Clemson Basketball: March Madness brings Sadness
I’m generally a glass three-quarters full guy, but I admit to being a little bummed since Sunday, when the teams were selected for the NCAA Tournament.
Only half of the teams invited win even a game, yet somehow I feel like I wasn’t invited to the party that I’d get kicked out of 15 minutes later and that stings.
The cool kids are partying and I’m home studying Algebra.
No, I didn’t expect the Clemson Tigers to be selected, at least not since about mid-January.
That’s not what this is about.
This about how in one major sport at Clemson “Best is the Standard” and in another mediocrity is accepted and, unfortunately, expected and apathy among the fan-base is real.
I don’t think anyone thinks Brad Brownell is a bad person and his defenders say he’s one of the best coaches around.
His players defend him (one did right before he transferred).
Yet, somehow this team can’t get over the hump. They always seem to be a bucket short, a defensive stand away or an official’s call from winning.
Even in a season with a down ACC.
Some of that’s not on Brownell, but when is enough enough?
I’m not a “fire the coach” type guy, but at some point apathy sets in and I think it’s set for me.
They’ll ask, “Who are you gonna get in his place?” Well, there’s a guy (and a search firm) who gets paid a lot of money to make those decisions and it isn’t me. I’d have to believe there’s multiple coaches out there that could do just as well and at least provide some hope.
Other schools find them and hire them, just like the team in Columbia is in the process of doing right now.
The athletic director should have a list, just like Dabo knows who he’s going to target to be the next defensive tackles coach before the current one leaves. That’s your job.
If they’re successful and leave in five years, so what? Would you rather have five years of success or ten years of mediocrity?
Clemson has chosen mediocrity.
Is it difficult to recruit basketball players to Clemson? Everyone says it is, but the current staff doesn’t seem to have a problem recruiting transfers. It’s still a “rural setting” for those transfers, despite the players being a few years older.
That guy I mentioned above that has the job of finding someone should a coaching change occur? He first has to make that decision and I don’t know if he’s going to do that. He’s also new to the job, so there may be some hesitancy in that regard.
Making a change would rock the boat and family atmosphere that Clemson holds so dear.
That’s an admirable quality and something I admire about Clemson for sure. Admirable to a fault in this case, many believe.
But 12 years is not a rash time frame, not a knee jerk reaction or even an overreaction.
It’s more than enough time to make an evaluation.
When the previous athletic director made a change in the baseball program a few years ago, I thought it was warranted, though many disagreed and they had some valid points.
The records weren’t terrible and the team “competed” (whatever that means), but the program was unquestionably in a malaise and wasn’t what it once was.
In some ways I see very similar things happening with the basketball program.
To be clear, I’m not saying the players aren’t invested. Of course, they are. They bare their heart and soul day in and day out in practice and games and put their bodies on the line.
I looked at this team and thought they had a chance. But then in a mid-January swoon and somehow they couldn’t or didn’t make the plays when needed.
A defensive lapse here, trouble getting the ball in there, missed threes everywhere and then the injuries came to Hunter Tyson and P.J. Hall and well, it was too much to overcome.
Loving someone, some place or some thing is not ignoring when they need to make a change.
You tell them they need to change because you love them.
It’s easy to say in March, under the cover of disappointment, that I won’t watch next season, but I probably will.
Just like C.J. Spiller, “I love Clemson too much.”
I won’t be invested though, because after 12 years I don’t feel like the school is invested in basketball either.
It feels like they’re going through the motions and hoping for the best, trying not to hurt feelings or appear uncaring.
They say the right thing, but actions speak louder than words.
So I won’t schedule my days around the game times like I do for other Clemson sports.
If I’m available, I’ll watch.
If not, well, Clemson’s not really invested so why should I be?