Tuesday 11/30/1999
Nov. 30, 1999
Bryce Jordan Center (15,261) Wednesday, December 1, 1999 (8:00 PM)
Series Record: First Meeting
Clemson vs. Big Ten: 4-10 1-0 vs. Indiana 0-2 vs. Illinois 0-2 vs. Iowa 2-0 vs. Purdue 0-2 vs. Michigan 1-4 vs. Minnesota
Clemson Personnel Update
*The Clemson basketball team currently has more injured players than the Clemson football team had for any game this year. Here is the rundown.
*Andrius Jurkunas–Clemson’s only returning starter suffered a broken right (shooting) thumb against Central Florida in the opening game of the SoCon Holiday Hoops Tournament. He did not play in the last two games of the tournament. It will be five weeks before his thumb is healed. He has not been ruled out of the Penn State game depending on his pain tolerance.
*Edward Scott–Freshman point guard who is recovering from a broken left foot suffered in practice on October 27. Played the last two games in the SoCon Holiday Hoops. Was limited in effectiveness by a toe injury in the other foot.
*Dustin Braddick–Starting point guard playing with a sprained ankle.
*Chucky Gilmore–Starting forward suffered a hip injury diving for a loose ball against Oregon State late in the game. Did not return, but probable for Penn State.
*Pasha Bains–Must sit out until December 11 due to NCAA transfer rule. Will play his first game December 11 against South Carolina State.
Clemson vs. Penn State
This is the first time Clemson has met Penn State on the hardwood in the sport of men’s basketball. The two schools have met in women’s competition however. In fact, that women’s meeting had some hystorical significance.
In 1982, Clemson played at Penn State in the NCAA Women’s basketball tournament. The game was played early in the day and was the first game of the first NCAA women’s tournament. All-American Barbara Kennedy scored the first basket in the game and thus the first basket in the history of the women’s tournament. She went on to score 43 points in what was her last game as a Lady Tiger, but Penn State won the contest, 96-75.
Penn State defeated Clemson in 1993-94 in Hilton Head Island, SC, so the Nittany Lions have a 2-0 lead in that series. Ironically, the two teams are scheduled to play this year on December 19th in Myrtle Beach, SC.
The most famous meeting of the two schools in college athletics took place at the 1988 Florida Citrus Bowl on the gridiron. Clemson won that game, 35-10, handing Joe Paterno the worst bowl defeat of his head coaching career.
No Clemson (2-3, 0-0) Pos NO Penn State (3-0) 1 Will Solomon 6-1 170 So. G 3 Joe Crispin 6-1 177 Jr. (17.2 PPG., 4.2 RPG) (14.3 PPG., 4.3 RPG)24 Dustin Braddick 6-5 210 So. G 5 Jon Crispin 6-2 190 Fr. (7.6 PPG., 7.6 RPG) (9.7 PPG., 3.7 APG)55 Adam Allenspach 7-1 265 Jr. C 54 Carl Jackson 6-9 247 Sr. (11.4 PPG., 9.0 RPG ) (4.3 PPG., 2.7 RPG)42 Chucky Gilmore 6-8 265 So. F 31 Jarrett Stephens 6-7 255 Sr. (4.0 PPG., 6.4 RPG) (21.0 PPG., 9.3 RPG)32 Arturas Javtokas 6-10 250 Jr. F 33 Titus Ivory 6-4 210 Sr. (4.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG ) (12.7 PPG., 6.3 RPG)
Head Coach: Larry Shyatt (College of Wooster '73) Head Coach: Jerry Dunn (George mason '80) 22-18 at Clemson, 2nd year 66-51 at Penn State and overall, 5th year 41-27 overall, 3rd year 0-0 vs. Clemson 0-0 vs. Penn State
Clemson in the Big East vs. ACC Challenge
This is the first year of the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge. Clemson was involved in two games in the ACC vs. Big East Challenge earlier this decade. Clemson played in that event twice, in 1989-90 and 1990-91. The Tigers split the two games, a 71-70 win over Providence in a game played in Greensboro, and a 78-62 loss to Seton Hall in a game played in Syracuse, NY.
The Providence game had a touch of irony in that Clemson defeated future head coach Rick Barnes in that contest. The Tigers went on to win their only ACC regular season championship in history that year. Providence also went on to a solid season and played in the NCAA Tournament.
Clemson vs. the Big Ten
Clemson has a 4-10 record against Big Ten teams over the years. This is the first time Clemson has faced Penn State, but the seventh time Clemson has faced a Big Ten team in the last five years. Clemson had just eight games with Big Ten teams before 1994-95.
Clemson lost to Michigan, 59-56 at the Maui Classic on November 23 of last year and also played Illinois in the BiLo Center, a 67-50 Illini victory. In 1997-98, Illinois defeated Clemson in the United Center in Chicago, 76-61.
Clemson had two games with Big Ten Champion Minnesota in 1996-97, losing both contests, one in the championship of the San Juan Shootout and one in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio. The Tigers last win over a Big Ten team took place against Minnesota in a game at Clemson in 1995-96 by a 79-66 score. Clemson has lost five in a row to Big Ten teams.
Overall, Clemson is 1-0 vs. Indiana, 0-2 vs. Illinois, 0-2 vs. Michigan, 2-0 vs. Purdue, 0-2 vs. Iowa, 1-4 vs. Minnesota. Clemson’s victory over a 15th ranked Indiana team at the 1980 Rainbow Classic remains Clemson’s only victory in history over a team that went on to win the National Championship. Clemson won that contest , 58-57.
Tigers From Pennsylvania
There are not many ties between Clemson and the state of Pennsylvania, at least on the current Tiger team. Assistant Coach Matt Driscoll was born in Pittsburgh and is a graduate of Northgate High School. He is a graduate from Slippery Rock and also served as the head coach at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh from 1993-97.
However, there is some history as far as Clemson players from the Pittsburgh area in the 1960s. Head Coach Press Maravich was from Aliquippa, PA and brought many fine players to Clemson from Pennsylvania. Bobby Roberts continued the tradition. Clemson has had 32 players from the state of Pennsylvania since the ACC was formed in 1954, and 22 of them played for the Tigers in the 1960s.
Among the players brought to Clemson from Pennsylvania in the 1960s were All-ACC guard Jim Brennan (McKeesport), Gary Burnisky (Bridgeville), who is Clemson’s second ranked free throw shooter of all-time, and Butch Zatezalo, Clemson’s number-three scorer of all-time. Zatezalo was from Aliquippa, the same home as Maravich. McKeesport was a popular place for Clemson recruiters. Six players from that town came to Clemson in the 1960s. Over the years Clemson has had five players from Pittsburgh.
In the 1979-80 season one of Clemson’s top players off the bench was Chris Dodds, a native of State College. Chubby Wells, a leader of the 1976-77 team that finished 22-6, was a native of Philadelphia.
This will be Clemson’s first appearance in the state of Pennsylvania since the 1973-74 season. That year, Tree Rollins’s freshman year, the Tigers played in the Steel Bowl Tournament in Pittsburgh. Clemson lost to Florida State, 65-58 in the opener on December 7, then defeated Duquesne in the consolation game, 71-66.
Clemson Defense Still Strong
Clemson has struggled on offense, but the defense has been outstanding in all five games so far this season. “We have played well enough defensively and in terms of rebounding to be victorious in each game so far this season,” said Larry Shyatt at the conclusion of the SoCon Holiday Hoops.
So far this year, Clemson opponents are shooting just 36.5 percent from the field overall and are averaging just 58.2 points per game. No Clemson opponent has shot over 42 percent against the Tigers this year. In the three games at the SoCon Holiday Hoops, Clemson actually outshot the opposition, 36.7 percent to 35.4 percent, yet lost two of three games. Clemson scored just 45 points a game on offense in that tournament.
Clemson ranks second in the ACC in field goal percentage defense, trailing only Wake Forest. The Tigers are third in scoring defense and second in rebound margin.
Defense has been a hallmark of Larry Shyatt coached teams. Clemson opponents scored just 64.7 points a game last year and shot just 41.1 percent from the field. The Tigers led the ACC and ranked in the top 20 in the nation in scoring defense last year. Shyatt’s Wyoming team was in the top five in the nation in field goal percentage defense and scoring defense in 1997-98.
As you can see by the charts below, Clemson is near a record pace in terms of field goal percentage defense and scoring defense this year, but it has not resulted in a winning record at this juncture of the season.
Clemson Top Scoring Defense Seasons (Last 50 years)
Clemson top Field Goal % Defense Seasons (Last 40 Years)
Allenspach Chosen for All-Tournament Team
Clemson center Adam Allenspach was named to the all-tournament team at the SoCon Holiday Hoops at the BiLo Center in Greenville over Thanksgiving weekend. He was Clemson’s only selection to the team. For the three games, Allenspach had 28 points and 28 rebounds.
He was the third leading rebounder in the event. He averaged 33 minutes per game and also did a fine job on defense, holding opposing starting centers to 5-21 shooting and just 19 total points. He held Oregon State’s 6-10 Jason Heide, the team’s top scorer, to 2-9 shooting and just eight points in 30 minutes.
In the first round of ACC stats, Allenspach is currently fourth in the league in rebounding with a 9.0 average.
Scott Makes First Appearance
Clemson freshman guard Edward Scott made his first appearance of the season in the Wisconsin-Green Bay game at the BiLo Center on November 27. The 4A Player of the Year in South Carolina last year missed the first three games of the season due to a broken left foot (fifth metatarsal bone), an injury that he suffered on October 27 in practice.
Scott then suffered a toe injury in the Wisconsin-Green Bay game on his right foot, and that injury limited his effectiveness in terms of speed and agility against Oregon State. It certainly affected his jump shooting ability. His broken foot game through the tournament without swelling or further injury.
Scott shot just 4-19 in the two games at the BiLo Center, but did have just two turnovers in 65 minutes of play. That includes 33 minutes without a turnover against Oregon State.
“I was very impressed with what Edward was able to do in the tournament. He had not practiced in four weeks, but had picked up many aspects of our plan while watching in practice. He will improve with practice time. That is one of our problems, a lack of practice time due to our schedule.”
SoCon Holiday Hoops Review
Clemson won one of three games at the SoCon Holiday Hoops over Thanksgiving weekend at the BiLo Center in Greenville, SC. The Tigers defeated Central Florida in the opening round 54-48, then dropped consecutive decisions to Wisconsin-Green Bay (64-47) and Oregon State (53-35).
As the scores demonstrate, Clemson had its problems putting points on the board, but played well on defense and in terms of rebounding throughout the event.
For the three games, Clemson scored just 45.3 points a game and shot just 36.7 percent from the field. As bad as that sounds, Clemson actually had a higher field goal percentage in the three games than the opposition. Turnover margin certainly was a factor, as Clemson had 42 in the three games. The 14.0 average is certainly not bad, but the opposition committed just 24 in the three games combined.
Clemson made just 8-43 three-point goals in the three games, 18.6 percent. Many of the attempts were in the closing moments when Clemson was trying to catch up. The Tigers also made just 46.2 percent from the foul line. Clemson opponents made 69.4 percent from the line.
Clemson’s leading scorer for the three games at the BiLo Center was Will Solomon with 37 points. He also had 13 rebounds. Adam Allenspach had 28 points and 28 rebounds, while Dustin Braddick had 21 points and 24 rebounds for the three games. Braddick, who starts at guard, not his natural position, was second in rebounding for the Tigers in the event.
Clemson’s Last Game Oregon State 53, Clemson 35
Clemson shot just 28 percent from the field, 18 percent on three-point shots and 50 percent from the foul line in a 53-35 loss to Oregon State in the last game of the SoCon Holiday Hoops at the BiLo Center in Greenville, SC on November 28. It was the fewest points by a Clemson team since the 1970 ACC Tournament when Clemson lost to South Carolina, 34-33.
Will Solomon led Clemson with 10 points and seven rebounds, while Arturas Jovtokas had eight points and four rebounds. Adam Allenspach had nine rebounds, but made just 1-7 shots from the field and scored two points. He held opposing center 6-10 Jason Heide to 2-9 shooting and eight points.
Clemson also had 17 turnovers on offense and forced just six. That turnover margin stat overshadowed Clemson’s 42-32 margin in terms of rebounding.
The two teams battled on fairly even terms in the first half. Oregon State led 21-17 at intermission, as both teams strugged from the field. Clemson made 7-22 shots in the first half, while Oregon State was 10-29.
Clemson’s shooting got worse in the second half as the Tigers made just 7-27 from the field. Oregon State countered with four three-point goals in the second half and pulled away to a 40-27 lead with 8:53 left. Clemson cut the margin under 10 with 6:16 left, but could get no closer. The Tigers were outscored 32-18 in the second half.
Jurkunas Top Returnee for 2000
Andrius Jurkunas showed considerable improvement over the last 13 games of 1998-99. He scored in double figures in seven of those 13 games, including a 16-point effort against Georgia and a 14-point performance against Rutgers in the NIT. He averaged 10.6 points a game for the NIT, third on the team in that category. Jurkunas rebounding figures improved also as he had at least six rebounds in five of the last eight games. He had just three games of six rebounds in the first 27 games.
Jurkunas is a red-shirt senior in 1999-2000 and is the leading returning scorer off his 7.6 average in 1998-99. He is also the team’s leading returnee in three-point goals with 51, in rebounding at 3.8, and in free throw percentage at .695. He started 24 of the 35 games last year and is the only returning starter in 1999-00. He shot 46 percent on three-point shots in ACC play last year, fourth best in the ACC for league games.
Jurkunas had 13 points in the opener against ETSU and had seven defensive rebounds. He followed that with nine points and six rebounds playing all 40 minutes for the first time in his career, against Wofford. In the third game of the season he sustained a broken right thumb and will be limited by the injury for five weeks. He could see spot duty to rebound and play defense. He did not play in the last two games of the SoCon Holiday Hoops.
Clemson Had 39-game Non-Conference Home Streak
Clemson saw its 39-game home winning streak against non-conference teams end on November 21 when Wofford defeated the Tigers, 79-74.
Clemson was 9-0 in 1998-99 in non-conference home games in Littlejohn Coliseum and had a 39-game winning streak in non-ACC games in the Littlejohn dating to the 1993-94 season. South Carolina defeated Clemson in Littlejohn that year, but Clemson has won every non-conference home game at Littlejohn since then.
The Tigers are 74-4 in non-conference games in Littlejohn Coliseum in the 1990s with the only other losses coming to South Carolina in 1993-94, and to UNC Charlotte and Temple during the 1990-91 season. The 1998-99 Clemson seniors were 29-0 in non-conference games at home and 50-10 in non-conference games regardless of site.
Clemson is 61-16 in non-conference games the last five years, regardless of site.
The Tigers are now 341-116 in Littlejohn Coliseum overall (ACC and non-conference), a .748 winning percentage. That includes a 223-21 mark in non-conference games, a .914 winning percentage over 32 years.
Jurkunas Sets Three-point goal Record
Clemson senior Andrius Jurkunas became Clemson’s career three-point goal leader among forwards when he made a pair of three-point goals against Wofford on November 21. He has 110 for his career, four more than former teammate and roomate Tony Christie.
Jurkunas had 51 three-point goals as a freshman and as a junior. Injury problems on 1996-97 gave him shooting problems all year and he made just 3-38 from long range. Christie finished his career with 106 three-point goals. Both played together at St. John’s at Prospect Hall in 1994-95.
Overall, Jurkunas is sixth in Clemson history in career three-point goals. If he makes 50 his senior year, he will rank third in Clemson history trailing only Terrell McIntyre and Chris Whitney, both point guards.
Clemson Career Three-Point Goal Leaders
Jurkunas Over 100 Three-Point Goals
Clemson forward Andrius Jurkunas has 110 career three-point goals. The native of Lithuania made 51 three-point goals in 1998-99, the exact same number he scored as a freshman in 1995-96. Jurkunas has now made 110 of 313 career three-point goals, a .357 accuracy mark. That includes a 3-38 shooting in 1996-97 when he played a limited role due to a knee injury.
Jurkunas stands 6-9 and is an unusual player in that he is capable of defending on the inside, but its also a capable scorer on the outside. Jurkunas is now one of just four players in ACC history standing 6-9 or taller to make over 100 three-point goals in a career. The others to do it are Tom Gugliotta of NC St, Michael Maddox of Georgia Tech, and Danny Ferry of Duke.
Jurkunas has 61 blocked shots to go with his 110 career three-point goals. He entered 1999-2000 as one of just 10 players in ACC history with at least 100 three-point goals and at least 50 blocked shots. No player in ACC history has had at least 100 three-point goals and 100 blocked shots. Jurkunas would need 44 blocked shots his senior year to do it. Maddox of Georgia Tech came the closest with 133 three-point goals and 93 blocked shots.
ACC Players with 100 Career 3s and 50 Blocked Shots
Head Coach Larry Shyatt
Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt had a 20-15 record in his first year as Clemson Head Coach. He guided Clemson to the Championship of the NIT, a 61-60 loss to California. The 20 victories were a record for a Clemson coach in his first year and he was just the fourth coach in ACC history to win at least 20 in his rookie year with an ACC program.
Shyatt was the head coach at Wyoming in 1997-98 and posted a 19-9 ledger and berth in the NIT. Thus, he had a 39-24 record as a head coach entering this year. This is his 25th year in college coaching, his third as a head coach. In 15 of his last 16 years the team he has coached (head or assistant) has gone to the NIT of the NCAA.
Shyatt has also had assistant coaching stints at Utah, Cleveland State, New Mexico and Providence in addition to his three years as associate head coach at Clemson under Rick Barnes.
Clemson Stat Leaders in Exhibition Play
Clemson had a 2-0 record in exhibition games this preseason. The Tigers played well in most phases of the game, except for free throw shooting, a problem that has hurt the Clemson program for many years. In fact, Clemson has gone 13 straight seasons without shooting 70 percent from the line as a team.
Clemson made 65-129 shots from the field in the two exhibtion games, 50.3 percent. That included 11-30 on three-point shots, 37 percent. Clemson held the opposition to 37 percent shooting, including 29 percent on three-point shots. Clemson also won the rebound battle 91-58 in the two games combined and outscored the opposition by 44 total points.
Individually, Will Solomon was the top scorer with 42 points, followed by Adam Allenspach with 40. Solomon also led in assists with 13 and steals with five. Allenspach recorded his 40 points in just 51 minutes of play, and he also led the team in rebounds with 15. Andrius Jurkunas was third among scorers with 27 points, he also had 13 rebounds and seven assists. Chucky Gilmore had 21 points and 15 rebounds, including 11 offensive, the high total on the team.
The newcomers were led by Tomas Nagys with 16 points and eight rebounds in just 25 minutes. He shot 7-12 from the floor. Arturas Jovtokas contributed seven points and seven rebounds.
Three Walk-ons Join Team
Three walk-ons have joined the Clemson roster for this year. The three players joined the program in mid-October and are members of the roster. The group is led by Jeremy Shyatt, a freshman from Clemson and Daniel High. He is the son of Clemson Head Coach Larry Shyatt. Jeremy will become just the second ACC player to play at an ACC school for his father. Chucky Driesell played for his father Lefty at Maryland from 1981-85.
The other two walk-ons are J.D. Powell and Michael Crocker. Powell is in his second year as a walk-on. The 6-2 guard from Westminster, SC, connected on a three-point goal in the closing moments of the Georgia Tech game last year in the final home contest of the season. Crocker is a 6-6 forward from Newberry, SC. Both his parents are Clemson graduates. He was more noted for his abilities in soccer in high school. He set the Newberry High scoring record in soccer with 70 career goals.
1999 Seniors All Playing Basketball
Where have the seniors of 1998-99 gone? They are all doing well and are all still in the game of basketball. Tony Christie is playing professionally in England, while Terrell McIntyre is playing for a team in France, but is injured at this time. Tom Wideman and Harold Jamison are both playing in the United States. Wideman has landed a spot on the roster of the Fort Wayne Fury of the CBA, while Jamison started the year on the injured list of the Miami Heat of the NBA. But, Jamison was expected to move to the active roster soon.
Wideman already has his degree from Clemson and concluded his career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in Clemson history. A year ago he was the recipient of the Weaver-James-Corrigan Scholarship from the ACC. He was also an Academic All-District Choice and a recipient of an NCAA Scholarship. Through three games with the Fort Wayne Fury, Wideman was averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds a game.
The four players led Clemson to 79 wins the last four years, the second highest victory total for one Clemson class in Clemson history. They were major reasons Clemson has been to three NCAAs and one NIT championship game the last four seasons.
Signees for Class of 2000
Clemson head men’s basketball coach Larry Shyatt announced on Wednesday that four players, including three from the state of North Carolina, signed with the Tiger program on the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period.
Dwon Clifton, De’on Dixon, Chris Hobbs, and Tony Stockman all made their commitments to the Clemson program official on Wednesday.
“These players come from four wonderful families,” stated Shyatt. “These are four young men who are very focused about working towards gaining degrees, as well as improving their basketball skills during their four years here at Clemson.
“I thought we really needed to get some experience and talent in the backcourt in particular where we had some key openings due to both graduation and losses of late,” added Shyatt.
“Tony Stockman could well be one of the most creative and exciting point guards in the country and Dwon Clifton gives us size in the backcourt which we haven’t had in years. What’s also exciting is the fact that De’on Dixon could someday make the switch from a 6-8 athletic wing to a backcourt player. Chris Hobbs gives us an impressive strength presence inside and he comes in as probably the strongest high school prospect to ever sign at Clemson at 6-7, 250 pounds.”
“Stockman is capable of playing both guard spots, but is a tremendous lead guard candidate,” Shyatt said. “Clifton has tremendous athleticism and scoring guard skills, but could also someday be a lead guard. So that potential is out there for both Stockman and Clifton.”
Clifton is a 6-4, 195 pound guard from High Point, NC. He has the ability to play both guard positions and is described as an excellent shooter. Clifton averaged 24 points per game as a junior at Westchester Academy and also pulled down 8.5 rebounds per game and dished out 5.0 assists per game for coach Pat Kahny. He is listed among the nation’s top-100 in several publications, including PrepStars Magazine which has him 40th and Bob Gibbons who tabbed him 52nd.
Dixon is a senior at 71st High School in Fayetteville, NC, the same high school that current Tiger forward Chucky Gilmore attended. Dixon is coached by Bernie Poole and averaged 12 points per game and seven rebounds per game as a junior. The 6-8, 185-pound forward also had 3.5 assists per game and 3.5 blocks per game last season.
Hobbs is a 6-7, 250-pound senior at East Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, NC. As a junior, the power forward averaged 19.4 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game for coach Ray Hartsfield’s club. Those numbers helped Hobbs earn the Triad 3-A Player of the Year award. He was also a first-team all-state pick by the Associated Press. Bob Gibbons rated Hobbs as the number-eight junior in the country and he has been tabbed among the top-40 in several recruiting publications.
Stockman plays at Medina High School in Medina, OH for coach Jody Peters. Stockman is a 6-1, 165 pound guard who is described as a good shooter and ball handler. As a junior at Medina, he averaged 19 points, four assists, and two steals per game. This past summer, Stockman played at the Five Star Camp in Pittsburgh, PA.
“I am proud of our coaching staff, Scott Duncan, Darren Tillis, Matt Driscoll and Anthony Solomon. They worked hard on this class and recruited these young men with class and dignity,” said Shyatt.
Note – Stats are from junior seasons @ – Denotes assists per game
Clemson 3-Pt Streak at 283 Consecutive Games
Clemson has a streak of 283 consecutive games with at least a three-point goal. The streak dates to the 1990-91 season when the Tigers were 0-7 from long range in an 81-55 loss at Wake Forest. Clemson was also 0-17 that year in a home loss to UNC Charlotte.
Clemson has made just 17 of 75 three point goals this year and has made at least two in every game. Leading the way has been Will Solomon with 10 three-pointers in the five games, while Andrius Jurkunas has five. Clemson struggled on three-point shooting in the last three games, all at the BiLo Center. Clemson was 8-53 from three-point range in those three games.
Clemson Rebound Margin Still Strong
One of Clemson’s strong suits last year was rebounding. Clemson ranked eighth in that area last year with a +7.2 margin per game. Harold Jamison led the way with 9.9 per game, 18th best in the nation, while Tom Wideman added 7.1 per game, eighth best in the ACC. Both are still playing professionally.
Rebounding has not declined so far this year. Clemson is +8.0 rebounds per game for the first five contests and it has been a balanced effort so far. Adam Allenspach leads the way with 9.0 per game, while guard Dustin Braddic has a 7.6 average. Chucky Gilmore has added 6.4 per contest and point guard Will Solomon has 4.2 per game.
Clemson has outrebounded the opposition in four of the five games this year, including four by at least nine rebounds. Wisconsin-Green Bay is the only team to outrebound Clemson this year and that was by just four. Clemson was +10 on the boards against the large and strong Oregon State team.
Clemson outrebounded the opposition in each of its last seven games a year ago. That means the Tigers have won the battle of the boards 11 of the last 12 games. Larry Shyatt has been the head coach at Clemson for 40 games and Clemson has been beaten on the boards just seven times.
Solomon Top Scorer
Clemson sophomore guard Will Solomon is off to quite a start in terms of scoring. The native of East Hartford, CT has scored 17.2 points a game for the first five contests of the season, up from his 6.3 average a year ago. He has led Clemson in scoring in four of the five games and has at least double figures in every game. He had 21 in the opener against East Tennessee State and 28 in the second game against Wofford.
Solomon was the first Clemson player to score at least 20 points in the first two games of the season since 1986-87 when Horace Grant opened the season with 30 against Georgia State and 27 against Boston University. Grant went on to become the ACC MVP that year, Clemson’s only ACC MVP in history. He also averaged 21 points per game that season, the only Tiger to average at least 20 a game over the last 30 seasons.
Solomon has made 19-40 shots from the field and 6-10 from the foul line in the first two games. His 28 points against Wofford were a career high for hte sophomore who averaged 6.3 points a game a year ago. He played all 40 minutes against Wofford.
Solomon’s scoring dropped a bit in the SoCon Holiday Hoops. With Andrius Jurkunas out of the lineup, teams doubled up on Solomon, and his ability to get open shots diminished.He still scored 37 points in the three games, including 15 in the 53-47 low scoring victory over Central Florida.
Wofford 79, Clemson 74
Ian Chadwick scored 27 points behind 7-13 three-point shooting, leading Wofford to a 79-74 victory over Clemson on November 21. The Wofford victory ended Clemson’s 39-game home non-conference winning streak and a 42-game streak at home against Southern Conference teams.
Will Solomon led Clemson with 28 points on 11-24 shooting. He also had seven rebounds and played all 40 minutes. Adam Allenspach added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Dustin Braddick added 12 points and seven rebounds. The point total was a career high. Chucky Gilmore was the top rebounder for Clemson with eight.
Clemson was in great shape, leading 61-44 with 10:28 left. But, at that point Chadwick started dropping in three-point goals. Wofford went on an incredible 19-0 run to take a 63-61 lead with 4:29 left.
Wofford continued its fine shooting down the strech and held on to the victory. Clemson struggled over the last 10:28 of the game. The Tigers made just 3-22 shots from the field, were 0-12 on three-point shots and had no assists against nine turnovers. Clemson had committed just eight turnovers in the first 29 minutes of the game.
Clemson 77, East Tennessee State 47
Clemson opened its season with a 30-point victory over East Tennessee State. Clemson jumped to a 46-22 lead at intermission, putting on a fine exhibition in all phases of the game except free throw shooting.
But, even foul shooting was outstanding over the last half and Clemson gained an easy victory. Will Solomon led the way with 21 points, while Adam Allenspach had the first double-double of his career. The 7-1 center had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Andrius Jurkuans added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Clemson won the rebound battle 42-29 and shot 57 percent from the field for the game. ETSU shot just 34.5 percent from the field and made just 2-11 three-point shots. The Bucs had led the Southern Conference in three-point shooting in 1998-99 with a 38 percent figure.
Clemson Has Young Roster
Clemson has one of the youngest teams in the nation with only one senior and one junior with previous Division I experience listed on its roster. This is the youngest Clemson team since the 1987-88 season when Grayson Marshall was the only senior and Jerry Pryor was the only junior among scholarship players. That Clemson team finished 14-15, but did qualify for the NIT.
This year’s Clemson team has one senior, Andrius Jurkunas, and two juniors, Adam Allenspach and Arturas Javtokas, among scholarship players. Walk-on Michael Crocker is a junior, but is in his first year with the program.
The young veteran Clemson players have been asked to step up their play considerably from last year. The five players returning from last year have made large jumps in terms of playing time and scoring. Will Solomon’s scoring average is quadruple what it was last year, from 6.3 points to 17.2. Here is a list of improvements among the Clemson veterans this year
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