Clemson Captain Cliff Hammonds Has Broken Right Wrist

March 3, 2008

Clemson, SC-Clemson All-ACC candidate Cliff Hammonds suffered a broken right (non-shooting) wrist during Clemson’s victory over Maryland on Sunday evening. X-rays revealed the injury on Monday. Hammonds’ status for Thursday night’s game at Georgia Tech is unknown at this time.

“We really won’t know Cliff’s status until we tape him up and see what he can do at practice on Tuesday,” said Clemson Head Coach Oliver Purnell. “He will have treatment on Tuesday afternoon and then go to practice. We hope he can tolerate the pain and still be effective. We will know a lot after Tuesday.” Clemson did not practice on Monday.

“If he can not play it would be a tough blow, but we have faced this all year. This team is used to dealing with adversity. Players like Demontez Stitt and others will have to step up their play.”

Earlier this year Clemson senior forward James Mays suffered a broken left hand and a hip injury. He missed five games due to the hip injury, but played with a brace on the hand and continued to play in January and February. He just took off the brace in the second half of the Maryland game, minutes before Hammonds suffered his injury. Senior Sam Perry also missed six games in November and December.

Hammonds suffered the injury in the second half of Clemson’s 73-70 victory at Maryland on Sunday evening. The 6-3 senior successfully blocked a dunk attempt by Maryland 6-9 forward James Gist with 16 minutes left, but when he fell to the floor he braced his fall with his right hand and thus suffered the break.

Hammonds played the remaining minutes with the injury running a Clemson offense that had just three turnovers in the second half. He finished the game with eight points and three assists. The Tigers overcame a 20-point deficit in the last 11 minutes, the greatest second half comeback in school history.

The native of Cairo, GA is one of just five players in ACC history with at least 1400 points, 400 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals. So far this year he has averaged 11.9 points per game, 4.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest. He is second on the Clemson team in scoring. In ACC play, Hammonds has shot 50 percent from the field and scored 13.6 points per game. He is also second in the league in assist/turnover ratio. He has played in 81 Clemson victories in his career, second among all players in school history (84 by Elden Campbell).

Hammonds has played 128 consecutive games, 124 as a starter and those stand as school records. He will tie the Clemson record for total games played when he plays his next game. He has never missed a game due to injury.

Hammonds is one of the top student-athletes in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Earlier this year he was named a recipient of a Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate scholarship. He has been named Academic All-ACC twice and was named Academic All-District III earlier this year.