Cardiac Hill

Temple close to joining Big East for 2012

2012-02-22T18:44:23Z

Temple close to joining Big East for 2012

Well, that would certainly help with the schedule problem.

Let's Get to Know...The Clemson Tigers

2012-02-22T16:00:19Z

With Pitt's impending move to the ACC, we've got a whole new cast of characters to work with for a while. At least until conference realignment happens again. Last time, we got to reunite with our former mates up at Boston College. Now we're taking a trip down south to Clemson, where the guys over at Shakin the Southland, SB Nation's Clemson blog, took the time to talk about the Tigers. Much thanks to them and to Peter, who answered my questions.

Cardiac Hill: In case you were wondering, I, and probably every other Pitt fan, was hoping that it was you guys who scored 70 points in the Orange Bowl. Unfortunately, that didn't work out so well. But football is obviously a very big deal to Clemson fans. You guys won your first ACC title since expansion this past season and you're normally fairly competitive in the Atlantic Division. What has made Clemson into such a competitive program?

I think it's fair to characterize Clemson as sort of a sleeping giant in the college football landscape. Clemson has always had the resources. They have the biggest stadium in the conference, one of the best sets of facilities, and outside of Miami and Florida State have more talent on paper than any other ACC school. Up until last season, these resources and talent have largely gone to waste over the last two decades and the program has never been able to get over the hump and win a conference title.

Clemson fans are also finally getting what they want in terms of the athletic department completely committing itself to football. Going into the 2012 season, Clemson will boast the #1 and #3 highest paid coordinators in college football in Chad Morris and Brent Venables. An ACC title will continue to be the goal of the fan base every year, as well as beating our rivals in Columbia, something this staff has failed to do each of the last three years.

More of this after the jump:

CH: Clemson is also pretty decent at basketball last I checked. When Oliver Purnell was there, you guys were competitive and made several NCAA tournaments. You went last season with new head coach Brad Brownell. But Clemson is struggling this season. Do you think Clemson will stay like this or is this season a fluke and we should expect the Tigers in the NCAA tournament next season?

Despite our AD backdooring his way into hiring Brad Brownell (Rick Stansbury backed out at the last minute), most rational Clemson fans are overall very satisfied with what Brownell has been able to accomplish thus far. Oliver Purnell didn't exactly leave this program with a ton of talent on the roster. In addition to this, Brownell runs a completely different system than Purnell ran during his time at Clemson in which he focused more on recruiting athletes than fundamentally sound basketball players.

Sitting at 5-7 in the conference this year with the players Clemson is relying on to contribute is no short of a miracle in my mind. Brownell is superior to Purnell in terms of X's and O's. Brownell's toughest task is going to be able to recruit the kind of players that fit his system at a place like Clemson, which doesn't exactly have a history of tons of basketball that easily attracts top flight talent. We don't recruit as dirty as some other ACC schools do with the AAU crowd either.

CH: Baseball is huge in the ACC and Clemson is one of the reasons why. The Tigers have made the NCAA tournament often in recent history and went to the College World Series in 2010. It'll definitely be a big step up in competition for Pitt, who hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since the mid-90's. Tell us about Clemson baseball and why you guys are so successful.

Jack Leggett has been the Clemson head baseball coach for 18 years. During that span, the Tigers have had 17 NCAA tournament appearances and six College World Series appearances. There really is just a ton of history here, even before Leggett arrived on the scene. Bill Wilhelm built the program, and during his almost four decades, he amassed 1161 wins which ranks him in the top 20 in the history of the sport. Clemson has however been overshadowed by their Gamecock rivals the last two years, who have won back to back National Championships, something the Tigers are still trying to finally win. Getting back to Omaha is the goal this year but a Regional or Super Regional is more likely at this point. I guess our problem would be that we get killed by the MLB Draft in recruiting and don't get the headliners in, but everyone can say that at the top too. Also, Clemson Univ. has made it more difficult for baseball recruits tuition-wise in the last few years. Our recruiting choices haven't panned out as well as Ray Tanner's, and many grow tiresome of his inability to win the big ones, along with his recruiting philosophies. STS doesn't count itself as a Jack Leggett supporter any longer.

CH: Unlike the former Big East schools, many Pitt fans have probably never been to Clemson, South Carolina. When we come down south to see Pitt play the Tigers, where are some places we have to go to?

Although I'm certainly biased, gameday in Clemson, South Carolina is as good as it gets in the conference. Clemson fans for the most part are a very welcoming and passionate group. You won't have a problem walking up to any tailgate and grabbing a beer or getting some food. The Esso Club (where Brent Musberger is an honorary member) is a must stop if you make it to Clemson and is always packed on gamedays. Walking through downtown, visiting Tillman Hall, and seeing the floats on Homecoming weekend are all musts as well.

Our campus is more secluded than most, so the places the students visit are more like holes-in-the-wall, but TD's and TigerTown Tavern are popular spots downtown.

CH: One of the more well-known traditions in college football is when Clemson runs onto the field. I've seen it on TV, but I'm anxious to see it live in person. What are some other traditions that Clemson has that you think we should know about?

Most of the most intriguing traditions happen around or during Gameday. Hearing the Clemson Band and fans belt out Tiger Rag as the players rub Howard's Rock and run down the field is one of the more surreal experiences a college football fan can experience. Coach Howard was given a rock from Death Valley, CA by a booster, and used it as a doorstop originally, but he told an assistant to throw it out one day. That assistant put it on a pedestal in 1966, and Howard came up with his iconic saying, "If you're going to give me 110%, you can rub my rock, if you ain't going to give 110%, keep your filthy hands off my rock." The Tigers scored a victory against Virginia (who Howard always called "The White Meat" of the schedule) and the tradition remained.

Tigerama, which takes place on Homecoming weekend is one of the country's biggest student run pep rallies. Tailgating on campus is huge, as Clemson, a small college town, becomes the third largest city in the state of South Carolina on gameday. If you are in town for the first home game of they year, the First Friday Parade is a fun way to kick off the weekend as it marks the beginning of our football season.

The tradition of the orange pants started under Danny Ford, who led us to the 1981 National Championship in them. Overall, our record is fantastic in them because Ford would only let the team wear them if he felt they had earned the right. Clemson is meant only to wear them for special or otherwise big-time games. but the last two coaches have diluted the tradition, particularly Tom Bowden. The tradition of all white on the road has been similarly diluted.

CH: Recently, there was some talk of Clemson and Florida State possibly heading to the Big 12. What is your reaction to that that and do you think Clemson will ever leave the ACC for a conference other than the SEC?

I think a good chunk of the fan base would have a mixed reaction to Clemson leaving for the Big 12. Certainly, the Big 12 has its share of football powerhouses in Texas and Oklahoma, but some of the potentially long trips to places like Kansas and Iowa State isn't exactly appealing to the fan base. In many respects it could come down to money. Clemson faces a financial battle with state rival South Carolina who is reaping the benefits of being in the powerhouse SEC. If financially the Big 12 move makes sense, then I could see Clemson making the move but at this point there is too much speculation.

We wouldn't want to trade our hatred of UNC and Duke for similar hatred of Texas. Now that you're in the ACC, you'll soon see why: this conference caters to the bluebloods and steps on the rest of us. It's not a coincidence that John Swofford is a UNC alum and former UNC AD.

Ed. note: So we're essentially trading Providence for North Carolina and Duke? I can totally live with that.

CH: Do you ultimately feel that Pitt and Syracuse will be good additions for the ACC? If you had to guess, will the ACC expand to 16 and if so, who are your ideal candidates?

From a football perspective, I like the move of adding Pitt more than I do Syracuse. Pitt has had more success on the football field than Syracuse, a program that has only two winning records since 2001. I also think a potential roadtrip to a big city like Pittsburgh is a lot more appealing to Clemson fans than heading to upstate New York to play Syracuse.

Clemson will always be a football school and basketball will always come second. So from the Clemson fan base standpoint, we would prefer if the conference adds programs that are strong in football. I think Pitt brings both a strong football and obviously basketball program to the conference. As a basketball conference, the conference will no doubt be much stronger with the additions of Syracuse and Pitt.

In terms of expanding to 16, I would prefer that if the ACC does decide to do that, they try and go after a school like Notre Dame, a school with a rich football tradition that would bring a ton of good exposure and relevance to the conference. For now though, I like the addition of Pitt. I think they will be welcomed addition to the ACC.

Thanks again to Peter and the guys over at Shakin the Southland. We certainly can't wait to get to the ACC and start playing the Tigers.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt football and basketball.

Big East Power Rankings: Pitt In 12th

2012-02-22T13:30:02Z

I'm away and didn't have a chance to vote in the latest Big East basketball power rankings run by Andrew over at The UConn Blog, but here are the results. Pitt sits in 12th right now ... which is probably too high. Syracuse is still in first and looking like the conference's dominant team.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt football and basketball.

Top 15 Pittsburgh Panther Basketball Players Since '00

2012-02-21T16:25:01Z

Top 15 Pittsburgh Panther Basketball Players Since '00

My list of the top 15 guys to put on a Panther uniform over the past decade and some change. Check it out and leave some comments to let me know what you guys think!

The Ashton Gibbs Situation and Pitt Basketball Moving Forward

2012-02-21T13:00:28Z

When Ashton Gibbs announced that he was returning for his senior season over the summer, it was assumed that he would continue to build off of his tremendous season from a year ago. The reason for the return was generally to improve in some key areas that gave NBA scouts some worries - mainly being able to create his own shot. Unfortunately, not only did that not really happen, but his bread and butter, shooting from the perimeter, has dissolved as well.

Getting back to that first point - It was somewhat clear during the non-conference portion (and painfully obvious during conference play) that Gibbs still couldn't create his own shot. He still wasn't strong enough to drive into the lane and draw fouls, and when Tray Woodall was out or playing poorly, he had a lot of trouble scoring. With Woodall out of the picture, defenses would double up on Gibbs and his shooting numbers suffered as a result. He would get his double figures, but they came at the expense of taking several shots.

I agree with what Chris Dokish says here in his diagnosis of next year's team.

There's no denying that Gibbs can be a great shooter, but with his struggles this season, here's the thing. During his breakout sophomore and junior seasons, when Pitt would have Brad Wanamaker or Gilbert Brown or even Woodall with Gibbs on the floor, teams wouldn't be able to focus in on him because those three were capable scorers. Their scoring ability would allow Gibbs to get open for shots, but with Wanamaker and Brown gone and Woodall dealing with injuries, defenses have been able to shut him down by forcing him to create his own shot ... which he struggles to do.

This would lead to Gibbs getting frustrated, probably because he wasn't putting up the numbers he had grown accustomed to. This became very clear during the game in Tampa against South Florida, where Jamie Dixon had to pull him from the game in the second half because of his frustration and temper. Now those remarks from Khem Birch are beginning to make some sense...

"I remember when some people didn't get what they wanted, during a half, if they didn't score a certain amount of points, during halftime, it would be silence from those players. It wasn't like they were happy. Even if we were winning, they would just get mad because they didn't get what they wanted."

Yes, it seems like I'm really ripping into Gibbs - particularly because he has been a great player for Pitt for the past four seasons. But Pitt basketball isn't about one player - it's about teamwork, leadership, toughness, and playing with heart and to be honest, I haven't seen a whole lot of any of those from Gibbs. We can't attribute all of Pitt's woes to him, but it's got to start with him. As a senior on this team, he had to be the one to bring the team together when times got tough and make things happen. I've been waiting all season for him or Nasir Robinson to just step up and be the vocal leader of this team, especially during the eight-game losing streak. Even though we're not privy to locker room conversations, it feels like neither of them has done that.

With Gibbs graduating, it's easy to think that Pitt is going to severely struggle on the offensive end without his presence. I'm going to hold off on that judgement until next season because I think with everyone a year older and James Robinson and Steven Adams coming in that Pitt could actually improve offensively. Robinson is a fantastic ball handler and defender, and while he's only going to be a true freshman, he could be the type of floor general that Levance Fields was for Pitt in the upcoming seasons.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt football and basketball.

Vote For Cardiac Hill in the Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament

2012-02-20T18:17:46Z

Vote For Cardiac Hill in the Pittsburgh Sports Blog Tournament

We're up against Pirates blog Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke. Voting lasts until Tuesday night at 8 PM so head on over and vote for us.

Quest For Winning Season Stalled As USF Beats Pitt 56-47

2012-02-20T16:00:48Z

At this point in the season with the way Pitt has been playing, getting that 16th win and thus guaranteeing at least a record of .500 for the season should be the goal. Unfortunately, that goal will have to wait for another game as South Florida completed the season sweep of Pitt by jumping on Pitt's lackadaisical effort on defense in the second half and ultimately winning 56-47 at the Pete.

While Pitt was bad defensively, the offensive side had its moments. USF looked like they may win this one early in the first half when they jumped out to an 11 point lead. But Pitt withstood the blow and fought back to actually take the lead at one point in the first half and entered the break only down 1 point. J.J. Moore was a big reason for that, as he had 2 thunderous dunks to go with 11 first half points that kept Pitt in the game. Moore finished with a team high 21 points.

USF began the second half on another run to grab a 9 point lead early in the second half, but Pitt came back from that as well to get within 3. But then South Florida did what they did to beat Pitt in Tampa - play outstanding defense and force Pitt to make jump shots, which they have struggled to do throughout the season. Pitt once again had difficulties even putting the easy tip shots in the bucket.

The starters all struggled shooting the ball against the Bulls. Nasir Robinson led the starting lineup with 9 points, but that came on 4-10 shooting. Lamar Patterson went scoreless while the remaining starters scored a combined 6 points on 3-15 shooting.

The only other bright spot was John Johnson, who had 8 points on 3-5 shooting, including 2-3 from 3. I am anxious to see how Johnson performs next season now that he has one season of significant playing time under his belt and I think he could easily start at shooting guard next season.

It's clear though that this team has pretty much checked out for the season. While they played well to come back from being down double digits, the defensive effort was lacking. USF got way too many open looks or easy drives to the basket. Pitt got careless defensively and committed 20 personal fouls, 10 more than USF committed. Meanwhile, neither Ashton Gibbs nor Tray Woodall got to the free throw line once in the game and as two of Pitt's best free throw shooters, it should be a priority to get them to the line as often as possible. Woodall did sit a lot of the first half because of foul trouble, but they should have worked more to get to the line and get Pitt back in the game late.

This season is not over yet as Pitt goes on the road to face a hot Louisville team on Sunday afternoon before playing their final home game next Wednesday against a young, but talented St. John's team. Pitt closes the regular season at sinking Connecticut before heading to Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament. We need just one more win to at least guarantee a .500 finish, but based on what we've seen the past few games, it's going to be tough.

Slow Week

2012-02-20T13:00:44Z

Just a heads up that this will be a slow week for the most part. I'm on a much-needed vacation and the site will be on a bit of a hiatus for the next week. I'll be checking in with some news, but will be on a break for the most part.