Game Recap: Clemson Tigers Top Wake Forest, 71-60
by SamuraiFoochs on Jan 29, 2012 5:43 PM EST
in Wake Forest Basketball
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PrintSo I decided to wait a little while before writing this recap because, as noted in the game thread, I was hopping mad yesterday. I'm not as mad now, and time brings perspective. That said, I'm far from happy. Wake was looking really good early, being up by as many as eight before they started turning the ball over like it was going out of style and Clemson never looked back. The box score confuses me a little in terms of stats, but I'll get to that. The bottom line is this was a frustrating loss with very few bright spots that further illuminated some issues that I don't understand on multiple levels.
Read more after the jump...
I really only have it in my heart to talk more general stuff as opposed to breaking down stats as a whole like I usually do, but let's start with a few key points:
- Three bright sides. Travis McKie had another double double, not only did Ty Walker play, he continued to make a MAJOR case for most improved player in the ACC, and the fact of the matter is we were at one point up eight with the ball. Last year, that never would've happened.
- Andre Young was the guy that really had a wild game for Clemson. 19 points on 7-12 shooting and 3-6 beyond the arc. Yikes. This illuminates another problem I'll get to later.
- Turnovers are what killed us. When we were up eight, that's what really dwindled our lead. Clemson had 19 points off 14 Wake turnovers, which is more than the difference in the game. Not only that, but every one of those turnovers is a lost scoring opportunity. Even if Wake had scored a two-pointer on even half of those unlucky possessions, that's 14 more Wake points, not to mention the reduced number of possessions and points for the Tigers. I think this game had more turnovers for easy baskets than any other game this year.
- Another positive: C.J. Harris and Travis McKie both scored in double digits AND both of them took a double-digit number of shots. This is good, very good. They are our stars, and should be playing aggressive.
- Ty Walker also went 4-7 shooting. Awesome performance.
- Tony Chennault needs to get stronger, period. He missed so many layups this game I lost count, and he doesn't fight through screens on defense at all. It's brutal to watch. TC was also directly responsible for a couple turnovers for easy baskets. You're killing me, TC.
- On that note, the Anthony Fields situation is going to give me an aneurysm. Look, if the kid is going to transfer, that's a shame but it wouldn't shock me. So if Coach Bzdelik isn't playing Ant because he knows he's going to leave, then I guess I can understand that. But then why bother even putting him in when the game is over? If you're going to refuse to play him, then by god go whole hog. Put in a walk-on instead during garbage time. If you're not playing him because you FEAR he's going to transfer, then you're making the whole thing a self-fulfilling prophecy. If he was even getting five minutes a game, I really don't think I'd be mad at all. This whole thing is just a mess though.
UNC is going to murder us, but honestly this Clemson game, while bad, was not irredeemable, like say, the NC State game was. It was on the road, 11 isn't exactly a blowout (though the game was dominated by the Tigers after the first half), Ty Walker appeared healthy and on point, and Travis McKie continued his solid play.
We can only hope UNC doesn't humiliate us too badly. That's about it. As always, comments/questions/suggestions appreciated. Thanks for reading. Go Deacs.
--SF
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Disappointing game...UNC game...
I just want there to be more than 10 students in the student section and it be louder. A few years ago it was ear-busting. Have a small chance if we pack the house with students and not 95 year old’s the verge of a heartattack. Sorry if i seem cruel.
You're not totally off-base.
The student sections are pretty pathetic now.
Contributing Writer for Blogger So Dear, SBN's Wake Forest Blog
by SamuraiFoochs on Jan 29, 2012 7:35 PM EST up reply actions
I don't see any possible way it could be a sell out
Blogger So Dear
"Meet me on the Quad at midnight" Skip Prosser
Also I don't know what the deal with Fields is either unless there are lingering wrist issues we don't know about
It’s not like we have a 13 man rotation and he’s mired behind other guys.
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"Meet me on the Quad at midnight" Skip Prosser
Fields most-likely transfer..
But, I am looking forward to all the new recruits. Moto might be next aminu and devin thomas may be next james johnson and codi mcyintrye may be next ish smith
Pretty much this...
Plus Ant posted something on Twitter about not being able to wait to get home a few weeks ago, I think around the end of finals which granted is vague but still.
He’s not playing, conventional wisdom is that he’s not on a raw talent level contingent with what one imagines an ACC PG to be, and with CMM coming in, Fields will be a third stringer and will be even more strapped for minutes.
Really it’s a :“if it looks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck” situation. And it still ticks me off, because Bzdelik recruited the kid and is giving him the shaft.
Contributing Writer for Blogger So Dear, SBN's Wake Forest Blog
by SamuraiFoochs on Jan 30, 2012 12:44 AM EST up reply actions
Weeeeee
Don’t really know what to say at this point. Guess that’s about it. Hope everyone’s doing better than our team. I wonder if they’ll fire Wellman? Skip’s record isn’t Ron’s record, and Orange Bowl capital isn’t infinite.
by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Jan 30, 2012 1:31 AM EST reply actions
No.
And frankly I’d be mad if they did. Say what you will about Wellman but he’s one helluva AD overall, and I feel like at points we approach NC State levels of delusion about thinking who wants to come here. I’m not saying it’s not an attractive job, but it’s not like we’d be guaranteed some amazing AD.
Contributing Writer for Blogger So Dear, SBN's Wake Forest Blog
by SamuraiFoochs on Jan 30, 2012 4:38 AM EST up reply actions
This.
Firing Ron Wellman would be the worst thing that we could do.
You don’t fire an AD for making one or two poor decisions when the rest of his choices have brought Wake Forest great success.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
It would be good to see a comprehensive post on what we can attribute or maybe can attribute to Wellman
I don’t think anyone should be untouchable at this point. Including Wellman. It would be good to see more info. than “he’s brought us great success” y’know. Like a history of Ron Wellman or something. And not a rah-rah piece. Something as objective and quantifiable as possible.
by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Jan 30, 2012 9:56 AM EST up reply actions
I agree (and I can't believe I'm saying this) with GTS on this.
I’m not saying Wellman should be fired, but he needs to at least understand that he has to at least have some accountability for this mess.
As for why Wellman’s a good AD – under his watch we’ve doubled our team national championship count (from 4 to 8 – three golf before, one basebal beforel, three field hockey under Averill, one men’s soccer under Vidovich) AND had the best prolonged periods of the two revenue sports in school history (Odom through 2005 in basketball, Jim Grobe in football).
Again, not saying he should be fired, but he does need to stand accountable for the Bzdelik hiring (if things continue as they are).
Those reasons you listed are exactly why he's a good AD.
Also add more than a few facility upgrades, which is another aspect that seems insignificant, but isn’t at ALL.
Also, if you guys think firing Dino caused a temporary dumpster fire (which it did) firing Wellman would be akin to firebombing the athletic department.
Contributing Writer for Blogger So Dear, SBN's Wake Forest Blog
by SamuraiFoochs on Jan 30, 2012 10:55 AM EST up reply actions
Also...
It wasn’t the firing of Dino Gaudio that set off the fan base, it was the hiring of an off the wall candidate that had proved very little up to this point in his career.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
by RAJohnston on Jan 30, 2012 11:00 AM EST via Android app up reply actions 1 recs
To me, at least, it was the rationale.
We fired Gaudio for the explicit reason of not producing in the postseason, and then hired a guy who has an even worse postseason record. And who also happens to know Wellman since before his Northwestern days.
I think firing Dino for his postseason record was a cover-up for back end things that Ron and Dino disagreed on.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
by RAJohnston on Jan 30, 2012 11:16 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Probably...
Given how many players have transferred after the regime change and given the rumors floating around the player behavior, the ouster probably had to do with that as well.
I didn’t say he was untouchable. My only point was that in my opinion it would be dumb to fire him solely on the Jeff Bzdelik hiring/Dino Gaudio firing. Especially when nearly every other sport here has had their best stretch in school history under his watch.
There is also more to being an AD than just wins and losses, and Wellman had done a fantastic job there with resources and facilities for the department.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
by RAJohnston on Jan 30, 2012 10:59 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
This is what I'm saying as well.
Contributing Writer for Blogger So Dear, SBN's Wake Forest Blog
by SamuraiFoochs on Jan 30, 2012 11:38 AM EST up reply actions
But I and others like me weren't saying "Fire him simply because of the Bzdelik hiring and the Dino firing
And all this about “there’s more to being an AD than Ws and Ls,” you might as well argue over religion to the world because that sounds like the ultimate, most unstable, unpredictable ground to generate any kind of a meaningful conversation, so I mean if you want to go there, have at it, but that category is inevitably N/A for want of the concrete.
I don’t know about the resources and facilities, but I think that can be quantified at a good level and would be good material for a discussion. An even-handed furnishing of the merits without unnecessary personal inflection. The latter with all of its biases and imperfections I think is for the comments section.
by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Jan 30, 2012 10:28 PM EST up reply actions
I think Orange Bowl capital goes an extremely long way.
Wellman should be able to stay as long as he wants. He took the football program from one of the worst teams in D-I when he took over and got a coach who took Wake fricking Forest to the Orange Bowl after winning the conference championship. Furthermore it was in a time where football became THE cash cow for schools and improved Wake’s stock in the national eye. The program is still very much on the upswing in my opinion.
The Dino firing I was extremely happy with. The Bzdelik hire was atrocious. One decision a career should not make though.
Blogger So Dear
"Meet me on the Quad at midnight" Skip Prosser
by BJohnston on Jan 30, 2012 12:16 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Not to mention....
For god’s sakes, we’ve been to bowls, what, 4 of the last 7 years, something like that unless I’m completely off base, and one of those was a 5-7 year, and we actually won two in a row and were in the game late in all of them?
It’s not like our football program fell off the face of the earth after the Orange Bowl. We had one really crappy season, and rebounded this year with a bowl bid and we were at least flirting with ANOTHER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
Literally the only thing that I’d consider a pockmark on Wellman’s record as an AD (and it’s admittedly a big one) is the Bzdelik hire. I think even the Gaudio firing was justifiable on multiple levels.
The thought of firing him is genuinely laughable, the more that I think about it.
Contributing Writer for Blogger So Dear, SBN's Wake Forest Blog
by SamuraiFoochs on Jan 30, 2012 8:06 PM EST up reply actions
Our non-revenue sports have generally continued in mediocrity.
Both soccer programs and field hockey have improved, but baseball has gone in the crapper, our cross country programs aren’t as strong as they used to be, and I can’t think of a single noteworthy thing to say about any of the other programs.
Stanford, we ain’t.
Easy on the all-caps Nathan Hatch
For god’s sakes, we’ve been to bowls, what, 4 of the last 7 years, something like that unless I’m completely off base, and one of those was a 5-7 year, and we actually won two in a row and were in the game late in all of them? It’s not like our football program fell off the face of the earth after the Orange Bowl. We had one really crappy season, and rebounded this year with a bowl bid and we were at least flirting with ANOTHER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
SF your answers to this line of questions seem over the top and non-responsive to the audience you’re dealing with. The people who think Wellman’s performance merits a review aren’t brandishing verbal pitchforks and torches. Nobody I’ve heard has said anything inflexible and automatic - except for you, who seems to think, with a heavy dose of hyperbole, that that door can’t even be opened.
by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Jan 30, 2012 10:21 PM EST up reply actions
Also, since no one else seems to be willing to say it, I will.
Bzdelik does not look good in those sneakers.
Haha raises cancer awareness so I’m fine with it.
Just stick to criticizing the ties!!!
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
by RAJohnston on Jan 30, 2012 12:26 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
It raises poor fashion awareness.
That tie is underwhelming as well.
(I’m all for cancer research, and do not wish anyone to think that I’m belittling it.)
lol, +1
When the camera focuses on Bzdelik first with the overwhelmed, confused look on his face, then pans wide and captures him with the sneakers on, he just looks like a grown-up kid. The Ned Flanders of hoops.
by Grand Tanyon Sturtze on Jan 30, 2012 10:33 PM EST up reply actions
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