Tonight's Game: A look ahead....

Mar 19, 2007, 9:43 AM

The Game: Clemson (21-10, RPI 0f 39) vs. Ole Miss (21-12, RPI of 55)

When: Tonight at 7 p.m. in Littlejohn.

Is it on TV? Huzzah! On ESPN. But if anyone can get to the game, tickets are only $10.

Got any exciting trivia about Ole Miss? Hmmm: how about this? The Rebels were the last team to beat Clemson at home in post-season play. that was back before anyone on the team was alive, though. They beat Clemson 53-49 in 1982.

Dang! That's a low score! Are they a defensive team? Not these days. Consider them a Georgia Tech without the McDonald's All-American players.

How come? Well, the records are similar, and both Tech and Ole Miss are awesome at home (Miss is 16-1 there...which means they're 5-11 on the road.) Their RPI is in the mid-50s, with a break-even conference record and a couple of really ugly losses. They lost to UConn and USC, both sub-100 RPI teams, and both on the road. They're best road win this year....an impresssive win at Auburn in February. At home, it's a different story. The Rebels beat Alabama, Tennessee and gave Kentucky fits.

What's their style of play? The Rebels like to go with a 3-guard offense, play small and hope to make enough shots to win. They shoot ... a lot. They're led in scoring by shooting guards Clarence Sanders (16 ppg)
and Bam Doyne (15 pgg). The guy to watch is Todd Abernathy (11 ppg and 5.5 asst) He can shoot or pass, depending on who's open, and he scored 18 to lead Ole Miss past App State last week. He's an excellent ball handler and Clemson will need to interrupt his game as much as possible. The Rebels really have little else in the way of a floor general.

Center Dwayne Curtis (12 ppg, 8 reb) is a beast underneath, and he gets help from Kenny Williams (7 ppg, 6 reb) when the Rebels go larger.

Something Clemson might be wary of: Ole Miss plays some solid defense and can hold opponents without points for long stretches. That's how they won many of their more impressive games. Opponents hit dry spells as the Rebels pulled away. Sound familiar?

Ugh! How will Clemson counter? Probably the same way we did against ETSU,. but hope more of the point-blank shots fall. With Trevor Booker (10 ppg 6 reb) and James Mays (12 ppg 6 reb)having a good night, it would force Ole Miss to go larger, which is not their prime game. KC Rivers (13 ppg 5 reb, 2 asst) will command their attention on the outside, leaving Cliff Hammonds (11 pgg, 4 asst) and Vern Hamilton (13 ppg, 3 4reb 3 asst) free to create havoc...IF they can finish the play. If the Tigers can force the Rebels into a bigger lineup, Clemson's superior team speed should create opportunities.

Clemson needs to hold down the number of fouls, since the Rebels are a much better FT shooting team (boy there's a new situation, eh?) The Tigers rebound a little better, especially at the guard spot, but Ole Miss players fit more of a traditional role. Their big guys get points on putbacks off the copious shooting from their guards.

So, in a nutshell.... This is a team the Tigers can beat, but not a gimme game. Ole Miss, like Clemson, feels it was one win away from the NCAA, and the Rebels have said they want to make the committee realize they should have taken them over someone like, say, Alabama. Clemson needs to be focused, avoid long scoring droughts and take the ball inside when possible ...then hit the layups.

A win tonight makes us one of the winnest programs in the ACC this year and one of the top 4 all time at Clemson. It puts us one win away from a trip to Madison Square Garden and maintains the nation's only OOC unbeaten streak. Plus it makes us a legitimate SEC powerhouse. The state of South Carolina should have at least one of those.

It can be won, but it needs to be done withy focus and enthusiasm. Take care of business, Tigers. It's all we have to do.

Message was edited by: RevDodd®

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Tonight's Game: A look ahead....

Thanks for the summary...hopefully we get another win and

The games don't mean as much as the experience....

yep....

Does it ALWAYS help? Nope.

Unless you are S.Car.***

Good post - I hope we get a large crowd there..

Question a/b tix...

Students are on Spring Break and the game is on ESPN

There were basically no students there last game anyway.***

Should be plenty of tickets at the gate.***

Can I get some points geez***

TigerBoard POTD

Tonight's Game: A look ahead....

Thanks for the summary...hopefully we get another win and

The games don't mean as much as the experience....

yep....

Does it *ALWAYS* help? Nope.

Unless you are S.Car.***

Good post - I hope we get a large crowd there..

Question a/b tix...

Students are on Spring Break and the game is on ESPN

There were basically no students there last game anyway.***

Should be plenty of tickets at the gate.***

Can I get some points geez***

TigerBoard POTD

Does it ALWAYS help? Nope.