#14 R.P.I. Clemson @ #112 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s hoops; is, down…

The Hokies are in a bit of a slump; in da rump with precious little in the way(s) of chest… bumps. This is a dinged-up team that is shortly running outta headroom as 2o23-2o24 goes. Only two, that’s (2) years removed from the greatest in-league of All Championship Conference run in program history. This from our: 82–56 (.594) big-whistle. Now? Well now Nationally swaggy and likewise nationally ranked (#16 A.P.) Klempson comes to our appropriately enuff, breezy, and chilled-out New River Valley town. The Tigers are a neat-o-looking 11 up vs. 3 down overall and yet Clemson is only  1-2 in league play. That means someone will be attempting to ‘forge’ some conferential love here. Nonetheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much, rights? So, read on… to find, out!

Clemson Head Coach: Bradley Robert Brownell: age=55, 419–263 (.614) overall,
252–178 (.586) at Clemson.
$2,500,000.oo

Baller Brownell played high school basketball at William Henry Harrison High School (Evansville Indiana) with current Saint Louis University assistant coach and Indiana University legend Calbert Cheaney. Backcourt baller Brownell balled and graduated from DePauw University in 1991, he earned three letters at DePauw University, a Division III school in Greencastle, Ind. He ranks seventh in school history with 332 career assists. He led the Tigers in dimes three straight seasons, while also leading DePauw in steals as a junior in 1989-90. Then Brownell.edu completed his degree at the University of Indianapolis in 1994. Thereafter Brownell immediately went into an apprenticeship (i.e., assistant) coaching after graduation.

Coach Brownell was named the U.N.C. Wilmington head coach in 2002, after having won a master’s degree and having been a U.N.C.-W. assistant coach from 1991 to 2002. Brownell’s U.n.c.-Wil’ teams made the big dance 50% of the time.

After that, he went to Wright State and amassed nothing less than a 21-win season before eventually snagging the Clemson job -in something of a surprising hire- in 2010.

At Clemson Brownell went dancing his very first season, though he has only made the N.I.T. twice in the other seven years down in South Carolina. Coach Brownell’s teams have won six conference championships and he has won two conference coach of the year awards himself. All of which were mid-major caliber and therefore all of which were prior to his power conference admission at Clemson. Ergo, therefore, to wit, some would say that Brad is sitting on something of at least a warm seat at the sporting moment. Coach Brownell has already spawned four D-1 coaching tree mid-major disciples, and his teams come with a defensive first reputation. That and he has snagged two NC2A post-season pennants of late plus two mo’ National Invitation bids.

Maybe that is @Clemson code for a rise >>> run; now?

Daddy Brownell and his wife, Paula, have two daughters,
Abby (19), a student at Clemson; and Kate (17).

CU at a glance:

• 17th best in Assist:Turnover ratio!!
• 26th best in Swats!!
• 37th best in FT-percentage O!
• 38th best in FG-percentage O!
• 39th best in 3-point percentage O!
• …a high percentage… O!
• 85th best in Rebounding Margin (38th on the D-glass alone!).
• 328th most in Fastbreak O!!! (Lowercase tempo to be sure).
• 345th most in Turnovers forced/game D!!! (Plays the man, not the ball).
• 3 sizey injuries listed. Coach God thrice bless.

Returning Starters=1*. Or, 2*.

Clemson Strengths:

• * Lindy’s 1st-string All-A.c.c. One #24, 6′1o″, 245 lb., Jr., PJ Hall… is a keeper at the Four spot, or as a P/F. Big, elongated, even a little bit kinda strong lookin’ pasty-Four. With the prerequisite, Greg Brady mopped tempting Alice the maid 25/8. And this kid is a pretty big P/F homespun get… check it out… P.J. was only the: #1 ranked player in South Carolina; he was only the: 2o19-2o South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year; and he was only the ESPN ranked four-star prospect (No. 48 in ESPN Top 100, No. 9 power forward in the nation). That’s all. He sucks. Trade him now! One-time S.C. “Mr. Basketball” and two-time AAAAA or penta-A State Champion. Older sis’ is all-everything FLA Gator volleyball and oldest bro’ played basketball at nearby Anderson University. So, the family Genome Project projects rather well here. And right now, P.J.H. now gets Clemson: a studly 19.5 ppg, married to a good 6.4 rpg on 2 apg with 2.1 bpg, which paces these, Tigers. P.J. has improved and deepened his stroke with a ten-percent betterment from deep, now up to a shiny ~45% from range. As ~55% overall and 77.6% from the charity stripe offer alms enough. It is also code for 1st-string A.c.c. if P.J. finishes this way. His coach says that PeeJay found 15 off-season lbs. last season and added S&C stamina to deal with added in-season leading-man demands. This season he went out and found another 10-lb. weight plate and is even stronger than ever. I’d say that passes the eye test in the film room. And that is a pretty good call by Coach Bradley. Recall… and St.Sebastian bless; as last year’s sore feet(s) had already expensed him a handful of games last season… As P.J. did look plum slower to me upon breaking ’23 tape. Especially since right before Final Exams more/less. However, that was (hurtfully) what playing all of last year with an undiagnosed foot fracture, a springtime surgery and then another summertime foot injury with another summer foot surgery is all about. As nobody can question the heart connected to these dingy feet(s) for Mister Hall here. Dang… St.Servatius bless! ’cause P.J. is/was prolly a legit export baller if/when he can get his footwork into salubrious order. (Do like the Greg Brady mop-top however). Did I mention the Brady bunched locks, yets?
• ~6′4″, 2oo lb., cv19-Sr. season Chase Hunter, combo-G… could make for a pretty fair to middling combo’-shot where you called: “rail” as A.c.c. Most Improved goes. Or, rather maybe that is only codes for: ‘good foot health’ for a change here? (St.Sebastian help). As this poor kid has been at least slightly Waltonian podiatry dinged-up most of his Clemson career. As in… you just do not see too many final-year kids make a +239% push as increasing ppg or scoring goes. As Hunter had chased down the Tiger silver medal in scoring. Tho’ he has fallen back to Earth -or, seen some shots taken away thus far this year. Seems to have cut a little sinew as well. Now at 11.8 ppg, with 2.4 rpg and the team-wide silver in assistance at: 3.1 apg as well. Solid on him. Tho’ Hunters outside stroke has been mo’ gather of late… off by nearly –21% for the year (now at: 29.8%). Which is nearly living the low-life from Chase. This is all from a from a career reserve or bench-warmer sports fans. And this makes Hunter an easy-access fan-favorite @home. This from a kid who was a four-star (****) prospect and No. 98 overall in 247Sports’ Top 1oo for the 2o19 class outta high school. 247Sports ranks Hunter as the No. 4 player in the state of Georgia and the No. 14 combo guard in the country. He did miss his senior seasons (injury), and his overall digits were good tho’ not quite Scholastic Sports America with Adran Karastan epic. Not even S.I.’s old-school ‘faces in the crowd’. Still, yet, this was a pretty good recruiting get for Clemson— and who knows what Chase mighta run down on 2-good, wheels? As more was expected here… and sadly mo’ is what the Training Room got. Lindy’s says c.Hunt’ ‘needs to score’ and calls him a 6th-man caliber guy. As this is a solid guy who does nothing to hurt you; lotta teams wish they had a final-year uber-experienced guy you can count on like Chase. Godspeed to him.

  

• * (started @’Cuse): Rivals 2o2nd ranked: Joseph Girard III is a 6′2″, 189 lb., lifer backup utility G for the Orange. The Tiger Orange this time mind yah. Who is your starting One or Pt.Guard1/Qb1, now. For it… JG3 nets you: (a surprising and nearly team-leading) 15.1 ppg on 3.6 rpg while pacing you with a serviceable 3.6 apg and a downright handsy .7 spg. The fourth-season Girard III is one of those gym-rat self-made kids who comes to practice early, often, and late. He also (somehow) cut over 5 lbs. that he mighta been best off to keeps. He also sports a whopping three that’s (3) New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class B state titles blings! And he sports them in: football (2016, 2018) and basketball (2019). Girard III was second to “no, no, no, no, noooooo-body” in New York scoring. Nearly averaging 40 ppg in High School play with a career-high of 69 scholastic points if you need ’em. A pure blowtorch of offensive output in senior prom terms. Thus, Girard III was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and The Basketball Coaches Association of New York picked him as its Mr. Basketball. That is a lotta production for the mere 221st (247Sports) ranked kid in the country. Some did knock his shot selection (34.4% total and 36.3% from 3-point land… last year); tho’ this kid can flat-out put the biscuit in the basket when he gets it going on. As this year JG3 is netting you a Most Improved flavored: 44.2% overall, the team FTA lead at 9o.5%, and a gotta guard him soaring now 43.3% from deep. That is some quality knitting of the netting itself in my book. As this is prolly something of a worker bee Pedulla if that helps you peg him any? As this pseudo-One can score and distribute; tho’ he has a peg that notches turnovers (2.8 tpg historically, tho’ now cut down to as has a ‘handle’ on things: 1.1 tpg) when he tries or is output forced to do too much. Girard III is an overseas pro’. And that’s not the worst Dale Solomon life, is it? (Albeit the pasty buzz or Lurch hair-swagg may or may not be his best, cut).
• 6′8″, 238 lb., Ian Schieffelin is a strapping Three or S/F for Clemson in his Junior Year. Ian cut a mind-numbing twenty percent, that’s (2o%) body fat in the previous off-season. Yah; Jen’ Craig and I’d both have to say that that, counts. Then this most recent off-season he found 1-inch and a near 1o-lb. plate in weight. Go fig’ (literally) on dat? Ian’s been going George Jefferson and moving on up… so the growth has grown on him to the good. Now up to 9.1 ppg on a whopping and team pacing 9.9 rpg with 2.1 apg and a sendback (.9 bpg) count as well. Ian has also really boosted his long-ball… doubling and change and now up to a stellar team and A.c.c. leading: 57.1!% trifectas. That’s easily T.E.A.M Most improved— gonna garner some A.c.c. Most Improved voters to boot. The book here says that Ian is a: ‘versatile’ and a ‘tough’ baller. His dossier says he has an AAAAAAAA Ga. H.S. bling. The book also said this multi-sport athlete got some multi-sport college sniffs beyond basketball itself. So, all-’round athletics Mr. Schieffelin gots as well. He was also something of a late Vah.Tech recruiting snub; and Ian kinda has the look-n-feel of a balky Point-F at times to me on film. Not quite a ‘tweener, more like an athlete who lacks a home-position definition. However, this does service his scoring from all 3-levels: (inside, mid, and long-range). A useful overall kid; who if he is not careful is gonna play his way into a foreign tax bracketology.

Clemson Weaknesses:

• All-everything Tyson Hunter is now a Denver McNugget ¦ not a Clemson Tiger.
• Lotta thorns in these Tiger paws here… Godspeed…
• Lotta roster churn since we saw ’em last as well… still forming/gelling in ’24 terms to be sure.
• Alex Hemenway -is To Have Not- as in he (may) still be out with a dinged foot. Mo’ below… (is said to be available: “sometime in January”… so, time will tell…)
• Jack Clark: 6′1o″, 2o7 lb., P/F. Jack -curiously enuff- has found 2 inches and 7 pounds since we saw him last. New Year’s Resolutions take, dat! Clark is shut down with a hip injury, and a timetable for recovery has yet to be established. This after a harsh sports hernia and a myriad of “lower body” injuries through his hard-luck hardwood career. Also shut down would be his near ~12 ppg and ~8 rpg metrics. Tho’ those were recorded two schools back @La Salle; after which Jack was nimble and Nc.State, quick. This is a pretty good pretty skillful (84% FT’s, 32% deep) player when in pretty good, health. When not and not so much; as po’ Jack has not been nimble or quick since being pretty well healthy at La Salle. Or, before… as this is actually a sixth-year Med-r-shirt kid who also took his cv19 season. Sadly, Clark has been barred from playing a full season, ever. And has only logged mo’ than ≅7o% of a season, once. 4th ranked Keystone state baller; who had two, that’s (2) significantly H.S. dings to boot. Voted “Best Male Athlete” at Cheltenham High School in 2o18 and also Most Valuable Athlete of the senior class and named “Mr. Panther”, an award given to the senior who excels in the classroom and on the athletic fields’. So, this is a cool cat at Clemson; just not a veterinary serviceable one; and yet one who prolly did have at least a fringe export game. Coach God Bless po’ Jack.
• 6′6″, 18o lb., Jake Heidbreder has decided to redshirt the 2o23-24 season. This after transferring in as a near ~15 ppg Air Force Academy near, star. 49% overall with a 39% 3-ball does not suck. Neither did being labeled the best Mt.West 3-point shooter. The 3.1 rpg and 1.8 apg are Off-G gravy here. 2o23 All-Mountain West Third Team and THE 2o22 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete of the Year never sucks. 226th prospect overall from 247Sports. Takes math classes for fun. Keeps a nerdy chem-lab’ carrot top look to boot. Was/is a pure shooter from hoops-happy Indy H.S. fame. Can score and did set a few Air Force rookie-year offensive records for it.

Tigers Den: (depth=3+ now, should be 5 or 6 tho’) 264th most in Bench ppg.

Four, 6′8″, 22o lb., Soph., RJ Godfrey… basically their lead frontcourt sub’… who is still standing anywho… R.Jay. gets you: 7.2 ppg with 4 rpg and a block. 62% overall and just under fiddy-fiddy from 3-point-land do speak to something of a well-formed tradecraft here. Has been very up against very down thus far this year. The very-up version really gives Klempson a (much insalubriously) needed shot in the arm too. Something of a one-man booster or elixir of sorts on O when Godfrey does pop-clean tallying and gets into mid-teens or better. Has cooled a mite of late though. Durable kid; has never missed a jump so far. Has also bettered his ’23 stat line by ≈235%+ everywhere of prominence that I looked. 247Sports #13o baller outta H.S. down in Ga.Bulldog’s backyard. No.5 in the peachy state. His old man: (Randall Godfrey), is an 11-year NFL veteran who played linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers, and the Washington Football Team. Clearly their alpha, vocalizer. Has that primal scream emPOWERHer vibe to him on film. Lindy’s (proppers @their call), called him: “most improved” back in September. +1 there. One of my other mag’s called him: “…a talented forward who possesses the size and strength to play to be an immediate contributor. Godfrey is an excellent dribbler and passer for someone of his size.” I’d echo that from what I film-study saw… an intriguing all-’round rondball bandwidth here. However, I would add that I did not see as much from what I scholastically saw as others (apparently) did. Unless he is in a very tight/strict systematic basketball set? Still, yet, this could be a fringe overseas guy if he keeps gaining ground… a curious ’26 askback is my best take here.

Chauncey Wiggins, P/F, 6′11″, 21o lb., second-season. Wiggins nets you 7.9 points, grabs you 2.7 boards, and drops you 1 whole entire, dime. 47.2% floor with 75% charity stripe and a decent 37% from deep are quite reasonable enuff. Lindy’s says this Chauncey is a: ‘floor-spreader’ and a ‘versatile’ guy. Although I don’t know how Canterbury Tales (or, tails) Wiggy be for Clemson… I do know that he and the aforementioned Godfrey could be a classical frontline (Coach) Godsend for several years for C.U. As this kid is ‘on the come’ as the Britians like to say of late. Developing if not blossoming a bit since early December itself. 247Sports’ 147th-rated baller and no.4 in-Georgia-state hint that Chauncey may not be done developing/blossoming at that. ‘nother curious ’26 askback here folks.

6′4″, 192 lb., (5th/cv19) final year, Hemenway has sat out the last two games with a foot injury, and it remains to be seen if he will be active Wednesday versus Virginia Tech. Close to a 7 ppg sharp-shooter from the Tiger bullpen in relief. As close to ~44% for his career when launching from behind the arc is Mytharc A+++ indeed. In point of fact… Alex is one of those rarefied Yield Curve inversion shooters, as his shot from the floor (38.1%) is less accurate than his 3-point-attempts. Go fig’ there? Though, either way, do figure on this being a hurtful premier floor-spreading/balancing hurt if/when Alex is not out there on Wednesday nite. Pure strokin’ shooting-G who can stroke it from outside here folks. No.1o Hoosier State baller, *** or three-star kid all-around. Tho’ bonus points are duly awarded from the chiseled face sculpting and at least sorta Renaissance or boho chic ‘stache and pointy goatee. Alex is visually on point to be an off-G who can shoot. The A.c.c. Academic Honor Roll look is a serrated look too. More was expected of Alex — at least per Lindy’s. As they were really high on his (potential) outside-offensive headroom here. As he was the Alpha Tiger get in his recruiting class three years gone. So, there is that. However, the Hoosier State’s hoop crazy star has a history of dinging and denting typea of ankle rolls (St.Philip bless). And these have (sadly) limited his role here.

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Tigers who could claw @Tech=hanful+.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…not to be too taken with either squadron until either club returns to their full rotation.

As these Tigers (and these Hokies to a lesser extent) are suffering significant line-up downfalls folks… making what Clemson is manufacturing all the mo’ remarkable.

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As they have at least two guys who could start at Tech out. And at least another one who would Cassell play opining cellular things on the civilian-clad sweatsuit pine.

Clemson is good, which makes you wonder what Clemson can/will be if they ever return to full 2o24 medicine.

Though I can tell you I am rather taken with the mettle that these Tigers have cast while being so dang Training Room mailable.

As they serially are ‘next man up’ downtrodden indeed.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a not-so-sweet seventeen or 17-point VomiT here. This is a double-shot O.O.C. (out of conference) data point (So.Carolina & Bo.State recall). And that is approaching credible enuff due to the matching strength of competition as league-wide scaling itself goes. (i.e., these are not two moderate mid-majors or two inscoresecure small-conference clubs. They are in tight nite-to-nite, the same as us/VT).

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… Clemson is up a decent +4% in shooting percentage margin (75% of which is being better on O tho’ they rate a smidgeon better on D overall as well); with Clemson up just under +3% in 3-point percentage margin (pur: they are a bit better in a game o: “H, O, R, S, E” and yet we are just a mite better in 3-D), and CU completes the triune sweep from being nearly +2 in rebounding margin year-to-date. Clemson is better at corralling caroms on both ends off the ‘glass. They truly excel off the D-glass and are C+++ off the O-glass for the duration. Tech is backboarding positive in annual terms, tho’ Clemon is mo’ positive yearly.

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… nobody is up much of anything in shooting percentage margin (due: to VT being –2% allowed thriftier on D and yet Clemson canceling effect that with a +2% edge on O; equilibrium, basically); here the Gobblers are up a sharp looking +9% in 3-point percentage margin (as everything moved in the good guys favor, VT warmer and Clemson cooler on 3-O, and VT much tighter in 3-D, strong halt-unit trifecta showing of O&M late), and the Hokies are now up a rather nominal looking +2 miss collected in rebounding margin in the last fortnight of hoopology. (Both are smartly positive off the fiberglass; VT is just one ‘board mo’ positive is all).

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

LAST 10 GAMES: Hokies: 6-4, averaging 69.3 points, 34.8 rebounds, 13.6 assists, 4.8 steals, and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.2 points per game.

LAST 10 GAMES: Tigers: 7-3, averaging 81.6 points, 39.8 rebounds, 16.3 assists, 5.2 steals, and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.5 points.

V.P.I. is a 1.oo host; whereas Clemson is .5oo as a guest.
VT is up +3% at the charity stripe for the year.
Clemson is up a whooping +12 in R&R.

The Call…

No.24 Net Ranking Clemson @ no.66 Net Ranking Vah.Tech:

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The VerdicT:

…the verdict here is… IF we cannot tame these Tigers @home, while they are in distempered meow-mixy health? We very likely will NOT be taming them later on in the year.

Although, this could very well have something to do with the fact that we do not face them later on in the year. (As this is one of those A.c.c. non-rematch squirrely scheduling clauses).

Tho Eye temporally tangent…

However, unless our 1-2 Guard punch is feeling pretty offensively punchy indeed?

This is a tough feline to game. Much less, tame.

The Digits:

Right now, this one digitizes to making Clemson the road warrior favorite.
If they were hosting it would digitize to make them a significant favorite.

However, home is where the Hokie heart is and we do have at least a look at this 24o6o one here.

🐅 >>> @home >>> 🦃

These Tigers must streak, ambush, and sojourn 299 miles Nor-by-Nor-East for this contest on Wednesday nite.

(Such: is what a pack of Tigers is called)… though I digress…

Nevertheless, the next four A.c.c.’er we face conspire and combine to log a whopping forty-four or a Catch-44 worth of wins thus 2o24, far!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

So, right now; @home… would be a good time to get to double-digit wins our very ownselves or we may not be getting there until the end of January vs. a merely so-so Gah.Tech.

Don’t get all catty and all frumpy post-game— as your frustration(s) is disaffecting the team itself. Do, however, fish or get off the pot Mister Popcorn. Move that needle, ‘coach’ the; verb…

As we need this one like a dead man needs a hearse —if not a coffin outright.

-oOo-

However, Clemson is a needy/sizey match-up… not an easy looking on on white-board erasable paper to me; not even only O.G. green-slate chalkboards, either. We do have a R.A.T.T. shot @home, every bit as much as we are not the R.A.T.T. favorite, here.

Thingy is… Clemson has been downright icy on O in the last week. Including their top-2 gunners who have gone from outta sight to needs to resight. In particular from 3-ball-land for the whole entire team. Slumped on O in a word. And pressing/reaching and committing ticky-tac fouls to boot.

Conversely, the Techmen have had butterfingers and fatigue/closing-time ills of late. As neither team is landing their A-game punch; perhaps not even their B-side shot.

Which is to say… this one may only be ’bout that dang throttle.

??? >>> 🏃 <<< ???

IF, our non-athletes let Klempson throttle up and play their purfured tempo… that could prove disagreeable indeed. IF, our slower mo’ halfcourt settled team throttles down and we play our preferred tempo we have a chance to frustrate the shot-needy Clemson club.

Clemson nicks this one late is my best take.

🏀😿🏀

 

(55% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=72, Clemson=77

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**