TheState.com: Clemson Tigers

Chatterbox, March 17

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 21:13 EDT

It’s in the hole

Here’s a golfing first: He holed in.

Mark Mihal fell 18 feet into a sinkhole when the earth opened up on the 14th hole at the Annbriar Golf Club near Waterloo, Ill.

“I feel lucky just to come out of it with a shoulder injury, falling that far and not knowing what I was going to hit,” Mihal, a 43-year-old mortgage broker, told AP. “It was absolutely crazy.”

On the bright side, at least this drop didn’t come with a one-stroke penalty.

Florida State holds off Clemson

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:00 EDT

GREENSBORO, N.C. - North Carolina and Florida State will pick up the 2013 ACC tournament where it left off in last year's tournament.

The No.?3-seeded Tar Heels will take on the Seminoles in Friday's quarterfinals after Florida State topped Clemson, 73-69, on Thursday night at Greensboro Coliseum.

The No.?6-seeded Seminoles, defending ACC tournament champs, took control during the latter stages, taking it to the Clemson post players who were hamstrung by foul trouble.

Clemson drew within two points during the final 12 seconds on a Devin Booker 3-pointer, but it proved to not be enough after a couple of Michael Snaer free throws sealed the victory.

The Tigers (13-18), which lost both regular-season contests against the Seminoles (18-14) by a combined eight points, led by as many as 10 points during the first half.

Recap: Florida State vs. Clemson

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:40 EDT

The sixth-seeded Florida State Seminoles will advance to the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament to face the third-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels after defeating No. 11 seed Clemson, 73-69, in the first round at Greensboro Coliseum.

Florida State (18-14) has won three in a row. Okaro White led the squad with a career-high 24 points. Devon Bookert and Terrance Shannon each added 12 points, while Michael Snaer had 10 points and five assists.

The Tigers (13-18) have lost seven consecutive games to finish out their season and have not topped 70 points since late January. Jordan Roper led Clemson with 18 points, while K.J. McDaniels had 16 points and seven rebounds before fouling out. Devin Booker contributed 11 points and Damarcus Harrison grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.

Clemson led 35-30 at halftime after shooting 4-of-6 from 3-point range and holding Florida State to 1-of-4 from beyond the arc in the opening stanza.

In the second half, Florida State outscored the Tigers 43-34 while holding them to just 36.4 percent from the field. The Seminoles went on a 17-5 run midway through the half, and Snaer went on to hit four clutch free throws in the final moments to lock up the win.

Clemson (13-17) vs. Florida State (17-14) (ET)

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:10 EDT

GAME NOTES: The first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament wraps up on Thursday night, as the 11th-seeded Clemson Tigers play the sixth-seeded Florida State Seminoles at Greensboro Coliseum.

The winner will advance to the quarterfinal round on Friday night to face third-seeded North Carolina.

Clemson (13-17) endured a very disappointing season, finishing its ACC slate at just 5-13. The Tigers played especially bad down the stretch, as they closed the regular season with six straight setbacks, including a 62-49 road loss at Miami-Florida last Saturday.

Florida State, which won this event a year ago, came into the 2012-13 season with high expectations, earning a preseason ranking in the AP Top-25, but it under-performed in going 17-14 overall and 9-9 in the ACC. The Seminoles are carrying a bit of momentum into the tournament however, having posted two straight wins, most recently capturing a 71-67 triumph against NC State last Saturday.

FSU won both contests versus Clemson this season, most recently claiming a 60-57 decision at home on Jan. 24, on one of Michael Snaer's four buzzer- beating game-winning buckets this season.

Clemson’s DeAndre ‘Nuk’ Hopkins: ‘It was my time’

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:27 EDT

hopkins

Momentum was too critical to ignore as DeAndre Hopkins weighed his options to either remain at Clemson and make a run at a bigger prize, or seize the future with those golden hands and enter the NFL draft as a potential first-round pick.

“It was my time,” Hopkins said Wednesday. “I felt I like accomplished all that I wanted to accomplish on and off the field.”

Hopkins said he began last season intending to be in position to make this decision.

“Momentum was one of them,” he said. “I’m not going to say it was the main factor but that was one of them.”

Clemson’s Beasley has found a home

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:33 EDT

Vic Beasley came to defensive end as a “science project.” Now he wants to be a “Transformer.”

A sophomore defensive end via tight end and linebacker, Beasley emerged as Clemson’s rainmaker last season, leading the team with eight sacks.

“Now, I’ve actually found a home,” he said. “I can get comfortable at one position and have the freedom to run with it.

“It takes a lot of stress off of me.”

Starting spring practice at 232 pounds, up about 10 since the bowl game, his target is 250 by kickoff. “I believe my body type (at) 6-3, 6-4 can carry that much weight.”

Benedict men’s roster

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:53 EDT

COACHING STAFF

No.	Name	Pos.	Year	Ht./Wt.	Hometown
5	Xavier Collier	PG	Sr.	5-11/170	Augusta, Ga.
10	Brennan Reynard	PG	Fr.	5-11/160	Slidell, La.
12	Cassius Bell	G	Sr.	6-3/200	Cincinnati
14	Cedric Jones	G	Jr.	6-2/195	Philadelphia
22	Justin Peeples	PG	So.	5-10/160	Hampton
23	Allen Elmore	G	So.	5-9/165	Augusta, Ga.
24	Lynden Davis	G	Jr.	6-7/195	Freeport, Bahamas
25	Tydran Beaty	F	Sr.	6-7/205	Irmo
30	Alex Brailsford	G	Jr.	6-4/130	Hopkins
32	Rickie Jackson	G	Sr.	6-5/190	Lexington
33	Reginald Martin	F	Jr.	6-8/230	Buffalo, NY
34	Lamar Adkins	F	Jr.	6-8/200	Portsmouth, Va.
50	Marcus Goode	C	Sr.	6-10/295	Chapin
52	Rashaad Murphy	C	Jr.	6-9/195	Cassatt

COACHING STAFF

Fred Watson — assistant AD/head coach; Shawn Jones — assistant coach; Jason James — director of basketball operations

Focus not weighing down tackle

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:29 EDT

A year ago it became annoying, watching video of the Oklahoma defense as Brent Venables installed his scheme at Clemson.

“Everything was Oklahoma, Oklahoma,” junior tackle Josh Watson recalled Monday.

Even after they could see snippets of themselves at practice, it was evident to Watson they faced an uphill climb. His vision proved to be prophetic.

“I said at the beginning of the year it wouldn’t look as good in the beginning as it would at the end.”

One of the ventricles of the defensive heart, Watson totaled 54 tackles, most among the returning linemen, with 12 quarterback pressures and a blocked kick.

Baseball: Wolfpack spoil Tigers’ sweep

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:15 EDT

A weekend that had gone terribly wrong for N.C. State’s baseball team took a right turn for the Wolfpack on Sunday.

After losing the first two games of an ACC series to Clemson and losing All-America shortstop Trea Turner to injury Friday, the ninth-ranked Wolfpack righted itself with a confidence-boosting 4-1 victory over the Tigers at Doak Field.

Turner, who was leading the Wolfpack in hitting (.464) and home runs (5) and was tied for the team lead in RBIs (18), sprained his ankle on the final play of Friday’s series opener and will be out four-to-six weeks. Turner, who set a school record for stolen bases with 57 last season, was 8-for-8 this year.

On Sunday, the Wolfpack (12-4, 1-2 ACC) pounded out 10 hits in his absence. Jake Fincher went 4-for-4, Bryan Adametz had a pair of doubles in Turner’s leadoff spot, designated hitter Will Nance had a pair of hits and Sam Morgan delivered a two-run, pinch-hit double in the eighth inning to lead the N.C. State offense.

“Trea is a huge loss to our team,” Fincher said. “He just plays the game the right way. We need him back as soon as we can. Anybody who can pick up the slack in the meantime … it’s going to have to happen.”

Born with clubfoot, RB could be star for Clemson

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:46 EST

After every obstacle he has encountered, Roderick McDowell was not about to run away.

A concussion, the assorted foot injuries, the pulled and bruised muscles were incidental setbacks for the Clemson running back – described by his high school coaches in Sumter as the best ever.

Shadowing C.J. Spiller, Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington the past four seasons hasn’t been the worst duty, but for a young man with McDowell’s resume and pride, it tested the limits of his dignity. After three seasons, he contemplated leaving Clemson. Folks in Sumter weren’t unkind. They just wanted to know when it would be his time to cast a long shadow.

Instead of feeling low, McDowell was inspired by his mother, who told him to pray.

“I’m glad I stayed,” McDowell said. “I came here as a boy, and now I’ll leave as a man.”

Miami clinches ACC title in style with victory over Clemson

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 19:35 EST

Climbing the ladder, Julian Gamble smiled. He surveyed the party and raised the scissors.

He clipped. And clipped. Frowned a little, and clipped some more.

"That's my first time doing it," a grinning Gamble said later. "The scissors might have been a little bit dull."

But the moment captured the essence of the journey.

Miami closed out the ACC regular-season title with Saturday's emotional 62-49 beating of Clemson. It was the program's first outright championship of any kind, but it wasn't easy or pretty. Overcoming a sluggish start and losses in three of its past four, Miami rediscovered the magic of its 14-game winning streak.

Clemson loses to No. 6 Miami 62-49

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:40 EST

Clemson lacked the necessary firepower to pull off the role of spoiler Saturday.

The Tigers shot just 40 percent, sank only three 3-pointers and lost 62-49 to the No. 6-ranked Miami Hurricanes, who clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference title outright on their third try.

Clemson (13-17, 5-13 ACC) endured its sixth consecutive loss, and its ninth in the past 10 games.

"I feel like we can play with everybody," coach Brad Brownell said. "We just haven't found ways to win some of these games. We get to a point where go through an offensive drought. Eventually, those things catch up to us. The margin for error is very small because of that."

Freshman Jordan Roper led the Tigers with 12 points, all in the first 5 minutes before Shane Larkin entered the game and began to guard him.

Recap: Miami-Florida vs. Clemson

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 03:08 EDT

Kenny Kadji had 23 points and 12 rebounds in No. 6 Miami-Florida's 62-49 win over Clemson to lock up the ACC regular season title outright.

Shane Larkin finished with 11 points and Trey McKinney Jones added 10 points for the Hurricanes (24-6, 15-3 ACC), who had dropped three of their last four conference games after a 14-0 start in league play.

Miami has the No. 1 seed locked up for next week's ACC Tournament. It's the second league title in school history. The Hurricanes shared the 2000 Big East crown.

"That's not the last net I plan on cutting down," Jones said. "The sky's the limit for us. If we play together, we have so many weapons."

Jordan Roper netted 12 points for Clemson (13-17, 5-13), which dropped its last six tilts and 9-of-10 to close out the regular season.

No. 6 Miami beats Clemson for outright ACC title

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:58 EST

Miami coach Jim Larranaga mounted the ladder last and went to the basket hard, scissors in hand. The net came off with one final snip, and he twirled it over his head, then draped it around his neck.

Championship jewelry.

Down to their third try and last chance, Larranaga's Hurricanes came through Saturday. Kenny Kadji scored a season-high 23 points to help sixth-ranked Miami win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship outright by beating Clemson 62-49.

Then came the cutting of the net, a new ritual for Miami's program.

"It's a piece of memorabilia you'll keep with you for a lifetime," said Larranaga, who is in his second year with the Hurricanes. "It's something the players feel is very, very special, because you don't get to do it all the time. Some programs do it almost annually, but we haven't done that here. And when you do anything for the first time, it's very, very exciting."

Hurricanes take aim at ACC crown in showdown with Tigers

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 11:18 EST

The sixth-ranked Miami Hurricanes will take their third shot at securing an outright ACC title, when they close out the regular season on Saturday afternoon at home against the Clemson Tigers.

Jim Larranaga's Hurricanes weren't the favorite to win the conference crown this season, but nonetheless, stand a win away from doing just that at 14-3 in-conference. However, what seemed to be a foregone conclusion a week ago has turned into a must win, as back-to-back losses to Duke and Georgia Tech leaves Miami only the slightest of margins, a game up on the Blue Devils (13-5) with one to play.

Brad Brownell's Tigers can play a bit of a spoiler in this one and head into the postseason on a high note. That would certainly be a welcome sight for a team that has lost five straight games entering the season finale. With Tuesday's 68-61 loss to Boston College, Clemson is now 13-16 overall and a meager 5-12 in the ACC.

Clemson holds an 11-8 series advantage, but Miami has won the last two meetings and is seeking the regular-season sweep after posting a 45-43 victory at Clemson on Feb. 17.

The Tigers shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and held a narrow 29-27 lead at the break, but lost their touch in the second half, shooting just .394 over the final 20 minutes in an eight-point loss. Clemson spoiled strong games from Devin Booker (19 points and eight boards), Milton Jennings (18 points, seven boards) and Damarcus Harrison (11 points, eight boards).

Clemson (13-16) at (6) Miami-Florida (23-6) (ET)

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 11:08 EST

GAME NOTES: The sixth-ranked Miami Hurricanes will take their third shot at securing an outright ACC title, when they close out the regular season on Saturday afternoon at home against the Clemson Tigers.

Clemson holds an 11-8 series advantage, but Miami has won the last two meetings and is seeking the regular-season sweep after posting a 45-43 victory at Clemson on Feb. 17.

Boulware blasts Clemson to win

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 23:48 EST

Sophomore catcher Garrett Boulware went 4-for-5 with two homers, five RBIs, and three runs to lead Clemson to a 10-5 win against No. 9 N.C. State at Doak Field on Friday.

The Tigers improve to 8-4 overall and 1-0 in the ACC. The Wolfpack fall to 11-3 and 0-1.

The Wolfpack jumped to a 4-0 lead and had All-America lefthander Carlos Rodon on the mound, but the Tigers scratched three runs in the fourth inning and five in the fifth off Rodon to take the lead for good. Boulware’s three-run homer in the fifth inning gave Clemson a 7-4 lead. He added another long home run in the ninth. Boulware set career highs for hits, RBIs, and runs.

Tiger starter Daniel Gossett (2-1) pitched 62/3 innings to earn the win. He gave up five hits, four runs (two earned), and four walks with nine strikeouts. Kyle Schnell allowed one hit and one run with three strikeouts in the final 21/3 innings.

Rodon (1-2), the first of five Wolfpack hurlers, suffered the loss. He surrendered eight hits, eight runs, and three walks with eight strikeouts in 41/3 innings.

Morris, Venbables trying to fit the pieces together at Clemson

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:39 EST

Back to basics, even with a veteran team, can be a challenge, particularly with Clemson coaches trying to make sure all the pieces are in the right slots.

Even great dancers need an occasional refresher, so offensive coordinator Chad Morris wasn’t critical of the energy though his quarterbacks’ footwork was “sloppy” on the second day of spring practice.

Among Morris’ challenges are finding the production lost with DeAndre Hopkins’ decision to take his 82 catches and 18 touchdowns to the NFL a year early and replacing center Dalton Freeman, tight end Brandon Ford and running back Andre Ellington.

If there was any lingering skepticism, Morris believes it was answered in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Now, he can command their attention.

“The spring isn’t about being comfortable,” he said Friday. “Being comfortable is going and sitting on your couch.”

Clemson lineman center of attention

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:07 EST

All-American center Dalton Freeman’s aggravation fueled the motivation to achieve a measure of vindication Wednesday during football Pro Day at Clemson.

Snubbed by the NFL Combine, Freeman channeled his anger into a performance superior to every center and most of the guards evaluated at Indianapolis last month.

“Obviously, I was a little disappointed,” Freeman said after the workout for representatives from every NFL team except Chicago.

“I felt that I deserved to be there,” he said. “I had a great career here, and I think I outperformed most of those guys today. Hopefully, I proved to everybody that I deserve to be in this league.”

Former Tigers center Dustin Fry, a fifth-round pick by St. Louis in 2006 and now a graduate assistant on the Clemson staff, said Freeman “tested off the charts today. It was impressive.”

Bar set high for Clemson football in 2013

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:35 EST

Any doubt the bar was raised at Clemson after last season?

The first practice of spring was conducted in the new indoor digs. Temperature outside was in the low 40s. No precipitation, nothing intolerable, so it wasn’t imperative they sweat all over the new rug. It was almost like eating burgers and fries in mom’s dining room and spilling a drink.

No accident. The bar is high.

Dabo Swinney smiled, draped an arm around Tajh Boyd’s shoulders and ragged on his franchise quarterback.

“He was a little inaccurate today, not as sharp as I need him to be,” Swinney said, “Not Heisman caliber.”