Savannah’s Cashmere Wright has made a verbal commitment to the basketball program.

That’s an awesome name and I’m jealous.

One of the best high school basketball players in Savannah for the last two years, Wright has been difficult to fully evaluate.

His skill is obvious, demonstrated by unique quickness and consistent outside shooting. But his production was considered suspect by local basketball insiders, nobody really knowing how impressed to be by the 32 points per game he has averaged this season at little Urban Christian Academy, a school not affiliated with any league that plays games against other club teams…

The junior is committing early to end what his father says has been a frantic recruiting process and to remove the possible distraction of that carrying over into his senior season.

And also because he has found the place he thinks he’ll fit best from among the roughly 50 Division I schools that have contacted him.

“I just liked the atmosphere and the friendly people and how they treat their players,” said Wright, who was also impressed by Tiger coach Oliver Purnell. “One of the main reasons I picked them is because he lets his point guard run and shoot the ball and that’s my style of basketball.”

Wright, who was considering as many as 10 major-conference schools, including Tennessee, Wake Forest and Georgia, started favoring Clemson during an unofficial visit to the school’s campus on Jan 6.

My thoughts are this:
We know that half these kids can’t graduate in major other than underwater basket weaving. Yeah, they get their degrees, and that makes the school look good from a statistical view point. Do their degrees add to the academic stigma of the university? Very little at best because they don’t go out into society and accomplish anything that makes people say “Wow, that Clemson grad is really sharp. They taught him a lot of good stuff.” Here is the crux: Barker wants a Top 20 Public Institution and the Clemson Nation has embraced the goal. Awesome, I’m part of the embraces. He sets goals such as Final Fours, National Football titles, and Olympic Sport Championships as part of the path to our destination. Then we turn around and limit ourselves with a committee that exceeds in expectation what the NCAA clearinghouse has set as a minimum requirement. Now, I know why Barker wants to accomplish these things. They bring positive attention to the University. The fact is, many very intelligent kids (and I include all of us in this list, regardless of some of our stupid moments) choose their colleges at least somewhat on social factors, that typically hinge, at least somewhat, on the schools athletic prowess. Now, here is the question: Do you let a couple academic morons who will slide through by the hair of their chins come play ball and bring you success or do you tell them to stay home. Their success brings notoriety which brings better overall student bodies. Or do you worry about the fractional percentage difference affect they bring by possibly not graduating? It’s a Catch 22. I say let them come and do your best to make the most out of them and prepare them for the future as well as possible while building successful teams. Anyone that uses their head for something other than a hat rack knows how the system works, on the academic end, with these kids anyway.

The one thing I know to be true. This little committee just dropped a big load in their pants. Let the kids come in, or deny them. Fine. If you are going to deny them, do it in a timely manner. If you are going to one up the national minimums and act in a non-timely manner, typical of most University bureaucracy, then you must face the consequences. In this case the consequences are a recruiting class not at the level expected or projected. Heavily recruited individuals going elsewhere, by no fault of the coaching staff. And other possible recruits being let go to the wayside because the coaches thought they had bigger/better fish on the line only to find out it’s nothing but a tire at the bottom of the sea. I just hope the administration both in Sykes Hall and the athletic department remember these goings on when we play the likes of Chapel Hill, South Carolina, and FSU and some of these recruits are handing us our rear ends on National TV…assuming we have a good enough record to garner that kind of exposure.

Yes, I can’t believe it but about this time a year ago a young CJ Spiller shocked the recruiting world when he donned the Tiger Orange instead of the Florida Orange that everyone was expecting. Tomorrow opens signing day for 2008 and the Tigers are looking pretty strong across the board. Considering that the Tigers already have a few of the signees attending Clemson the class is already off to a good start. A quick look across the scout board shows 6 4 Star recruits with the majority on defense. The 3 stars show 13 commits with 2 2 stars and 1 1 star finishing up the crew. The potential commits are listed at about 21 which the Tigers will be watching throughout the day for them to don the Tiger Orange.

And, in the interest of Bowman, the Tigers received a verbal commitment from a CB from Kingsport, TN.

Dang the signing day and the fake work that I will be doing at my desk tomorrow.

Bowden landed a bunch of verbal commitments this weekend.

They were defensive end Andre Branch (6-foot-5, 240 pounds) of Richmond, Va., wide receiver Brandon Clear (6-5, 210) of Hoover, Ala., linebacker Brandon Maye of Mobile, Ala., defensive end Miguel Chavis (6-5, 260) of Hargrave (Va.) Prep and Fayetteville, N.C., and defensive end Byron Clear (6-6, 220) of Hoover, Ala.

Here’s a question. Is that Hoover as in that MTV reality show Hoover? Walker, you on top of this one?

OK kids, I finally got time to write some thoughts down on the UNC massacre. Here are some notes:

- First off, punch your friendly weatherman in the mouth for his bass ackwards forecast of 30% rain in the afternoon. The rain came in at 5AM and was done by 8AM. The game was uber hot and I am pretty sure I was dehydrated, or at least that is what my first responder training told me when you stop sweating.

- Thomas Hunter is a beast and finally got the breakout plays that I have been waiting for from the pre-season-prophesized Tight End play. For all those TE’s looking to commit to Clemson, Thomas Hunter’s play will be essential through the rest of the season. When he caught the big pass down the middle and rumbled through for a few more yards I was screaming my brains out for the big guy. I just wish that a secondary player had got in his way so that he could have gone through him like a tank through a brick wall.

- Running Backs galore. James ran all first half and sat back the second. Reggie ran through the second and twisted his ankle. CJ ran for two TD’s and kept running. Demerick got in the second half and took over. I have been a fan of Demerick and the RB’s as a whole as they seem to be a team of their own. When one scores, they ALL congratulate him with high fives and jumping chest bumps. Seeing Demerick succeed just shows the extensive depth that we have. Reggie may be leaving but the depth has no evidence of hurting next year. Once again, for those kids who are looking at Clemson at the RB position, using multiple backs in every game gives them hope at the depth chart.

- Speaking of backfield, Alex Pearson is a blocking FREAK! He and Thomas Hunter are awesome support men for the plethora of running backs. As shown in the final play of the FSU game when Hunter jacked the line and Pearson followed him in forcing the hole for James to get in, these guys have the drive and heart to get the team where they need to be. Pearson is one of those guys that doesn’t get reconized but his efforts always are part of the scoreboard. Keep an eye out for this kid.

- Offensive line, well nothing much to say there other than these guys eat nails for breakfast and probably foam at the mouth on the line. I read one article that said that Nathan Bennet tells Proctor every game that he has his back. I see these guys like rabid dogs that the defensive line hates to line up against and probably wets their pants when they see the stats that the line is putting together. Once again, an under appreciated group of guys, but this year they ARE getting alot of press. The 2s and 3s are also getting their reps in so we should be good next year when most of the line graduates.

- Defense in general is just scary. Imagine what would have been if they were 100% in manning. Good Lord! Would anyone stand a chance. We are into the 2s and they are playing like first stringers. Seriously young talent on the field and Koenning is cycling through them like crazy so experience is spread as well. Chris Clemmons and Dwayne Coleman are serious players and hit with all they’ve got. LB’s patrol as the D-Line does their job straight up. With Merling and Adams destroying lines the LB’s pick off prey with ease. Lots of BOOOM on the field when this D is on.

- The crowd knows it, the team knows it and thanks to UNC, FSU and NCStates win over BC the rest of the ACC knows it: Clemson is a serious threat this year, they got their jitters out in the close game at BC and now they are glaring at the rest of the conference. LaTech should be another FAU/UNC game and then Wake, who by the way will probably be a 5-0 undefeated Atlantic Conference leader, will feel the pain as the high hoped Orange faithful (including Broken and myself) travel to flood the away stadium to exact revenge. Death Valley was sold out for UNC and the 81 reunion, GT is sold out, I look for the rest of the home games to be sold out as well. Secure your tickets now cause it’s about to be a fun ride.

GO TIGERS!!!

Last weekend #2 ranked Byrnes High School traveled to Cincinnati to take on Moeller. Cincinnati is my home turf (or close enough to it), and I hate Moeller. Moeller High School is a lot like the Laguna Beach* of Cincinnati high schools.

So it was quite nice to see that Byrnes rallied from behind to pull out a 21-20 victory.

What about Willy Korn?

Quarterback Willy Korn, who finished 17-of-24 for 272 yards and one interception, scored on a 1-yard sneak with 3:26 left for the winning touchdown. It was Korn’s second 1-yard score.

More from GoUpstate.com about the adventure to Ohio.

Also, the NY Times did an interesting piece on the ever-increasing nationalization of high school football, with a lot of words spent on Byrnes.

* Laguna Beach is an MTV reality show about rich kids in high school getting far too much money from their parents for doing nothing worthwhile.

The Byrnes High School Rebels and star quarterback Willy Korn are taking center stage again.  The #2 ranked high school in the country is heading to the Buckeye State to play Cincinnati-based Moeller.

Kickoff is set for 11:30 AM on Saturday.

And you can listen to it live.  USA Today has the details.

I’ll just keep this short and sweet:

While Korn (292 passing yards with two touchdowns) and Hawkins (eight catches for 145 yards) took the starring roles, Byrnes’ defensive cast stood out as well. The Rebels (3-0) held Greer (0-2) to just 86 total yards, including a net 11-yard loss in the first half. Greer’s biggest play of the first three quarters came on a 12-yard offensive fumble return.