Dear Old U.Va.

Clemson and NC State: A Preview and A Purview

Friday, October 17 2008 by Ben

Hmmm... what do we have left?  Clemson, Virginia Tech, at NC State, Miami, Wake Forest, at Clemson, and Maryland.

How about we tackle Clemson and NC State today, leaving those scrappy up-and-comers, Miami and Wake Forest, for next week?  Does that sound good?  Do you have any choice?  Did you stop reading 10 seconds ago?

So, Clemson.

Oliver Purnell has brought this program success bit by bit. He hasn't made headlines with one major recruiting class or specific ultra-shiny player.  Instead, Purnell's success has been predicated on netting solid players and coaching them for the duration.  At the college level, that's how you win consistently.

For example, take last year's senior class of James Mays, Cliff Hammonds and Sam Perry.  None of these gentlemen made the first team all ACC (Hammonds was a third teamer), but they were crucial to the team's outstanding 10-6 finish in the ACC.  Hammonds, in particular, embraced Purnell's high pressure defense by creating steals and clearing the defensive glass.  A 6'3" guard grabbing 10% of his team's available defensive boards is no joke.

By returning senior KC Rivers, junior Trevor Booker, and sophomore Terence Oglesby, Clemson boasts a trio of players that know how to win.  Rivers positively buried Virginia in Charlottesville last year and Booker manhandled Tyler Hansbrough in the paint during the ACC Championship game.  Both Rivers and Oglesby are deadly from downtown.  The team also has the 24th best recruiting class in the country and it includes local frosh Tanner Smith.

Normally, I'd make fun of a guy for being on HGTV.  However, Smith was on Deserving Design, primarily because he'd started an organization to cheer up underprivileged youngsters with cancer.  That's where I draw the line.  DAMN YOU TANNER SMITH! You make it impossible to make jokes at your expense with all your do-gooding.

(Note: The wife gets the remote in the offseason.  Hence, why I watch things like Deserving Design.  She also gets me hooked on reruns Gossip Girl, which as far as I'm concerned, are no different than crack.  That being said, Chuck Bass is quite possibly the best character in any television show, ever. ) 

Instead, here is a picture of the man that designed Tanner's "pad," Wahoo alumni Vern Yip.  Vern was the only sane designer on Trading Spaces back in the day.  However, Vern, all rooms do not have to contain clean lines and a shade of taupe.  Besides, Trading Spaces was always faired better when that crazy wench Hildi was on.  Remember when she glued hay to the wall?

Anyhow, I think a split against the Tigers would be great, but an 0-2 would not surprise me.

Where were we? Ahh... NC State.

Virginia fans (I'm talking to the two of you reading this) the moment you think life stinks, think about being an NC State fan.  I will never forgive the Wolfpack for running Herb Sendek out of town.  Here's a guy that's a decent recruiter and a great coach.  Every year, his teams came up to Charlottesville over winter break and would flex cut Pete Gillen's disorganized defense to death.  He was good for an NCAA birth and a surprise victory now and then, but he didn't beat North Carolina or Duke often enough.  Well, guess what? No ACC team beats North Carolina and Duke enough.  Even when Maryland was at the height of its powers (and UNC, it appeared, was at it nadir) in the early part of the decade, they had a heckuva time getting by Duke.

Now, the Wolfpack has Sidney Lowe.  This is your punishment.

Lowe seems like a good guy and all, but the performance that NC State turned in last year was horrific.  The Wahoos got all the play for being the worst team in the league, but they had way more major holes because of injury/Dave Leitao's scariness than State.  Lowe had a lot more to work with.  Sure, they lost their point guard to a season ending injury early, but Lowe had JJ Hickson (beast as a freshman), Gavin Grant (solid senior leadership), and Brandon Costner (unstoppable in the previous season's ACC Tourney).  How in the heck do you go 4-12 in the ACC with that trio?  Where was the coaching? What did you do all year?  And don't say picking up the red sport coat from dry cleaners.

So, needless to say, I don't buy accounts such as these, which exonerate Lowe and excoriate Sendek.  Mr. Lowe, prove me wrong.

There is something of a serious note that I'd like to touch on and I don't want to make too much of this (lest it be confused for over-compensation), but it's an important point.  We are in this rather unique moment in history; a black candidate is likely to become president-elect of the United States.  I don't care for your political affiliations, nor am I trying to make a political commentary out of this space by bringing him up. 

Doing these little inane previews every week has given me some pause.  Currently, seven ACC schools have black men's basketball coaches.  For a league who's teams reside primarily in the Southeastern coast of the U.S., all I wish to note is that it's cool statement and something that ought to be celebrated.  That is all.