Category: College sports

Clemson hoping for rare win at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Clemson’s basketball team will be looking to do something it’s accomplished only twice since 1980 when the Tigers visit Cameron Indoor Stadium Saturday.

Few visiting teams are known for their success at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and Clemson is no exception.

In fact, the Tigers (13-5 overall, 3-4 conference) will be looking to do something they have done only twice since the late 70s when they take the floor Saturday afternoon: earn a win on the Blue Devils’ storied home court.

Duke (14-4 overall, 5-2 conference) is ranked No. 12 in the latest AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll. Clemson is unranked after having been as high as No. 16 in the polls at the start of the year.

While Clemson has had some sporadic success against Duke on the Tigers’ home court over the years, including two wins in the Blue Devils’ last three trips to Littlejohn Coliseum, they’ve won only twice at ‘Cameron’ since the dawn of the 80s.

This weekend, the Tigers are seeking their first win in Durham since Jan. 4, 1995. That season is infamous in Duke and ACC basketball lore because of how uncharacteristically woeful the Blue Devils were. They finished just 2-14 in ACC play, and coach Mike Krzyzewski stepped away from the team mid-season due to illness.

Not surprisingly, that was also the last time the Tigers swept both games from Duke in the regular season.

Clemson’s only other win at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1980 was all the way back on Feb. 29, 1984. Before that, you’d have to travel even further back to 1978, two years before Krzyzewski began his 42-year run at Duke as a Hall of Fame coach.

More recently, Clemson defeated Duke in the two schools’ last meeting at Littlejohn in January of last year. PJ Hall scored 26 points to lift the Tigers to a 72-64 win in that contest. The last time Clemson visited Durham, they came up just short of an upset in Krzyzewski’s last season as coach with a 71-69 loss in 2022.

Duke leads the all-time series vs. Clemson, 102-31.

The Blue Devils defeated Louisville, 83-69, earlier this week. Clemson beat Florida State in the Tigers’ last contest on Jan. 20. Saturday’s tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST and will be televised nationally by ESPN.

Report: Texas A&M Athletic Department begins search to replace Ross Bjork as AD

After former Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork departed for The Ohio State University on Jan. 16, the Aggies have officially begun their search for his replacement.

After former Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork departed for The Ohio State University on Jan. 16, the Aggies have officially begun their search for his replacement.

According to a report from Alex Miller of The Eagle, Texas A&M President Mark Welsh has formed a seven-member committee to find its next director of athletics within four to six weeks. R.C. Slocum was named the interim athletic director on Jan. 22.

“Texas A&M is a world-class university with a strong commitment to athletics excellence and the greatest fans in the world,” Welsh said in a statement. “We’re committed to maintaining the momentum of our athletics programs and selecting the next director of athletics is a critical part of that effort. I’m grateful to the committee members for volunteering their time for this important task and am confident that, with the help of the search firm, the committee will identify candidates who align with our core values and who are dedicated to the continued success of our student-athletes and outstanding athletic programs.”

Per Miller, the committee includes baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle, women’s basketball coach Joni Taylor, Welsh’s chief of staff Susan Ballabina, deputy athletic director Joe Fields, faculty athletic representative and professor Paul Batista and respective former chairs of the 12th Man Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Chris Cooper & David Dunlap.

“I want a great leader, man,” Schlossnagle told The Eagle. “The best athletic director I ever worked for (had a) philosophy (that was), ‘My job is to support the head coaches. No. 1, my job is to support the head coaches and the student-athletes. My job is to give the head coaches every resource they need to be successful and then hold them accountable and have a relationship with them.'”

According to Miller, Schlossnage volunteered for the role and has already received feedback from foot

ball coach Mike Elko, men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams, women’s golf coach Garrod Chadwell and women’s soccer coach G Guerrieri.

“It’s an honor to serve Texas A&M in any way that I can, and I’m filled with pride by the opportunity to lead this search committee,” Dunlap stated. “President Welsh has pulled together an incredible group of individuals who will recommend dynamic, highly qualified prospects who will serve our university, coaches and student-athletes with integrity, respect and a relentless drive for excellence. I’m eager to get to work.”

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Watch: Top plays from Texas A&M’s 63-57 win vs. Missouri

Check out the highlights from the Aggies second straight SEC win with a victory over the Missouri Tigers

Texas A&M is not playing the greatest offensive basketball right now, but they have found a way to win their last 3 of 4 games. What looked to be a disastrous 1-3 start to SEC play has now evened out for the Aggies, who sit at 3-3 with a chance to make a run.

I’m unsure if A&M will ever shoot about 40% at any point this season, even while getting good looks. With as many shots as they do miss them, being the top offensive rebounding team in the nation gives them plenty of second-chance opportunities and that has been the saving grace to keep them on most of the games this year.

A complete team effort on the defensive side of the ball against the Missouri Tigers led to double-digit turnovers and aggressive play in the paint gave the Aggies multiple trips to the free-throw line which ultimately made the difference in the game. Below, you can check out some of the best plays from the 63-57 win over Missouri at Reed Arena.

Clemson’s five biggest games of the 2024 schedule

A look at the five biggest and most important games of the Clemson Tigers 2024 football schedule.

Clemson players, coaches and fans alike have known which teams would be on the Tigers’ 2024 schedule for some time now.

Now that the ACC has released its 2024 football schedule in full, we know the exact dates the team will face each of their conference rivals.

2024 Clemson Football Schedule:
(Home games BOLDED; all games on Saturdays)

  • Aug. 31: vs. Georgia (Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta)
  • Sept. 7: vs. APPALACHIAN STATE
  • Sept. 14: Open Date
  • Sept. 21: vs. NC STATE
  • Sept. 28: vs. STANFORD
  • Oct. 5: at Florida State
  • Oct. 12: at Wake Forest
  • Oct. 19: vs. VIRGINIA
  • Oct. 26: Open Date
  • Nov. 2: vs. LOUISVILLE
  • Nov. 9: at Virginia Tech
  • Nov. 16: at Pitt
  • Nov. 23: vs. THE CITADEL
  • Nov. 30: vs. SOUTH CAROLINA

In no particular order, here’s an early look at the five biggest games on the 2024 schedule. Kickoff times are yet to be determined.

Clemson football lands major commitment in four-star DE Ari Watford

Clemson scored a major recruiting victory Wednesday when four-star defensive end Ari Watford, one of the top edge rushers in the class of 2025, committed to the Tigers.

Clemson football scored a major recruiting victory Wednesday when four-star defensive end Ari Watford, one of the top edge rushers in the class of 2025, committed to the Tigers.

Watford (Maury High School, Norfolk, Va.) chose Clemson over Ohio State, Penn State, in-state rival South Carolina, and ACC rivals Virginia Tech and Syracuse.

Listed at 6’6, 220 pounds, Watford is rated the No. 30 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite recruiting rankings for the 2025 class.

He is also rated the top overall recruiting prospect in the state of Virginia, as well as the fourth-best edge rusher in the nation. Watford becomes the fourth prospect from Virginia in the class of 2025 to commit to Clemson.

Clemson had been wooing Watford for several months. He officially received an offer from the school back in June and attended the annual Dabo Swinney Football Camp over the summer.

The recruitment of Watford is a big haul for Swinney and especially new defensive ends coach Chris Rumph. Rumph replaced Lemanski Hall, who was let go as defensive ends coach at the end of last season.

Rienk Mast delivers career game in Nebraska’s 83-69 win over Ohio State

Nebraska entered Tuesday’s night game against Ohio State looking to 15-5 on the season and 5-4 in conference play.

Nebraska entered Tuesday’s night game against Ohio State looking to improve their standing in conference play. The Huskers did just that, with Rienk Mast leading the Huskers to a 83-69 win over the Buckeyes.

Mast unleashed a colossal performance in the win, scoring 34 points by going 13-of-17 in total shooting and six-of-eight from beyond the arc. Mast topped his previous career-high of 30, which he set last year at Bradley. He also hauled in 10 rebounds in Nebraska’s win to finish the game with a double-double.

Mast’s outing supported a Huskers offense that finished 30-of-61 in total shooting and 14-of-27 in three-point shooting, while Ohio State went 27-of-56 and 8-of-23, respectively.

C.J. Wilcher finished runner-up in scoring for Nebraska, delivering 16 points by going 6-of-12 in total shooting and four-of-seven in three-point shooting. Brice Williams rounded the Huskers’ double-digit scorers, tallying up 14 points after going five-of-nine in total shooting and two-of-four in three-point shooting.

Nebraska returns to the east coast for its next, traveling out to face Maryland Saturday morning. Tipoff is set for 11:00 a.m. and can be viewed on the Big Ten Network.

Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology rankings: Where Clemson ranks

A look at where Clemson ranks in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology rankings as of Jan. 23, 2024.

A rough start to the new year has seen Clemson fall out of both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches Top 25 polls, as well as take a dive in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology projections.

Clemson’s four losses in five games to begin 2024 — including an inexplicable home loss to Georgia Tech last Tuesday in which the Tigers (13-5 overall) blew a nine-point lead with just over 90 seconds to play in regulation — have caused the team to fall to a projected No. 7 seed in Lunardi’s latest Bracketology update.

Lunardi sees the Tigers facing projected 10 seed TCU, one of 10 Big 12 schools he forecasts to make the NCAA Tournament in March. The theoretical Tigers-Horned Frogs tilt would take place in the East Regional at Boston’s TD Garden, per Lunardi.

The three other No. 7 seeds in Lunardi’s Bracketology predictions are Utah State (West Regional), Utah (Midwest), and Michigan State (South).

By conference, Lunardi’s projections award the most tournament bids to the Big 12 with 10. The SEC is second with eight schools projected to make the field of 68.

Perhaps most striking is that only three ACC schools — Clemson, Duke and North Carolina — are currently projected by Lunardi to make the NCAA Tournament. That’s tied with the Pac-12 and AAC for the fewest projected schools of any non-automatic qualifier conference.

No. 3 North Carolina (16-3) is projected as a 1 seed in the South Regional, to be held at Dallas’ American Airlines Center. Duke (13-4) fell from a projected No. 3 seed to a 4 seed in Lunardi’s ratings after the Blue Devils lost to Pitt over the week.

Clemson will travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face Duke Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST and will be broadcast by ESPN. The Tigers haven’t won at Cameron since Jan. 4, 1995.

Arizona parts ways with AD Dave Heeke citing ‘operational mismanagement’ among other reasons

Well, that escalated quickly.

It hasn’t been a great six months for the Arizona Wildcats. Despite the news that the University would be moving to a new conference along with Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah.

In recent months it has been reported that UA miscalculated their budget by $240 million. It could be a huge indicator of why they were unable to extend Jedd Fisch and he ultimately left for the Washington Huskies.

According to multiple reports including Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, Heeke was fired for “financial & operational mismanagement, resulting in an athletic department financial ‘disaster,’ loss of major donors & mishandling of former coach Jedd Fisch’s contract.”

The last act as athletic director for Dave Heeke was the hiring of former San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan to run the Wildcats program. Brennan played for UCLA from 1993 to 1994. He joined the Wildcats staff as a graduate assistant in 2000 before taking on a larger role with Cal Poly in 2001. Brennan was part of the San Jose State staff from 2005 to 2010 and returned as head coach in 2017.

He is 0-3 in bowl games and 34-48 overall in seven seasons. Perhaps this was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Heeke as far as the administration was concerned. Mike Candrea will be the acting AD in the meantime per 247Sports’ Jason Scheer.

Clemson receives no votes in latest AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll

Clemson received no votes for Top 25 consideration in the latest AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll released Monday, January 22.

Clemson remained outside the AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll Monday. Because of their loss to Georgia Tech, the Tigers received no votes for Top 25 consideration — just one week after falling out of the rankings.

The loss to Georgia Tech dropped the Tigers to 2-4 in conference play and just 1-4 in their first five January games. Clemson (13-5 overall) rebounded with an impressive 78-67 victory over a hot Florida State team over the weekend

North Carolina (15-3 overall) remained the ACC’s highest ranked team, moving up to No. 3 after Kansas lost to West Virginia in Morgantown Saturday. The Jayhawks (15-3) slipped to No. 7.

Duke fell in the rankings to No. 12 after a stunning home loss over the weekend to Pitt at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Clemson will face the Blue Devils (13-4, 4-2) at 4 p.m. EST Saturday at Cameron.

Connecticut (17-2) remained No. 1 in the AP rankings for the second week in a row and received 44 first-place votes. The defending national champion Huskies have won seven straight entering the week.

Purdue (17-2) remained at No. 2 and received 17 first-place votes. Houston (16-2) moved up to No. 4, and No. 5 Tennessee (14-4) moved into the top 5 for the first time all year.

The Big 12 had the most ranked teams of any conference with seven total.

Nebraska women’s basketball falls to Penn State 82-73

The Huskers hit the road once again for a Big Ten showdown, this time flying out to Penn State for a Sunday afternoon clash.

The Huskers hit the road once again for a Big Ten showdown, this time flying out to Penn State for a Sunday afternoon clash. Nebraska struggled against the Nittany Lions, falling behind 64-45 entering the fourth quarter. The Huskers fought back in the fourth but couldn’t erase the massive deficit, ending the game with an 82-73 defeat.

Penn State edged out Nebraska in total shooting, going 29-of-62 from the field, while Nebraska went 25-of-68, which ended up being the difference maker.

Alexis Markowski led Nebraska in scoring and rebounding, dropping 16 points and securing 19 rebounds, her 12th double-double of the season. Markowski is now fourth in school history with 33 double-doubles in her career, tying with Emily Cady. Markowski needs seven more double-doubles to tie the school record held by Kelsey Griffin and Jordan Hooper.

Darian White and Jaz Shelley both scored 12 points to round out Nebraska’s double-digit scorers in the loss.

The Huskers fall to 13-6 on the season and 5-3 in conference play. Nebraska will face No. 2 Iowa on the road on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and can be viewed on Big Ten Network.