Will Solomon’s 41-Point Game, 5th Best In The Nation

Jan. 25, 2001

Solomon’s 41-Point Game, 5th best in the Nation

Will Solomon’s 41-point scoring game against Georgia Tech on January 24 ranks in a tie for the fifth highest scoring game in the nation this year. The top figure is the 44-point outing by Okechi Egbe of Tennessee-Martin against Bethel on November 20th. There have been two 43-point games and one 42-point outing across the country this year at the Division I level.

Four other players have had a 41-point outing this season. It was the highest scoring game by an ACC player this year, the second year in a row Solomon can make that claim. He had a 43-point game against Virginia last year on January 15th.

Highest Scoring Games in Division I 1999-2000

Solomon’s 41-point Outing Sixth Best in Clemson History

Will Solomon’s 41-point scoring game against Georgia Tech was the sixth highest scoring performance in Clemson history. It was just the seventh game of 40 points or more by a Tiger player dating to 1912, the first year of Clemson basketball. Solomon, Bill Yarborough and Butch Zatezalo now each have two 40-point scoring games apiece.

Solomon is the only Clemson player since 1970 to have a 40-point scoring game. Butch Zatezalo was the last player before Solomon to do it.

Solomon made 13-22 shots from the field, 7-12 three-point attempts and 8-9 from the foul line in his 41-point game against Tech. He played all 40 minutes. The native of East Hartford, CT scored 26 points in the first half when he made 8-12 from the field, including 6 of his first 7.

J.O. Erwin has the Clemson single game scoring record with 58 points in just the second game in Clemson basketball history. Erwin had 29 field goals for 58 total points in Clemson’s 78-6 win that afternoon. It was actually the second game of the day for Erwin and the Tigers. Earlier at Furman, Erwin had 22 points in a win over Furman. Thus, he scored 80 points that day, the reason Clemson has a single day scoring record that is different from its single game scoring record in the Clemson basketball press guide.

Clemson Single Game Scoring Bests

N2–at Greenville, SC, N1–at Charlotte, NC

Solomon on Hot Streak

Will Solomon has scored 71 points over his last two games. He scored 30 at Wake Forest on January 21 and 41 against Virginia on January 24th. His shooting stats breakdown to 22-39 on overall field goals (.564), 12-23 on three-point shots (.522) and 15-18 on free throw shooting (.833) for the two games combined. The 71 points scored in consecutive games is a high for Solomon. The record for points scored in consecutive games by a Clemson player is 81, set by Butch Zatezalo during the 1968-69 season.

Zatezalo, scored 35 against North Carolina on February 15th, 1969, then scored 46 against Wake Forest on Feb. 18, 1969. He followed that with 25 against Maryland on Feb. 23, 1969, giving him 106 for a three-game period. That is the three-game record, so Solomon would have to scored 37 against Virginia to break the three-game mark.

Solomon Career Scoring Average 6th in Clemson History

With his recent scoring burst, Will Solomon has moved to seventh in Clemson history on the points per game chart. Solomon has averaged at least 20 points a game over the last two years to raise his average to 15.33 for his 82-game career. He moved ahead of Elden Campbell on a per game basis with his 41-point scoring binge against Georgia Tech.

Solomon now ranks second among players who played during an era of freshman eligibility. Bill Yarborough is the only player who played four years that is above Solomon. All the others were not eligible until their sophomore years under NCAA rules during the 1953-73 period. (Note that Randy Mahaffey played part of a fourth season, but red-shirted due to injury).

Solomon has moved to 16th in Clemson history in total points scored (1257), second in career three-point goals (184), third in three-point goals per game (2.24), eighth in three-point percentage (.372), eighth in 20-point games (27), and seventh in scoring average.

Clemson Career Scoring Average Leaders

Solomon Outstanding vs. Ranked Teams

Will Solomon has been outstanding against top flight competition this year. In six games against top 20 teams he has scored 155 points, a 25.8 average. In those six games he has shot 49 percent from the field, 47.3 percent on three-point attempts and 81.8 percent from the foul line. All those figures are better than his stats against unranked teams. Solomon has five games of at least 30 points this year and four of them have come against Top 20 teams.

In his most recent outing against a ranked team, Solomon scored 30 points at ninth-ranked Wake Forest. He made 9-17 shots from the field, 5-11 on three-point shots and 7-9 from the foul line. He also added three rebounds and three steals. Earlier this year he scored 31 against a 10th ranked Seton Hall team, 32 against a 20th ranked Cincinnati team and 32 against a 17th ranked Maryland team. In the Seton Hall game he scored those 31 points in just 30 minutes.

Solomon against Ranked Teams in 2000-01

Solomon Improved over Last Year

Clemson guard Will Solomon was named first-team All-ACC last year as a sophomore, the first Clemson guard to be named first team in 20 years, the first sophomore or freshman to earn first-team honors from Clemson in 25 years. Based on his production so far this year, he will again be a strong candidate for the honor. No Clemson player in history has ever been first-team All-ACC in two different seasons.

Solomon has shown improvement in just about every area this year, including scoring and all three of the shooting percentages. He has done it while playing less time (36 minutes a game last year to 34.5 minutes a game this year). Additionally, his assist/turnover ratio is improved. As he did last year, his stats in ACC games are better than in non-conference games.