Upset City: Trap was set for TigersBy Ken Burger (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Saturday, March 22, 2008
 TAMPA, FLA. - Clemson's postseason dreams turned into a pumpkin after midnight when the Tigers became the fourth victim in a long day of unprecedented upsets in first-round action here. With three higher seeded teams falling in the day's earlier games, the trap was set for the fifth-seeded Tigers who were taking on the 12th seeded Wildcats of Villanova at the St. Pete Times Forum. Nothing that happened earlier in the day bode well for the Tigers, who had to face the lower seeded Wildcats in the fourth and final nightcap game. Trying to avoid the ugly trend, the Tigers employed their strangling pressure defense and used their height advantage early to sprint out to an 18-point lead in the first half, then settled for a 39-27 halftime lead. That seemed to be enough until the second half when this tenacious Villanova squad, no doubt inspired by the previous upsets, closed the gap, took the lead and finally won the game, 75-69. That capped of a topsy-turvy day at this tournament site that saw all four of its higher seeds bite the dust. For Clemson the foe was a familiar one, as the Tigers were 14-of-23 at the foul line while Villanova was 24-of-29 when points were at a premium. One and done Clemson earned a fifth seed in this regional by finishing third in the ACC regular season and fighting its way to the league championship game last weekend at the conference tournament where the Tigers lost for the third time this season to North Carolina. All of which, for Clemson, was a moral victory considering expectations for this program have always been as low as Lake Hartwell during the recent drought. And since absence makes the heart grow fonder for postseason play, and since this was Clemson's first invitation to the "Big Dance" since 1998, the team was proud to be here. But this proved to be a dangerous city for higher seeded teams. Nobody wanted to be "one and done" and headed home early. But seeding seemed to count for nothing here Friday as three higher seeds went down early and often at the Forum. Western Kentucky (12) beat Drake (5), and San Diego (13) upset Connecticut (4), and Siena (13) knocked off Vanderbilt (4) on this same floor just hours before Clemson took the court and lost to Villanova. This many upsets at one setting by so many lower-seeded teams was unprecedented since the NCAA changed the regionals to the "pod" system in 2002. Any given day In each case where a higher seed went down, the difference was intensity. When you come to the NCAA Tournament, you've got to have it. Western Kentucky, San Diego and Siena had it. Drake, Connecticut and Vanderbilt did not. Plain and simple. So, with the first three games of the day going to the underdog teams, the Forum was buzzing about the possibility of a fourth upset as the 5th-seeded Tigers took the court late Friday night against Villanova, another 12 seed. While some said it was something in the Tampa Bay water causing this chain of events, the real culprit is parity. More and more we should be less and less surprised when under-rated teams play up to and beyond expectations. That's because there are so many good players and coaches in college basketball today that anybody can beat anybody else on any given day. Friday, obviously, was that given day. Reach Ken Burger at kburger@postandcourier.com or (843) 937-5598. |
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Comments
This article has 10 comment(s)
Posted by tyeargin on March 22, 2008 at 3:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It appeared all day, especially in the final game of the night between Clemson and Villanova, that the officiating leaned heavily towards the underdog teams. Villanova was allowed to play rough, where as Clemson was called on cheaply.
Posted by Hbaker on March 22, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
tyeargin- I'm sure all the officials got together before the games yesterday(maybe they all had dinner and drinks together)and decided it was time the underdogs should have a bit more advantage in this St.Pete regional.Maybe Clemson thought,"we've beaten teams a lot better than Villanova,all we've got to do is show up." Oliver has a lot of talent at Clemson.Maybe they will learn from this cheaply tournament.
Posted by LadyTarHeel on March 22, 2008 at 8:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The officiating was a little questionable, but Clemson was playing sloppy ball last night. I was hoping that they were going to win simply because I had picked them to win on 4 of my 5 brackets.
Posted by white45 on March 22, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It certainly wasn't the officiating that cost Clemson. You can't play soft against Big East teams and Clemson had a clear physical advantage which other than the first ten minutes didn't come into play. I thought Clemson drew the toughest 12th seed team in the tournament which I feared might bite us and it did. Other than UNC and a few other games we weren't tested each week like the Big East teams are. I thought Villanova would never regain their composure after our press destroyed them early on but give them credt. Don't blame anything on the officiating.
Posted by youmanyo on March 22, 2008 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think what killed us was the nova defense inside, it made us shoot a lotta of 3s and in the first half they were going in , but we died with them in the second half . Oh well still a great year for the Tigers. GO TIGERS !
Posted by TP on March 22, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Clemson teams, football and basketball, can't win the big game it seems. It's almost like a curse or something. Clemson sux. LOL at Clemson guy that thinks officiating cost them the game. Have some more Kool-aid dude.
Posted by robbybobby on March 22, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
it had to be the officials. ever since the beginning of time, it has always been the officials who cost the tiggers a win. They never get beat by the other team, they always beat themselves or the officials do the hatchet job. Their level of neurosis and denial is unsurpassed anywhere in the universe. Got a newsflash for the tiggers - anytime you play a good team in any sport you will lose because you are basically a mediocre program that never really won a national championship in football, you just got more sportswriter votes than the next guy. Face reality and get on with the suffering.
Posted by youmanyo on March 22, 2008 at 10:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No excuse here , plain and simple we got beat. Whats so sad to me is that the only joy the coots have is when someone else beats us . GO TIGERS !
Posted by tigerfanatl on March 22, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
tough loss. we simply couldn't make a shot in the second half. Can't do much with Mays and Booker both fouled out. And of course the free throws. We made crucial ones with Duke and it got us a HUGE defining program victory. Didn't make them against UNC, Villanova and I'd be willing to bet most of our other losses as well...and it got us just another heartbreaking loss.
Posted by OldSalt on March 22, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am trying to figure out what new information was in this column that was worth my time reading it. The other article on the game was well done, and mentioned the 6-minute drought in the second half, 2-for-16 three point shooting, and Booker on the bench for the last six minutes.
"Friday, obviously, was that given day." What was obvious was the material contained in this column, concluding with a worn-out sports bromide. Stop phoning it in or stick to football.
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