Saturday scrimmage preview

By: Will Vandervort

Today is sure to be an interesting one here in Clemson.

First there is an early afternoon practice for the football team, which
yours truly, will have covered backwards and forwards.
Then there is an important baseball game with Duke that follows at 6:30.

That should all make for an interesting evening in Tigertown.

Tomorrow should be just as entertaining. The Tigers have a 10:45 a.m.
scrimmage inside Death Valley that is closed to the public. As far as I
know, the media is allowed in so we will be able to report to you
everything that happened as we see it.

This will be intriguing because the weather is supposed to be nice and I'm
curious to see if the offensive line can have the same amount of success
it had running the ball as it did in last week's scrimmage.

The primary reason I'm intrigued is because this week the defensive line
will have both Da'Quan Bowers and Kourtnei Brown back. Last week, both
missed the scrimmage because of previously scheduled academic
responsibilities. The offensive line dominated the scrimmage as a result
as Clemson running backs rushed for 200 yards.

With Bowers and Brown in the lineup in Wednesday's mini-scrimmage, the
defensive front got the better of the O-line. It should be an interesting
battle.

I'm also anxious to see how the wide receivers will do. Last week, other
than Marquan Jones' 28-yard touchdown catch from Willy Korn, the receivers
were a non-factor. There were also several dropped balls. Was it due to
the rainy conditions? I guess we will find out tomorrow.

Another area to watch, or person I should say, is free safety, especially
Sadat Chambers. The senior, who has bounced back and forth from defense to
offense in his college career, had a bad day last Saturday. Jones caught
the ball over him, he was pancaked by Chad Diehl and Rendrick Taylor and
he was juked by Jamie Harper. I'm anxious to see if he can bounce back and
step it up a notch in the second scrimmage.

Also, will Korn and Kyle Parker do anything to separate themselves from
the other? I don't think this competition is to that point, but with nice
weather, we might be able to see some kind of movement. Right now, I can
say both are really working their tails off to win the job. They both
bring something different to the table.

Dabo Swinney has said this many times and I totally agree with him, this
kind of competition is the best thing to happen to the quarterback
position. This kind of competition will only help Clemson as a team in the
long run - as long as it is settled before the season opener.

By the way, don't forget your ponchos and umbrellas for tonight's baseball game.

Thursday thoughts

By: Will Vandervort

I had the opportunity to talk with Thomas Austin yesterday and the senior
guard really likes what he has seen this spring from the underclassmen.

He said those guys have worked really hard and have made big strides in
getting better. He said they are providing not only solid depth, but they
are pushing for serious playing time. The competition has been good for
all them, especially the starters.

Names that he mentioned that are doing well include David Smith, Antoine
McClain, Mason Cloy, Wilson Norris and Kenneth Page. The most interesting
note he gave me was the fact Dalton Freeman is now taking a lot of reps
with the first team at center.

That means Clemson has a nice battle going on at center and that's a good
thing. Remember center was where a lot of the Tigers' issues along the
offensive line came up last year. If that position is solidified that will
allow Austin and Barry Humphries, when he returns, to concentrate only on
their guard spots and that should help solidify those areas.

As for the tackle spots, Chris Hairston has the left side anchored down as
we would expect, but the battle at right tackle is still an interesting
one with Landon Walker and Cory Lambert. Also keep in my mind the coaches
have been extremely impressed with freshman J.K. Jay. He is still raw, but
the coaches like his fire and is willingness to take on upperclassmen
defensive players when he is in there.

In other words, he isn't afraid to mix things up.

On the baseball front, it was a disappointing two-game series for Clemson
against Georgia. But let's look at this thing realistically.

Georgia made the plays the last two nights when they needed to and Clemson
did not. That's why Georgia, a team that played for the national title
last season, is No. 1 in the country and the Tigers, a team filled with
freshman and sophomores with tons of potential, are No. 17.

The Bulldogs know how to win these types of games. Clemson is learning how
to win again. I know Tiger fans don't like to read that, but think about
it. A lot of those same young people played on last year's team, the first
team in 22 years not to make the NCAA Tournament. That had to hurt their
confidence some.

Jack Leggett spent the entire off-season try to build that back up and I
think he did a good job of that. Granted it is frustrating seeing this
team lose leads in the ninth inning to North Carolina, Florida State and
Georgia, but think back to last year. They really did not have a chance in
those same games.

You could tell in the players' reactions after what happened last night
that they were hurt. But that is what you want to see. That means they
care.

Once the Tigers find a way to win one of these tight games against a
nationally ranked team - and I mean like a Sunday game when they are
trying to close a series out or like last night - the light bulb is going
to come on.

I can tell they are close, and I believe the future for the baseball
program looks bright.

Notes, and what was I doing?

By: Will Vandervort

Just a couple of notes, Clemson’s football team is supposed to get back on the practice field this afternoon. This will be an interesting practice because the offense really had a bad day Monday.

Head coach Dabo Swinney called it the worse practice of the spring, while offensive coordinator Billy Napier was so angry he could not settle down and really talk about anything else. I would bet the last two days have been really interesting ones over at the Clemson football offices.

On the baseball front, what is wrong with Clemson freshman pitcher Chris Dwyer? After starting the season almost untouchable with two wins and an ERA right at 2.00, the tall lefty’s last two starts have been downright bad.

After giving up 8 earned runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of work in a 13-1 loss to Boston College last Friday, he followed that up by allowing 5 earned runs on eight hits in a 6-5 loss to Georgia last night. If he continues to struggle that will not be good news for a Clemson pitching staff that is having problems elsewhere.

I will try to keep you up to date on both fronts. Now on to other matters.

Okay, I’m a huge Pittsburgh Steelers fan. I have been since the age of seven when my dad, who was from Western Pennsylvania, introduced me to the Black and Gold. I take pride in the fact he did that right at the end of the Steelers’ glory days of the 1970s.

I had the pleasure of watching Bradshaw, Franco, Swann, Stallworth, Mean Joe Greene, Lambert, Ham and Blunt make one last run at a Super Bowl. The older I get the more I appreciate the fact that the start of my football knowledge came during that time.

Now flash ahead 29 years later, and my love for the Steelers hit an all-time low. I don’t mean any disrespect here, but I found myself watching women’s basketball last night – which I never do unless I’m having to cover a game – and it wasn’t because there was really nothing on television, because I’m sure I could have found something else, but because Ben Roethlisberger’s little sister plays for Oklahoma and I wanted to see her play.

I saw on SportsCenter last night that Roethlisberger’s sister, Carlee, is a reserve forward for the Oklahoma Sooners and they were playing Purdue in a regional final. That struck my interest. And maybe it did all of Steeler Nation, I don’t know, but anyway I watched it. I wanted to see if she has the same ice in her veins as her older brother does.

I think she might. Before she came in the game the Sooners were struggling from the field, but she came off the bench and nailed a three from the right corner and then later got a Purdue player up in the air and but the ball in the hoop for five quick points. It turned out to be the only five points she recorded on the night, but it got her team back in the flow of the game and they eventually won and advanced to the Final Four.

While I was watching the game, I didn’t think anything of it, but then my wife came down stairs and asked me what I was watching. I told her and she said “You don’t watch women’s basketball.”

So I said “I know, but Big Ben’s sister is playing and I wanted to see her play.” So she looked at me and said “Okay, whatever.”

That’s when it hit me. I let my obsession with the Steelers blind my viewpoint. I was watching women’s basketball, not because I wanted to, but because I was a Steelers fan and I was pulling for Big Ben’s little sister. At the time, I thought I hit a low in my life. “I don’t know Ben personally. I don’t know his family. Why do I care? Am I going crazy?”

But when I got up this morning and went to feed my need with usual daily Steelers coverage, I discovered an article written in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about Carlee Roethlisberger and how Steeler Nation is pulling for her and the Sooners.

“It’s not so much in the stands as it is from our fans,” Roethlisberger told the Tribune-Review. “Especially when we do autographs people will say, 'We're big Steelers fans' or 'We love Ben Roethlisberger.' Everyone's always a big Steelers fan.”

And so am I. I guess watching her and the Sooners win last night wasn’t so crazy after all, especially if you are a Steelers fan.

Some football, basketball and baseball

By: Will Vandervort

Good teammate, togetherness and Duke baseball?

Okay, Chad Diehl is the ideal team player. When I asked him yesterday if he played defense – the Clemson fullback told me he did not, but he said “here is hoping” as he walked towards the locker room.

It was just a couple of words, but it says a lot about what kind of young man Diehl is. Trust me, there have not been many players I have run into that would appreciate a possible position change halfway through his career – case in point, Diehl’s teammate Rendrick Taylor.

Though the bruising running back / tight end / fullback / wide receiver is enjoying his new role on the team, there was a time when he wasn’t sure this was the right move for him. It’s not that Taylor was being a bad teammate or anything like that, he was just concerned with how he would fit in the team and if it was the best move for him at the time.

Taylor said when he moved to running back last year and was redshirted, he said his time at Clemson was “up in the air.” The 6-foot-2, 260-pound senior said he was leaning towards just getting his degree and then transferring to another school.

At first Taylor viewed that move as a step back. He said he looked at it the wrong way at first, but when his teammates and head coach Dabo Swinney came and talked to him and assured him this was in the best interest of him and it would help the team become successful, then he reconsidered.

I will have more on Taylor’s story later, but the point of the matter as far this story is concerned is Taylor at first did not embrace the move as a positive one, and he represents the majority of players opinions I feel when a move like this is made.

In talking with Diehl he seems genuinely excited that he might be making a move to defense. I think regardless of where Clemson uses him, it will be a positive for this football team. Diehl is a hardnosed blocker that will put his body and his face in harm’s way in order to get his teammate in the end zone. He goes hard on every play.

I think if he was to make the move to defense, he would do the same thing. He is just that kind of player and teammate that if one of his coaches ask him to go run through a brick wall, he would do it. He may ask them later, why? But he would do it first.

Speaking of being unselfish, Clemson basketball coach Oliver Purnell is obviously trying to entrench that into the heart of next year’s basketball team. He has already told his team that every position, with the exception of Trevor Booker’s, is open to anyone.

That’s a smart move by him because now his players are going to work even harder to earn one of those spots and that means they will also have to work together. You here coaches say it all the time, “competition brings out the best in people.”

In sports it makes teammates work harder, practice harder and study harder. It also brings togetherness. When players have to work so hard, they generally will lean on each other for support, even if it is the guy they are trying to beat out for a starting job. This builds togetherness and chemistry and more importantly, it eliminates selfishness.

Now I’m not saying there was any selfishness or jealousy going on in the Clemson locker room, but the chemistry was off the last part of the season and I think this move by Purnell is a good one and one I think will build a strong foundation for next year’s team.

By the way, just so you know, the Clemson baseball team has a very important week coming up and it starts today at No. 1 Georgia. The Tigers, No. 17 in the latest poll, also host the Bulldogs tomorrow night at The Doug before hosting Duke for a three-game series this weekend.

If you recall, Duke was the team that refused to cover the field when a rain shower came after Clemson took a late-inning lead off a Kyle Parker two-run home run to break a 6-6 tie in the last of the three-game series at Durham last year.

The move caused the field to become unplayable and since Clemson’s runs came in the top of an inning, they were not counted because an inning has to be fully completed. The score was reverted back to the 6-6 score and was ruled a tie.

Some think the move by the Blue Devils was intentional, me being one of them, and was a way to try and sneak into the ACC Baseball Tournament. Eventually, Clemson got the last laugh and edged Duke for the eighth and final spot in the tournament. But something tells me Clemson would love nothing more than to pour it on the Blue Devils this weekend.

And if it does rain during the three-game set, the Blue Devils will have to sit and wait for a very, very, very long time because Clemson is going to make sure all three games are played.

So bring your raincoat and your umbrella when you come to Doug Kingsmore this weekend and do it even if it is supposed to be sunny. That way Duke will get the point.

A weekend of basketball

By: Will Vandervort

Like a lot of you I’m sure, I spent some of my weekend, after covering Clemson’s scrimmage on Saturday, in front of the television watching the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. Saturday’s two games were good, especially the Villanova-Pitt game, but Sunday was a real yawner.

Oklahoma had no answer for Ty Lawson, which I felt was the difference in the game. With Lawson healthy, I don’t know if there is a better team in the country than UNC.

Trust me, I’m not a Tar Heel fan, but I appreciate good basketball and what I saw out of the Tar Heels in the last two rounds made me take notice. They are playing perhaps their best basketball all year. Offensively, anyone on the floor is a threat to score, while they have turned it a notch on the defensive end of the court as well.

They really did a good job defending the basket against Oklahoma, forcing the Sooners to have to win it from the outside and they could not by a basket from behind the arc. I have always felt that if North Carolina turned up the pressure on the defensive end, it would be hard to beat and right now it’s playing the best team defense I have seen it play since it won the title in 2005.

North Carolina is still going to have its hands full with Villanova. I loved what the Wildcats did defensively to Pittsburgh the other night. They made them work for every shot. There were very few give-me shots.

However, Villanova’s game plan was to deny DeJuan Blair as many looks as possible and make the Panthers beat them from the outside. Granted Sam Young scored 28 points and Blair still got 20, but really no one else was a factor especially from the perimeter so the Wildcats were able to stay in a soft zone and collapse when the ball went inside to Blair.

They will not have that luxury against North Carolina. As Clemson fans know all too well, Wayne Ellington can light it up from three-point land and Danny Green is playing perhaps the best he has all year. Then there is Lawson, who is playing as well as any player in the country in my opinion. That’s going to make it interesting to see if Villanova has an answer for Tyler Hansbrough.

However, let me say this. I really like Scottie Reynolds’ game and Dwayne Anderson is a solid player that plays hard on defense. Though North Carolina is playing really good, it would not shock me to see the Wildcats win this game. Anything can happen.

With that said, however. I think UConn is the only team that can beat the Tar Heels. The Huskies have the size and the athleticism to take on UNC in what I think would be a great championship game. The question is, can they get past a Michigan State team that shocked everyone by holding top seeded Louisville to 52 points, just two days after the Cardinals scored 103 on Arizona in the Sweet 16 round.

Michigan State is the feel good story of the Final Four. The Spartans campus in East Lansing is only 90 miles down the road from Detroit’s Ford Field – site of this year’s Final Four – and 72,000 fans, mostly dressed in green and white, are expected to help set a new standard for attendance in all three basketball games. Also, this is the 30th Anniversary of Magic Johnson’s run with the Spartans to the National Championship.

Is it a coincidence? I don’t know.

Does it mean anything? I don’t know. It sure does make this weekend’s Final Four interesting though. I know I will be watching.

Speaking of basketball, the media is expecting to meet with Oliver Purnell in a few hours over at Clemson to kind of wrap up the season and start to look ahead to next year. Trevor Booker will also be available to us as well and will talk more about why he decided to stay in school, so stayed tuned to CUTigers.com this afternoon and we will have more from both of these media gatherings, and of course we will have more from spring football practice this evening.