ACC Season Previews
Boston College | Clemson
Clemson Season Preview
Projected Statistics (Returning Players Only)Explanation of Statistic Projections
Things to WatchThe last three years for Clemson basketball have been like the movie Groundhog Day. Clemson gets off to a fast start, falters in ACC play, makes the NCAA Tournament, and loses in the first round. This year figures to be a little different, as Oliver Purnell left Clemson to take over at Depaul. Brad Brownell, formerly of Wright State, takes over the reigns and gets a lot of talent back. The hope is that this year isn't the sequel to years past. Brownell inherits a lot of experience in the backcourt. In fact, every member of the backcourt from last season is back. It all starts with senior Demontez Stitt, who had a much improved junior season, shooting 39% from three point range, and averaging over 11 points per game. Tanner Smith was one of the most improved players last year, averaging 8.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Andre Young came off the bench and had a very solid sophomore season, averaging 9.2 points, and leading the team with 54 steals. These three will log the majority of the minutes in the backcourt, but you might see a few minutes sprinkled in for Noel Johnson, who is a solid three point shooter, and Cory Stanton, who came along with Brownell to Clemson from Wright State. Frontcourt The Tigers frontcourt lost two key players from last season in David Potter and Trevor Booker. Trevor's little brother, Devin, is back for his sophomore campaign, and figures to pick up where his brother left off. Devin only averaged 4.5 points and 2.9 in 11 minutes per game, which is not a bad stat line considering how little he played. If you stretch those numbers out over Trevor's playing time, the numbers would pretty much be the same. Devin will be joined up front by Jerai Grant, a senior who led the team in field goal percentage (63 percent) and is a very strong presence defensively. Grant is second among active ACC players in blocked shots. Off the bench, Milton Jennings will see increased minutes. Jennings was a big name recruit coming out of high school, but didn't play a lot last season, averaging three points and two rebounds per game. Schedule The Tigers non-conference schedule is not very tough. The two teams of note are Michigan, who they play in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and South Carolina. In conference play, Clemson gets Duke at home, but travel to Blacksburg to play Virginia Tech. The Tigers do get two games with North Carolina. Prediction If you haven't followed the career of Brad Brownell, then you may want to start following really quickly. At Brownell's two previous stops, UNC-Wilmington and Wright State, he has set the school record for wins in a season. Brownell has won 167 games in eight years as coach. In other words, he's averaging about 21 wins a season. He inherits a lot of experience and depth, and it should lead to another successful season for Clemson. They'll probably make the NCAA Tournament again. by Will Ojanen Fantasy Player to WatchA year after Trevor Booker was the focus for the Clemson offense and many fantasy teams, the Tiger's should have a more balanced attack this season. Demontez Stitt is likely the best of the bunch, Stitt is projected to score close to 13 points per game. Stitt should maintain his playmaking responsibilities as well which should account for 3-4 assists and 3-4 rebounds per game. Last Year's Player Statistics
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