'Nova comes back to shock Clemson

Villanova came back from the dead to defeat the 5-seed Clemson in Tampa tonight, where all four lower seeds won for the first time in NCAA history.

Villanova had trailed by as many as 18 before beginning a furious comeback just before the half. The Wildcats were able to complete the dramatic comeback in the second half to win, 75-69

Villanova moves on to face the 13 seed, Siena, which upset Vanderbilt earlier today on the same court.

Villanova-Siena is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. EDT on Sunday, the very first game of the day. The next game is not slated until 2:15 p.m, so Villanova-Siena should air nationwide in its entirety.

A full analysis of the Clemson game with player grades will be up tomorrow.

Meet the Clemson Tigers

#22 Clemson Tigers
Atlantic Coast Conference
24-9 Overall Record (10-6 ACC)
Head Coach: Oliver Purnell (94-67 at Clemson)
Clemson, South Carolina


Villanova faces the #5-seeded Clemson Tigers in Tampa, Fla. on Friday night. The tipoff is set for 9:50 p.m. Villanova fans may be relatively unfamiliar with out-of-conference opponents, so an informal introduction of Clemson is below.

In 2007-2008, Clemson was 10-6 in ACC play. Despite three losses to UNC, Clemson twice extended the games into overtime, in addition to almost upsetting the top-ranked Tar Heels in the ACC championship game one week ago.

Clemson has built quite an impressive resume that boasts key wins over several NCAA tournament teams. The Tigers started the season off strong, going 12-1 in out-of-conference play. Wins included an 84-82 victory over tournament-bound Mississippi State, and a 61-58 win over Purdue. Within the ACC, Clemson split the home-and-away series with 2-seeded Duke and 7-seeded Miami, in addition to defeating NIT 1-seed Virginia Tech.

Key Players

K.C. Rivers
#1 G-F, 6-6 Junior
14.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 41.0% 3-point

Rivers leads the team in points per game, and averages nearly 2 steals per game. An athletic guard/forward, Rivers plays an essential role in Coach Purnell's press defense, and has the ability to light it up beyond the arc.


Cliff Hammonds
#25 G, 6-3 Senior
11.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.0 apg

Hammonds is a hard-working player who has averaged double figures in scoring in each of his four seasons at Clemson. Like Rivers, Hammonds also averages 1.9 steals per game. His in-you-face style of defense wears on opposing guards to the point of exhaustion. He has shown leadership by playing with a hand fracture that will require surgery at season's end.

Trevor Booker
#35 C/F, 6-7 Sophomore
11.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.9 bpg

One of the "bookends" of Clemson's imposing front line, the 240 lb. Booker is a force down low. Only 6-7 as a center, he plays much bigger than his height suggests. Has an improving mid-range game that complements his post play. He rebounds extremely well on the offensive end, but has trouble with free throws.

James Mays
#40 F, 6-9 Senior
10.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg

The team's vocal leader along with Hammonds, Mays is the point man in the Tigers' press who defends the inbounding pass. For 13 games, Mays wore a hand brace that tied his last three fingers together for a broken bone in his left hand. Since then, Mays has regularly scored in double figures, but has a tendency to miss easy layups, as seen in the UNC game.

Terrence Oglesby
#22 G, 6-2 Freshman
10.5 ppg, 41.4% 3-point

A sharpshooter from beyond the arc, the "Tennessee Rifleman" is a prototypical guard in the mold of Drew Neitzel and Mike Nardi. He is something of a liability on defense, as he was substituted possession-by-possession in the closing minutes of Clemson's ACC tournament games.


As a team, Clemson averages just under 80 points and 10 steals per game. This is a talented team with a lot of experience and should present a formidable matchup for Villanova.

Check back Friday afternoon for Villanova Keys to the Game and X-factors. Let's go 'Nova!

'Nova-Clemson coverage map

CBS has released its coverage map for the late games on Friday.

Villanova-Clemson is the preferred game in the Northeast, meaning the game will be shown on CBS affiliates there unless the network deems another game is more compelling.

As expected, the game is given "constant" status in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware, and South Carolina. In these markets, the game will be shown in its entirety regardless of the score.

See below for the full map. You may click on the map to enlarge it.

If you'd like to see the Villanova-Clemson game or any other NCAA tournament contest, you can watch for free online via "March Madness On Demand."

Anderson sprains ankle

According to Joe Juliano of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the starting junior Dwayne Anderson sprained his ankle in practice on Monday and is listed as "day-to-day."

Many Villanova fans have credited the swingman Anderson's insertion into the starting lineup with the Wildcats' resurgence in the second half of the season.

This injury does not sound all that serious, but it would be a huge blow to the 'Cats if Anderson were sidelined for their first round game against the 5-seeded Clemson Tigers on Friday night.

Fortunately for Villanova, Anderson still has more than two full days to heal, as the Wildcats do not tip off until 9:50 p.m. Friday night.

'Nova-Clemson tips 9:50 p.m. Friday

The official tournament schedule (PDF) with game times has been released, and Villanova will play at 9:50 p.m. EDT on Friday night in the second-latest game of the first round.

Villanova vs. Clemson will begin about five minutes before the Memphis-Texas (Arlington) game, and should be "protected" in the Philadelphia CBS market. Outside of protected markets, CBS will air what it feels is the best game going on.

The 9:50 p.m. Villanova-Clemson start time means the game will have a larger potential audience than early afternoon games.

See below for the full bracket, with start times. Click on the bracket for a larger version.