By
Joel Welser
Clemson snuck into the NIT last year, where they lost to Texas
A&M in the first round. The goal for Oliver Purnell’s squad is
to head back to the post season. It’s never easy in the ACC to
pull off a .500 record, but the Tigers have the tools to do so.
Cliff Hammonds, Cheyenne Moore, James Mays and Sam Perry were
consistent contributors as freshmen and will be looked upon to
have even better sophomore campaigns.
Who’s Out: Sharrod Ford was the
only player to start all 32 games a year ago. His 6-9, 223 pound
frame will be missed under the basket. Ford led the team with
14.9 points and 8.2 boards per contest. In addition, the absence
of Olu Babalola will put pressure on the sophomore big men to
step in and play a prominent role. Babalola started 11 games,
averaging 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds. Steve Allen and Jimmy
Hudson, who has transferred from Clemson, saw limited minutes in
their final seasons at Clemson.
Who’s In: Julius Powell will step
in and immediately ease the pain of the loss of Sharrod Ford.
The 6-7 power forward has consistently put up big numbers during
his career at Newton-Conover High School in North Carolina and
will compete for a starting job. Raymond Sykes will battle for
some minutes in the frontcourt as well. The 6-9 center is a shot
blocking machine and has been compared to the departing Ford.
Sykes is long and lean, weighing in at just 185 pounds and needs
to develop a more consistent offense to see major minutes. Guard
K.C. Rivers, out of the famed Oak Hill Academy in Virginia is a
stellar outside shooter. At times he’ll be inconsistent, but he
should put up some big numbers before his career with the Tigers
is over. Rivers will see plenty of minutes as a freshman,
especially if his shot keeps falling.
Who to Watch: The numbers of the
backcourt trio of Shawan Robinson, Vernon Hamilton and Cliff
Hammonds are pretty interchangeable. They all averaged between
6.8 and 10.8 points per game and 2.8 and 2.9 assists. It is
sophomore Cliff Hammonds who has the most room to improve. He
led the team in minutes as a freshman, averaging 30.2 per game.
Unlike Hamilton, who is more of a true point guard, Hammonds can
and will take the outside shot. He shot 36.1% from behind the
arc a season ago with no sign of cooling off.
Projected Conference Rank: It’s a
talented team, but it’s a talented conference as well. Somebody
has to finish in 12th place. The Tigers will beat
some better opponents, like how they dominated Maryland last
year, but the Tigers aren’t ready yet for the consistent grind
it takes to compete with the upper echelon of teams in the ACC.
If the underclassmen perform up to expectations, there will be
moments of joy this year at Clemson and many, many more in the
years to come.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected Starting Five:
Vernon Hamilton, Junior, Guard, 6.8 points per game
Shawan Robinson, Senior, Guard, 10.8 points per game
Cliff Hammonds, Sophomore, Forward, 10.6 points per game
Cheyenne Moore, Sophomore, Forward, 6.8 points per game
Akin Akingbala, Senior, Forward, 5.8 points per game
