Chris Hobbs Answers Your ‘Ask The Tigers’ Questions

Feb. 22, 2001

Below are Chris Hobbs’ answers to the selected questions that you submitted this past week to “Ask The Tigers”. ClemsonTigers.com would like to thank you for all of your questions submitted. We would also like to thank Chris for his time and sincere effort with “Ask The Tigers”. _______________________________________________________________

Chris, Great job so far this season! My question is, what are some of the positives that you and your teammates have taken from the tough losses the Tigers have had this season? How do you plan to turn these positives into improvement and future success? I have the utmost confidence that you guys will turn it around dramatically and will compete for an ACC title in the next few years! Good luck with the rest of the season! GO TIGERS!!Kelley Colin Atlanta, GA

We have learned to be more of a unit. Unfortunately in the losses we have learned that individualism doesn’t work, and that it won’t win games. But in the games that we have won, we have played more as a team, and in the games that we have been close in, we have played more as a team. That is what we are going to take into next year with more talent coming in, and we just need to play as one in order to get some W’s.

Chris, You really have played well this year and show a great deal of promise in the future for Clemson Basketball. What is the most difficult aspect of playing in the ACC night in and night out? Keep playing hard and the best of luck for the rest of this season and the seasons to come.Lee Scott Asheville, NC

Playing in the ACC night in and night out, it is going to be a great team, a Top 25 caliber team, that you are going to have to play against every night, there is no resting at all in any game. Each game is a potential NCAA bid. That is the way we look at it. The talent level is just remarkable. Every guy on the court can really play.

Chris, Congratulations on your great play this year! Question: What does the team need to improve most on to be successful next year and beyond? Thanks and Go Tigers!John “Possum” Stillwell Athens, GA

I would say, throwing the extra pass and learning how to control turnovers. We also need to play better defense.

Chris, Congratulations on the UNC victory! That was a great win and a needed victory that will be a building block for next year. I have been very impressed with your play this year and I see you developing into a top player in the years to come. My question: Looking at the overall team dynamics, which positions do you think are needed for next year? How do you think the recruiting has and will play into that need?Hart Raley Columbia, SC

For recruiting in the future, as far as playing in the ACC goes, I think we need a big 7 footer. A real big guy. A lot of teams have those right now. Adam has been hurt all year and that has hurt us. And compared to a bunch of teams, we’re pretty short at just 6’8, 6’9. We need a big body in there, a big tall shot blocker. But everything else is pretty good, the guys on the team are pretty exchangeable, they can run 2, 3 or 4. Or 1 and 2. So every other position is handled now.

How much of a factor does the friendly confines of Littlejohn Coliseum have on you guys?Eric Scott Clemson, SC

It is a great atmosphere with the students right on the court. I feel at one with the fans when I am on the court. When they are yelling and screaming it really gets me emotional and I feel like we have a 6th man on the floor when we play home games.

Chris, Congrats on a super freshman season in Tiger town. Did you feel slighted by the hometown Tar heels in the recruiting wars? Did this make you stronger both mentally and emotionally? Penni Black Chapel Hill, NC

Recruiting wise, yeah, I felt like I had to go to Carolina, because my parents went there, it was just kind of expected of me. If I was going to play basketball, the best thing to do would be to play for the hometown team, and I always wanted to play for Carolina. But I am really happy with the decision I made, and it has proved to be a good one.

Chris, What brought you to Clemson?Mary Beth Edwards Jacksonville, FL

Well, the coaches really, really wanted me. From day one, they were on me the whole time. They expressed how they wanted academics before basketball. That was big part of my high school teachings from my coach back home. Clemson is a very family-oriented team, each coach is a really nice guy. It was just a great opportunity for me to come down here.

Chris, Now that you have reached the college level in your career, what advice would you provide to the kids inspiring to reach the next level?Justin Mullen New Bern, NC

It is going to take a lot of hard work. When you come from the high school level, it is a shell shock to come to the college level. How they practice, every practice is going to be like a game. Every play in practice is going to be a competition, a competitive play. It is just hard at all times, you can’t come in with any weaknesses if you want to succeed. You just need to be ready in all aspects of your game.

Chris, Do you and your teammates truly understand how proud Clemson fans are of your victory over UNC and the way the team has represented Clemson University both on and off the court this entire year?Ted Ramsey Easley, SC

I am starting to see that, yes. Lately, a lot of people have been congratulating me, people off the street, saying how really proud they are of me, and I believe that they truly are. I am just now starting to see how proud they are of us.

Chris, Since you grew up in Chapel Hill, what did Sunday’s win mean to you? Was your Dad able to attend the game since Duke had a game?Anne Lake Easley, SC

Yes, my dad was able to see the game. He was here. The win really meant a lot to me. The team that didn’t recruit me, I always feel that I have something to prove out there, either that they should have stayed with me or to prove somebody wrong that is a doubter of me. It really meant a lot to me to beat Carolina at Clemson. And to beat the #1 team in the country also meant a lot to me.

Chris, Hey, just wandering if ever thought about putting on some football pads for this coming fall?Kirk Freeman Clemson, SC

No, not really. Well, I’ve thought about it. But I probably wouldn’t act on it.

Chris, Have you fully recovered from your knee injury in high school? Not just physically, but mentally as well? Does it ever hold you back?Frank Grimes Thomasville, GA

I believe I have fully recovered. Physically, I think it is stronger than my other knee. Mentally, I really don’t think about it twice when I’m out there on the floor.

Chris, The Tigers played with a different kind of intensity on Sunday. You guys really played hard and worked well as a team. What did you all do different in the days prior to the game? The win on Sunday I believe was really a reflection as to how hard you guys have been working all year. Sometimes you just have to get the breaks and things have to go just your way to get the W’s.William Smith Arden, NC

As a team we had a couple of meetings to figure out what we wanted to do for the rest of the season, and what each player had as expectations for the rest of the season. I think that brought us closer together as a group. I think that helped us a lot for the Carolina game.

Chris, If you could improve one thing about your game what would it be?Teddie Gregory Virginia Beach, VA

Oh, I have so many things to improve. I would say, for one, my conditioning. I don’t think I have the proper conditioning to stay in the whole game. Also, my fouling, my defensive intensity at times, and decisions on defense. I would also like to get better post moves in the post. There are just so many things I can work on to get better for next year, not just one.

Chris, How do you feel personally about the future of Clemson basketball? We have some very good young players, you included, of course. Do you feel we will be able to present a team which will be consistently competitive with the other ACC teams. By the way, congratulations on your OUTSTANDING freshman season.Buck Parham Greenville, SC

In the future, I see it as very bright. I just have this feeling that as next year comes on, we are going to be an even better team. The expectations that I have for this team in the future, and the rest of the 3 1/2 years I have here at Clemson, are just going to be great. Everything will fall into place at one point, and I just see the future as very bright.