Thursday March 29, 2007

Freshmen Update; The Future or the Past?

Freshman Update
Spring practice is usually pretty uneventful but at Clemson this March and April there are two aspects that make it more interesting. First, we have a battle for the starting quarterback job. Second, we have five new freshmen that graduated from high school early and have enrolled this spring.

The quarterback battle has shaped up about like the staff has thought that it would. “All four have looked good at times but we have only had a few practices,” said Clemson recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach Billy Napier. “Harper has the most experience and it shows. Reese, Wade and Korn all have played well at times and this race may not be over until we get into September.”

I asked Napier if he had a feel for the starter at this point. “I really don’t,” he added. “I know the fans want to see Willy Korn win the job and he may. Korn is the kind of quarterback you can build championships around. He is everything we thought he would be. The position has so many mental challenges also and it is difficult for a freshman but Korn is a very mature kid and he can handle a lot. Harper is a strong player and his experience continues to show.”

From talking to a couple of staff members yesterday you get the feeling that Clemson may play more than one quarterback this season but I think they would like to settle in on a starter a couple of games into 2007.

The five freshmen have been impressive. “I tell ya that all five are exactly what we thought they would be and that is a compliment,” Napier said. “I think all five have a chance to help us next year. Obviously the fans and our staff knew what to expect with Korn but the others are also very impressive. DeAndre McDaniel makes plays every practice. You can see why he was so highly thought of. We are awfully glad to have him around here this spring. He and Byron Maxwell (red-shirt freshmen) are special athletes. Xavier Dye is a tall one that should help us as well. He and Brian Linthicum have so much to learn though. “

Napier talked about the difficulty of the tight end position when he stated, “You have to remember that we ask the tight ends to do a lot. They have to learn the blocking scheme and calls that the offensive line has to learn. They have to learn the routes and receiving skills of the wide outs. They have to learn all of the formations and motions of the skill players. It is a lot to throw at a kid and remember Linthicum has only had five practices but we have seen that he is not afraid to get after you. He will be a very good one once his head stops swimming and he gets more comfortable.”

“The one guy that really shocked some around here is Landon Walker,” Napier added. “He is working with the second team today. Like the rest of them he has so much to learn but he has a bunch of raw ability. Our staff was surprised he does so many things well. His footwork needs improving but he has a ton of potential.”

“We really like all of our young guys and it’s nice to get them in here and get them ahead of the curve. I would look for all five to be much more comfortable each day and I think all five can help us this fall.”

I also asked Napier about his tight ends. “The light has come on for Durrell Barry,” his position coach said. “He is a good athlete that just needed some work but he has had a good spring. Michael Palmer was amazing for us last year. He is so smart and picked up on so much as a true freshman that it really surprised us. He just gets better every day also. Akeem Robinson and Alex Pearson helped us last year and we expect their roles will be the same next season. Both are solid.”

The Future or the Past?
Scheme and trends change all of the time in sports and I think the sport of basketball is changing and maybe going back to its roots.

In the last 10 or more years most of the top teams in college basketball played man-to-man defense a large majority of the time. Most of the top teams have been recruiting players who had visions of the NBA where the zone was outlawed until a couple of seasons ago. These players all think they will become long time NBA players so they want to play in programs that prepared them for the league. Also these top players are quicker and are more athletic which means they do not have a problem playing man-to-man.

However, it is that quickness that has led to some problems for some man-to-man schemes. The players are becoming so quick with the basketball that dribble penetration has become a major focus for a lot of offenses. This year I saw more dribble penetration than in any year I have ever watched college basketball. The defense would have to rotate over with the backside helping on the drive which often leads to wide open shots after a pass. I think there would be few things more frustrating than preparing to play man-to-man only to watch the opponents point guard blow right by your defender.

Because of that quickness I have seen more zone defenses this year than in the past 10 years and I think we will see even more in the future. Clemson’s last three opponents will have played at least 90% zone against the Tigers. Syracuse is noted for its zone and even won the national title with it in this decade. Air Force played a hybrid zone and confused a lot of teams this year. And tonight West Virginia will employ its 1-3-1 zone in hopes of winning the NIT title.

I was listening to an ESPN analyst break down the Final Four this morning and he said he thinks Ohio State should play zone against Georgetown’s Princeton style offense. He said it would cut down on the easy baskets and it would keep Greg Oden out of foul trouble. Imagine a team as athletic as Ohio State being forced to play zone.

My guess is that we will continue to see more zone and more types of zone defenses being taught at the collegiate level. It may not create as many turnovers as that ball-hawking man-to-man that pressures the ball and contests every pass but it does not give up as many easy baskets either.

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