Wednesday's Game: FSU at Clemson

Feb 9, 2010, 10:19 AM

Who: Florida State (17-6, 5-4) at Clemson (16-7, 4-5)
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum
When: Wednesday, 7 p.mp.
Is it on TV? On the Deuce.
The Line: Clemson by 3
When Last We Met: The last two times, in fact, Florida State took advantage of horribvle cold spells by the Tigers to come bnack and win. Especially notable is last year's game in Littlejohn where the Noles came by from 19 down.
So, what the heck is wrong with the Tigers? These are the times that try men's souls. The injury to Demontez Stitt hasn't helped, nor has Trevor Booker's flu and subsequent shooting slump. But Clemson's painful inability to execute out of a half-court offense has given opponents all they need to know: Thwart Booker and make sure no one from Clemson gets too comfortbale outside and you never have to deal with the press ... because we can't set up a press without a made basket.

Oh, and it doesn't help if this guy is on the floor as well....

That's OK, son ... I'll whistle Clemson for a foul, even though you aren't even playing them tonight!

There is nothing worse than a ref with an oral fixation. I believe Sigmund Freud would have a field day with Karl Hess.

At any rate, the Tigers now find themselves with NO wiggle room in the conference. No real shot at a top 4 spot in the tourney, either. We MUST win the remaining 4 games at home and try to pick up one on the road to feel good about an NCAA berth. And a very difficult foe looms before us.

Why couldn't WE have Hess reffing tonight?

Florida State had to rebuild after losing Toney Douglas and Uchie Echefu, but they seem to found another potent 1-2 punch. Chris Singleton (12 ppg, 8 reb) and Solomon Alabi (10 ppg, 8 reb) have made life difficult for opponents inside. Alabi is also a solid free throw shooter (80 percent), which has made him on e of the conference leaders in old-fashioned 3-point plays. Both players are hawks on the defensive board, thought surprisingly average less than two offensive boards per game. Bu their forte is defense, and FSU is one of the most effeicent teams in the country at denying opponent's shots.

Derwyn Kitchen (9 ppg, 4 ast) has stepped into the Douglas/Thorton role as the do-everything sort of guy. He's not as athletic, but he tends to pass the ball more. Kitchen isn't a major 3-point threat, either.

No, no! Dulkys, not Dulcolax!

That role has fallen to Deividas Dulkys (8 ppg, 45 pct from the arc), a sophomore with the look and build of Tanner Smith. Think TO with an even goofier name. He's taken nearly half the team's 3-point shots, and has made a staggering 40 percent of FSU's treys. About half of his regular field goals are foot-on-the-line shots as well. He's the wild card in this game, able to burn the defense, but a touch slow on defense. If he were from Tennessee, I think we'd have Oglesby's doppleganger.

Two other players of note are senior forward Ryan Reid (7 ppg, 4 reb) a bruising inside player who has seen his minutes dip since the ACC started. He's got Booker size, but remains a step slow and generally is used in relief of Singletary.

Freshman wunder-guard Michael Snaer (8 ppg, 1 ast) gives the Noles about 20 solid minutes. He's their Mickey D All-American and, like ours, is still learning the game.

After those guys, things head south for the Noles. The rest of the roster is good for about 15 points and 8 rebounds per game and exists mainly to let the starters catch their breath. If you can ever catch the Noles with these guys all on the floor at once, take advantage of it.

FSU's offensive playbook includes lots of these...

As a team, FSU has one glaring weakness ... ball security. They throw the ball around like Steve Spurrier throws players under the bus. Many of the errors are unforced, too. Imagine what a concerted effort to force turnovers might accomplish.

Of course, the Noles have the height to simply throw over the press, unleashing the same flurry of flushes that Duke had. So the Tigers need to use pressure wisely, figuring FSU has been rehearsing against a full-court trap.

How have folks beathen FSU? The teams to beat FSU have been pretty darn good...there's not a ##### in the bunch. But a few trends have appeared.

The first trend: score 70 points. FSU is 1-5 in games that saw their opponent score 70 or more points. The only excpetion was against a miserable Auburn team early in the year.

The second trend: Get them after a home win. Four of the Noles' 6 losses have come on the road after a home win. And since FSU just beat Miami at home this weekend ....

The third trend: Ball hawking. Maryland has beaten FSU twice by putting pressure on the ball and denying Dulkys his outside feast. Sure the Noles can lob the ball to Alabi, but not all night...and not if their guards are harrassed to distraction. Remember what Andre Young did to the Terps? That's what needs to be done to Kitchen and Dulkys.

How do the Tigers respond? I think we can see where this one is going. The Noles blanket Trevor Booker (15 ppg, 8 reb) with their superior inside height. Jerai Grant (6 ppg, 5 reb) will have trouble as well. The big guys need to keep the ball off the floor, since Singleton excels at tying opponents up down low.

The bright spot comes at guard, where the Tigers have an edge in speed and ball handling...and where the Noles won't be looking for points. Again, it simply comes down to execution. Make the buckets, and the Noles either come out or get roasted. Miss the shots and FSU will pack the paint all night. The Noles, FWIW, can't hit free throws any better than Clemson, so even if Karl Hess showed up, it might not matter.

Without a Douglas or a Thornton, FSU is not as strong all-around. They will thwart a half-court game with inside size, but are prone to turnovers and giving up transition baskets. On paper, if the Tigers can rediscover their full-court game, this should be a great chance to reach .500 in conference.

We owe these guys mightily for last year's Littlejohn loss. It would be nice to send them limping back home.

Message was edited by: RevDodd®

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Wednesday's Game: FSU at Clemson

FSU and Illinois at Clemson

happier dreams of that huge comeback win at UMD

Let's go Tigers! We really need this win...

Re: Wednesday's Game: FSU at Clemson

Outside shooting...

Against FSU, few layups are easy...

bump for the night siders...***

As always, great work Rev. I think Clemson puts them down

I just have to give you props on the "breakdown" and post!***

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