TUESDAY SPORTS: Blossomgame named ROTW

Red-shirt freshman Jaron Blossomgame has been named ACC Rookie of the Week. Pittsburgh forward Lamar Patterson was ACC Player of the Week recipient. In earning the honor, Blossomgame is the first Tiger freshman to be named ACC Rookie of the Week since Terrence Oglesby in the 2007-08 season.

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The Clemson men’s basketball team will return to action Wednesday night at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, as they face the Hokies of Virginia Tech. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM.

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South Carolina freshman guard Sindarius Thornwell has been named the SEC Freshman of the Week after averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists against 10th-ranked Florida and LSU. This is Thornwell’s first-career Player of the Week honor. Thornwell shot 66.7 percent (12-18) from the field in posting 10 points at Florida, and a season high 25 points against LSU on Saturday.

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Tajh Boyd, Sammy Watkins, Spencer Shuey, Vic Beasley and Chandler Catanzaro all received most valuable player honors at Clemson’s 2013 season football banquet. The event was held Saturday night, Jan. 11 at the Madren Center in Clemson. Boyd and Watkins were named MVPs of the offense, Beasley and Shuey were named MVPs of the defense, and Catanzaro for the special teams.

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Monday night DB DJ Smith of Marietta, GA went on Fox Sports South to announce a commitment to play football at South Carolina. Smith picked the Gamecocks over Tennessee though he also brought a Clemson hat to the announcement, according to “Sports Talk”.

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Alex Rodriguez sued Major League Baseball and the players’ union on Monday, seeking to overturn a season-long suspension imposed by an arbitrator — shortened from 211 games — who ruled Saturday that there was, quote, “clear and convincing evidence” that the New York Yankees third baseman used testosterone, human growth hormone, and another substance in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and tried to obstruct MLB’s investigation. A-Rod’s suit attacked the arbitrator, accused Major League Baseball of, quote, “ethically challenged behavior,” and charged the players association acted in bad faith, saying its representation during the hearing was, quote “perfunctory at best.” Legal experts have said Rodriguez faces tough odds in trying to get the decision vacated.

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Roger Federer and Victoria Azarenka both won their opening matches on a blistering hot second day of the Australian Open on Tuesday that saw temperatures topping 106 degrees. Federer got a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Australian James Duckworth, while two-time defending champion Azarenka defeated Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 7-6 (2), 6-2. The day’s other winners included Caroline Wozniacki and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but Number 13 John Isner, the only seeded American in the draw, withdrew after losing the first two sets of his match against Martin Klizan due to an ankle problem.

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The Chicago Cubs introduced their new mascot Monday, the first one the team has had since bringing a live bear to Wrigley Field starting in 1916 for a few seasons. Clark the Cub sports a Cubs jersey and a backward baseball cap, and has his own Twitter feed and Facebook page to interact with fans. The Cubs say Clark won’t be on top of the dugout or tossing out T-shirts; instead he’ll greet fans as they enter Wrigley Field and interact with them at his own stadium clubhouse, as well as take part in team events. With Clark’s debut, the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels remain the only Major League Baseball teams without a mascot.