Tuesday 12/26/2000
Complete Release in PDF FormatDownload Free Acrobat Reader
Dec. 26, 2000
Three Games In Six Days Beginning with Thursday’s game with Charleston Southern, Clemson will play three games in a span of six days. The first two games will close out the non-conference portion of the 2000-01 schedule and the third game will be ACC opener for the Tigers. Clemson plays Coastal Carolina at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on Saturday and will then host Maryland at 8:00 PM on Jan. 2.
Clemson vs. Charleston Southern Thursday’s game is the 14th meeting between the Tigers and the Buccaneers. Clemson has never lost to Charleston Southern in the previous 13 contests, the last of which was a 69-51 decision by the Tigers. The two schools have played every calendar year since 1994, a 120-103 Tiger victory in Charleston, which is the only time the teams have met away from Clemson. The Tigers are 12-0 at Littlejohn Coliseum, the site of Thursday’s game. The series dates back to 1976 when Clemson won 93-49, the largest margin of victory in the series (44 points).
About the Buccaneers Charleston Southern is 1-8 on the year with the lone win – a 72-64 decision over Brewton Parker – coming after five straight defeats to start the season. The Buccaneers are riding a three-game losing streak since the win. Last week, Charleston Southern finished fourth in the four-team Good Neighbor Classic after losses to Delaware (82-63) and Jacksonville State (81-68). Senior forward Nick Mitchell leads the Buccaneers with 8.4 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Against South Carolina Schools Charleston Southern will be the fifth school that Clemson has played from the state of South Carolina this year. The Tigers took victories from The Citadel (57-44), Winthrop (87-52) and Wofford (78-74). Of the teams from the Palmetto State, only the Gamecocks have beaten Clemson this season. South Carolina handed the Tigers their worst loss of the season, a 76-64 loss on Dec. 9. The win by South Carolina snapped a six-game losing streak to the Tigers. A meeting with Coastal Carolina on Saturday will close out competition vs. South Carolina schools.
In San Juan Clemson finished fifth in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic last week after going 1-2 in the three games played at American University’s Eugene Guerra Sports Complex in Bayamon. Clemson opened the tournament with a 94-81 win over Florida Atlantic and then lost 88-80 to #20 Cincinnati in the semifinal and 77-76 in overtime to Washington in the third-place game. Game summaries follow:
Washington 77, Clemson 76 (OT) Washington’s Michael Johnson hit a 10-foot turnaround jumper to the right side of the lane as time expired to give his Huskies a 77-76 overtime victory in the third-place game of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic. The loss meant Clemson finished fifth in the tournament behind Cincinnati, Alabama, Washington and Youngstown State.
Clemson needed a 12-0 run to pull within 58-55 and then took the lead, 63-62, on a pair of free throws by Will Solomon with 4:45 to play. The two teams traded the lead until Solomon connected to give the Tigers a 70-69 lead with 30 seconds to play. Washington’s Ben Coffee was fouled with four seconds to play and made only the second of two free throws. A three-point try by Clemson freshman Tony Stockman missed to send the game to overtime, where Solomon, who had all of his 26 points in regulation, went quiet. The Tigers had two three-point leads in overtime, the second at 76-73 on two free throws by senior Adam Allenspach with 1:59 to play. Allenspach finished with 17 points while Stockman had seven. Washington’s Green led the Huskies with 18 points, while Johnson added 17.
#20 Cincinnati 88, Clemson 80 Clemson made a late charge at Cincinnati but the comeback bid came up short and the Bearcats went on to claim an 88-80 win over the Tigers on Thursday to advance to the championship of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic. Cincinnati, ranked 20th by USA Today/ESPN, went ahead by as many as 18 points with 13:08 to play in the second half, but Clemson junior Will Solomon put the team on his back. At one point, Solomon scored 14 of Clemson’s 16 points that pulled the Tigers within two points of the Bearcats with 4:38 to play.
Cincinnati then flexed its muscle and went up by as many as 10 points before claiming an eight-point victory.
Kenny Satterfield led Cincinnati in scoring with 22 points and eight assists. Steve Logan, playing despite a sprained ankle, added 18 points. Solomon led all acorers with 32 points on 9 of 21 shooting that included five three pointers. He was 9 of 11 from the charity stripe with three assists and two blocks. Ray Henderson was perfect from the field on five attempts to score 12 points. Tony Stockman also added 12 points off the bench.
Clemson 94, Florida Atlantic 81 Will Solomon scored 24 points, includind 21 in about an 13-minute span to lift Clemson to a 94-81 victory over Florida Atlantic in the opening game of the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic Wednesday in Bayamon, PR. Solomon was 7 of 18 from the field, including 4 of 12 from three-point range, and made 6 of 7 from the free throw line. Solomon did not make his first basket in the game until the 4:26 mark in the first half. He scored the first 21 of his 24 points in a 12:59 span.
Adam Allenspach posted yet another double-double against the Owls. He tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds for his fourth consecutive double-double. The last player to do that is Sharone Wright, who recorded five double-doubles his sophomore year in 1992-93.
In all four Tigers scored in double figures to give Clemson its highest offensive output in head coach Larry Shyatt’s three years. The previous high was 92 points against Georgia Tech on Feb. 28, 1999. In addition to Solomon and Allenspach, Pasha Bains scored 20 points (his second 20-point game this season) and Ed Scott added 13 points.
Florida Atlantic tied the game at 31, but Clemson rallied to outscore the Owls 16-9 in the remaining minutes of the first half to take 47-40 lead at the half. FAU pulled within four points early in the second half before stretching its lead to 21 points. A late rally pulled Florida Atlantic within 13 points, the final margin.
Solomon Named to All-Tournament Team Junior guard Will Solomon scored 82 points in the three games in San Juan to be named to the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team. Solomon had 26 points in the Tigers’ lone win of the classic, a 94-81 decision over Florida Atlantic. He followed it up with a season-best 32 points in the 88-80 loss to #20 Cincinnati and 24 in the loss to Washington. That is an average of 27.3 points per game. Solomon shot 25 of 56 from the field (44.6 percent), including 14 of 32 from three-point land (43.8 percent). He was 18 of 21 from the charity stripe (85.7 percent). Solomon also nine assists, six steals and two blocks (both against Washington) in the three games.
Solomon Moving Up Scoring List Needing only six points entering the Cincinnati game to score 1,000 career points, junior Will Solomon erupted for 32 points against the Bearcats to become the 27th 1,000-point scorer in Clemson history. He is one of just 14 Tigers who have reached the 1,000-point plateau in their junior seasons. Solomon now has entered the season with 840 points and now has 212 points this season for a total of 1,052 points for his three-year career to rank 24th on the all-time scoring list. He is immediately behind Colon Abraham (1974-78) who scored 1,061 points in 106 games. Johnny Snee (1948-52) is 22nd with 1077 and Billy Williams (1977-80) is 21st on the scoring list with 1,078. The first-team All-ACC selection in 2000 entered the season with the 20th best career scoring average with 13.125. Through 10 games this season and 74 in his career, Solomon has averaged and ACC-best 21.2 points per game to up his career average to 14.2 points per game, which ranks 13th in Clemson annals.
Double Figure Scoring Streak Reaches 40 Solomon continues to build upon his school record for most consecutive games of double-figure scoring. The streak now stands at 40 going back to the first game of his sophomore season.
He scored at least 10 points in every game last year (30), the only ACC player to do that. The last time he failed to reach double figures was in the NIT championship game at the end of his freshman year against California. He scored just six points in that game.
With 13 points at South Carolina, Solomon broke Vincent Yockel’s record of 36 games in the 1950s. Yockel scored in double figures in his last 24 games of 1955-56, then he extended the streak with12 more to open the 1956-57 season, reaching 36 games.
The streak has been close to coming to an end in December on two occasions. Solomon scored only two points in the first half against the Gamecocks, and then scored 11 points in the second half. He had also tallied 11 points in the last 11 minutes of the Winthrop game when the outcome was in doubt, before finishing with 19 points against the Eagles.
The Clemson record for consecutive double figure scoring games in ACC play is also 36. Elden Campbell had a streak of 36 straight double figure scoring games against ACC teams, his last 36 against league foes. Obviously, he had a couple of non-conference games in that stretch that ended his overall games streak. Solomon currently has a streak of 17 straight games against ACC competition with double figure scoring.
Last Home Game: Clemson 78, Wofford 74 Freshman guard Tony Stockman scored a season best 23 points in his first collegiate start as Clemson held on for a 78-74 victory over Wofford Saturday at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Stockman, starting for a suspended Will Solomon, was 9 of 17 from the field including 4 of 7 from beyond three-point arch. Senior Adam Allenspach recorded his third consecutive double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds while Pasha Bains added 15 points and eight rebounds.
Clemson led by 14 points at the half hitting 16 of 31 (51.6 percent) shots from the floor. In the second half, the Tigers extended their lead to 20 points before allowing Wofford , on the heels of forward Ian Chadwick’s 15 second half points, to take a 72-71 lead late in the game. The Tigers rallied to outscore the Terriers 7-1 in the final two minutes thanks to four defensive stops. Chadwick finished with 20 points to lead Wofford, which nearly pulled off a second straight upset of the Tigers.
Though Clemson won the battle on the boards 45-43, it gave up 21 offensive rebounds to Wofford, which shot 37 percent from the field compared to Clemson’s 45.6 percent.
Stockman Scores 23, Nets ACC Honors Freshman guard Tony Stockman scored a season best 23 points in his first collegiate start in place of a suspended Will Solomon 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. The 23 points were the most points by a freshman since Terrell McIntyre scored 29 points in a home win over Florida State on Feb. 17, 1996.
Stockman is third on the team in scoring, behind Will Solomon’s 21.2 and Adam Allenspach’s 12.3, with a 12.0 average. Prior to the Puerto Rico Classic, he had only had one game in single digits, but he had eight points against Florida Atlantic and seven points against Washington. He had 12 points vs. Cincinnati.
He is shooting 39.5 percent from the field, including 36.9 percent from three-point range. He is also productive on defense having recorded 13 steals in the first eight games. That figure is tied for second on the team with Edward Scott. Solomon leads the team with 14 steals this season.
Bains Hits 20 For Second Time Pasha Bains scored 20 points against Florida Atlantic on Dec. 20. The performance followed a 15-point effort against Wofford in the Tigers’ most recent home game.
The 20-point output was the second time this season the sophomore transfer from Wyoming connected for 20 points. He also had 20 points in the season opener vs. Hartford.
Against the Hawks, Bains was 7 of 12 from the field, including 6 of 9 from beyond the three-point arc. Against Florida Atlantic, he was 7 of 15 and was 3 of 8 on three-point tries. He also equaled a career best assist mark with five dishes. He previously had five assists last year against Furman.
Allenspach’s Streak of Double-Doubles Ends at Four Senior Adam Allenspach watched as his streak of four double-doubles came to an end Dec. 21 against Cincinnati. The Tigers’ lone senior scored only one point to go with five rebounds. The streak reached four on Wednesday in the win over Florida Atlantic. He had 13 points and 13 rebounds against the Owls.
He had scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds vs. Wofford Dec. 16 and had 15 points and15 rebounds at South Carolina and 20 points and 10 reboundsvs. Winthrop. The last Tiger to post four consecutive double-doubles was Sharone Wright, who last did it his sophomore year in 1992-93. Dale Davis once had double-doubles six times in a row his senior year in 1990-91. During the streak, Allenspach was clearly playing his best basketball of his Clemson career. Allenspach ranks second on the Clemson team in scoring with a 12.3 average (behind Solomon) and is first in rebounding with an 8.8 figure. He is shooting 50.5percent from the field and had been shooting 77.8 percent from the foul line until he went 1 for 8 from the line Wednesday vs. Florida Atlantic. He made 74 percent from the line last year, best by a Clemson center since the 1956-57 season. He is now shooting only 67.3 percent from the line.
Hobbs Had Double-Double Streak Earlier in Season Freshman Chris Hobbs didn’t take long to record his first career double-double as a Clemson Tiger. The native of Chapel Hill had 11 points and 15 rebounds in Clemson’s 84-76 win over The Citadel. He also had a pair of blocked shots for his 28 minutes of work.
He followed it up with another double-double against Northwestern on Nov. 28. He led the Tigers in scoring with 13 points and added 10 rebounds. His first double-double came in just the third game of Hobbs career, the shortest time it has taken a Clemson freshman to record a double-double since Devin Gray had 26 points and 10 rebounds in his second career game in 1991-92. Tree Rollins and Elden Campbell actually had double-doubles in their first game at Clemson. In fact, Rollins, one of two Tigers to have his number retired, had 22 points, 20 rebounds and nine blocked shots against St. John’s in his first game, nearly a triple double. Rollins holds the school record for career double-doubles with 62. Dale Davis had 52. Hobbs has been a pleasant surprise to the Clemson coaches this year. He sat out all but two games in his senior year of high school due to a torn ACL injury that he suffered in the summer of 1999. He has worked hard on the knee and is a strong 6-7 and 265 pound forward.
Hobbs, along with Stockman, each earned their first collegiate starts Dec. 16 against Wofford. Hobbs slightly sprained his ankle in the team’s first practice in San Juan on Dec. 18. He missed the Tigers’ opening game vs. Florida Atlantic but then scored six points with six rebounds in the loss to Cincinnati. The injury limited his effectiveness against Washington and only allowed him to play five minutes vs. the Huskies.
Double Double-Doubles The two double-doubles by Chris Hobbs and Adam Allenspach on Nov. 28 vs. Northwestern were the first in the same game by Clemson since Harold Jamison and Tom Wideman posted double digits in points and rebounds against Butler in their final game (third round NIT) at Littlejohn Coliseum in 1999. The double-double by Hobbs vs. the Wildcats was his second straight double-double. He had 11 points and 15 rebounds in the win over The Citadel on Nov. 25. He is the first freshman to post back-to-back double-doubles since 1991-92 when Sharone Wright did it in the last two games of the season.
Newcomers Lead Bench Larry Shyatt has gotten some strong play off the bench this season. The newcomers have made significant contributions off the bench. Most notable is Tony Stockman who is second on the team with 12.0 points per game. The freshman from Medina, OH, has scored in double figures in all but three games this season, including a best 23 points against Wofford, a game in which he made his first collegiate start. His previous high was 16 points against Winthrop, the school where is brother played. He has scored 11 points against Hartford, Northwestern and Western Carolina.
Against South Carolina, he had 12 points, eight of which came late in the first half to help the Tigers pull within seven points of the Gamecocks at the half. He is second on the team in three-pointers made with 15, behind Will Solomon’s 23. He is averaging the most playing time of all the freshmen and is fourth on the team in minutes played behind Will Solomon, Edward Scott and Adam Allenspach. The two only play less time than Solomon and Edward Scott with 24.0 minutes per game.
Chris Hobbs is also turning heads as a rookie. The freshman from Chapel Hill, NC is averaging 5.6 points per game, which is sixth on the team. He has scored in double figures in three games and actually has posted double-doubles in two of those games, scoring 11 points with 15 rebounds vs. The Citadel and 13 points and 10 rebounds against Northwestern. He had 10 points at South Carolina.
Against Western Carolina junior transfer Jamar McKnight scored 12 points. It was his first game at Clemson after an injury to a finger on his shooting hand limited his practice time and delayed his debut in a Tiger uniform after transferring from Northwest Community College (MS). Likewise against the Catamounts Dwon Clifton scored his first points. The freshman from Louisburg, NC had not scored in limited action in the first four games. He had only played 18 minutes in the first four contests but played 14 against Western Carolina and scored 14 points.
Bench Production Clemson’s bench had scored more points than its opponents in each of the first seven games of the season, but since the Wofford game, the benches of Tiger opponents have held the advantage.
Freshmen Tony Stockman and Chris Hobbs both started against Wofford on Dec. 16 rather than come in off the bench, but that was the only game each of the freshmen started. Wofford’s bench outscored Clemson 39-15 in that game, but in the Tigers’ next game against Florida Atlantic, the Owls’ bench claimed a 55-20 edge from the bench. Cincinnati’s bench won 42-27 while Washington reserves outscored Clemson 29-19.
Three Tigers Top Ten Rebounds In addition to Adam Allenspach’s 12 rebounds vs. Northwestern, one other Tiger got into double digits in rebounds. Dustin Braddick had 10 boards, including six on the offensive glass. That put three players in double-figure rebounds in the Northwestern game. The last time the Tigers had three players with at least 10 boards was nearly 15 years ago. Against Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 14, 1985, Horace Grant, Glen McCants and Jerry Pryor each had double figure totals off the glass. To go with his 15 points, Pryor had 11 rebounds. Grant had 10 board and 11 points and McCants had 10 rebounds with just eight points.
Clemson Offensive Numbers Up Thanks to a 94-point performance vs. Florida Atlantic and an 80-point effort vs. Cincinnati, Clemson’s scoring numbers are up this season. The Tigers, which are trying to run a more up-tempo offense this season, are averaging 77.5 points per game this year, up from the 64.4 scoring average of last year. The 94 points Clemson posted against the Owls were the most scored in the Larry Shyatt era at Clemson, besting the 92 points the team scored against Georgia Tech in 1999. The 94 points against Florida Atlantic were the most scored by the Tigers since Clemson won 102-67 against Western Carolina in 1998
Through the first three games of the season, Clemson was averaging 82.7 points a game before it ran into the slow-down Princeton style offense of Northwestern. Entering their game with Clemson, the Wildcats had been holding opponents to only 42.7 points per game. The Tigers scored 57 in the win.
So far this year Clemson has three players averaging in double figures. Clemson had just two games all of last year in which they had four players score in double figures. Will Solomon and Adam Allenspach were Clemson’s only two players to average in double figures last year. Solomon and Allenspach are joined by freshman Tony Stockman in double figures this season.
The Tigers had at least three players score in double digits in every game this season up until the Washington game when only Solomon and Allenspach scored more than 10 points. Clemson has had five games in which four players have scored in double figures.
Clemson’s shooting percentage is 43.5 percent, up from 40.4 last year. What is most impressive is the team’s free throw shooting. The Tigers have made 69.4 percent so far this year, up from 67.1 last year. No Clemson team has shot better than 70 percent from the foul line over the course of a season since the 1986-87, Horace Grant’s senior year.
ACC Claims ACC/Big Ten Challenge Second Year in a Row Clemson did its part to aid the ACC in fending off the Big Ten for the second consecutive year in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Tigers defeated Northwestern 57-44 Tuesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum in front of the national TV cameras of ESPN2. The ACC claimed five of the nine matchups between the two leagues in both years.
Tuesday, Nov. 28 Wake Forest 71, Michigan 60 Ann Arbor, MI Clemson 57, Northwestern 44 Clemson, SC Duke 78, Illinois 77 Greensboro, NC Iowa 85, Georgia Tech 67 Iowa City, IAWednesday, Nov. 29 Virginia 98, Purdue 79 Charlottesville, VA Michigan St. 77, North Carolina 64 East Lansing, MI Minnesota 76, Florida State 71 Tallahassee, FL Wisconsin 78, Maryland 75 (OT) Milwaukee, WI N.C. State 84, Penn State 76 Raleigh, NC Bold indicates ACC victories
Shyatt to Coach in Maccabiah Games Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt has been selected to coach the United States team in the 2001 Maccabiah Games in Israel. The games will be held next July 7-27. Shyatt has already started his preparation for the Games and had an August camp in New York for prospective players, who will mainly be players of Jewish heritage from college programs at all NCAA levels. The team will hold a pre-tournament camp at Clemson this summer prior to going to Israel. For more information on the team and the tournament, contact Andy Solomon at The Citadel. He will be the press officer for the team for the event.
Shyatt is in his third year as Clemson’s head coach, his fourth as a Division I head coach overall. He led Wyoming to a 19-9 record and the NIT in 1997-98. In his first year at Clemson he took the Tigers to the NIT Championship game, a first in Clemson history. The Tigers won 20 games that year and Shyatt became just the fourth coach in ACC history to win 20 games in his first year at a league school. Last year Clemson had a 10-20 record. Six players missed a combined 26 games due to injury during last year. Shyatt has coached the ACC scoring champion each of his two years at Clemson. Terrell McIntyre led the league with a 17.9 average in 1998-99, then Will Solomon paced the conference with a 20.9 mark last year. Shyatt is in his second tour of duty at Clemson. He was Rick Barnes top assistant from 1994-95 through the 1996-97 season. His last year he helped the Tigers to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and a #8 final national ranking in the USA Today poll, the highest final ranking in Clemson history.
Phillips Ranks In Vitale’s ‘Sweet 16’ Clemson Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Phillips received yet another award for his expertise behind the microphone. He was recognized by Dick Vitale on his web site as one of his top 16 broadcasters around the country – the All-Cawood Ledford Team, in honor of the legendary Kentucky broadcaster. “They are the radio voices for their respective universities, and they know everything about those teams inside and out,” Vitale said. “They certainly follow the national scene too. Whenever I want a bit of information, I make sure I chat with many of these people.”
The Youngstown, OH native is in his 33rd season behind the mic for the Clemson basketball team, a span that covers nearly 1,000 games. He has broadcast 386 Clemson football games and 950 basketball games. Phillips is past president of the Atlantic Coast Conference Sportswriters Association. He is a five-time winner of the Sportscaster of the Year award in South Carolina. Six years ago, he was given the highest award a broadcaster in the state of South Carolina can receive. He was just the third recipient of the Master Broadcaster Award given by the South Carolina Broadcaster’s Association. Phillips did not make the trip to San Juan last week, but should rejoin the team Thursday vs. Charleston Southern at Littlejohn Coliseum, where he will extend his streak of 481 consecutive home games.
Solomon Among Top 10 Shooting Guard by Two Publications Clemson guard Will Solomon is ranked among the top 10 shooting guards in the nation according to Dick Vitale’s Preseason Magazine and by Lindy’s Basketball. Lindy’s ranks Solomon third in the nation, behind two ACC players, Juan Dixon of Maryland and Joseph Forte of North Carolina. Dick Vitale lists Solomon as the eighth best shooting guard in the nation. Solomon has also been chosen first-team All-ACC by many preseason publications, including USA Today. He was a second-team selection by media attending ACC Operation Basketball. Clemson as a team was ranked seventh in the preseason poll by that group.
Will Solomon in the Clemson Single Season Record Book All recorded in 1999-00
Solomon ACC Rankings in 1999-00
Clemson Records Held by Solomon
Solomon Ranked among Returning Scorers Clemson guard will Solomon is eighth among returning scorers from last year according to statistics released by the NCAA. The Clemson junior guard is also sixth among returning players in three-point goals per game. Last year Solomon ranked 16th in the nation overall in scoring with a 20.9 average. He was 17th in the nation in three-point goals per game with a Clemson record 3.1 figure.
Gilmore Has Torn ACL, Will Miss Season Starting Clemson forward Chucky Gilmore sustained a torn ACL on his right knee during a workout on Aug. 28. Examination by Clemson physicians revealed that Gilmore must have surgery to repair the injury.
It is the second injury sustained by Gilmore since the end of last season. He sprained his medial collateral ligament on his left knee in May while playing in a pickup game in his hometown of Fayetteville, NC.
Gilmore, a 6-8 forward, started 23 games and played in 27 of Clemson’s 30 contests a year ago. He averaged 3.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last year. The rebound average was second best on the Clemson team.
“First of all we are most concerned for Chucky’s health and well being,” said Shyatt. “We are confident he will make a full recovery and come back stronger than ever. We plan to make sure he uses this time to his benefit in all aspects, as a basketball player and in the classroom.
“It is certainly a loss to our team, especially in terms of rebounding. He was second on our team last year. But, we have some strong inside players who will make up for his loss.”
Clemson Announces Four Men’s Basketball Signees Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt has announced the signing of four players to national letters of intent during the early signing period. The Clemson newcomers for the 2001-02 season include Sharrod Ford, a 6-9, 210-pound forward from Accokeek, MD, Olu Babalola, a 6-6, 245-pound forward from London England, Chey Christie, a 6-4, 170-pound wing player from Biloxi, MS, and 6-10 Steve Allen, a center from Fort Lauderdale, FL.
“We are excited to add these quality players to our program,” said Shyatt, who is in his third year as Clemson’s Head Coach. “We covered some important needs. It is a balanced class with one player at each area of the team. This gives us back-to back top 20 recruiting classes and gives us some depth as we look to the future.” Hoop Scoop currently ranks Clemson’s class as #11 in the country.
Christie is the brother of former Clemson starting forward Tony Christie. One of the top scorers in the state of South Carolina, he is currently at Biloxi High School in Biloxi, MS. He opened his senior season with a 30-point game on Wednesday night. Last year as a junior, Christie averaged 25.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He shot 55 percent from the field and 78 percent from the foul line. He is ranked as the 37th best player in the nation according to Hoop Scoop.
“Christie is an athletic perimeter player who has outstanding scoring potential,” said Shyatt. “We are obviously familiar with his family and we feel he will be a terrific addition to our program. He gives us versatility on the perimeter.”
Babalola is a native of London, England, but is playing at St. Augustine Prep in Richland, NJ this year. Last year he averaged 18.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He shot 58 percent from the field and averaged 2.8 rebounds a game. He was a third-team All-State selection in New Jersey last year.
“Olu was not as well known as some because he did not attend some of the bigger summer camps,” said Shyatt. We are glad he didn’t. He has the size and power of a football player, but he has more grace and shooting ability than people realize.”
Ford is an inside player at Hargrave Military academy in Chatham, VA. He played his previous four years at Gwynn Park High in Brandywine, MD. Last year he shot 58 percent from the field, averaged 15.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. He also blocked 6.6 shots per game, including a season high of 11 in one game. He was named a first-team All-Metro selection by the Washington Post.
“Ford brings size and athleticism to our frontline,” said Shyatt. “He is a shot blocker who can really run the floor. He is ranked among the top five inside players at the prep school level.”
Allen averaged 12.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots a game at Dillard High School. He was a first-team all-county and all-conference player. He shot 59 percent from the field and 72 percent from the foul line as a junior. “Steve Allen is a player we’ve been recruiting for a long time and I have always felt he could be a tremendous interior player in our league. I was most impressed with him at summer camps.”
Five Former Tigers in the NBA Five former Clemson players are currently on NBA rosters. Three of the five would be considered starters for their respective teams. The list of former Tigers in the pros is led by Horace Grant, who is in his 14th year in the league. He is a starting forward with the Los Angeles Lakers and is the only former Tiger to win an NBA Championship ring. He did that with the Chicago Bulls 1991-92-93.
Dale Davis and Elden Campbell led Clemson to the ACC regular season championship in 1990 and they are both still starters in the NBA. Davis, who was inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor in September, is averaging 7.8 points and 9.3 rebounds a game with the Portland Trailbazers this year. He is currently 16th in the league in rebounding. He played his first nine years in the league with the Indiana Pacers. He was named to the NBA All-Star team last year.
Campbell, who was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame last year, is the starting center with the Charlotte Hornets. He is averaging 12.2 points and 7.7 rebounds a game this year for the Hornets. Chris Whitney and Greg Buckner, who both came to Clemson from Hopkinsville, KY, are both in the NBA. Whitney comes off the bench for the Washington Wizards and shoots 83 percent from the line, while Buckner is an off and on starter for the Dallas Mavericks. He is averaging 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds a game so far for Don Nelson’s Mavericks. He has missed 10 games with an ankle injury, but returned to the lineup on December 3.
December 4, 2024
December 2, 2024
November 29, 2024
November 28, 2024