Clemson Men’s Basketball Weekly Release

Dec. 31, 2000

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Clemson vs. Maryland Series Maryland holds a 76-42 lead in the series with Clemson. The Terps have dominated the series in College Park, winning 45 of the 53 games. The Tigers did win there over a top 12 Maryland team four years ago, and also won on Maryland’s Senior Day in 1992-93.

Maryland has won five straight games against the Tigers, including all four meetings the last two years. Clemson came close to victory in Larry Shyatt’s first year, an 81-79 Terp win in overtime at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The Terps won both games last year by similar scores, 74-62 at Maryland and 76-63 at Clemson.

Clemson has defeated a ranked Maryland team three times in the last four years (since 1996-97). That includes the 1997-98 season when Clemson won 78-65 in overtime at Clemson, the second largest margin of victory in an overtime game in Clemson history. The Tigers outscored Maryland 13-0 in the overtime period. Clemson also had a double-digit victory at Clemson over a seventh-ranked Maryland team in 1996-97, 80-68. Clemson’s last win over the Terps was the 78-65 overtime win in 1997-98.

Clemson has had success against the Terps at Littlejohn in recent years, wining nine of the last 12 at that site. Maryland’s 1999 seniors won three times at North Carolina, but just once at Clemson. Two of the last three meetings between the two teams have gone to overtime.

Clemson’s eight wins at Maryland took place in 1949-50 (60-55), 1961-62 (75-68), 1965-66 (81-69), 1975-76 (82-77), 1986-87 (80-79), 1989-90 (75-73), 1992-93 (81-73), and 1996-97 (76-70).

Last Meeting: Maryland 76, Clemson 62 Feb. 22, 2000 at Clemson Lonny Baxter won a personal scoring battle with Clemson center Adam Allenspach, leading Maryland to a 76-63 victory at Clemson on Feb. 22, 2000. It was just the third win in 12 years at Clemson for the Terps, who won their 20th game of the season with the victory.

Baxter scored 25 points, 11 more than any other center scored against Clemson last year. He made 9-12 free throws, had nine rebounds and six blocked shots. Steven Blake was outstanding for the Terps with 14 points, six assists and just two turnovers. He made a career best 4-5 three-point shots.

Clemson’s defense held Maryland’s top two scorers, Terence Morris and Juan Dixon, to just 15 combined points. That included a season low four points by Morris, the preseason ACC Player of the Year. Maryland made 50 percent of its field goal attempts, 53 percent of its three-point shots and 76 percent from the line. Maryland was just the third team to make at least 50 percent of its shots against the Tigers in 1999-00.

Allenspach had 20 points and 10 rebounds, the first 20-10 game of his 91-game Clemson career. He had a career high six offensive rebounds. “I’m very impressed with Allenspach,” said Maryland Coach Gary Williams. “He has improved every year and is now a force to contain.”

Will Solomon added 12 points, but shot just 5-15 from the field. Allenspach and Solomon were the only double figure scorers for Clemson. The Tigers had 10 players participate and all 10 scored. But, the Tigers made just 3-18 three-point shots compared to the 9-17 outside shooting by the Terps.

Clemson had just five turnovers offensively, tied for the second lowest total in school history. And, they did it against a Maryland team that had averaged 19 forced turnovers per game. Starting guard Will Solomon and Edward Scott had just two turnovers between them against Maryland’s fullcourt pressure. Clemson also won the battle of the boards 39-36 and allowed just five offensive rebounds.

Maryland jumped out to a 22-8 lead six and a half minutes into the game. Clemson won the last 33 and a half minutes by a point.

Last Year’s First Meeting: Maryland 74, Clemson 62 Jan. 22, 2000 at College Park All five Maryland starters scored in double figures, as the Terps defeated an undermanned Clemson five by a 74-62 score in College Park on Jan. 22, 2000. The Tigers had three players out with injury and dressed just six scholarship players. Still, the 12-point margin was closer than the 17-point defeat Clemson suffered at Maryland last year.

Andrius Jurkunas led Clemson with 16 points on 4 of 6 shooting, including a season best 3-4 on three-point shots. He also had seven rebounds and three assists. It marked the first game in his career that Jurkunas led Clemson in scoring and rebounds in the same game. Adam Allenspach added 14 points, while Will Solomon had 12 points and four assists. Pasha Bains and Dustin Braddick added nine apiece.

Maryland was led by Juan Dixon with 18 points, including 4-7 on three-point shots, while Danny Miller scored 15. Freshman Tahj Holden, making his first college start, had 12 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double of the season.

Clemson played without Edward Scott (chest cartilage) and Tomas Nagys (tendontis). Maryland was without second leading scorer Terrence Morris.

Maryland shot just 38 percent in the first half, but held a 38-22 lead at intermission. A three-point goal by Bains at the buzzer of the first half brought Clemson to that close.

Clemson employed a box-and-one defense most of the game and forced the Terps to take 31 three-point goal attempts, their highest figure ever. Maryland defeated Clemson on the boards 41-38, just the third time all year Clemson had been out-rebounded. Clemson’s three-guard attack had something to do with that.

Clemson cut the margin to 52-41 with 8:02 left, then the Tigers got six good looks at the basket over the next two possessions and could not score. Maryland ran the advantage to 22 at 67-45 with 4:04 left. But, Clemson did not die and cut the margin to 12 by the end of the game. Jurkunas scored eight points in the last 2:44 of the game.

The two teams were ranked first and second in the ACC in field goal percentage defense entering the game. Neither team shot over 40 percent for the game. Clemson made 43 percent of its three-point shots, but the Terps had six less turnovers (11-17) than Clemson.

Clemson’s Success vs. Maryland in Littlejohn Clemson has won nine of the last 12 meetings against Maryland in Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson has beaten some very good Maryland teams during this 11-year period. Here is a run-down of the last 12 meetings with the Terps and Gary Williams played at Clemson.

Year CU MD Notes 1988-89 75 58 Campbell/Davis combine for 34 pts, 13-20 shooting 1989-90 82 77 Elden Campbell 26 pts, 11 rebounds 1990-91 73 69 Dale Davis 19 pts, 20 rebounds, 7 blocks 1991-92 82 70 Tigs overcome 34 PTs by Walt Williams, Terps shoot .311 for game 1992-93 82 72 Triple Double by Sharone Wright, Devin Gray 27 pts off bench 1993-94 73 67 Clemson 53 % shooting, Gray 19 pts, 10 reb/ Richie 11 assists 1994-95 51 56 Joe Smith 8-8 FGs, Code had 3-pt shot to tie with 5 seconds 1995-96 68 61 Tigs 27-34 from line, McIntyre 10-11 from line, MD .320 FG% 1996-97 80 68 Tigs 33-48 from line, Buckner 23, McIntyre 21 1997-98 78 65 Clemson goes on 13-0 run in overtime. 1998-99 79 81 Morris scores 26 in overtime victory by Terps 1999-00 63 76 Baxter scores 25, Allenspach 20 Pts, 10 rebounds for CU.

Allenspach Has Had Success vs. Maryland Senior center Adam Allenspach has been at his best when playing against Maryland. Clemson’s only senior had 34 points and 15 rebounds in two games vs. the Terps last year, including the first 20 points, 10-rebound game of his career in the contest at Littlejohn Coliseum. Allenspach shot 6-9 from the field and made 8-10 free throws in the head to head meeting with Lonnie Baxter. He also had six offensive rebounds, tying his career high in that area.

For his career, Allenspach has mad 15-34 shots from the field, had scored 41 points and has 19 rebounds against Maryland in six games. He played sparingly against Maryland prior to last season. Over his career, Allenspach has a higher scoring average against just one ACC opponent, Virginia. He has a 7.8 scoring mark against the Cavs for his four-year career.

In Conference Openers Clemson is 4-2 in the last six conference openers, but has dropped the last three ACC starts, losing to North Carolina each of the last two years. The Tar Heels won 65-45at Chapel Hill in the Tigers’ first league game a year ago. UNC also won 69-53 in 1999.

The last time Clemson played Maryland to open ACC play was in the 1997-98 season when the two teams met at Littlejohn Coliseum in a rare early December matchup. The Tigers, ranked 17th, beat a 23rd-ranked Terrapin team 78-65 in overtime on Dec. 4, 1997.

The Tigers beat Duke to open ACC play each of the three years prior to the 1997-98 opener against Maryland, including an 86-82 decision at Littlejohn Coliseum in 1997 when the Tigers were fifth in the country and the Blue Devils were ranked 10th. Clemson had also won in both 1995 and 1996.

Third Game In Six Days Tuesday’s game against Maryland is the final of three games in a span of six days for the Tigers. The first of the three games was Thursday night in Clemson against Charleston Southern, a game won by Clemson 87-77. The Tigers played again on Saturday, claiming an 81-68 victory against Coastal Carolina at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Clemson played three games in three days in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic.

Returning Home Clemson is riding a six-game win streak at Littlejohn Coliseum. Since losing 79-78 to a 10th-ranked Seton Hall team on Nov. 21, the Tigers have won their last six home games, beating The Citadel, Northwestern, Western Carolina, Winthrop, Wofford and Charleston Southern. It is the longest home winning streak since the Tigers won eight home contests in a row to start the 1998-99 season. The streak was actually a nine-game streak dating back to the final home game of the 1997-98 season when the Tigers beat Georgia Tech 76-62. Ending the streak was Wake Forest on Jan. 9, 1998. Last season, Clemson won only two home games in a row on two different occasions.

Last Time Out: Clemson 81, Coastal Carolina 68 Junior guard Will Solomon scored 21 points, 19 in the second half, as Clemson had to come back from a major deficit for the second straight game to beat Coastal Carolina 81-68 Saturday at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Coastal Carolina did exactly what its Big South sister Charleston Southern did in the first half of the Thursday’s game at Clemson. The Chanticleers built an 18-point lead in the first half just as Charleston Southern went up by 15 on the Tigers. Coastal Carolina held a 13-point margin at the half and had to try to do something the Buccaneers could not do on Thursday.

Just as Clemson did in the 10-point victory over Charleston Southern, the Tigers regrouped to tie the game at 50 with just under 10 minutes to play and gradually increased their lead before claiming a 13-point decision against Coastal Carolina.

Solomon scored only two points in the first half as the Tigers shot 37.5 percent from the field, but in the second half Clemson turned it around taking to the boards to create more shots. The Tigers shot 67.9 percent in the second half, making 19 of 28 shots from the floor. It was the first game of the year Solomon failed to connect from long distance, but he did connect on 9 of 10 attempts from the foul line to go with five assists and three steals. He was 6 of 14 from the field.

Clemson went with three guards in the starting lineup for the first time this season as sophomore Edward Scott and freshman Tony Stockman joined Solomon to combine for 47 points. Scott scored 14 points with six rebounds and seven assists in 37 minutes while Stockman added 12 points with four assists. Off the bench, Dustin Braddick scored nine points and was the top Tiger rebounder with seven boards.

Against South Carolina Schools Clemson played seven teams from the state of South Carolina this year. The Tigers took victories from The Citadel (57-44), Winthrop (87-52), Wofford (78-74), Charleston Southern (87-77) and Coastal Carolina (81-67). 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.

Non-Conference Wrapup After 12 non-ACC games a year ago, Clemson was 6-6 heading into league action. This year, the Tigers are a much healthier team and thus a much deeper team and have played a more competitive schedule. Clemson went 9-4 in the non-conference portion of the schedule having prepared for the ACC race by facing teams from the Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Pac-10 and the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers were unbeaten in their eight meetings against mid-major schools.

Clemson opened with a win over Hartford (86-67) and then played a 10th-ranked Seton Hall team to a one-point loss (79-78). The Tigers rebounded for four consecutive wins against The Citadel (84-76), Northwestern (57-44) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Western Carolina (87-52) and Winthrop (69-59). Clemson had not won more than two games in a row all of last year and that happened just one time.

South Carolina halted the brief streak with a 76-62 victory that ended its six-game losing streak against Clemson. The Tigers then beat Wofford78-74 before finished fifth in the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic with a win against Florida Atlantic (94-81) and losses to 20th-ranked Cincinnati (88-80) and Washington (77-76). Clemson had pulled within two points of Cincinnati with 4 1/2 minutes to play and the loss to Washington came in overtime on a last-second shot.

The Tigers beatCharleston Southern 87-77 Thursday night at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson and won 81-68 at Coastal Carolina in a game played at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on the final day of the Beach Ball Classic.

Other Action Last Week: Clemson 87, Charleston Southern 77 Will Solomon and Tony Stockman each scored 22 points as Clemson fought back from the largest deficit of the season Thursday to beat Charleston Southern 87-77 at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The Buccaneers opened the game 15-5 and then went up 26-11 that had the Tigers somewhat shocked after the holidays. Clemson also had to play without the presence of center Adam Allenspach, the team’s only senior. He watched on the bench nursing a sore back. Without him, Clemson needed the reserves to step up.

Sophomore Ray Henderson answered the call with a career-high 13 points to go with six assists. Freshman Tony Stockman also stepped to the forefront. Trailing 26-13, the scored eight points in 68 seconds to spark a 12-0 Tiger run. But Charleston Southern also countered to go up 32-23 before Clemson rallied again to take a 45-42 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Clemson could not put the Buccaneers away and they tied the game at 56 with 14:45 to play. But Stockman again came to the rescue. He again scored eight points in a 17-4 Clemson rally that put the Tigers up 73-60 with eight minutes to play. He accounted for 14 of Clemson’s final 23 points.

Stockman was 7 of 13 from the field, including 2 of 6 from three-point range. He was a perfect 6 of 6 from the charity stripe, four of which came in the closing three minutes. In all four Tigers scored in double figures. Joining Stockman, Solomon and Henderson was Pasha Bains who scored 10 points. O.J Linney and Gene Granger each had 16 points to lead Charleston Southern.

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:

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.

#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.

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.

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 had 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 entered the season with 840 points and now has 255 points this season for a total of 1,095 points for his three-year career to rank 21st on the all-time scoring list. He is immediately behind Jerry Pryor (1985-89) who is 20th on the list with 1,124 points. Choppy Patterson (1959-63) is 19th with 1,131.

The first-team All-ACC selection in 2000 entered the season with the 20th best career scoring average with 13.125. Through 12 games this season and 76 in his career, Solomon has averaged and ACC-best 21.3 points per game to up his career average to 14.41 points per game, which ranks 11th in Clemson annals, behind Terrell McIntyre (1995-99, ninth, 14.60) and Chris Whitney (1991-93, 10th, 14.55).

Double Figure Scoring Streak Reaches 42 Solomon continues to build upon his school record for most consecutive games of double-figure scoring. The streak now stands at 42 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 three 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. Saturday at Coastal Carolina, Solomon again had only two points in the first half, but he exploded for 19 points in the second half to finish with 21 points.

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 streak in all games. Solomon currently has a streak of 17 straight games against ACC competition with double figure scoring.

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 second on the team in scoring with a 12.8 average, behind Will Solomon’s 21.3. Stockman has scored in double figures in all but three games this season. He is shooting 41.0 percent from the field, including 35.9 percent from three-point range. He is also productive on defense having recorded 19 steals. That figure is tied for the best on the team with Will Solomon.

Stockman Delivers In Closing Minutes Thursday night against Charleston Southern, freshman guard Tony Stockman scored 14 of the Tigers’ final 23 points, including six points in the final five minutes of play.

Stockman leads Clemson in that stat. In games decided by 10 points or less, he has scored a total of 17 points in the final five minutes of those games. That is even better than Will Solomon who leads the team in scoring and is often viewed as the go-to guy for the Tigers. Solomon has scored 13 points in the final five minutes of games decided by 10 points or less. In total, Clemson has played six games decided by that margin.

Bains Steps Up Play Sophomore Pasha Bains has answered the challenge of head coach Larry Shyatt for his players to step up when the Tigers are playing with a man down. With Adam Allenspach out of the lineup with a back injury against Charleston Southern, Bains scored 10 points. Against Wofford, without a suspended Will Solomon, Bains again stepped it up and scored 15 points. He followed that up with a 20-point performance against Florida Atlantic in the first game of the Puerto Rico Classic. It was the second time this season the Wyoming transfer had scored 20 points. He opened the season with a 20-point effort against Hartford. Bains has five games in double figures this season and is now fourth on the team averaging 7.8 points per game.

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. He played 14 minutes against Charleston Southern.

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 12.8 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 his brother played. He has scored 11 points against Hartford, Northwestern and Western Carolina. He came within one point of his best with 22 points vs. Charleston Southern.

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 5.8 points per game, which is fifth 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. He is also averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. 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. That was until a 22 -point game by Tony Stockman against Charleston Southern lifted the Clemson bench back to the positive side. Clemson’s bench claimed a 30-19 victory against the Buccaneers and outscored Coastal Carolina 24-21.

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.

Clemson Offensive Numbers Up Thanks to a 94-point performance vs. Florida Atlantic and an 87-point effort vs. Charleston Southern, Clemson’s scoring numbers are up this season. The Tigers, which are trying to run a more up-tempo offense this season, are averaging 78.5 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.

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. The Tigers got back on track vs. Charleston Southern with four players in double figures. Clemson has had six games in which four players have scored in double figures.

Clemson’s shooting percentage is 44.7 percent, up from 40.4 last year. What is most impressive is the team’s free throw shooting. The Tigers have made 70.6 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.

Clemson Offensive Stat Comparison Category 1999-00 2000-01 Scoring 64.4 78.5 Field Goal Percentage .404 .447 3-Point Percentage .332 .356 Free Throw Shooting .671 .706 Turnovers per game 15.4 15.7 Double Figure Scorers 2 3

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, IA

Wednesday, 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

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 387 Clemson football games and 952 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 rejoined the team Thursday vs. Charleston Southern at Littlejohn Coliseum, where he extended his streak of 482 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

627 points, tied for 4th best in Clemson history 3.1three-point goals/game, best in Clemson history 93 three-pointgoals, 2nd best in Clemson history 20.9 points per game, 6th bestin Clemson history 213 total field goals, 7th best in Clemsonhistory 36.0 minutes/game, 6th best in Clemson history 1079 minutesplayed, 8th best in Clemson history

Solomon ACC Rankings in 1999-00

1st in ACC Player of the Week selections (3) 1st in scoringaverage (20.9) 1st in scoring average in ACC games (21.3) 1st inthree-point goals/game (3.1) 1st in 3-point goals/ACC game (3.0)1st in double figure scoring games (30) 2nd in minutes/game (36.0)4th in minutes/ACC game (35.6) 3rd in 3-point goal percentage(.375) 5th in 3-point goal percentage in ACC games (.400) 6th inassists/ACC game (3.4) 10th in assists/game (3.2)

Clemson Records Held by Solomon

3-point goals per game in a season, 3.1 Points scored in gamein Littlejohn Coliseum, 43 vs. Virginia, 1999-00 Highest perfectseason of double-figure scoring games, 30 in 30 games, 1999-003-point goals in a game, 8 vs. Virginia, 1999-00

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.

Tigers in the NBA Player, Team GP-S PPG RPG FG% FT% Greg Buckner, Dallas 10-3 7.2 5.7 .415 .720 Elden Campbell, Charlotte 20-20 12.2 7.7 .443 .623 Dale Davis, Portland 20-18 7.8 9.3 .470 .660 Horace Grant, LA Lakers 20-20 9.3 7.2 .521 .813 Chris Whitney, Washington 20-0 3.4 2.2 .250 .833