Box Score
CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson University men’s basketball began their 2019-20 season with an exhibition against the Division II Anderson Trojans on Wednesday. The contest at Littlejohn Coliseum served as the Tigers’ sole exhibition prior to the start of regular-season play. Four different Tigers scored in double figures on the evening, and Clemson won 75-48.
The Tigers were led by Aamir Simms who manned the charge for the Tigers with a double-double. Simms finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, leading Clemson in both categories. Three other Clemson players produced double-digit point totals, including Tiger newcomers Tevin Mack and Curran Scott, who scored 14 and 15 points, respectively. Clemson sharp shooter Hunter Tyson tallied 11 points and was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. As for Mack, he left his mark via a thunderous dunk out of the fast break. Guard Kai Rivers was Anderson’s leading scorer with 17 points.
In the first half, Clemson used an 18-6 run to take a 24-10 lead at the under-12 timeout and controlled the pace of the game the rest of the way. The Tigers sported a 34-15 advantage at halftime after shooting 40 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes of action. For the game, Clemson shot 48 percent from the field and outrebounded the Trojans 44-27. Khavon Moore, another Clemson newcomer, corralled seven of those 44 rebounds.
With the 75-48 victory in the books, Clemson will now turn its attention to the regular season. The Tigers are slated to open with an ACC matchup against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Littlejohn on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., with the game airing on ESPNU.
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Head Coach Brad Brownell
Opening statement“That was a pretty typical exhibition game. I thought our young players struggled early and didn’t play like they have been practicing. I thought our older guys played well, and for the guys that have played 75 games, this was just another game for them. I think Aamir (Simms) didn’t start the way he wanted to but kind of settled into the game. Our defense probably outplayed our offense. We turned the ball over too much and probably got sped up with the young players.”
On urgency in exhibition with season opener against conference opponent“Maybe a little bit with the quick turnaround with the conference game next week, but we were going to play everybody and get the 10 guys on scholarship about 10 minutes each. We take them all pretty seriously, but, in some of them, we may try some new lineups and tinker around with a few things.”
On Khavon Moore receiving a waiver from the NCAA and becoming eligible to play“I think he did fine. He’s one of those guys that’s very versatile. He has size and length, can handle the ball well and defend multiple positions. We all have to remember that he didn’t do much last year because he had a serious leg injury and just hasn’t had that much time.”
Forward Aamir Simms
Feelings about tonight and readiness for Virginia Tech in the season opener“I think next week we have a good vision of where we want to get to. I think once we sit down and watch film, we’ll have a good idea of what we need to do looking forward to next week. It was good to get out there with the guys and get the real in-game feeling. I think it was good for our freshmen to get their feet wet and get the feeling of playing in Littlejohn.
“Every game is a big game, especially when it’s a conference game to start off the season. I think once we sit down and watch film, we will have a good understanding of what not to do and learn from our mistakes.”
