"Clemson Basketball Will Be Faster...." (c/p)

Mar 28, 2015, 6:14 PM

(from the Charleston P&C---sorry if germanic)

Clemson basketball will be faster with new floor leader
Aaron Brenner
Aaron Brenner Email @Aaron_Brenner
Mar 28 2015 2:51 pm Mar 28 6:02 pm

×

CLEMSON — Unafraid to tackle the central issues head-on, Brad Brownell won’t stray from his methodical offensive system — but he knows he can retool.

He’ll have that opportunity next season, his sixth as Clemson’s head basketball coach. First and foremost, the Tigers (16-15 overall in 2014-15) need to put up more points after ranking dead-last in the ACC at 62.7 points per game.

“The trouble to score is hard to overcome after a while,” Brownell said during his season-ending news conference. “Our guys weren’t able to handle the pressure. That’s one of the things we’ll talk about: your game has to be confident enough to make plays, make shots, make free throws and go score or create offense for somebody else.”

Brownell was always a Rod Hall guy, but what Hall provided in efficiency he lacked in electricity.

In 129 games and 106 starts, both ranking in the top 10 in Clemson history, Hall made his share of big shots and generally didn’t turn the ball over. He also facilitated a plodding offense with almost no fast-break presence, which plagued the Tigers in higher-scoring affairs.

Who steps in to the spot vacated by Hall? Could be a West Coaster who’s been waiting his turn.

“Avry Holmes will have as good an opportunity as anyone,” Brownell said. “Avry was brought in here with the idea that’s what would happen, is he’ll transition to point guard. I do think Avry’s a little bit faster than Rod, and that will help us play a little faster at times.”

Holmes was a two-year player, and full-time starter in 2013-14, at San Francisco before transferring to Clemson and sitting out last year due to NCAA rules. He was able to practice all winter.

“He and Rod have had some good battles this year in practice. There are some differences in them,” Brownell said. “Avry is more inclined to score and a better shooter. He’s a tough guy as well. He’s probably not quite as steady as Rod — there’s going to be some up and down every once in a while with him that he’s going to have to learn how to play through and I’m going to have to coach him through some of that.”

Holmes not only will run a faster tempo, but he’ll contribute more than Hall from the 3-point line, which has been Clemson’s enemy in recent years. A sobering statistic: four players this year shot better than 30 percent from long distance: Hall (31.7 percent), senior Damarcus Harrison (34.8 percent), and outgoing transfer Patrick Rooks (6-of-19) were three.

Only Jordan Roper (30.4 percent) remains. Holmes, by comparison, shot 43.9 percent (98-223) from 3-point range in two years in the West Coast Conference, one of the better mid-major leagues in the country.

“Avry came to Clemson to play in the ACC,” Brownell said. “I joke with him sometimes, you’re going to get the opportunity, buddy. Be ready for it. Because you’re going to compete against pros.”

Brownell actively disagreed with Clemson’s reputation as a slow-it-down offense (though KenPom.com tempo ratings would support such notions) — saying he encourages runouts off of misses, particularly in the first half of games.

“Now, sometimes it’s the players that slow things down,” Brownell said. “That’s one of the things from playing with Rod the past few years. He’s not as fast and so it probably hurt us a little bit from getting a few easier baskets occasionally.”

It could be time for Gabe DeVoe to shine; though most of his freshman year was without impact. DeVoe scored eight, 18 and 10 points in three of Clemson’s last five games.

“I like the way he played late in the season. I think he got his feet underneath him and started to feel more comfortable,” Brownell said. “I think he had some productive minutes. He can stretch the court with deep shooting.”

Only Georgia Tech had worse shooting clips than the Tigers’ 40.9 percent overall and 29.9 percent on 3-pointers.

“I don’t think everything’s going to be drastically different, but we will continue to push, look to shoot early, if we can find a good shot, shoot it,” Brownell said. “I think we take a lot more quicker shots than people realize. Unfortunately, we don’t make enough.”

Comments

Message was edited by: tigrjm76®

flag link

military_tech

thumb_down

thumb_up

"Clemson Basketball Will Be Faster...." (c/p)

It will have to be

I am so ready for Brownell to be gone.

Re: "Clemson Basketball Will Be Faster...." (c/p)

Clemson Basketball is akin to Tommy West era football

TigerBoard POTD