If you grow up in the state of South Carolina, you have to make a choice very early on - Tigers or Gamecocks. If you're like me and you grow up in Cincinnati, it's Xavier or the University of Cincinnati. I have been a diehard XU fan for about 25 years. As a Clemson alumn and crazy tiger fan for the last 20 years.. our Christmas day matchup is going to be rough. A lot of Tiger fans probably dont know alot about XU, so I hope the information that follows is helpful.

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I know there are those of you that read this blog almost exclusively for its outstanding football coverage.  Not gonna lie.. that's why i first started coming here.  I love Tiger football.  In my 4 years, I missed 1 home game. However, basketball is my first love, and this is my favorite time of the year.  The Superbowl is over, spring training hasn't started yet.  For the next  2 months.. college basketball is king.   We have 3 1/2 more weeks to the Tigers regular season, and it should be a very fun ride.   The number we all have to keep in mind is 4.  We need 4 more wins to be able to stake a claim to one of the 37 at large bids that will be handed out on March 13th.  After the jump I'll tell you where i think we stack up and why we have a shot.

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While most of us are still recovering from Saturday night's pathetic (but predictable) showing,  our hoops team begins an important 3 game stretch tomorrow vs Michigan.

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I got to see our last 2 games on possibly the worst network on cable.  Seriously people.. HD.. there is no excuse to not broadcast in HD.   After seeing us play against 2 "decent" teams, it is clear that this is a team that has a LONG way to go in order to get into the top half of the ACC this year.  Pray for 7-9 in the ACC.  This team has a lot of work to do.

Overall observations

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Last year after the UVA game, we knew we were going to Tampa to play Ga tech for the ACC Championship.   We had to play USC the week before "the game that mattered" on the road, and that USC team underperformed all season.

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No one was happier to see Oliver Purnell leave more than I was.   I guess I was spoiled.  I arrived at Clemson in 1994 during Rick Barnes 1st year on campus and saw what he did in his 4 years.   The ACC was a lot tougher then.  (Dukies winning national titles in 91,92, and then UNC in 93).  Larry Shyatt  then made December thru March completely pointless on the sports calendar.  To his credit, OP was successful in taking us out of the cellar and making us a respectable program, but his years were extremely predictable. 

While we were hopeful that things would change in moving from TB to Dabo,  much of the staff and philosophy remained the same.   OP departed and none of his staff was retained.  Brad B has an opportunity now to make his own mark and do things his way.   I personally believe he will ultimately be more successful than OP, but

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It is the best day of the year !!  and it leads to the least productive work week of the year.  Sorry boss.. quite a lot of my time Mon-Wed will be devoted to my brackets. 

Sunday morning and this may be one of the tougher bubble to predict that i can remember.  Here's where we are right now in the ACC 

ACC - Duke, Maryland, FSU, Clemson, Wake, and Ga tech are locks.  Va tech went 10-6 in the ACC but had the luxury of playing all of their home and aways vs the bottom end of the conference.  Let's look at Va tech a little close.. as they are truly the team in question today.

lost at Duke, lost to Maryland at home, lost at FSU, beat Wake at home, won at Ga Tech,  beat Clemson at home, swept uva, 1-1 vs BC, swept Nc st, 1-1 vs UNC, and went 1-2 vs Miami.

So.. vs the 6 ACC teams that will be dancing.. they only played each of them 1 time and went 3-3.. and then went 7-4 vs the 5 acc teams that are clearly not in the tourney.  NOT overly impressive !!!  going 10-6 in the ACC.. normally gets you in.. every single time, but there could be a first time for everything.  Looking at the other 6 teams :

Duke is a #1 if they beat Ga tech in the final.. and then could fall to a #2 if they lose.. and you could see WV move up to the #1

Maryland didnt help themselves losing to Ga tech.. probably a 5-6 seed

FSU again.. lost early in the tourney.. probably 8-9 seed

Clemson.. of course.. loses early.. probably 9-10 seed

Wake is also looking at a 9-10 seed

Ga tech has played their way off the bubble.  now.. today vs duke they play for seeding.. if they win today.. could get as high as a 7-8 seed. 

Va tech.. hold your breath that Kentucky and Ohio St both win today and then it'll be tough trying to compare Va tech with Minnesota, Illinois, and Miss st.   Va tech.. if they squeak in.. is probably a 12 seed.

Was this a "down" year for the Conference?.. Yep.  Does UNC falling on its face hurt the national perception of the conference ?  yep.  But.. anyone who thinks this conference can't compete in the big dance.. hasn't been paying attention.  here's a look at the top 5 teams in each of the big conferences.. and how they fared vs the RPI top 50 this year.. and those are the teams that will be playing in the Big dance

           Record vs top 50            Likely sweet 16 teams

Big 12 : 33-24                                         4

Big East :  30-20                                     4

ACC:  29-27                                             2

Big 10:  23-22                                          2

Atlantic 10: 17-21                                    1

SEC: 16-20                                              2

Pac 10:  7-20                                            0

Non Power conferences                        1

For having SUCH a terrible year.. the ACC top 5 has 1 less win than the mighty Big East has vs the top 50.  Now.. i agree that the big east will likely get 8 teams in the dance.. and they will receive a lot better overall seeding than the ACC will.. but the sky is not falling if you are an ACC fan. 

Clemson Basketball is not just a team that I follow game in and game out.  I have a relationship with Clemson basketball.   I scream at my TV.  I get on my hands and knees when we're shooting 1-1 with under a minute on the clock.  I live and die with this team. 

So, what I'm about to say is not easy -- Clemson has settled when it comes to basketball coaches.  We can do better.

I was a student in Clemson for the 4 Rick Barnes years.  3 straight trips to the big dance and a sweet 16 that was 30 seconds away from an Elite 8.  Rick came to Clemson as an up and coming coach out of Providence.  He and Clemson started off their relationship on equal footing.  BUT, in his 4 years.. Rick got hotter.. and suddenly other school were interested.. and he looked at Clemson and said "I can do better"

Larry Shyatt was the classic rebound.  He was a mess.  Clemson was desperate.. he kinda looked like Rick.. and acted like Rick.. but he wasn't Rick.. not even close.  He somehow managed to recruit kids that couldn't shoot and weren't athletic.   I choose to block out all memories of any of the Larry Shyatt teams.  His 1 team with Rick's players.. choked.. didnt get in the dance.. and made it to the NIT finals.  Once he had his own recruits, he won 3 acc games a year.

OP was a very safe hire.  Anything was better than Larry Shyatt.  He was established, and his resume shows he can build a respectable program.  He wasn't flashy, he wasn't going to leave in 4 years.  He can win a few games in the regular season, and he can get some decent kids in the program, but ZERO NCAA wins.. will always be ZERO.  He can't hide from that.   OP will be in Clemson as long as we let him.  He's not going anywhere.  After years at ODU and Dayton, he made it to the ACC.  This job is the pinnacle of his career. 

As Tiger fans.. is this what we want ?   OP isn't going anywhere.. He's not going to bail on us like Rick did.   Wouldn't you rather have the young  coach that can get us in the sweet 16 (Brad Stevens comes to mind)?  So what if he leaves a year later.  I would rather have a program that brings in a coach.. develops the talent in the program.. gives us a deep run into march and then moves on and lets us start over.. To me at least, that's a lot more appealing than watching a team start off 14-0 4 straight years.. only to get ZERO victories in March madness during that stretch. 

As Tiger fans.. we can not settle for mediocrity.  We can't say... at least he's better than Larry Shyatt.  We're an ACC program.. we deserve better.