Purnell, Booker Honored by Basketball Times

May 8, 2009

Clemson, SC – Clemson men’s basketball coach Oliver Purnell and junior Trevor Booker were honored in the April issue of Basketball Times. Purnell was chosen as the publication’s Mid-Atlantic Coach-of-the-Year, while Booker was included as one of five players on the All-District team.

Purnell guided the Tiger basketball squad to a record of 23-9 this past season, including 9-7 in the regular season of the ACC. For the fifth straight year, his team improved its overall winning percentage. Purnell is the first Clemson coach to guide his team to three consecutive 20-win seasons. Seven of the Tigers’ nine ACC wins in the regular season were by double digits, including a landmark upset of #3 Duke by a score of 74-47 on Feb. 4.

This is the second coaching honor bestowed upon Purnell for the 2008-09 season. In March, he was named District III Coach-of-the-Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

Booker led the Tigers in scoring and rebounding as a junior, and was named second-team All-ACC as a result of his outstanding play. The Whitmire, SC product averaged 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. He led the league in field goal percentage (.571) and rebounding, and ranked second among ACC players in blocked shots per game.

This is the third district honor Booker has collected. He was previously named All-District III by the USBWA and second-team All-District by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).