 games this year.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Home stretch
The data below is through games of March 1. It appears that we are going to have 3 nice case studies this year if things continue along these lines. According to the data, Duke is a contender, while Oklahoma and Pittsburgh aren't final four material. The pundits believe just the opposite to be true. While Duke doesn't have all of the characteristics of a final four team they do have more than any other team at this point. One note on Pittsburgh and Oklahoma - they both certainly have the offensive power to win the national championship, their fault lies with their defense, at least at this juncture.
| Team | Def Eff | Off Eff | RPI |
| Duke | Connecticut | North Carolina | Kansas | Michigan State | Missouri | Memphis | Washington | Wake Forest | Xavier |
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Lost weekend
Tiger basketball loses to Florida State, which is not all that surprising. The defense hasn't played well lately and FSU is long and tall, which gives Clemson problems on the inside.
The baseball team lost to South Carolina 3-1 on Saturday and then got rained out on Sunday.
The baseball team lost to South Carolina 3-1 on Saturday and then got rained out on Sunday.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Projecting wins in baseball
Baseball stat guru Bill James invented something called the Pythagorean expectation to determine how many games a baseball team “should” win based on their runs scored vs. runs allowed. In a nutshell, James uses the formula to determine how “lucky” a team was by comparing their actual wins vs. their expected wins using this formula.
Whether or not this same equation applies to college baseball, I don’t know (I doubt it because of the wide disparity in talent relative to major league teams). But for my purposes I’m going to apply the formula in the present tense and track the Tigers expected wins at various points during the season.
The number looks pretty gaudy right now, but my guess is that with two games against South Carolina coming up this weekend and three against North Carolina next weekend, reality will set in for the Tigers, not only in the Pythagorean expectation but also with regards to the fielding and ERA stats listed in my previous post.
Whether or not this same equation applies to college baseball, I don’t know (I doubt it because of the wide disparity in talent relative to major league teams). But for my purposes I’m going to apply the formula in the present tense and track the Tigers expected wins at various points during the season.
The number looks pretty gaudy right now, but my guess is that with two games against South Carolina coming up this weekend and three against North Carolina next weekend, reality will set in for the Tigers, not only in the Pythagorean expectation but also with regards to the fielding and ERA stats listed in my previous post.
| Actual Record | Projected Record |
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Charting Tiger Baseball
From previous posts my readers understand how important I believe pitching and defense is to winning in baseball. The apparent dearth of baseball statistics from the NCAA early in the season makes it tough to get an idea of where your team stands relative to others. We can however, look to history to find out what the marks to hit were over the last 7 years and compare them to where the Tigers are at a given point in the season.
As illustrated in the table below the average fielding percentage for teams ranked 17th or better in this category over the last 7 years is .972. The average ERA for teams ranked 22nd or better in the last 7 years is 3.74.
These are good barometers early in the season to get a general idea of how your team is faring and to see where (or if) they fit in the national picture.
It’s important to note that your team needs to meet both of these criteria to be considered a contender. One or the other doesn’t cut it.
As illustrated in the table below the average fielding percentage for teams ranked 17th or better in this category over the last 7 years is .972. The average ERA for teams ranked 22nd or better in the last 7 years is 3.74.
These are good barometers early in the season to get a general idea of how your team is faring and to see where (or if) they fit in the national picture.
It’s important to note that your team needs to meet both of these criteria to be considered a contender. One or the other doesn’t cut it.
| 7 Year Average | 2009 Clemson | |
| Fielding % | Earned Run Average |
Contenders and pretenders
Duke is a contender and Pitt and Oklahoma (even with Blake Griffin) are pretenders.
| Team | Def Eff | Off Eff | RPI Rank |
| Duke | |||
| Connecticut | Missouri | North Carolina | Kansas | Memphis | Michigan State | Louisville | Wake Forest | Xavier |
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sloppiness dooms Tigers
Wow. How ugly was that? 15 turnovers, 7 missed free throws, 24 personal fouls, 29 Tech free throw attempts and general malaise and sloppiness led to Clemson losing to Virginia Tech, 80-77.
The Tigers never really appeared to care and they aren't good enough to not care and still win. Now they are staring down the barrel of an away game at Florida State on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers never really appeared to care and they aren't good enough to not care and still win. Now they are staring down the barrel of an away game at Florida State on Saturday afternoon.
Tigers beat Wofford, 8-2
Ben Paulson went 3-4 and drove in two runs as Clemson (4-0) defeated Wofford 8-2 on Wednesday.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Tigers rally past Charlotte
These are the games that Clemson (3-0) lost last year. These are the games that are the difference between making the tournament or not, or even hosting a regional/super regional or not. Clemson trailed 5-0 on Sunday, only to rally and win 6-5 in 10 innings.
You have to be pretty happy with the opening game series against a good Charlotte team. In addition to the 3 wins, the Tigers gave up only 8 runs and committed only one error during the series.
Tigers put Jackets away
On a day when Terrance Oglesby was feeling the effects of the flu (1-5 from 3 point land) other Clemson players managed to go 11 of 18 from three point range, while Trevor Booker had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead Clemson to an 81-73 win over Georgia Tech.
Andre Young (right) was 4-4 on three pointers and Demontez Stitt had 9 points, 7 assists and only 1 turnover, as the Tigers point guards combined for 21 points, 9 assists and 3 turnovers.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Tigers defeat Charlotte 4-0
Chris Dwyer (1-0) pitched 6.2 shutout innings to lead Clemson (2-0) over Charlotte (0-2) on Saturday. Four Clemson freshmen pitchers combined for 8 shutout innings and Freshmen drove in 3 of the 4 Clemson runs.
Clemson and Charlotte complete the 3 games series on Sunday.
Friday, February 20, 2009
No dominant teams
It's become clear that there is no dominant team this year. While there are nine teams that currently have final four potential, only one (UNC) is even close to the offensive efficiency of recent champions.
These are in order of probability of winning the title.| Team | |||
| North Carolina | |||
| Connecticut | |||
| Missouri | |||
| Duke | |||
| Memphis | |||
| West Virginia | |||
| Michigan State | |||
| Kansas | |||
| Wake Forest |
Here are three teams that most think are contenders and while they each have the offensive efficiency needed to win it all, they lack the defensive efficiency required (and RPI in UCLA's case). Pitt in particular gets a ton of pub for having a tough defense,but that's not reflected in their defensive stats (at least not at this point).
| Team | |||
| Pittsburgh | |||
| UCLA | |||
| Oklahoma |
Tigers baseball team opens with victory
Clemson (1-0) stole 9 bases, Kyle Parker went 2-4 with 3 RBI and Addison Johnson went 3-4 with 3 runs scored as the Tigers beat UNC-Charlotte 8-3 (0-1) to open the 2009 season on Friday.
Trey Delk (1-0) was the winning pitcher for Clemson.
Vandals turn into Horned Frogs
Instead of playing Idaho on September 26, Clemson will face TCU in Clemson. It's a one game series, with no return date to Fort Worth for the Tigers.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
2nd half lifts Tigers
After 20 minutes of so-so play the Tigers picked it up a few notches and showed what this team can do. Trevor Booker took the game over in one stretch with a left handed monster dunk off a rebound, a three pointer, 2 beautiful assists that led to easy baskets, a blocked shot and a steal. For the night Booker finished with 11 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots.
Five other Tigers hit double figures as Demontez Stitt hit a couple of big three pointers in the first half. David Potter, Tanner Smith and Andre Young were all 2/3 on three pointers off the bench for Clemson and Terrance Oglesby led the Tigers with 6 assists.
There were lapses (like the first 20 minutes) that still are concerning. Even when the Tigers pulled out to a comfortable lead Maryland was getting easy baskets in transition. Something to keep an eye on.
Five other Tigers hit double figures as Demontez Stitt hit a couple of big three pointers in the first half. David Potter, Tanner Smith and Andre Young were all 2/3 on three pointers off the bench for Clemson and Terrance Oglesby led the Tigers with 6 assists.
There were lapses (like the first 20 minutes) that still are concerning. Even when the Tigers pulled out to a comfortable lead Maryland was getting easy baskets in transition. Something to keep an eye on.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Tigers upset at Virginia
How many times have I lamented not getting the ball to Trevor Booker? Well, even though Clemson had overcome an 8 point halftime deficit, Booker had no rebounds and 2 points in the first 12 or so minutes of the second half. Hmmmm, I said to myself, that could hurt. Hurt it did. 21 turnovers didn't help either.
I think this team is coming back down to earth after spending a good part of the year in the top 10.
Virginia 85 Clemson 81, OT
Box Score
I think this team is coming back down to earth after spending a good part of the year in the top 10.
Virginia 85 Clemson 81, OT
Box Score
Saturday, February 14, 2009
6 baseball teams to keep an eye on
Keep in mind that I haven't researched what these teams have coming back and what they lost, this is purely a look at their numbers from last year.
As the season moves along we will periodically track the teams that look like they have a chance to move on to Omaha and win the College World Series.
The rankings are from Baseball America.
| Team | Preseason Rank | Fielding | ERA | Batting | Slugging |
| LSU | North Carolina | Louisville | Miami, FL | Oklahoma State | Kentucky |
Friday, February 13, 2009
Contenders begin to shake out
| Team | Def Eff Rank | Off Eff Rank | RPI Rank |
| Connecticut | North Carolina | Missouri | Michigan State |
| Team | Def Eff Rank | Off Eff Rank | RPI Rank |
| Pittsburgh | UCLA | Oklahoma |
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Computer rips Staples
Right before national signing day I linked to a story about Andy Staples of SI.com going head to head against a computer in attemtping to determine where the last 17 remaining top prospects were going to play college ball. Turns out the computer blasted Staples. Staples came in at 4 out of 16 (25%) while the computer was correct on 9 of 16 (56.3%).
On 5 of the prospects both the computer and Staples were wrong.
One player has yet to choose a school.| Prospect | Computer | Staples | Actual |
| Tajh Boyd | Oregon | Oregon | Clemson |
| Tyrik Rollison | Oklahoma State | Auburn | Auburn |
| Devon Kennard | USC | Texas | USC |
| Rueben Randle | LSU | Alabama | LSU |
| Dre Kirkpatrick | Alabama | Alabama | Alabama |
| Jelani Jenkins | Penn State | Penn State | Florida |
| Manti Te'O | Notre Dame | USC | Notre Dame |
| Greg Reid | Georgia | Florida State | Florida State |
| Cliff Harris | Oregon | USC | Oregon |
| Morgan Moses | Virginia | North Carolina | Virginia |
| Patrick Patterson | Ole Miss | Southern Miss | Ole Miss |
| Marcus Hall | Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| Marlon Brown | Tennessee | Florida | Georgia |
| Orson Charles | Florida | Georgia | Undecided |
| Xavier Su'a Filo | Utah | LSU | UCLA |
| Tana Patrick | Alabama | USC | Alabama |
| Jarvis Jones | Georgia | LSU | USC |
Tigers edge BC
I didn't get to watch the game last night, but I did listen to most of the second half. It's apparent that as goes Trevor Booker so go the Tigers. Booker had 21 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block in 33 minutes to lead the Tigers.
Terrance Oglesby also had 21 points, including 6/10 from three point range for the Tigers. Oglesby is an interesting study. He misses layups, dunks and two point field goals, but somehow finds a way to drill 25 footers.
All five of the Tiger starters scored in double figures, which is a good thing because aside from a few good minutes from Tanner Smith the Tigers got zilch from their bench. Not a good sign. Jerai Grant? 0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 block and 4 fouls in 9 minutes.
Terrance Oglesby also had 21 points, including 6/10 from three point range for the Tigers. Oglesby is an interesting study. He misses layups, dunks and two point field goals, but somehow finds a way to drill 25 footers.
All five of the Tiger starters scored in double figures, which is a good thing because aside from a few good minutes from Tanner Smith the Tigers got zilch from their bench. Not a good sign. Jerai Grant? 0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 block and 4 fouls in 9 minutes.
Next up at Virginia on Sunday.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Contenders as of February 8
| Connecticut | |||
| North Carolina | |||
| Duke | |||
| Missouri | |||
| Michigan State | |||
| West Virginia | |||
| Villanova | |||
| Clemson | |||
| Kansas | |||
| Memphis | |||
| Xavier | |||
Tigers implode
As you could tell by my last line after the Duke victory I was a little worried about this game. FSU is a pretty good team and Clemson was full of themselves as evidenced by the post game comments after the thrashing of the Blue Devils.
I became more concerned, despite Clemson's early lead, when I noticed Trevor Booker had 1 rebound and 2 points near the end of the first half. Not a good sign, but one that should be expected as the taller Seminoles forced Clemson away from Booker.
Clemson obviously has trouble with taller teams (Wake, UNC, FSU) because of the lack of height that the Tigers have.
Now, the Tigers face two road games this week against Boston College and Virginia. Two winnable games, but suddenly the Tigers find themselves with a bunch of question marks.
I became more concerned, despite Clemson's early lead, when I noticed Trevor Booker had 1 rebound and 2 points near the end of the first half. Not a good sign, but one that should be expected as the taller Seminoles forced Clemson away from Booker.
Clemson obviously has trouble with taller teams (Wake, UNC, FSU) because of the lack of height that the Tigers have.
Now, the Tigers face two road games this week against Boston College and Virginia. Two winnable games, but suddenly the Tigers find themselves with a bunch of question marks.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tigers beat Duke 74-47
In 30 years as a Clemson fan, student and alumni I don't recall a better all around game than the one the Tigers played against Duke tonight. I've been around for wins over North Carolina (at home of course), final 8 runs and ACC regular season championships. Can't recall a better game than this one.
Trevor Booker rocked the 'John with 21 points including monstrous dunks, fall away jumpers and everything in between. K.C. Rivers had 7 steals, Terrance Oglesby hit 5 of 11 three pointers and Jerai Grant chipped in 8 points and 3 rebounds as the Tigers thoroughly thrashed Duke.
The challenge now for the Tigers is not being flat in their next game against a pretty good Florida State team on Saturday in Clemson.
Trevor Booker rocked the 'John with 21 points including monstrous dunks, fall away jumpers and everything in between. K.C. Rivers had 7 steals, Terrance Oglesby hit 5 of 11 three pointers and Jerai Grant chipped in 8 points and 3 rebounds as the Tigers thoroughly thrashed Duke.
The challenge now for the Tigers is not being flat in their next game against a pretty good Florida State team on Saturday in Clemson.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Defense wins in baseball, too
In previous posts I have delineated the importance of defense in football and basketball. To recap - 8 of the last 9 BCS Champions in football have had top 10 ranked defenses. In basketball, over the last 5 years the worst defensive efficiency rating of the national champion was 12.
With these numbers in mind I decided to look at college baseball and see if a similar pattern emerged.
The table below shows that 6 of the last 7 baseball national champions finished in the top 17 in fielding. Five of the 7 finished in the top 8, and 4 of the 7 finished in the top 5. Strong evidence.
If you add in the fact that 6 of the last 7 champions also finished in the top 22 in ERA an obvious pattern emerges, with the exception of Fresno State last year of course.
Only one team finished in the top 10 in batting and won the championship (Fullerton in 2004). The highest rated slugging team was 56th (also Fullerton in 2004). Other than that year, the highest rated batting average was 41st and the highest slugging percentage was 65th.
In many cases highly ranked offensive teams rolled into Omaha and left on the losing end to a better pitching and fielding team. Some examples: In 2002 Texas came in with the lowest batting average and second lowest slugging percentage of the 8 teams in Omaha. Yet, with a fielding percentage that was 5th in the nation and the 2nd ranked ERA they left as champions. In 2006 Oregon State had the lowest batting average and slugging percentage of the 8 teams in the World Series. However, the Beavers also came in with the second highest defensive rating of the 8 teams and an ERA that ranked 14th nationally. It was the first of two consecutive championships for the defensive and pitching minded club.
The numbers are compelling. Offense sells tickets, defense (and pitching) wins championships.
With these numbers in mind I decided to look at college baseball and see if a similar pattern emerged.
The table below shows that 6 of the last 7 baseball national champions finished in the top 17 in fielding. Five of the 7 finished in the top 8, and 4 of the 7 finished in the top 5. Strong evidence.
If you add in the fact that 6 of the last 7 champions also finished in the top 22 in ERA an obvious pattern emerges, with the exception of Fresno State last year of course.
Only one team finished in the top 10 in batting and won the championship (Fullerton in 2004). The highest rated slugging team was 56th (also Fullerton in 2004). Other than that year, the highest rated batting average was 41st and the highest slugging percentage was 65th.
In many cases highly ranked offensive teams rolled into Omaha and left on the losing end to a better pitching and fielding team. Some examples: In 2002 Texas came in with the lowest batting average and second lowest slugging percentage of the 8 teams in Omaha. Yet, with a fielding percentage that was 5th in the nation and the 2nd ranked ERA they left as champions. In 2006 Oregon State had the lowest batting average and slugging percentage of the 8 teams in the World Series. However, the Beavers also came in with the second highest defensive rating of the 8 teams and an ERA that ranked 14th nationally. It was the first of two consecutive championships for the defensive and pitching minded club.
The numbers are compelling. Offense sells tickets, defense (and pitching) wins championships.
| Year | Team | Batting | Slugging | Fielding | ERA | 2002 | Texas | 2003 | Rice | 2004 | Cal State-Fullerton |
| 2005 | Texas | ||||
| 2006 | Oregon State | ||||
| 2007 | Oregon State | ||||
| 2008 | Fresno State | ||||
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Contenders
On the first day of February we take a look at the college basketball teams that have a legitimate shot at making it to the final four through games of January 31.
Over the last 5 years the recipe for reaching the final four has looked like this:
DE<=25 OE<=50 RPI<=27
Interestingly enough, once a team reaches the final four, offensive efficiency becomes much more important.
During that same time frame the recipe for winning the national championship has looked like this:
DE<=12 OE<=4 RPI<=16
Final Four contenders through games of January 31, 2009
No team meets the national championship criteria at this point, but North Carolina and Pittsburgh are the only two teams with the required offensive efficiency numbers to make the cut and Connecticut is one spot away from being a qualified NC contender.
Over the last 5 years the recipe for reaching the final four has looked like this:
DE<=25 OE<=50 RPI<=27
Interestingly enough, once a team reaches the final four, offensive efficiency becomes much more important.
During that same time frame the recipe for winning the national championship has looked like this:
DE<=12 OE<=4 RPI<=16
Final Four contenders through games of January 31, 2009
| Duke | |||
| Pitt | |||
| North Carolina | |||
| Xavier | |||
| Connecticut | |||
| Wake Forest | |||
| Villanova | |||
| West Virgina | |||
| Washington |
No team meets the national championship criteria at this point, but North Carolina and Pittsburgh are the only two teams with the required offensive efficiency numbers to make the cut and Connecticut is one spot away from being a qualified NC contender.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tigers find a way
Clemson overcame a 55 foot halftime buzzer beater, 9 point half time deficit, 15 point deficit early in the second half and mediocre free throw shooting to beat Virginia Tech 86-82 Thursday night in Blacksburg.
K.C. Rivers had 29 points, including 7-10 on three pointers, to lead the Tigers, while Trevor Booker chipped in 21 points and 13 rebounds.
As nice as this win looks on paper, the Tigers still have a ton of room for improvement. Start with free throw shooting (14-21, 66.7%). The Tigers missed two of three in the waning seconds, but luckily that didn't come back to haunt them tonight.
Secondly, it appears my concern with Jerai Grant was well founded:12 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 4 fouls.
K.C. Rivers had 29 points, including 7-10 on three pointers, to lead the Tigers, while Trevor Booker chipped in 21 points and 13 rebounds.
As nice as this win looks on paper, the Tigers still have a ton of room for improvement. Start with free throw shooting (14-21, 66.7%). The Tigers missed two of three in the waning seconds, but luckily that didn't come back to haunt them tonight.
Secondly, it appears my concern with Jerai Grant was well founded:12 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 4 fouls.
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