Saturday thoughts...

By: Will Vandervort

Well it’s Saturday and instead of sitting courtside and getting ready for the ACC Tournament semifinals, I’m instead here at home listening to my parrot ask me “What are you doing?”

“I’m writing my blog Willis so leave me alone.”

At least it makes me laugh.

Anyway, just a couple of thoughts considering it’s a slow news day coming out of Clemson.

Though some experts have Clemson going as a five seed tomorrow, I just don’t see it. They had a bad performance in the ACC Tournament, have lost four of five and six of their last 10. The selection committee will look at those issues in a non-favorable way and I think they will fall to a six seed.

I really have no proof here, but I think Clemson lands as a sixth seed and will go to Dayton. With the economy the way it is and the fact Oliver Purnell coached at Dayton before coming to Clemson, the Tigers give that region a little bit of a draw maybe from the locals that they would not get say a Boston College or someone like that comes instead.

Again, I have nothing to back that up; it just makes sense to me. At least we will all know tomorrow night.

I know there is some growing concern about what’s going on with this team, and I’m right there with you. But with that said, I will not be surprised if this team makes it to the Sweet 16.

Purnell is getting three extra days with his team that he did not have last year and for what that is worth that can be a good thing for this team.

Just go back two years ago. That team had lost 10 of their final 14, including a first round loss in the ACC Tournament and basically ended any hopes of getting in the NCAA with that loss. But instead of giving up, Purnell went back and used those extra three days that he normally would not have had and he got his team to believe they could turn things around in the NIT.

What did they do? They went onto the championship game and tied the school record for wins in a season.

They then carried that momentum into the next season where they ended the NCAA Tournament drought. Now they are headed back to “The Big Dance” for a second straight year. Win that first-round game and the program will again do something that it hasn’t done from the year before.

That would make five straight seasons a Purnell team has done that.

Granted, defense is still an issue, especially the transition defense, but given Purnell’s track record, this is when his teams play their best. No one is giving them a shot in the NCAA. I think he will use that to motivate his team and get them playing together again.

I think we are going to see that energy we saw from them against Duke when they play in that first-round game, wherever it is.

On the football side of things, fromer Tennessee assistant Dan Brooks would be a great fit for the Tigers. He would bring a lot of experience to the staff, especially as the defensive line coach. He makes way better sense there then David Blackwell did because he has done it for so long.

The guys that can benefit the most will be Jarvis Jenkins and Brandon Thompson. Both of those guys have the potential to be playing on Sundays and I feel Brooks will be able to instill in them the toughness that it takes to be a defensive tackle in the NFL.

Plus think about it, when was the last time you saw a Tennessee team struggle to stop the run or not get pressure on the quarterback? With Kevin Steele’s scheme and the way he uses his linebackers, this will be a perfect marriage.

As much as I like Coach Blackwell and his family, this will be an upgrade at that position. Let’s face it, Coach Blackwell is a linebackers coach and that’s one of the reasons why he chose to move to South Florida. He is doing what he loves to do. You can’t blame a guy for doing that.

That’s what Clemson will get if they hire Brooks.

What has happened to Clemson basketball?

By: Will Vandervort

Wow, what has happened to Clemson basketball? Just a few short weeks ago they were on top of the World, and now those same old critics are stepping up to the front and saying this is the same ol’ Clemson they have seen the last several years.

The sad thing is there is really no room to argue with them.

At 22-4 following an 81-73 victory at Georgia Tech back on Feb. 22, there was talk of the Tigers possibly being a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Three weeks and a 1-4 record since and Clemson is marked as the team to perhaps be one and done in the NCAA Tournament next week.

The Tigers will likely slip to either a six or seven seed in a regional with possible sites in Dayton, Philadelphia or Portland. I have heard the with the economy like it is the selection committee is very conscientious of where it will place teams in a respective regional so that means Clemson more than likely will land in either Philadelphia or Dayton. Clemson’s loss to Georgia Tech in the first round of the ACC Tournament perhaps even sewed up a trip to Miami for Florida State in the opening rounds.

But back to Clemson’s problems.

In talking with a few of the players in the locker room following yesterday’s loss there is collective frustration all around and players are starting to look long and hard at the guys across from them and questioning their desire.

No one I talked to singled anyone out, but from the body language and reading between the lines, doubt and indecision as made its way into the locker room and that isn’t a good sign. Clemson coach Oliver Purnell needs to end this speculation now or his team’s immediate future could be in serious jeopardy.

“It’s frustrating, we haven’t played as a team since Maryland,” guard Terrence Oglesby said. “Defensively we are not into like we should be, offensively we are not moving the ball like we should be and the frustration leaks all over to all of the guys so it’s been kind of journey since we played Maryland.”

This frustration has now caused Clemson’s swagger to slowly disappear. The thing that stood out about this Clemson team than in years past was its confidence level. Early in the year, they felt like they could beat anybody in the country at anytime and anywhere.

That’s not the case anymore.

“I don’t know everyone’s mindset, but our confidence level as a group is not that high,” senior K.C. Rivers said. “We have to have high confidence in knowing that everything we do is going to help us win you know. It seems as if we are not confident in what we are doing.

“If we get confident in everything that we are doing like we were before than I think this ball club will be good and probably better down the road.”

But that road is now very short.

“We are certainly going to talk about the reasons these things are happening to us,” Purnell said. “We are going to talk about when we were a good team. It is just up to us to believe in ourselves. We have to flip that switch at some point.

“It has been long enough so let’s turn that thing back and play some good basketball and win a game.”
But until players start looking at themselves and not the guy in front of them, they might not be able to turn that switch back on until next season.

“We need to step up and we need to play together,” Oglesby said. “Coach Purnell can say all he wants, but if we don’t decide to do it, it’s going to be a struggle.”

I live for this

By: Will Vandervort

Today begins one of the reasons why I became a sportswriter.

Some of the fonder memories I have from my childhood came while watching the ACC Tournament. My brother and I always watched the tournament from the opening tip on Friday to the championship game on Sunday.

There were times when we would go outside to our dirt court and relive those moments.

Of course those were the days before ESPN grabbed hold of it and made it a Duke and North Carolina love fest. Though Duke and North Carolina won their share of championships in those days, the ACC Tournament was pure. It was only about the ACC Tournament and no school was bigger than it.

That is still the case today, but you have to be there to get that feeling. Watching it on television with all the TV timeouts, the commercials and ESPN over hyping everything, it kills the atmosphere for the viewers, but for those of us that are there, it is a great experience. And since there are tickets available for this year’s tournament in Atlanta, I advise you come down and experience it for yourself if you have never done it before.

For us writers, we usually hang around and watch as many games as we can. I’m leaving early this morning for Atlanta so I can watch the first game. Once I’m done working this evening, following the Tigers’ game against Georgia Tech, I will sit down and try to catch the last game of the tournament before turning in for the night.

I will do the same thing on Friday and hopefully Clemson will give us another ride to the championship game like last year so I can cover the whole event.

Last year was the first time I ever got to stay through Sunday. The big joke among all the writers was where the Clemson writers were going to stay because we usually give up our hotel rooms long before then.

I mean let’s face it; it had been 46 years between championship game appearance for Clemson, so we had no reason to believe we needed more than a day or two of clean clothes. I’m glad there was a Wal-Mart in Charlotte.

When the Tigers beat Duke last year, I don’t know who was more excited, the team or the writers. It was a great experience. The only downer was Clemson losing in the championship game. In a way, all of us writers were disappointed.

When the team you cover reaches that point, writers become fans too. When the team or school you cover reaches a championship game of that magnitude, you want them to win.

None of us like to write those “we were close” stories. Contrary to popular belief, we like to write about wins and not losses. First of all, they are more fun to write about. Secondly, it makes our job easier.

You know how you don’t want to read, see or hear anything about your favorite team when they lose a big game. Now multiply those feelings times a hundred. That’s how the coaches and players feel. And guess who they have to talk to?

Anyway, I’m off to Atlanta to watch some good tournament basketball. If you get the chance you should join me. You never know what is going to happen. I learned my lesson last year so this time I’m bringing enough clothes to last through Sunday.

Putting it all together

By: Will Vandervort

Following Clemson's loss at Virginia last month, Clemson coach Oliver Purnell in a round about way said he wasn't worried about where his team'shead was because he felt they were on the verge of doing something special.

At the time, I thought that was just coach-speak and he was saying it to keep his team motivated. Then after a win against Maryland, he said itagain, but this time I thought he was saying it to keep his Tigers grounded before a tough stretch of games.

When I heard Purnell say it again for a third time in three weeks following last Sunday's loss at Wake Forest, I thought to myself, "He must really see something that the rest of us don't. Maybe there is something to it."

Maybe this Clemson basketball team is that close from being a serious contender in the ACC. Maybe this team has something to show us or willshow us in this week's ACC Tournament and next week's NCAA Tournament.

When I think back to some of the games that I have seen Clemson play in person or on television this year, there have been stretches when theylooked pretty special. The night they handed Duke its worse loss in nearly 20 years, I think they could have beaten anyone that night.

The same could be said in the win over Maryland as well, especially in the second half.

Clemson's second half effort in a come-from-behind win at Virginia Tech was also impressive, as was, though it was a loss, the Tigers first-half effort at Wake Forest last Sunday.

Clemson was doing what it wanted in the first half against a Wake team that I feel is playing as good as anybody right now in the ACC.When I asked K.C. Rivers Tuesday what Purnell means when he says they are close, this is what the senior told me.

"Did you see the Wake Forest game? The whole first half, except for the last 30 seconds or so, we looked absolutely, and I will not say great, great, but we were at the point to where we were close to being great," he said. "Then we faltered off. We showed glimpses in the second half, but we fell off.

"If we can put that all together and put that in the first half and in the second half, then it is going to benefit us well and on down the road."

From what I have seen, and from the way Coach Purnell says it, this team has the tools to put it all together.

But I do know one thing ... if theydon't put it together quickly, then the season is going to be over and the rest of us will not get the opportunity to see what Purnell has been seeing.

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Will’s All-ACC Basketball team

By: Will Vandervort

Like many members of the media, I have a vote for the yearly All-ACC selections on the hardwood. I've listed my selections below, as well as the finally tally released yesterday [Monday] by the ACC.

Clemson’s Trevor Booker was named to the All-ACC Second Team as well as being tied for the most votes on the All-Defensive team.

The official All-ACC team is below mine.

Will’s All-ACC First team
Pos. Player’s name School
G Ty Lawson UNC
G Toney Douglas FSU
C/F Tyler Hansbrough UNC
F/G Gerald Henderson Duke
F Trevor Booker Clemson

Second team
G Tyrese Rice Boston College
G Jack McClinton Miami
C/F Gani Lawal Georgia Tech
F/G Wayne Ellington UNC
F James Johnson Wake Forest

Third team
G Greivis Vasquez Maryland
G Jeff Teague Wake Forest
C/F Al-Farouq Aminu Wake Forest
F/G K.C. Rivers Clemson
F A.D. Vassallo Virginia Tech

All-Defensive team
G Ty Lawson UNC
G Toney Douglas FSU
C/F Soloman Alabi FSU
F/G James Johnson Wake Forest
F Trevor Booker Clemson

Player of the Year
Tyler Hansbrough, UNC

Coach of the Year
Al Skinner, Boston College

Rookie of the Year
Sylven Landesberg, Virginia


Official All-ACC Team
First Team
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (228)
Toney Douglas, Florida State (226)
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (224)
Gerald Henderson, Duke (210)
Jack McClinton, Miami (188)

Second Team
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest (185)
Trevor Booker, Clemson (156)
Tyrese Rice, Boston College (151)
Kyle Singler, Duke (128)
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland (116)

Third Team
James Johnson, Wake Forest (100)
Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech (83)
A.D. Vassallo, Virginia Tech (81)
Danny Green, North Carolina (48)
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech (46)

Honorable Mention
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina (41)
K.C. Rivers, Clemson (33)
Sylven Landesberg, Virginia (15)

All-Freshman Team
Sylven Landesberg, Virginia (76)
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest (76)
Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech (70)
Solomon Alabi, Florida State (59)
Ed Davis, North Carolina (55)

Honorable Mention
Chris Singleton, Florida State (21)

All-Defensive Team
Trevor Booker, Clemson (67)
Toney Douglas, Florida State (67)
Solomon Alabi, Florida State (53)
Danny Green, North Carolina (28)
L.D. Williams, Wake Forest (26)

Honorable Mention
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (20)
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech (17)
Courtney Fells, North Carolina State (16)
Gerald Henderson, Duke (15)

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Welcome

By: Will Vandervort

For those of you who are familiar with me and my work, I'm glad to have you aboard here with me at CUTigers.com. For those of you that are just starting to read my stuff for the first time, let me say welcome to Will's Tiger Walk.

I want to let you know that I will do all I can to bring you the most informative and up to date news out of Clemson that I can at CUTigers.com. Tiger Walk is just another avenue I will give you in our efforts to keep you informed on the Tigers.

I know Roy did a great job giving you guys a little bit of my background when he announced my hiring last week, but I want to try and use this first entry to kind of give you a little more. I know some of you might be wondering how Roy and I came up with my message board name of WillyOrange.

Well actually that name was given to me six years ago when I was the sports editor in Newberry. Those were the days before I started covering Clemson so I was a fan just like a lot of you. But unlike a lot of you, I'm sort of nerd when it comes to stats, history and things like that, especially when it comes to my knowledge of Clemson sports history. As this blog grows, you will pick up on a little bit of that.

But back to my story.

In my time at Newberry, I built a great relationship with the coaches at Newberry High School, it's a relationship that I still have today. When I was there covering the Bulldogs or maybe doing a feature story on a player we would always engage in conversations about the Tigers.

One day when I came into the office to speak with athletic director Arlo Hill, Coach greeted me with, "Hey, it's Willy Orange."

And so the name stuck.

They still refer to me today by that name every time I call one of them on the phone or drop by for a visit.

When I started covering Clemson five year ago for The Daily Journal/TheDaily Messenger, I did my absolute best not to let that nickname come out. For the first couple of years, I did a great job at that as I covered theTigers with the skill and professionalism that is required by a sportswriter when he covers a beat.

You really can't be a fan when you cover a particular school or team. It's easy to separate yourself from that because after all, it is your job, and that automatically takes over your way of thinking, or at least that's what it did for me.

But during a trip to an ACC event, my wife accompanied me and while we were hanging out with some of the other writers on the beat, she shared my story and spoke about my nickname. Since then a lot of the guys from time-to-time will refer to me by the nickname and that's okay because I know I had already established myself as a professional and my work had spoken for itself.

When Roy asked me what name did I wanted to use in my posts, I told him"Why not Willy Orange, that's what everyone calls me so I might as well use it."

Well, everyone, but Bart Wright of the Greenville News that is. He could never get it right when he first tried to remember what it was. He started calling me Tiger Will so after a couple of times of correcting him, I just thought to myself never mind, I guess I will have two.

Anyway, that's a little bit more of my background or at least how I got the nickname Willy Orange. I guess it is appropriate to use now that Iwork for a Clemson-based Web site. And that's what will make my Clemson blog a little bit different than others out there.

I will be the only one whose ties to Clemson go back further than just my professional career. Though I will still cover Clemson as a reporter for CUTigers.com, I will use this blog as an outlet both as a reporter and as a fan.

But I feel fine in saying at least here I can express myself as Willy Orange and not just as Will.

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