TheACC.com Feature: Booker Assumes Leadership Role in Front Court for Clemson

Jan. 15, 2009

GREENSBORO, NC – Ask Clemson’s Oliver Purnell about the importance of establishing a strong inside game, particularly with a player like Trevor Booker, and he changes from a basketball coach into a professor.

“It’s Basketball 101,” Purnell said. “If you have an inside player who’s very capable, you want to establish that. It gives you balance, it puts pressure on the opposing team’s front line, it allows you to score down inside and get Trevor going. They (opposing defenses) have got to make a decision whether they’re going to sag or double-down. If they do, you can play off of that.”

Most recently, James Mays held down that important role for the Tigers. Now it has been passed to Booker, a 6-7, 235-pound junior. Booker has started every game since he stepped on campus and provided solid, reliable play. This season he has embraced the role as the front line leader and gone from a complementary role to a dominant one…

Click here to read the complete article on theACC.com.