Clemson vs. Illinois Postgame Notes

TEAM

Clemson won its 22^nd game Sunday, matching the 2010-11 team’s total from Brad Brownell‘s first season.
Sunday’s win was Clemson’s 11^th straight at home in the NIT, dating to 1986.
Clemson’s win was its 15^th home win of the 2013-14 season. The only other team in school history to win 16 in Littlejohn was the 2006-07 team that advanced to the NIT championship game.
Sunday’s game was officially a sellout, Clemson’s first since a Feb. 14, 2012 game against the University of Virginia.
Clemson won by a one-point margin Sunday, its seventh win by five or less. That is the most by a Tiger team since the 2006-07 squad had eight wins by five or less.
Sunday’s win was Clemson’s first by a single point since 2009, when the Tigers defeated Butler 70-69 in Anaheim in the 76 Classic.
Clemson’s 50 points were its fewest in an NIT win. The previous low point total in a Clemson win in the NIT was 64 in a 2007 win over East Tennessee State.
Illinois’ 49 points were the fewest allowed in an NIT game by Clemson.
Clemson improved to 28-2 all-time under Head Coach Brad Brownell when holding the opposition to 50 points or less. The Tigers are 9-0 this season under that scenario.
As a team, the Tigers had nine blocked shots Sunday to tie their NIT high (31 games) from the opening game against Georgia State.
For the first time in 130 games under Brad Brownell, the Tigers did not record a steal in Sunday’s game.
Clemson matched its season-high with 16 assists in Sunday’s game. It was the second straight game the Tigers posted 16 assists.
Tuesday’s game against Belmont is the first in the series between the two programs.

INDIVIDUAL

K.J. McDaniels posted his 31^st double figure scoring effort of the season against Illinois and finished with 12 points.
He became the 37^th player in Clemson history to join the 1,000-point career club.
McDaniels posted four dunks Sunday and has 52, seventh-most in Clemson history for a single season.
McDaniels blocked four shots and now has 95 on the season. He needs five to become only the third different player to post 100 blocks in a season in Clemson history.
McDaniels needs five blocks to pass Sharrod Ford (2001-05) for seventh place among Clemson’s all-time leaders.
McDaniels hit two free throws Sunday and is one of only two Clemson players in the shot clock era (Sharone Wright, 1993-94) to make 150 over the course of a single season.
Landry Nnoko scored double figures for the second time in the last three games, and for the ninth time in 2013-14.
Nnoko added three blocks Sunday to push his season total to 63, tying Trevor Booker for the fourth-best sophomore year total by a Clemson player.
Jordan Roper reached double figures before the under-8 media timeout in the first half. He finished with 10 points and made 3-of-6 shots and 3-of-3 free throws with four assists in a 20-minute effort.
Austin Ajukwa played a season-high 23 minutes for the Tigers on Sunday. His previous high was 18 in the regular season finale against Pittsburgh.