Well, I was right about one thing: this game was WEIRD. Unfortunately, it was the bad kind of weird. Ty Walker got a concussion and Travis McKie had more fouls than points on a night that started out hotly contested and ended as an absolute shaming. I oversimplified a lot when I said Michael Snaer going bonkers was the only reason FSU was winning, but that was definitely the thing that finally put the Deacs to bed.
Of course, part of what opened the perimeter game was the absence of Ty Walker, who got concussed on an elbow to the face (that didn't get any sort of foul call though to be fair it happened so quickly I don't know if it occurred in the flow of play or not) in the first half. Peculiarly, Ty played the rest of the first and didn't get diagnosed until halftime. It won't be a haiku this time, but it will be a rather brief recap since frankly there's not all that much to talk about. However...
After the jump, I talk some brief specifics about this disappointing but not exactly shocking effort...
Some notes:- Travis McKie had 9 rebounds but only 3 points...on 13 shots. I can't see Travis ever having a game as bad as this for the rest of his career offensively.
- Ty Walker was a beast pre-concussion. He had 4 rebounds and 4 blocks in that time. I'm not a religious man but I pray it's not a severe concussion and he won't miss more than a game or two.
- Tony Chennault had what I'd consider his best game ever overall, 11 points (4-6, 1-1, 2-3,), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 3 TO's, Not only that, but I noticed him sticking to his man pretty well in this one as well. Bottom line is, offensively, TC was genuinely effective.
- C.J. Harris continued being awesome offensively, but only took 6 shots. 16 points (4-6, 2-3, 6-6), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and 2 turnovers. C.J. HAS to be more aggressive. Has to.
- Anthony Fields still didn't play. At all. All I can say at this point is honestly "what the heck?" I don't get it. I don't care that Chennault was doing great. Much of the second half was garbage time. Give him some minutes, jeez.
Honestly, when Ty got concussed, it was over, or at the very least that was the turning point of the game Our interior D suffered and that allowed FSU to open things up, and when Travis McKie goes 1-13 shooting and C.J. Harris only takes 6 shots, Wake has no chance at having a good night offensively, which we obviously needed.
The only good news is: the team we play next is nowhere near as good as the one we played tonight, Travis McKie will more than likely never have a game that bad again, and I'm hoping Ty's concussion isn't very severe considering how long he played after the incident and he didn't appear to be terribly injured. But we never know with concussions.
I'm worried sick about Ty. Also I'm not Bzzout to the level that I think he can or will be justifiably fired at the end of this year, but unless the so-called "Super Six" really are just that, I think I might have an aneurysm if his contract gets extended, at least as of this writing. I don't really know what else to say. At least Clemson is pretty bad I guess?
Someone wanna start a voodoo ritual to heal Ty with me? Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller? Go Deacs.
--SF