Clemson Grit growing beyond the local identity with new national ranking

Chase Hunter has continued to be a key leader in the Clemson attack.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Friday, December 13 2024

CLEMSON - If Chase Hunter could find one word to describe this team, his would be “gritty.”

The word may be a little on the nose, but he certainly has reason to believe that description is justified.

After such an emotional high against Kentucky, a trip to Coral Gables on a Saturday afternoon facing a sluggish Miami team had “trap game” written all over it.

It seemed Clemson was walking closely into falling into a letdown, but Hunter led his group to find their sixth straight win on the season.

The Tigers now sit at 9-1 (1-0 ACC), looking to wrap up non-conference play on a positive note. They also sit ranked 16th in the country and 14th in NET rankings.

With such a new-look unit heading into the 2024-25 season, a 9-1 start maybe wasn’t what Brad Brownell envisioned.

However, he witnessed an emotional maturity that is tough to find so early into the year.

Going from a massive turnout against a top-five Kentucky team to a pretty underwhelming atmosphere on the road are factors that can mentally be tough to overcome.

In games like that, Brownell said you have to find a deeper will to compete, and his guys rose to the challenge.

“Yeah, good maturity,” Brownell said. “That's important. That was a hard game. It was certainly Miami that was ready to play with first ACC game. Obviously, the atmosphere was completely different. It wasn't electric, and you just kind of had to really want to be out there and compete, and our guys did. We knew that Miami was going to play well. I thought they were very competitive in terms of their defensive approach and our guys just had to find ways to make some plays down the stretch, you don't shoot the ball well, we had a lot of good shots in the first half, and missed a bunch, and so sometimes you're not shooting it as well. Your perimeter guys aren't shooting as well. You got to find other ways to win. I thought we kind of did that in that game.”

That kind of “grit” can be found all over this roster, with the addition of Boston College’s Jaeden Zackery proving to be a seamless fit to Brownell’s culture.

His impact has been seen mostly on the defensive side, but his game on the other side of the ball has continued to mesh with the offense Clemson likes to roll out.

That word, in Brownell’s mind, isn’t just some inherent characteristic that is displayed as part of Clemson’s identity.

It is a talent that has to grow. In his mind, this team has plenty of it.

“Yeah, we talk about it,” Brownell said. "Toughness is a talent. A lot of coaches talk about that effort is part of that sustaining effort is something that we've talked about with our team this year. I think Ian and Jayden both come to mind in terms of just guys that play consistently really hard for long periods, play through fatigue, and do tough things throughout a game that gives you a chance to win, and I do think that it can permeate through your program and through your team when you've got guys that are competing like that, and you're showing examples of that in film and practice, and you're talking about it, and it certainly can bring the energy level of your team up, and those guys are both really good at that.”

Schieffelin certainly embodies that idea of Brownell’s idea of talent, leading the country in rebounds and recently hauling in 20 against Kentucky.

That kind of willingness to do the small things has been a staple of why this team has been so successful. In Schieffelin’s mind, nobody is shy about doing the little things.

Tough defense, shot-making, and a spirited effort on the boards have defined this Tiger team for quite some time, and now it's gaining national recognition.

Another challenge will test this group's " grit,” with an early wake-up call (11 a.m./ESPN2 on Saturday) against a Memphis team that could prove to be another boost to the surging March resume.

Follow that up with a road trip to Columbia on Tuesday to face the rival Gamecocks, and the non-conference slate will come to a close.

Hunter’s one word may no longer just be associated with the culture that’s defined Brad Brownell’s tenure, but a sign that “Clemson Grit” is synonymous with a growing power in basketball.

That identity will be put to the test on Saturday morning, but this group believes they are made of the right stuff to combat just that.