Andrius Jurkunas Top Returnee For 2000

Dec. 2, 1999

CLEMSON, S.C. – Andrius Jurkunas showed considerable improvement over the last 13 games of 1998-99. He scored in double figures in seven of those 13 games, including a 16-point effort against Georgia and a 14-point performance against Rutgers in the NIT. He averaged 10.6 points a game for the NIT, third on the team in that category. Jurkunas rebounding figures improved also as he had at least six rebounds in five of the last eight games. He had just three games of six rebounds in the first 27 games.

Jurkunas is a red-shirt senior in 1999-2000 and is the leading returning scorer off his 7.6 average in 1998-99. He is also the team’s leading returnee in three-point goals with 51, in rebounding at 3.8, and in free throw percentage at .695. He started 24 of the 35 games last year and is the only returning starter in 1999-00. He shot 46 percent on three-point shots in ACC play last year, fourth best in the ACC for league games.

Jurkunas had 13 points in the opener against ETSU and had seven defensive rebounds. He followed that with nine points and six rebounds playing all 40 minutes for the first time in his career, against Wofford. In the third game of the season he sustained a broken right thumb and will be limited by the injury for five weeks. He has missed the last three games, all Tiger losses.

Clemson Had 39-game Non-Conference Home Streak

Clemson saw its 39-game home winning streak against non-conference teams end on November 21 when Wofford defeated the Tigers, 79-74.

Clemson was 9-0 in 1998-99 in non-conference home games in Littlejohn Coliseum and had a 39-game winning streak in non-ACC games in the Littlejohn dating to the 1993-94 season. South Carolina defeated Clemson in Littlejohn that year, but Clemson has won every non-conference home game at Littlejohn since then.

The Tigers are 74-4 in non-conference games in Littlejohn Coliseum in the 1990s with the only other losses coming to South Carolina in 1993-94, and to UNC Charlotte and Temple during the 1990-91 season. The 1998-99 Clemson seniors were 29-0 in non-conference games at home and 50-10 in non-conference games regardless of site.

Clemson is 61-17 in non-conference games the last five years, regardless of site.

The Tigers are now 341-116 in Littlejohn Coliseum overall (ACC and non-conference), a .748 winning percentage. That includes a 223-21 mark in non-conference games, a .914 winning percentage over 32 years.

Jurkunas Sets Three-point goal Record

Clemson senior Andrius Jurkunas became Clemson’s career three-point goal leader among forwards when he made a pair of three-point goals against Wofford on November 21. He has 110 for his career, four more than former teammate and roomate Tony Christie.

Jurkunas had 51 three-point goals as a freshman and as a junior. Injury problems on 1996-97 gave him shooting problems all year and he made just 3-38 from long range. Christie finished his career with 106 three-point goals. Both played together at St. John’s at Prospect Hall in 1994-95.

Overall, Jurkunas is sixth in Clemson history in career three-point goals. If he makes 50 his senior year, he will rank third in Clemson history trailing only Terrell McIntyre and Chris Whitney, both point guards

Clemson Career Three-Point Goal Leaders

Jurkunas Over 100 Three-Point Goals

Clemson forward Andrius Jurkunas has 110 career three-point goals. The native of Lithuania made 51 three-point goals in 1998-99, the exact same number he scored as a freshman in 1995-96. Jurkunas has now made 110 of 313 career three-point goals, a .357 accuracy mark. That includes a 3-38 shooting in 1996-97 when he played a limited role due to a knee injury.

Jurkunas stands 6-9 and is an unusual player in that he is capable of defending on the inside, but its also a capable scorer on the outside. Jurkunas is now one of just four players in ACC history standing 6-9 or taller to make over 100 three-point goals in a career. The others to do it are Tom Gugliotta of NC St, Michael Maddox of Georgia Tech, and Danny Ferry of Duke.

Jurkunas has 61 blocked shots to go with his 110 career three-point goals. He entered 1999-2000 as one of just 10 players in ACC history with at least 100 three-point goals and at least 50 blocked shots. No player in ACC history has had at least 100 three-point goals and 100 blocked shots. Jurkunas would need 44 blocked shots his senior year to do it. Maddox of Georgia Tech came the closest with 133 three-point goals and 93 blocked shots.

ACC Players with 100 Career 3s and 50 Blocked Shots

Head Coach Larry Shyatt

Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt had a 20-15 record in his first year as Clemson Head Coach. He guided Clemson to the Championship of the NIT, a 61-60 loss to California. The 20 victories were a record for a Clemson coach in his first year and he was just the fourth coach in ACC history to win at least 20 in his rookie year with an ACC program.

Shyatt was the head coach at Wyoming in 1997-98 and posted a 19-9 ledger and berth in the NIT. Thus, he had a 39-24 record as a head coach entering this year. This is his 25th year in college coaching, his third as a head coach. In 15 of his last 16 years the team he has coached (head or assistant) has gone to the NIT of the NCAA.

Shyatt has also had assistant coaching stints at Utah, Cleveland State, New Mexico and Providence in addition to his three years as associate head coach at Clemson under Rick Barnes.

Shyatt enters this game with Charleston Southern with a record of 22-19 at Clemson and he is 41-28 overall.

Clemson 3-Pt Streak at 284 Consecutive Games

Clemson has a streak of 284 consecutive games with at least a three-point goal. The streak dates to the 1990-91 season when the Tigers were 0-7 from long range in an 81-55 loss at Wake Forest. Clemson was also 0-17 that year in a home loss to UNC Charlotte.

Clemson has made just 25 of 94 three point goals this year and has made at least two in every game. Clemson had its best three-point shooting game against Penn State in State College, PA. The tigers hit 8-19 from long range, 4 made three-point goals apiece by Will Solomon and Edward Scott. Clemson struggled on three-point shooting in the three games at the BiLo Center. Clemson was 8-53 from three-point range in those three games.

Last Meeting vs. Charleston Southern, 12-22-97

Clemson 65, Charleston Southern 42

Clemson gained 65-42 victory over Charleston Southern on December 22, 1997. Clemson shot 53 percent from the field, won the rebound battle by six, and committed just eight turnovers in gaining its eighth win of the season.

Greg Buckner scored 16 points, while Harold Jamison had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Adam Allenspach had a then season high eight points and three rebounds, while Iker Iturbe did not score, but tallied a career high tying eight assists.

Clemson held the Charleston Southern starting backcourt to 16 points on just 6-25 shooting, including just 2-10 from three-point range for Charleston Southern leading scorers Adam Larrick and Vincent Mitchell. Charleston Southern connected on just 28 percent overall from the field.

Clemson’s frontcourt players stood out overall. Tom Wideman, Harold Jamison and Mohamed Woni combined to make 11-14 shots from the field and held the starting frontcourt for the Bucs to just 13 total points.

Clemson held a six-point lead with five minutes left in the first half, then went on an 11-1 run to end the half and led 34-18 at intermission. Clemson shot 62 percent in the first half. The Tigers improved the lead to 46-23 in the first six minutes of the second half and coasted in from there.

Clemson Rebound Margin Still Strong

One of Clemson’s strong suits last year was rebounding. Clemson ranked eighth in that area last year with a +7.2 margin per game. Harold Jamison led the way with 9.9 per game, 18th best in the nation, while Tom Wideman added 7.1 per game, eighth best in the ACC. Both are still playing professionally.

Rebounding has not declined so far this year. Clemson is +8.8 rebounds per game for the first six contests and it has been a balanced effort so far. Adam Allenspach leads the way with 8.3 per game, while guard Dustin Braddick has a 7.7 average. Chucky Gilmore has added 6.2 per contest and point guard Will Solomon has 4.3 per game.

Clemson has outrebounded the opposition in five of the six games this year, including five by at least nine rebounds. Wisconsin-Green Bay is the only team to outrebound Clemson this year and that was by just four. Clemson was +10 on the boards against the large and strong Oregon State team and had a +13 margin against Penn State.

Clemson outrebounded the opposition in each of its last seven games a year ago. That means the Tigers have won the battle of the boards 12 of the last 13 games. Larry Shyatt has been the head coach at Clemson for 40 games and Clemson has been beaten on the boards just seven times.

Clemson Has Young Roster

Clemson has one of the youngest teams in the nation with only one senior and one junior with previous Division I experience listed on its roster. This is the youngest Clemson team since the 1987-88 season when Grayson Marshall was the only senior and Jerry Pryor was the only junior among scholarship players. That Clemson team finished 14-15, but did qualify for the NIT.

This year’s Clemson team has one senior, Andrius Jurkunas, and two juniors, Adam Allenspach and Arturas Javtokas, among scholarship players. Walk-on Michael Crocker is a junior, but is in his first year with the program.

The young veteran Clemson players have been asked to step up their play considerably from last year. The five players returning from last year have made large jumps in terms of playing time and scoring. Will Solomon’s scoring average is quadruple what it was last year, from 6.3 points to 20.5. Here is a list of improvements among the Clemson veterans this year

SoCon Holiday Hoops Review

Clemson won one of three games at the SoCon Holiday Hoops over Thanksgiving weekend at the BiLo Center in Greenville, SC. The Tigers defeated Central Florida in the opening round 54-48, then dropped consecutive decisions to Wisconsin-Green Bay (64-47) and Oregon State (53-35).

As the scores demonstrate, Clemson had its problems putting points on the board, but played well on defense and in terms of rebounding throughout the event.

For the three games, Clemson scored just 45.3 points a game and shot just 36.7 percent from the field. As bad as that sounds, Clemson actually had a higher field goal percentage in the three games than the opposition. Turnover margin certainly was a factor, as Clemson had 42 in the three games. The 14.0 average is certainly not bad, but the opposition committed just 24 in the three games combined.

Clemson made just 8-43 three-point goals in the three games, 18.6 percent. Many of the attempts were in the closing moments when Clemson was trying to catch up. The Tigers also made just 46.2 percent from the foul line. Clemson opponents made 69.4 percent from the line.

Clemson’s leading scorer for the three games at the BiLo Center was Will Solomon with 37 points. He also had 13 rebounds. Adam Allenspach had 28 points and 28 rebounds, while Dustin Braddick had 21 points and 24 rebounds for the three games. Braddick, who starts at guard, not his natural position, was second in rebounding for the Tigers in the event.