The Pack lost a heartbreaker on the road against Florida. Hopefully they can bounce back and knock off the unbeaten and 20th ranked Tigers down in Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers are currently 1-0 in conference play having defeated Miami in Coral Gables on December 21st. The Pack have a slight advantage since they will have a week to prepare for this game while Clemson will only have 3 days to prepare for the game since they have to face Alabama Tuesday night. The Pack could potentially see Trevor Ferguson return to the lineup. It is still unknown whether Javi Gonzalez will be able to go after having returned from an ankle injury. Prior to the game against Florida Gonzalez had practiced only once since returning from his injury. Hopefully the atmosphere in Gainesville helped prepare the team for opening up at one of the tougher places to play in the ACC.

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/packs-ferguson-returns-to-practice

1/5/2009 2:43:42 PM

state 73

clempson 67

1/5/2009 2:54:26 PM

may this be the beginning of the annual clemson basketball collapse and subsequent fall from the rankings

1/5/2009 3:03:49 PM

^ amen brother

1/5/2009 3:19:19 PM

I predict some dipshit on Clempson will have a career game.

I think the game will be close, but we will lose again because we do not know how to win important games.

1/5/2009 3:21:55 PM

It's a little too early for the Clemson collapse

1/5/2009 3:22:15 PM

at Halftime:
State: 37
Clemson: 29

Final:
State: 69
Clemson: 71

1/5/2009 3:37:59 PM

Quote :

"I predict some dipshit on Clempson will have a career game."

It will be Oglesby or whatever his name is, that white boy that constantly jacks up shots from 10 feet beyond the arc

1/5/2009 3:41:15 PM

12th ranked clemson?

[Edited on January 5, 2009 at 3:46 PM. Reason : as per the new rankings]

1/5/2009 3:45:51 PM

youd think that everyone voting would understand that clemson will collapse

why even give their fans hope?

1/5/2009 3:52:57 PM

Hopefully Ferg will come back, we kinda need him. I know Fells was playing on a bum ankle, but I think it was obvious against FLorida that he doesn't need to be playing SG, he just can't handle the ball well enough. I winced everytime he put the ball on the floor. He's much more suited at small forward.

1/5/2009 4:22:02 PM

Quote :

"Hopefully Ferg will come back, we kinda need him."

[No]

1/5/2009 4:30:05 PM

L

1/5/2009 4:50:33 PM

^[Yes]?

You do understand that there are positions on a basketball team, right? As bad as it sucks, we really don't have anyone that plays perimeter d and shoot the three as well as fergusson. And he's been playing with a lot of heart, which we need. Who would you suggest should get all his PT?

[Edited on January 5, 2009 at 4:58 PM. Reason : >]

1/5/2009 4:50:40 PM

State: 66
Clemson: 56

1/5/2009 5:03:35 PM

Quote :

"we really don't have anyone that plays perimeter d and shoot the three as well as fergusson"

what the fuck are you talking about? Ferguson is the worst defender of all of our guards (and if it weren't for horner, he might be the worst defender among any of the "regulars")... and his shooting ability might be negligibly better than Fells, but he can't create his own shot.

I admire the kid for his heart and using his limited physical abilities well, but his injury was a good thing for the team. There is no reason Ferg should be getting more than 10 minutes/game on any ACC team.

The discussion of bench players who need to get more PT starts and ends with Tracy Smith.

1/5/2009 5:04:41 PM

Again, who would you suggest get Ferg's time? And he was a starter. And Tracy Smith doesn't play guard. And what shooting guards are you speaking of that have better perimeter d and shoot the 3-ball? Are you of the belief that Fells should be playing SG?

1/5/2009 5:10:28 PM

Quote :

"And Tracy Smith doesn't play guard."

lol

1/5/2009 5:13:40 PM

Fells is the best perimeter defender on the team.

He can play the 2 just fine. Between Javi, Degand, Mays and Fells (who are all better perimeter defenders than ferg), the 1 and 2 are covered for all but the ~10 minutes/game that Ferg should get.

Bottom line is, positions be damned, you find a way to put your best players on the floor. Ferguson is way down the list of our best players. It is goddamn ridiculous that the kid was getting 30 min. a game before he got injured

1/5/2009 5:19:11 PM

NCSU: (number)
CU: < (number)

1/5/2009 5:19:13 PM

^^ he can play the 2 just fine?

the fells at the two experiment is over. he's not quick enough. the only way he plays the two now is because we got nothing else.

1/5/2009 5:40:26 PM

Quote :

"at Halftime: State: 37 Clemson: 29 Final: State: 69 Clemson: 71"

1/5/2009 5:44:22 PM

Ferguson is a hell of a lot more important to this team than most think, if for no other reason that he consistently can get the ball down low to McCauley and Costner. And shoot.

1/5/2009 5:50:01 PM

Quote :

"positions be damned, you find a way to put your best players on the floor"

Quote :

"The discussion of bench players who need to get more PT starts and ends with Tracy Smith."

this shit is getting ridiculous. we put our best players on the floor last year, and we saw what happened. YOU DO REALIZE POSITIONS MATTER BECAUSE OF MATCHUPS RIGHT?

you do realize that we can't match costner up against a 3, because he'd be just as ineffective as last year right? you know he's too slow to guard a small forward right? you know he's ineffective against smaller, quicker players right? you understand that he can't operate on the outside against a faster player, and when he goes to the post to take advantage of the size mismatch, double teams come because mccauley and smith can't pull their defenders out of the lane, right?

you know that a frontcourt of mccauley/costner/smith is eerily similar to mccauley/costner/hickson, which as we saw last season turned out pretty fucking awful?

i mean honestly it's like you fucking people are like "DURRRR this guy is so much better let's put tracy smith in at point guard! he scored 31 against MOTHER FUCKING TOWSON!" do you think lowe just doesn't like winning? or doesn't like scoring points?

as much as i hate to say it, ferguson is the closest thing we have to a true 2 guard. fells is some kind of 2/3 tweener, mays is a combo guard (though he probably has one of the better shots on our team), and as far as i've seen cj williams hasn't proven that he can play yet

[Edited on January 5, 2009 at 5:52 PM. Reason : .]

1/5/2009 5:51:47 PM

Quote :

"He can play the 2 just fine."

Didn't you see Fells' several unforced turnovers when he tried to dribble against Florida? And the countless times that he committed unforced turnovers last year when he was playing the 2?

With who we have now, we need Fergusson to get decent playtime every game.

And I'm not arguing about Smith getting more play time. I think he should. That, however, should not come into the equation when talking about who should get minutes at the 2 in place of fergusson.



[Edited on January 5, 2009 at 6:49 PM. Reason : ]

1/5/2009 6:47:29 PM

When's Ferg supposed to be back anyway?

Agreed that Fells needs to stick to SF. He can't create well enough to be a 2G.

1/5/2009 10:29:35 PM

Quote :

"YOU DO REALIZE POSITIONS MATTER BECAUSE OF MATCHUPS RIGHT?"

why not play a zone with all the size on the court and use mismatches to our advantage on offense

1/5/2009 10:33:43 PM

Quote :

"at Halftime: State: 37 Clemson: 29 Final: State: 69 Clemson: 71"

1/5/2009 11:08:40 PM

we win by 20

1/5/2009 11:24:47 PM

Prediction:

We win by three.

NCSU takes a 15+ point lead early and keeps it through most of the game, but then in the second half lets it start to slip away and gets careless. Clemson nearly rallies into the lead but time expires.

1/5/2009 11:27:13 PM

Not down with OPP. (Oliver Purnell's Posse) I sat behind oglesby's parents at the clemson game last year and they said Javi would be a good point guard if we gave him time, apparently they played aau together or something.

1/6/2009 12:02:51 AM

I hate that this is like the fourth year in a row we play these guys early in the season before the collapse. Doesn't matter this year sadly we wouldn't win anyway.

And lol at people talking about a Clemson collapse when we lost 9 games in a row to end the season and they nearly won the ACC tournament.

1/6/2009 1:19:02 AM

the Clemson collapse has nothing to do with State man. Shit is lock clockwork every year. I could set my spring calendar by it.

1) Win alot of games against inferior opponents
2) Get ranked in the top 15.
3) Get schooled by the ACC.
4) Finish unranked and miss the NCAAT
....
5) Profit?

1/6/2009 9:20:57 AM

Quote :

"why not play a zone with all the size on the court and use mismatches to our advantage on offense"

I like playing zones, but it usually causes us to get our ass KICKED on the glass. Since the players don't have a specific man to box out, they usually end up just standing around hoping the ball goes to them.

1/6/2009 9:31:40 AM

NC STATE 81
Clemson 65

1/6/2009 9:39:00 AM

i actually think state will pull this one off.

state-72
clemson-63

1/6/2009 12:00:01 PM

^^^^Going 10-6 in ACC play and nearly beating UNC for the ACC champs is a collapse? They are making big strides don't kid yourselves.

[Edited on January 6, 2009 at 12:54 PM. Reason : Also LOL at playing a zone against the ACC's best 3-shooting team with Oglesby and Rivers]

1/6/2009 12:53:38 PM

on TV?

1/6/2009 12:56:59 PM

All remaining games are on TV somewhere, with the exception of the home Wake Forest game, which I'd have to think would have the possibility of getting picked up at some point if WF stays good (although I'm not sure how often this happens?)

1/6/2009 1:13:24 PM

You would think Raycom would televise that shit in NC at least, NCSU and WF.. come on.

1/6/2009 1:14:52 PM

Well, we are on Raycom 10 times already..

[Edited on January 6, 2009 at 1:17 PM. Reason : hopefully most of them are in HD.. looking for that info now]

[Edited on January 6, 2009 at 1:22 PM. Reason : WRAL.com indicating the game will be in HD Saturday. We'll see.]

1/6/2009 1:16:33 PM

on tv anywhere other than the southeast?

1/6/2009 1:28:51 PM

i, too, think we win this game.

pack 78
clemson 66

1/6/2009 1:35:30 PM

I'll be there....here's to the Pack winning our ACC opener!

1/6/2009 1:52:28 PM

^3 nope.

[Edited on January 6, 2009 at 2:10 PM. Reason : PERHAPS TWW STREAM?!]

1/6/2009 2:10:01 PM

Quote :

"Also LOL at playing a zone against the ACC's best 3-shooting team with Oglesby and Rivers"

I dont know much about clemson. I was mainly just saying that in general with all the disscussion about the rotation and stuff. You're right about not playing it against a team that shoots the 3 well.

1/6/2009 2:13:47 PM

can whoever posts these game threads include tv coverage info plz

thx

1/6/2009 2:53:43 PM

Close all game (within 5 points), and then Clemson pulls ahead at the end to win by 10+.

1/6/2009 2:55:04 PM

Well there is google as well as gopack.com for a reason, but the game is being broadcasted by Raycom.

http://www.gopack.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9200&SPID=3731&SPSID=41961

1/6/2009 3:04:46 PM

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1/6/2009 3:05:25 PM