MBB, Brownell, and the desire to move on (long post)

Mar 9, 2024, 8:06 PM

So I've thought on the up and down of the past couple month of ACC play, entering January ranked and with only 1 loss, to being on edge of double digit losses 2 months later and trying to scratch out a 4th place finish and double bye in the ACCT. Watching this team looking like world-beaters 1 game to getting outplayed by an inferior opponent the next. I believe what I'm going to place here will sum up the feelings of those that desire to move on from Coach Brownell and their frustrations with Clemson basketball during his tenure.

This year is Brad's 14th in Clemson. He took over a program that had gone to 3 straight NCAA tournaments and been to 6 straight postseason appearances under Coach Purnell (who had to clean up alot from Larry Shyatt tenure). So with OP's players, he makes NCAA tournament (4th straight) and wins a play-in game. After that, barely made it above .500 2011-12, then led Clemson to 1st losing season since Purnell's 1st season. 2013-14, led by KJ McDaniels, barely missed out on NCAA (we all remember the famed no-call against Duke in ACCT QFs), essentially proved they were tournament caliber by making NIT semifinals. No seniors, majority of the team was coming back, should've set up for good things the following year, right? Well, then KJ declared for draft. Despite returning most of the players from the NIT semifinal squad, they fell back to barely above .500 the next 3 years, with only 1 postseason berth to show in the 3 year dropoff (the NIT 1st round choke job against Oakland).

Then we have 2017-18 season. Led by Gabe DeVoe and Donte Grantham, we had the Sweet 16 run. Really only lost those 2 off the team. Against, with most of the squad returning, they fall back the following year, washing out at home in NIT 2nd round against Wichita State. Barely made it above .500 the following season before COVID shut down everything in middle of ACCT. 2020-21, led by Amir Simms, we manage to get back to NCAAT. Then we fell into barely making it above .500 in 2022, then last season (thanks to ugly losses), missing the NCAAT despite a Top 4 finish in ACC, then having an ugly home loss in NIT 1st round. Now with 3 seniors (Hall, Hunter, and Girard), we're gonna make the tournament despite the roller-coaster effort in ACC.

All this is to explain why I think so many are frustrated with Brownell and ready to move on from him. The proof is there in 14 years...Brownell can't sustain success. He literally has to build to have that moment every 3-4 years, then it turns into a virtual rebuild with just the loss of 1-2 pieces. We may wash out in round 1 or round 3 of NCAA tournament, who knows with this bunch. But with 3 seniors leaving, myself and alot of others know what's coming next year - the fall is coming and just turns into another round of rebuilding for another 3-4 years. It's time for Clemson basketball to find someone that can build and sustain.

I don't say that lightly...I'm sure Brad's a great guy to meet in person and he's done good things (the Sweet 16 run is one of school's better seasons, won a world championship for Team USA, and got us our very 1st wins in Chapel Hill). At some point, just have to realize he's not the man that's gonna lead Clemson to break the glass ceiling.