Clemson To Face Penn State In ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Nov. 26, 2001

Clemson at Penn State

ACC/Big Ten Challenge Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2001 8:00 PM (EST) Bryce Jordan Center (15,261) University Park, PA

TV: ESPN Regional*Play By Play: Mike Gleason* Color: Frank Giardina

Radio: Clemson Tiger Sports PropertiesPlay By Play: Jim Phillips * Color: Tim Bourret

* The game will not be shown on live television in South Carolina except to subscribers of ESPN Game Plan. Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast will show the game on a tape-delayed basis at 10:00 PM, EST on Wednesday, Nov. 28. For a list of cities served by Comcast or Charter cable in South Carolina, please read the game notes.

Big Ten/ACC Challenge This will be the third year of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, a two-day competition matching two of the nation’s top men’s conferences. The nine-game event will be televised by ESPN and ESPN2 on Nov. 27-28 from seven college campuses and two neutral sites. Clemson took part in the event each of the first two years, losing at Penn State in 1999-00 and defeating Northwestern last year. This year Clemson will again travel to Penn State to meet the Nittany Lions on Wednesday. This will be the fifth time Clemson has been involved in a conference challenge. Clemson had a 1-1 record in the ACC/Big East Challenge in the 1990s. Ironically, the only win was over a Providence team coached by future Clemson mentor Rick Barnes. Clemson defeated Providence 71-70 in the 1989-90 season behind Dale Davis and Elden Campbell.

Tuesday, Nov. 27 Illinois at Maryland, 7:00 PM ESPN N.C. State at Ohio State, 7:30 PM ESPN2 Duke vs. Iowa at Chicago, 9:00 PM ESPN Minnesota at Wake Forest, 9:30 PM ESPN2

Wednesday, Nov. 28 Wisconsin at Georgia Tech, 7:00 PM ESPN Michigan State vs. Virginia, 7:30 PM ESPN2 (at Richmond, VA) Clemson at Penn State, 8:00 PM ESPN+ Indiana at North Carolina, 9:00 PM ESPN Florida State at Northwestern, 9:30 PM ESPN2

Clemson in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge This is the third year of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Clemson is 1-1 so far with a loss at Penn State during the 1999-00 season and a win over Northwestern in a game at Clemson in 2000-01.

Clemson was involved in two games in the ACC/Big East Challenge in the 1990s. Clemson played in that event twice, in 1989-90 and 1990-91. The Tigers split the two games there also, a 71-70 win over Providence in a game played in Greensboro, NC, and a 78-62 loss to Seton Hall in a game played in Syracuse, NY.

The Providence game had a touch of irony in that Clemson defeated future head coach Rick Barnes in that contest. The Tigers went on to win their only ACC regular season championship in history that year. Providence also went on to a solid season and played in the NCAA Tournament.

Clemson vs. the Big Ten Clemson has a 5-11 record against Big Ten teams over the years. This is the second time Clemson has faced Penn State, but the ninth time Clemson has faced a Big Ten team in the last seven years.

Clemson lost to Michigan, 59-56 at the Maui Classic on Nov. 23 of Larry Shyatt’s first season and also played Illinois in the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC, a 67-50 Illini victory. Clemson lost at Penn State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge by an 85-75 count under Shyatt in 1999-00. Larry Shyatt’s is 1-3 in his Clemson head coaching career against the Big Ten.

Clemson had two games with Big Ten champion Minnesota in 1996-97, losing both contests, one in the championship of the San Juan Shootout and one in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio, TX. Clemson had lost six in a row to Big Ten teams prior to last year’s 57-44 win over Northwestern in Littlejohn Coliseum. Overall, Clemson is 1-0 vs. Indiana, 0-2 vs. Illinois, 0-2 vs. Michigan, 1-0 vs. Northwestern, 0-1 vs. Penn State, 2-0 vs. Purdue, 0-2 vs. Iowa, 1-4 vs. Minnesota. Clemson’s victory over a 15th-ranked Indiana team at the 1980 Rainbow Classic remains Clemson’s only victory in history over a team that went on to win the National Championship. Clemson won that contest, 58-57.

Last Trip to Penn State Starting guards Will Solomon and Edward Scott combined for 55 points in the 85-75 loss to Penn State on Dec. 1, 1999 in the first ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Solomon scored 37 points, the most by a Tiger in 25 years, while Scott had 18 points, his high over his first two years at Clemson. That was Scott’s first career start and one of just five games in his freshman year in which he scored in double figures. That was the most points scored by two Tigers in the same game since Rayfield Ragland (32) and Devin Gray (30) combined for 62 against Charleston Southern in the 1993-94 season at Charleston. You have to go back nearly 30 years to find the last time Clemson’s starting backcourt combined for 55 points in a single game. On Jan. 10, 1970, Butch Zatezalo (30) and Dave Thomas (25), (not the Wendy’s owner), combined for 55 in a game against Virginia.

The 55 points by Clemson’s starting backcourt at Penn State two years ago was just the third time in the last 30 years that the starting guards had reached even 50 points. Vincent Hamilton (27) and Glenn Corbett (23) combined for 50 against Appalachian State in 1984-85 and Skip Wise (38) and Van Gregg (16) combined for 54 against Pennsylvania in 1974-75.

A key to the Clemson loss at Penn State two years ago was turnover margin. Clemson committed 19, while Penn State had just nine offensively. Clemson won the battle of the boards 44-31.

Only four current Tigers were on the roster for that Penn State game two years ago and just three played. In addition to Scott’s 18 points in 38 minutes, current junior forward Tomas Nagys played 10 minutes had two points and an impressive six rebounds, while Walker Holt played seven minutes and failed to score. Ray Henderson was on that Clemson team, but did not play due to a knee injury.

Last Year in ACC/Big Ten Challenge Freshman Chris Hobbs and senior Adam Allenspach both had double-doubles to help lift Clemson to a 57-44 win over Northwestern in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Hobbs led the Tigers in scoring with 13 points and he added 10 rebounds, while Allenspach had 12 rebounds and 12 points. Will Solomon added 12 points and freshman Tony Stockman had 11 in the most balanced scoring game of the season for the Tigers.

Clemson led 42-32 in the second half when Solomon went out with an ankle injury. Northwestern cut the margin to 48-43, but Solomon came back into the game and helped the Tigers back to a 13-point lead. Ben Johnson led Northwestern in scoring with 14 points, but not other Wildcat scored over seven points, including leading scorer Winston Blake, who was 0-4 from the field for the night. The 44 points allowed by the Tigers were the fewest allowed by Clemson last year.

Clemson/Penn State Game Will Be Shown Tape-Delayed in South Carolina The Clemson vs. Penn State game will not be shown on live television in South Carolina except to subscribers of ESPN Game Plan. Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast will show the game on a tape-delayed basis at 10:00 PM, EST on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Below is a list of South Carolina cities served by Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast:

Charter Abbeville, SC Charter Anderson, SC Charter Beaufort, SC Charter Belton, SC Comcast Calhoun Falls, SC Charter Camden, SC Comcast Charleston, SC Charter Chester, SC Charter Gaffney, SC Charter Gray Court, SC Charter Greenville/Spartanburg, SC (ch. 21) Comcast Newberry, SC Charter Pickens, SC Charter Salem, SC Charter Union, SC Charter West Pelzer, SC Charter Whitmire, SC

Tigers Rally to Beat Wofford Edward Scott added 11 points and 11 assists as Clemson rallied to beat Wofford 85-82 in the home opener Saturday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Henderson was 10-12 from the field and had 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and just the fourth of his career. The double-double by Scott was the first of his career. Dwon Clifton had 14 points and Chey Christie added13 for the Tigers, which improved to 3-1.

Clemson trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half before making a run in the second half. Wofford led 45-34 at intermission, but an 8-2 Clemson run in the first five minutes of the second half pulled the Tigers within 49-44. The Terriers stretched their lead to nine again with 12:24 to play before a Dwon Clifton jumper, a pair of Henderson free throws and three straight baskets by Christie gave the Tigers a 61-60 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the game.

There were just two ties the rest of the way as Clemson clawed its way to an eight-point advantage (79-71) with 1:39 to play. The Terriers pulled within two points with just under one minute in the game thanks to two three pointers and a layup by Mike Lenzly. After a pair of free throws by Scott, Nixon hit another three to pull within one point with 11 seconds to go. Christie converted two free throws and a Lenzly three-pointer fell short at the buzzer that would have tied the game.

Clemson shot 52 percent from the field compared to just 46 percent by Wofford. The Terriers were 15 of 32 from behind the arc, but Clemson dominated the boards, 43-29.

Wofford, which fell to 2-2 on the season, was led by Nixon’s 25 points. Lenzly scored 20 and Justin Stephens had 18. Lenzly was 6-12 from three-point range and Nixon and Stephens each had four three-pointers. Clemson connected on just two of 15 three-point attempts.

The last three meetings between Clemson and Wofford have been decided by five points or less.

Clemson Overcomes 11-Point Halftime Deficit Against Wofford Clemson overcame a 14-point first half deficit and an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat Wofford on Nov. 24, 85-82. It marked just the second time since 1990 that Clemson had overcome a double-digit deficit at intermission to gain victory. It marked just the fifth time since 1990 that Clemson had overcome a deficit of at least 14 points at any juncture of the game to gain victory.

It was just last year when Clemson had overcome a double-digit halftime deficit to gain victory. Clemson trailed 41-28 at intermission against Coastal Carolina before winning 81-68. Clemson trailed by 18 points in the first half of that game.

The greatest halftime deficit overcome to gain victory took place in the 1990 NCAA Tournament when Clemson defeated La Salle. The Tigers trailed the Explorers 43-27 at intermission before winning 79-75. Clemson trailed by 19 points in the first half of that game. The greatest comeback in school history took place in 1978-79 against The Citadel. Clemson found itself down by 20 points at 26-6 in the first half before rallying for a 71-58 win at Clemson.

Clemson Outscored 45-6 on Three-Point Shooting, But Wins Clemson made just 2-15 three-point shots in its victory over Wofford. The Terriers shot lights out, hitting 15-32, 46.9 percent. Wofford’s total tied for the third most three-point goals in Clemson history against the Tigers. Only Duke with 17 in the 2000 ACC Tournament, and Georgia Tech with 17 at Clemson last year, are higher figures. A victory for the Tigers with a three-point goal percentage less than 20 percent is a rarity. In fact, the Tigers had lost 12 straight games when failing to hit at least 20 percent from three-point range. The Tigers were 0-11 under Larry Shyatt’s when failing to hit 20 percent from behind the arc.

The last time Clemson had won with a less than 20 percent three-point accuracy was a 65-42 win over Charleston Southern in 1997-98. One of Clemson’s biggest wins in recent years came without the benefit of a 20 percent three-point shooting night. Clemson shot 1-9 from three-point range, 11 percent, in a 65-59 NCAA Tournament win over Tulsa in 1997. That win advanced Clemson to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Clemson is 2-21 since 1993-94 when it fails to shoot at least 20 percent from three-point range.

Scott Records Double 11 Junior captain Edward Scott had 11 points and 11 assists in helping the Tigers to an 85-82 victory over Wofford on Nov. 24. It was the first double-double for Scott in his career. His 11 assists were a career high, in fact two more than any other game in his career. He had nine assists and no turnovers over the last 30 minutes of the game. His previous assist high was nine against Miami (FL) in the championship game of the Paradise Jam on Nov. 20.

Scott’s assist total was the highest by a Clemson player since Terrell McIntyre had 11 against Butler in the 1999 NIT game at Clemson. That was also the last time a Tiger guard had a double-double with assists. Will Solomon had double-doubles in his career, but they were with rebounds.

Scott was one turnover away from tying the Clemson record for the most assists in a game without a turnover. Grayson Marshall, Clemson’s career leader in assists, still has that mark. He had 11 assists without a turnover in a game at N.C. State in 1986-87.

Henderson Records Career Highs Clemson center Ray Henderson continued his improved play with another double-double on Saturday against Wofford. It was the best all-around game of the junior’s career. He established career highs for field goals made (10), points scored (23) and tied his career high for rebounds (13) and blocked shots (4). He did all of that in just 28 minutes. His previous career high in scoring was just 15 points, set last year in the ACC Tournament win over Florida State. He had never made more than six field goals in a game before recording 10 against Wofford.

Henderson is now averaging a double-double for the season. No Tiger has averaged a double-double for a season since Sharone Wright averaged 15.4 points and 10.6 rebounds in 1993-94.

Clifton Establishes Career High A second Tiger to record a career high point total in the win over Wofford. Dwon Clifton, who entered the starting lineup in light of the knee injury to Tony Stockman, scored 14 points in 30 productive minutes against Wofford. Clifton had just one double figure scoring game in 31 appearances last year, a 10-point effort against Virginia in Charlottesville.

Clifton was 4-8 from the field and 5-8 from the line. He had two assists and just one turnover in his 30 minutes. It was a strong effort for Clifton, who was told just over a month ago he might not be able to play basketball this year, or possibly the rest of his life. But, tests at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, GA, revealed he did not have a heart disorder and he has been cleared to play for the Tigers this year.

Tony Stockman Undergoes Surgery, Out 2-4 Weeks Clemson sophomore guard Tony Stockman, the top returning scorer from last year’s Tiger squad, will miss two-to-four weeks of action with a knee injury. The native of Medina, OH had arthroscopic surgery to repair of damaged cartilage.

Stockman suffered the injury in the first half of the La Salle game in Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands Nov. 19. He played just 13 minutes in that contest, an 81-69 Tiger victory. He started in the championship game against Miami (FL), but was only able to play 17 minutes in Clemson’s two-point loss.

Stockman had an MRI on Friday morning and the exam revealed that he had a “Bucket Handle Tear of his medial meniscus in his right knee,” said Clemson basketball trainer “Raz” Razayeski. The surgery was performed by Clemson team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Larry Bowman at the Oconee Memorial Hospital in Seneca.

“We had a feeling after the La Salle game that Tony would need surgery when we returned to Clemson,” said Shyatt. “Tony was playing very well. He was our top scorer in the opener, then had a lot to do with our 21-point lead in the first half against LaSalle.

“We are confident he will rehab and will be back with us as soon as possible. His absence certainly adds a challenge to our rookies. But, we expect our team to play well, as we did against Miami (FL) until he returns.”

Stockman scored 23 points in the season opener against Morris Brown. He hit a career high seven three-point goals in that game, just one off the Clemson single game record. He also had six assists and three steals. He added eight points on 3-4 shooting in the first half against LaSalle.

For the three games in The Virgin Islands, Stockman scored 11.3 points a game and shot 50 percent on three-point goals, hitting 10-20 from long range. He also had eight assists and just two turnovers.

In Memorium… Clemson junior forward Tomas Nagys has marked the initials “VK” onto the outside of both of his shoes in the memory of Valdas Kiesus, a friend of his from Lithuania. Kiesus was kidnapped about a year ago. His body was found last week. The two played basketball together before Nagys came to the United States. Nagys attended Montgomery (AL) Catholic for one year after playing two years of high school basketball in Lithuania.

Clemson Finishes Second in Virgin Islands Clemson took wins over Morris Brown and La Salle to meet Miami (FL) in the championship game, where the Hurricanes claimed a two-point win. The game recaps are below…

Clemson Opens with 70-57 Win Over Morris Brown Clemson sophomore guard Tony Stockman hit seven three pointers and scored 23 points as the Clemson men’s basketball team opened the season with a 70-57 victory over Morris Brown in the first round of the Paradise Jam at the University of the Virgin Islands Sport and Fitness Center late Saturday.

Stockman connected on seven of 13 three-point shots in an 8-15 overall effort from the floor. He also dished six assists to go with three steals and just one turnover in 32 minutes of action. Sophomore Dwon Clifton added two three-pointers as Clemson finished with nine threes as a team. Clifton scored eight points on the night. Ray Henderson was the only other Tiger in double figures. He scored 14 points on 6-11 shooting and had 11 rebounds for a double-double. Stockman hit a three to open the game and Clemson went up to an early 5-2 lead before Morris Brown tied the game 7-7. Clemson responded by hitting three threes fueling a 17-4 run that put the Tigers up for good. Clemson managed a 13-point lead at intermission. The lead grew to as many as 20 points in the second half before Morris Brown forced a young Tiger lineup into three turnovers in the final two minutes to pull within 13 at the final buzzer.

Morris Brown was led by guard Jamaal Turner who scored 15 points, all in the second half. Akiem Claborn, who was injured with about 10 minutes to play in the first half and did not returned, had 11 points for the Wolverines.

Clemson was 25-59 on the night for 42.4 percent compared to 42.2 percent on 19-45 shooting for the Wolverines. The Tigers also won the rebound battle, taking a 41-24 advantage on the boards. Clemson had 19 offensive rebounds and turned them into 15 second-chance points. Each team had 15 turnovers, but the Tigers had 15 assists compared to five by Morris Brown.

Thirteen Tigers played in the game, but only eight scored as the team scored 23 points off the bench. Clemson scored 28 points in the paint.

Clemson Wins St. Thomas Bracket with La Salle Victory Junior point guard Edward Scott and senior forward Jamar McKnight combined for 38 points and both registered career highs in leading Clemson to an 81-69 victory over La Salle in the second round of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

Clemson will meet Miami (FL), who defeated UAB to win the St. John’s bracket, in the championship game on Tuesday. This marks the first time since 1998-99 that Clemson has started the year with consecutive victories.

Scott scored 25 points on the night, seven more than his previous high of 18 set against Penn State during his freshman year. McKnight added 13 points on 5-9 shooting, one higher than his previous high of 12 set last season against Western Carolina. Ray Henderson was also in double figures with 10 points and he was the team’s leading rebounder with eight. Chris Hobbs and Tony Stockman added eight points apiece for the Tigers, who played 10 players, all of whom scored.

La Salle, who was playing Clemson for the first time since the two teams met in the 1990 NCAA Tournament, was led by junior forward Rasual Butler, who had 26 points on 10-23 shooting. Rasheed Quadri, a freshman guard from Boston, MA, added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Clemson jumped out to a quick start and led 19-7 just six minutes into the game. Jamar McKnight scored seven points in the streak, and his three-point shot gave Clemson the 19-7 lead. Clemson continued to push the ball up the floor and expanded the advantage to 21 points at 39-18 with six minutes left in the half. It was a balanced performance for the Tigers, who made 13 of their first 18 shots from the field.

La Salle cut the lead to 44-31 by halftime, then sliced the margin to five at 54-49 with 10 minutes left. But that was as close as Billy Hahn’s team could get. Scott hit a clutch three-point basket with just two seconds on the shot clock with 1:30 left to give Clemson a 10-point margin. The Tigers then made seven of 10 free throws down the stretch to win by 12 points.

Clemson played most of the game without Tony Stockman, the team’s top scorer in the opening win over Morris Brown. Stockman suffered a bruised right knee in the first half, then attempted to come back in the second. But, two minutes into the second half he had to come out of the game.

Clemson Falls to Miami (FL) in Paradise Jam Championship Chris Hobbs both scored 19 points Tuesday night, but it was not enough as Miami (FL) defeated Clemson 67-65 in the championship game of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Clemson fell to 2-1 with the loss, while Miami (FL) improved to 3-0. Clemson had possession of the ball with 4.5 seconds left, down two. But, Chris Hobbs’ shot fell off the rim and the Hurricanes came away with their first ever win over the Tigers. The Tigers had won the first five meetings in the series.

McKnight had 17 of his career-high 19 points in the first half. It was his second straight double-figure scoring game, as he had scored 13 against La Salle on Monday. Hobbs had 14 of his 19 after halftime. Those were the only players in double figures for the Tigers. Tony Stockman was limited by a bruised knee and scored just three points. He suffered the injury in the first half against La Salle on Monday night. Miami was led by John Salmons with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Marcus Barnes scored 13, including 11 in the second half. His two three-point goals down the stretch proved to be the difference.

Clemson trailed 67-60 with three minutes left. Scott hit a jumper at the 2:34 mark to cut the margin to five. After multiple possession exchanges, Hobbs scored a conventional three-point play with 47 seconds left to cut the margin to 67-65. Miami (FL) missed a shot and there was a tie-up for the rebound. The Paradise Jam was played with the experimental center jump on all tie-ups. Hobbs was involved with both jumps against taller players. Miami (FL) knocked the ball out of bounds on the second jump, giving Clemson one final try with 4.5 seconds left. But, Clemson could not convert the tying basket.

Miami took a 9-3 lead in the first half by hitting its first three shots. Clemson then went on a 25-9 run and took a 28-18 lead with eight minutes left in the first half. McKnight scored 15 of Clemson’s 25 points during that stretch. Clemson’s only senior made six of his first shots on the night and the Tigers hit 10 of their first 14 as a team. The Tigers had a similar start against La Salle the previous night, hitting 13-18 to open the game.

That 10-point lead would be Clemson’s largest of the game. Miami battled back behind Salmons and took a 36-35 lead at intermission. Clemson then jumped to a 51-44 lead six minutes into the half, behind the inside play of Hobbs. But, Miami retaliated and tied the game at 52 then at 54. Those were two of the nine ties in the contest, and there were eight lead changes. Barnes hit a conventional three-point play to give Miami a 55-54 lead with seven minutes left. They then extended to seven points, 67-60 with three minutes left.

Hobbs Named to All-Tournament Team Sophomore forward Chris Hobbs was named to the all-tournament team of the Paradise Jam after averaging 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in the three games in the Virgin Islands. He had 19 points and nine rebounds in the championship game, a two-point loss, against Miami.

Paradise Jam All-Tourney Team Ricky Cottrill, Eastern Michigan Eric Bush, UAB Rasual Butler, La Salle Darius Rice, Miami (FL) Chris Hobbs, Clemson MVP: John Salmons, Miami (FL)

Order of Finish 1. Miami (FL) 2. Clemson 3. La Salle 4. UAB 5. Eastern Michigan 6. Morris Brown

‘Bruise Brothers’ Account for 18 Boards Against Canes Ray Henderson and Chris Hobbs, dubbed the “Bruise Brothers” just prior to the start of the season by Clemson head coach Larry Shyatt’s, each had nine rebounds against Miami in the championship game of the Paradise Jam. The duo accounted for 18 of the team’s 41 rebounds in that game and have done a good job in the first three games sealing off the baseline and plugging up the middle. Henderson had 11 rebounds against Morris Brown and is leading the team, averaging 9.3 boards per game. Hobbs is second on the team in rebounding with a 6.3 rebounding mark. Of the pair’s 47 rebounds through three games, 20 have been off the offensive glass.

Clemson fans may remember an earlier set of “Bruise Brothers” at Clemson. William Perry and William Devane teammed for a record of 30-2-2 as the starting middle guards on the defensive line from 1981-83.

Double-Double for Henderson Junior center Ray Henderson had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Morris Brown for just his third double-double of his career. Henderson had one double-double in each of his first two seasons. He had 10 points and 12 rebounds against Duke as a freshman and had 15 points and 10 rebounds against Florida State in the first round of last year’s ACC Tournament at the Georgia Dome. Henderson has only scored in double figures six times and has rebounded in double digits 10 times. His top scoring effort was 15 points in last year’s ACC Tournament and his top rebound performance came against at Duke last year when he had 20, including 13 defensive boards.

Henderson was 6-11 against Morris Brown. His six baskets and his 11 tries were both career bests. He also had six baskets last year against Florida State in the ACC Tournament, but he previously had only nine attempts as a freshman against Duke.

Scott Has 25 Points against La Salle, 9 Assists Against Miami Team captain Edward Scott had 25 points against the La Salle Explorers, which topped his previous career high scoring effort of 18 points he scored as a freshman at Penn State on Dec. 1, 1999. In the La Salle game, he was 8-12 from the floor and was 2-4 from the three-point arch. He added 7-9 shot from the free throw line. He also had six rebounds, four steals and three assists. He is leading the team in scoring with 11.7 points per game.

Against Miami, the junior from Eastover, SC, had just six points but had a career-best nine assists, two more than his previous high of seven, which he had against several opponents his first two years. Through three games, Scott has 16 assists, an average of 5.3 per game.

Jamar McKnight Posts Back-to-Back Career Highs Lone Clemson senior Jamar McKnight scored a career-best 13 points in the win over La Salle on Monday and then posted 19 points on Tuesday in the loss to Miami in the Paradise Jam championship. His previous high was 12 points last year against Western Carolina. The transfer from Northwest Community in Mississippi was 5-9 from the field and was 3-4 from three-point range. Against Miami, he was 8-13 overall and hit 3-7 three pointers in 31 minutes. He had six rebounds with two assists and one blocked shot.

Stockman Ties Career High Sophomore Tony Stockman scored 23 points as a result of seven three pointers, equaling his career high he scored last year in a December 69-59 win over Wofford. The seven three pointers on 13 attempts are both career highs. His seven threes were just one off the school record of eight. Stockman had six threes against Duke and Florida State and had 12 attempts in that same Duke game in January. In his unselfish play Saturday night, he also dish six assists, a total that also equaled his career best. He also had six assists last year in the 111-108 loss to Georgia Tech in January.

Robinson, Akingbala Sign with Clemson Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt’s has announced the signing of his first two members of his 2002 freshman class. On Nov. 14, the first day of the early signing period, 6-2 guard Shawan Robinson and 6-9 forward Akin Akingbala each signed a national letter of intent. Robinson attends Leesville Road High School in Raleigh and is considered one of the top players in North Carolina and a top-100 player nationally. He averaged 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals per game last year.

Robinson is ranked in the top 100 in the nation by All-Star Sports and by Hoop Scoop. A first-team all-conference player the last two years, he combined with current Florida State freshman Anthony Richardson to lead Leesville Road to the state championship game last year. His father, Darryl Robinson, is the Leesville Road High School head coach.

“Shawan will be a tremendous asset to Clemson University and our basketball program,” said Shyatt. “He comes to us from a wonderful family and is an excellent student. You can tell he is the son of a coach. He is an excellent combo guard who will help us immediately as a primary ball handler and deep shooter.”

Akingbala, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, is a senior at The Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT. He averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots per game a year ago. He had a high of 11 blocked shots in a game and shot 68 percent from the field.

Akingbala led his team to a 19-6 record last year and a runner-up finish in the New England Prep School Championships. The Brunswick School won the New England Championship his sophomore year. Akingbala was ranked among the top 100 rising seniors for 2001-02 by Hoop Scoop this past summer.

“Akin is an athletic and enthusiastic leaper,” said Shyatt. “He has excellent desire, especially on the defensive end where he is an intimidating shot blocker. His athletic ability on the soccer field and in basketball is eye-catching. He too fits exactly what we are looking for in our program. He has excellent academic credentials.”

Clemson Goes 2-0 in Exhibition Season The Tigers went 2-0 in the exhiibtion season with wins over Nike Elite and the EA Sports Central All-Stars. Tony Stockman scored 19 points and Jamar McKnight added 18 to lead Clemson to a 98-85 basketball victory over the Nike Elite in the team’s first exhibition (Oct. 31) and then Freshman Chey Christie scored 24 points, while Ray Henderson and Chris Hobbs each had double-doubles, leading Clemson to a 94-76 victory over the EA Sports Central All-Stars (Nov. 12).

Scott Named Clemson Captain Junior point guard Edward Scott was named the captain of the Clemson men’s basketball team for the 2001-02 season. Head Coach Larry Shyatt’s made the announcement in August on the first day of school. It marked the first time Shyatt has named a captain in the preseason. Scott is the first underclassman on record to be named sole captain of the team and the first sole captain of the Clemson basketball team since Grayson Marshall in 1987-88.

Scott bounced back from an injury-plagued freshman campaign to lead the Tigers in durability last season. His ability to distribute the ball as well as defend the great point guards of the ACC will be counted on again this season.

Scott led Clemson in assists last season and averaged one turnover every 13.5 minutes, the fifth best ratio for a point guard in school history. He had 127 assists against just 74 turnovers for the season and shot 82.1 percent from the foul line. The native of Eastover, SC and Lower Richland High School averaged 7.3 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per outing in starting 30 contests. At one stretch he made 23 consecutive free throws, the longest streak by a Clemson player since 1984.

His contributions both on and off of the stat sheet made the designation of captain an easy one for Shyatt. “Through a lot of hard work, quality minutes and a high level of respect from both his teammates and his coaches Ed Scott has earned the responsibility of serving as our team captain. This team is looking for a leader and for somebody who has experienced the ups and downs, who’s overcome obstacles and in particular has shown a consistent work ethic in the classroom and on the court these last two years.”

Clifton Cleared to Play Clemson sophomore forward Dwon Clifton has been cleared to return to practice and play for the Tigers this year, Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt announced Oct. 26.

Initial tests indicated that Clifton, a sophomore from Greensboro, NC, had a heart abnormality called Long QT Syndrome, a problem that inhibits the repolarization process in the heart, a condition that would have prevented Clifton from playing competitive basketball. But further tests conducted during a two-week period showed that Clifton does not have Long QT Syndrome. A fainting spell earlier this fall was the result of extreme fatigue. Clifton had a final battery of tests at Emory Hospital in Atlanta on Oct. 25.

Doctors at Emory gave him the green light to return to practice immediately.

“The tests revealed that Dwon does not have any structural cardiac abnormalities,” said Clemson basketball physician Dr. Len Reeves. “He had a different battery of tests at Emory that showed he does not have Long QT Syndrome. He has Vaso-Vagal Sycope, which is a common problem that can lead to fainting spells, as the result of relative dehydration and extreme fatigue. We will continue to monitor Dwon. He is not on any medication.”

Clifton was pleasantly surprised at the result of the tests. “I was shocked because I had prepared myself for the worst,” said Clifton. “I was prepared to be told that I could not play. This experience has made my beliefs in God even stronger. I received all kinds of e-mails and calls from Clemson fans who said they were praying for me. I want to thank them. This is a blessing.”

Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt’s, who went to Emory on Thursday to be with Clifton during the medical testing was excited with the news. “Of course we are very happy for Dwon and his family. It is reassuring that the Clemson University medical staff took the safe approach the last three weeks. There were tears of joy at Emory Hospital.”

Clifton started 17 of Clemson’s 31 games last year. He and classmate Tony Stockman were the only Tigers to play in every game last year as freshmen. The 6-5 native of High Point, NC averaged 3.9 points and 2.6 assists per game a year ago. His top game was a 10-point, seven-rebound outing at North Carolina late in the year. He had a season high 12 rebounds against Washington in a tournament in Puerto Rico.

Tigers Tied for 10th in Producing NBA Talent Clemson has seven of its former players on NBA rosters this year, tied for the 10th highest total in the nation. This also ties for the most NBA players Clemson has had in a single season.

North Carolina leads the way nationally with 12 former players, while ACC rival Duke is second with 11. A third ACC school, Georgia Tech, is tied with Arizona and Kentucky for third with 10 former players apiece. Michigan State has nine, while Georgetown, Michigan and UCLA are tied with eight players apiece.

Clemson, Cincinnati, UConn, UNLV and St. John’s all have seven, while Kansas and Maryland have six apiece. California and Villanova round out the top 18 schools with five apiece.

Horace Grant is the veteran of the former Tigers in the NBA. The 1987 ACC MVP, the only Clemson player to win that honor, is now in his 14th year in the NBA. He has won four NBA World Championship rings, including last year with the Los Angeles Lakers. The native of Sparta, GA has more World Championship Rings than any other former Clemson athlete in any sport. Grant is now on his second tour of duty with the Orlando Magic. He has averaged 6.1 points and 5.6 rebounds a game as a starter in each of the first eight games this year with the Magic.

Dale Davis and Elden Campbell, who combined to lead the Tigers to the 1990 ACC Regular season championship and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, are both still starting in the NBA. Davis, in his 10th year in the league and is the starting center for the Portland Trailblazers. The native of Toccoa, GA has averaged 7.8 points and 8.1 rebounds a game through the first eight contests with the Trailblazers. He had 15 rebounds in a win over the Pistons on Nov. 11. Campbell is in his 11th year in the NBA, his third with the Charlotte Hornets. He has the best stats among former Tigers in the league, nearly averaging a double-double on the young season. He had a 14.2 scoring average to go with 9.8 rebounds per game through games of November 12.

Greg Buckner and Chris Whitney, two former Tigers from Hopkinsville, KY, are also in the NBA this year. Buckner is a reserve with the Dallas Mavericks, while Whitney has been an occasional starter for the Washington Wizards. Whitney, who has been in the league since 1993-94, has averaged 10 points per game for the Wizards, including an 18-point effort in the season opener.

Harold Jamison is a sixth former Tiger in the NBA. A rookie with the Miami Heat two years ago, he was recently activated by the Los Angles Clippers, but has yet to play in a game. Will Solomon, Clemson’s leading scorer last year with a 19.7 average, has played five games with the Memphis Grizzlies, including one start. He has averaged two points and 1.2 rebounds in his limited action so far this year. He had a high of seven points in a recent game against the Los Angles Lakers.

2001-02 Schedule Will Bring Challenges Games with Defending National Champion Duke, Sweet 16 team Penn State and state rival South Carolina all within the first nine games of the season highlight the Clemson schedule this year. The slate includes 26 regular season games in the continental United States, plus three games in the Virgin Islands.

Clemson will play five of its first seven games away from Littlejohn Coliseum, and five of its first seven ACC games on the road. The Tigers will open the season in the Virgin Islands in the Paradise Jam on Saturday, Nov. 17 against Morris Brown. Clemson will be one of six teams in the three-day, six-team event, the first college basketball tournament ever played in the Virgin Islands. Clemson will meet LaSalle in the second round two days later, then will face either Eastern Michigan, UAB or Miami (FL) in the final round.

Clemson will open play in the ACC at Duke on Dec. 2, a Sunday evening contest that will start at 8:00 PM. It will be the first game in the ACC’s new television contract with Fox Sports Net. Clemson has three games on the Sunday night package. It will be the earliest Clemson has played an ACC game since 1966-67 when Clemson opened the season on Dec. 1 at North Carolina.

Another non-conference game on the schedule includes a trip to Penn State for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Nov. 28. It will mark the second time in the last three years that Clemson has played at Penn State for this event. Both Clemson basketball teams will play at Penn State this year, as Jim Davis’ Lady Tigers play at Penn State on Dec. 18.

Clemson’s annual battle with South Carolina will take place at Littlejohn Coliseum on Dec. 8 at 8:00 PM in another game that will be televised by Fox Sports Net. South Carolina has not won at Clemson since the 1993-94 season. It will be the first appearance in Littlejohn Coliseum for the Gamecocks under new coach and former Wake Forest mentor Dave Odom.

Clemson’s last two non-conference games will be against teams from Connecticut. The Tigers will play Hartford on Dec. 28 as part of a doubleheader involving the Lady Tigers and the women’s team from Hartford. The event will be played at a new facility in Norwich, CT. Yale will then come to Clemson for a Jan. 2 game at Littlejohn. Clemson’s first ACC home game will be Jan. 8 against Virginia. While Clemson plays just two ACC home games before Jan. 26, the Tigers will play six of eight ACC games at home between Jan. 27 to Feb. 23. Clemson’s final regular season game will be at North Carolina on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Clemson has the last weekend of the regular season off, giving the team at least nine days to prepare for the ACC Tournament, which returns to the Charlotte Coliseum, March 7-10.

Hobbs and Stockman Named to College Basketball News All-Freshman Team Chris Hobbs were recognized by College Basketball News’ All-Freshman Team for 2000-01. Stockman was named to the sixth team, while Hobbs was chosen to the eighth team. Duke’s Chris Duhon – a fourth team selection – was the only other player honored from the ACC.

“Stockman to Hobbs” became an increasingly frequent tandem throughout the 2000-01 Clemson season. Besides Clemson, no team had two representatives on the ACC All-Rookie team. The pair accounted for 26 percent of Clemson’s offensive production.

Stockman was Clemson’s second leading scorer, finishing behind Will Solomon with a 12 points per game average. The freshman was never scared to let it go from deep, connecting on 75 of 196 three-point attempts. He broke the freshman record for three pointers when he shot 4-9 from behind the arc in the victory over top-ranked North Carolina. Stockman was also the Tiger’s best bet from the charity stripe, hitting 84 percent of his free throws.

Hobbs led all ACC freshmen in double-doubles. He and Adam Allenspach shared the team lead with six. On 10 occasions Hobbs led the Tigers in rebounding. His 28-point, nine-rebound effort against Virginia may have been the finest all-around game played by a Tiger last season. At one point in that game he connected on seven consecutive field goals. That point total is the highest by a Clemson freshman frontcourt player since 1982-1983 when Anthony Jenkins had 30 against Duke. He led the Tigers in field goal percentage and was first in rebounding.

Scott Outstanding in Turnover Ratio Clemson point guard Edward Scott committed just 74 turnovers in 1,000 minutes during his 30 games last year. The current junior from Eastover, SC had a turnover once every 13.51 minutes, the fifth best figure in Clemson history for that category by a point guard.

His one turnover every 14.89 minutes as a freshman is second best. Only Terrell McIntyre’s one turnover for every 16.74 minutes is better than his freshman figure dating back to the 1975-76 season, the first year when minutes were recorded as an official stat. Scott and Terrell McIntyre are the only Clemson points guards in history with two seasons at 12.8 or better in that statistical category. Only four times during 2000-01 did Scott have more turnovers than assists and he has done it just 11 times in two seasons.

Christie Named to All-Tournament Team Clemson first-year freshmen Chey Christie and Sharrod Ford both led the United States team in statistical categories during the Global Games in Dallas, TX last summer.

Christie led the team in three-point shooting, connecting on 11-18 from long range in the five games he played in the event. The 6-4 guard averaged 15 points per game and shot 29-49 from the field overall, 59.2 percent. He also had 12 rebounds and five assists against just three turnovers.

Christie had a high of 23 points in the opening game of the tournament against Puerto Rico. He made 9-12 shots from the field overall, including 5-5 on three-point shots. His three-point goal in the last few seconds sent the game into overtime before Puerto Rico came away with a 112-110 victory. All of his three-point goals in that game came in the second half. It was one of three games in which Christie led the United States team in scoring. His 15.0 average for the event was second best on the team.

Ford led the team in field goal percentage with a 75 percent mark (12-16). He scored 25 points in the five games and also had eight rebounds and three blocked shots. He had a 4-4 shooting night against Puerto Rico in the final game of the tournament.

Hobbs Pulled in the Rebounds as a Freshman Chris Hobbs was Clemson’s top rebounder last year with 190 and a 6.3 average. He was the first freshman to lead Clemson in rebounding since Harold Jamison led the 1995-96 team as a rookie. Hobbs had 13 at Wake Forest, his second highest total of the year. He had 15 in a game against The Citadel earlier, most by a Clemson freshman in five years. He was very efficient at Georgia Tech with 10 rebounds in just 18 minutes. He had nine rebounds in 31 minutes at Virginia.

How productive has Hobbs been when it comes to carom collecting? When comparing Hobbs against the great Clemson rebounders in history his freshman rebounds per minute figure stands second only to Tree Rollins. Rollins grabbed a rebound every 2.52 minutes his freshman season (1973-74), while Hobbs gets one every 3.09 minutes. Hobbs is ahead of the freshman pace set by such greats as Dale Davis, Elden Campbell, Horace Grant, Sharone Wright and Larry Nance.

Clemson's Best Rebounds/Minute by FreshmenPlayer          Year    Min     Reb     Min/RTree Rollins    1973-74 795     316     2.52Chris Hobbs     2000-01 588     190     3.09Dale Davis      1987-88 714     223     3.20Sharone Wright  1991-92 747     227     3.29Larry Nance     1977-78 273     78      3.50Elden Campbell  1986-87 534     126     4.24Horace Grant    1983-84 551     129     4.27

Stockman Sets Record for 3-Point Goals Freshman guard Tony Stockman scored 20 points in the regular season finale against Florida State and led the Tigers in scoring in two of the last five games. He scored a season best 23 points in his first collegiate start on Dec. 16 against Wofford. The effort, which also included three rebounds, three assists and three steals, earned Stockman ACC Rookie of the Week honors on Dec. 18. Stockman connected on 9 of 17 shots from the field, including a 4 of 7 mark from long range. Stockman and Chris Hobbs are the only Tiger freshmen to score at least 23 points in a game in the last four years.

Stockman had another 20-point game in his first ACC start. He tallied 20 points, including 10-12 from the foul line in the 111-108 loss to Georgia Tech. He scored 18 points in the second half. He added 13 points and five assists without a turnover against Virginia. He added 16 points in his second ACC start, the 75-65 win over North Carolina.

Stockman has shown an ability to score in the clutch. Against Charleston Southern, he scored 14 of the Tigers final 23 points, including six points in the final five minutes of play. His three-point goal with 44 seconds left iced the win over #1 North Carolina and was listed as the Jefferson Pilot ACC Play of the Week. Stockman ranked second on the Clemson team in points scored in the last five minutes of games decided by 10 points or less.

For the year, Stockman was second on the team in scoring with a 12.0 average, even though he has played just 27 minutes per game. His 75 three-point goals established a Clemson freshman record, and his 83.6 percent free throw shooting mark was first on the team.

Stockman had the best season by a Clemson freshman guard since Terrell McIntyre in 1995-96. In some ways, Stockman’s stats were even better. And, he has averaged six less minutes per game than McIntrye played as a freshman. The following is a comparison:

Category McIntyre 95-96  Stockman 00-01Scoring Average 12.7    12.0Field Goal %    .401    .3743Pt Goals/Game  1.48    2.423Pt FG %        .350    .383Free Throw %    .792    .836Assist/Game     3.10    2.2Steals/Game     1.27    1.42Minutes/Game    31.2    26.8

Clemson Tigers Sports Properties Clemson Men’s Basketball on Clemson Tiger Sports Properties can be heard throughout South Carolina, as well as portions of North Carolina and Georgia on a strong lineup of radio affiliates. Each CTSP broadcast is also carried live on the internet on ClemsonTigers.com. CTSP begins coverage of each men’s basketball game 30 minutes before tip-off with the Countdown to Tip-Off Show. There will be a half hour post game show featuring comments from Head Coach Larry Shyatt’s.

Fans in Greenville and Spartanburg Counties Have Two Options to Listen to the Tigers Flagship station WCCP-FM 104.9 in Clemson can be heard throughout Pickens ,Anderson and most of Greenville counties and will air every basketball game this season. Also, WAGI-FM in Gaffney 105.3 carries all basketball games and can be heard in Geenville and Spartanburg counties as well as many other counties in the Upstate. It possess one of the strongest signals in South Carolina.

Clemson Tigers Sports Properties AffiliatesStation Location On the Dial WAJY Aiken 102.7 FM WBAW Barnwell 99.1 FM WCAM Camden 1590 AM WPUB Camden 102.7 FM WSC Charleston 730 AM WCCP Clemson 104.9 FM WZMJ Columbia 93.1 FM WJMX Florence 970 AM WAGI Gaffney 105.3 FM WGTN Georgetown 1400 AM WCRS Greenwood 94.1 FM WBHC Hampton 92.1 FM WWKT Kingstree 99.3 FM WLSC Loris/Myrtle Beach 1240 AM WRNN Myrtle Beach 99.5 FM WIGL Orangeburg 102.9 FM WRHI Rock Hill 1340 AM WIBZ Sumter 95.5 FM WGOG Walhalla 96.3 FM WLXN Lexington, NC 1440 AM