All-In [49613]
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Posts: 30357
Joined: 12/10/98
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Saturday's Game: Florida A&M at Clemson
Dec 13, 2012, 11:46 AM
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Who: Florida A&M (4-6) at Clemson (5-3)
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum
Is it a sellout? Bwahahahaaa! I think we can squeeze a few more folks in.
Is it on TV? Only if your TV is in Littlejohn.
It's been a few years since Clemson played A&M ...
Last time we met: In Feb. 1986, Clemson flattened the Rattlers, 96-52.
Dang! So we do see these guys very often? That was the only meeting between the teams. Thankfully, we don't troll the bottom of the MEAC that often anymore.
That said, A&M has been on a bit of a run lately, winning 4 of its last 5 games. The last game was a 106-59 win over Allen. Apparently, Allen couldn't find anyone else to play with him that night. It may not be quite as exciting as beating Mizzou in the opening round of the NCAAs, which the Rattlers managed last spring, but it's a start.
The Rattlers are also tied for first in the MEAC ... the basketball equivalent of being the best ballerina in Barnwell.
Still, A&M ranks higher in nearly every offensive category nationally than Clemson, so we have little room to poke fun.
Poke fun if you wish, but the Rattlers have a cool logo!
The Rattlers are led by junior guard Jamie Adams (17 ppg, 4 ast) a smallish guard who might remind Clemson fans of Andre Young ... except he doesn't shoot 3-pointers very well. He didn't play much in the last 2 games against Allen or Edward Waters College (which is named for the third bishop of the AME church, if the question arises) presumably to give the bench some playing time. More than a third of A&M's scoring plays pass through him, and he's been pretty good at limiting turnovers
The top 3-point shooter on the team, ironically, is the much taller (6-6) junior forwards Jamari Bradshaw (12 ppg, 5 reb). He's a go-to guy for A&M, but he's usually good for 2-3 turnovers a game. He can also be flustered by tight defense ... which, I presume, he'll see plenty of against Clemson.
In fact, the Rattler team as a whole doesn't seem to deal well with pressure. Their last loss (72-47 to North Florida) saw an inordinant number of turnovers and fouls. the only other Rattler averaging double figures 6-4 guard Muhammad Abdul-Aleem (10 ppg, 5 reb) crumbled in that game.
No, no! Not THAT Walter Davis, thanks goodness!
Other names to note: 6-2 junior guard Reggie Lewis (9 ppg, 4 reb); 6-7 senior forward Markee Teal (7 ppg, 5 reb); and 6-5 junior Walter Davis (5 ppg 5 reb). I'm also hoping to see junior forward Onyekachukwu Odi (3 ppg, 3 reb) in the game, just to hear his name butchered by the announcers. Forward Trey Kellum was also named the MEAC rookie of the week, presumably for outplaying Allen single-handedly.
As a team, A&M can score points against woeful defense. their offensive efficiency is one of the 20 worst in the NCAA, but they take plenty of shots. Believe it or not, they also shoot free throws worse than Clemson. their recent winning streak has been against teams all ranked below 325 in Sagarin, so it's kind of hard to tell just what we're getting.
Clemson is also the Rattlers first game in a tough road stretch. From here, A&M will close out the year at Georgia and Texas Tech. Rumors are Chad Morris will dress out with the team for that trip to Lubbock.
Any Rattlers want to try and stop this?
How will Clemson respond? All in all, if you wanted your brain-weary team to sleep walk to a win after exams, Florida A&M should fit the bill. they're shorter, slower and not at all adept to playing against pressure.
This should be a tasty cupcake game, a reward for making it through exams. If we don't brutalize these guys, or at least let the bench get a solid workout, I'll be disappointed.
Leading the Tigers is sophomore forward KJ McDaniels (13 ppg, 5 reb, 36 blocks per game) A&M has no one who can keep up with him on the floor, or who can shoot over him. I anticipate at least one ESPN highlight out of him in this game.
Another guy who should have a big number night is Devin Booker (11 ppg, 8 reb, 2 blk) It's one of those rare games where he's the biggest guy on the floor and if the ball isn't going into his hands, something is wrong with our play calling.
Milt Jennings (12 ppg, 5 reb, 2 ast) will have a decided size advantage as well. It just depends if he wishes to go inside or pad his 52 percent 3-point average.
The three-guard offense A&M uses may be a bit more of a challenge to the defense. Look for Rod Hall (7 ppg, 4 reb) and Adonis Filer (8 ppg, 3 reb) use hard-nosed defense to disrupt A&M's game around the arc, while Booker and McDaniels simply swat anything that comes inside.
Demarcus Harrison (6 ppg, 3 rpg) may see more action covering A&M's Bradshaw on the outside. And I imagine he'll stay outside, rather than risk the tandem swatting that would await inside.
Clemson plays at about a 10 ppg pace slower than A&M, but I'm willing to bet we see considerably more points out of the Tigers this game. The defense should be able to force more transition opportunities and more highlight reel dunks.
The only place this game may be even is at the free throw line. Both teams are woeful from the line, meaning we can expect A&M to begin fouling early and often in an attempt to stay close.
So, what's going to happen? I'm expecting a blowout, and I'll be surprised if we don't get one. Let's look at it this way. Clemson beat Presbyterian in a warmup game by 33 points. A&M only beat PC by 14.
Just call Clemson the Rattlesnake Republic
Clemson should handle the Rattlers ... and if there's anyone who knows about handling snakes, it's me.
Sure Clemson may start flat after the Arizona loss and a week of exams. But we have the size and skill advantage.
If they're still giving away tacos at Littlejohn, this is one of the rare games I'd expect Clemson to reach the magic point total.
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