Fisch Tank: College Hoops

Thanks for diving into the Fisch Tank!

While it will be a light week for Clemson, for South Carolina and Coastal Carolina it will be a challenging one. We’ll start this weeks’ edition of previews with the bleak opportunity facing the Gamecocks.

South Carolina needs to learn how to finish off a game. Leading both Florida at home and Kentucky on the road late in the second half the Gamecocks choked. As USC alum Bob Juback pointed out, don’t wake the giant. Zam Frederick was doing the gator chomp after hitting a three pointer and giving Carolina a nine point lead. But in typical garnet and black fashion, hope turned into hype and once again they landed flat on their face. Which was really disappointing considering the crowd at the Colonial Center was into the game and on their feet. But just like the football team, the roundballers ripped the carpet out from under them. On the topic of this weeks matchups; Georgia heads to Columbia bringing with them their horrible road record. The Bulldogs average only sixty points a game away from Athens, while the Gamecocks are averaging nearly eighty a contest at the friendly confines of the Colonial Center. Well, with that you would think I would pick the Gamecocks to win it. But not so fast, the dawgs are coming off a loss to Tennessee, so they will be fired up, and unlike USC they are in contention in the SEC. Plus until the Odomites figure out how to close out a game I am not sticking with them. Do I think they can win this one, you bet I do, but will they no! And if that isn’t bad enough they will follow that game up with #15 Ole Miss on the road. This week for the Gamecocks is a big negative ghost rider. They have the talent, they need to stop worrying about padding their stats and start playing team ball. USC this week goes 0-2

Coastal Carolina, boy they looked bad against Winthrop. Jack Leasure may be the only scoring option the Chants have. Everage Richardson was out, and could be for a little while following his emergency appendectomy surgery on Friday. On a thin team it’s not good to be missing your second leading scorer. Even more bad news will walk into Kimbell Arena on Monday when 7’7 Kenny George laces up his size 26 shoes and hits the court for UNC-Asheville. The Bulldogs are perfect in the Big South and seriously could roll Coastal by at least twenty. CCU will have a severe problem driving to the hole with George clogging the paint. Also they will have to figure out how to stop Bryan Smithson who is averaging eighteen points a game or the three other players who are in double digits a contest. Chalk this one up as a loss for the Chants.
Then Coastal will get a visit from their rival Charleston Southern on Saturday. The Coop should be rocking, but as they say; throw out the records when it comes to these two. It’s a home game for the Chants, and they are 7-1 in Conway, which has me thinking they will edge this one out and pick up a win. Coastal Carolina goes 1-1 this week.

Clemson are you kidding me? This team needs to learn how to play perimeter defense. James McClinton(Miami) buried them late in the game from beyond the arc. Once again the Tigers lost a contest they should’ve won because of their ineffective perimeter defense. Now 3-3 in the ACC, Purnell’s purple and orange will take on Boston College this Saturday. The Eagles will be coming in more than likely fresh off a loss to UNC, which once again means Clemson will have to be ready for a fight. Five days off should give the Tigers enough time to work on their defense and figure out if they want to go to the tournament or let this season slip through their fingers. The key will be shutting down Tyrese Rice and Rakim Sanders. If Clemson can press the Eagles guards and force them to play in the trees, the home team will win. But if the Boston College guards get loose forget about it. Rice will require some serious attention considering he is second in conference scoring with twenty two points a game. I still like Clemson’s all around team with the five days off.
Clemson this week goes 1-0.

Log In | Register as a new member