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Legend [17612]
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Clemson Hoops - Difficult Topic
Mar 19, 2013, 9:02 PM
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Enjoyed D. Hood piece on Coach Brownell being given one more year to make Clemson Basketball relevant. I will pull for him ... and at the same time expect him to fail and hope I am wrong.
Make no mistake what truly matters in the Clemson sports universe is Clemson vs. UGA, Saturday night 8:00 pm. Clemson is a football school. Always has been always will be ... which doesn't mean we can't enjoy our hoops in the off season.
IMHO Clemson will not improve enough in 2013-14 to compete against Duke, UNC, Syracuse, Pitt, ND, improving UVA & BC, and diminished Miami and NCSU. More than half this year's roster are just not ACC caliber players.
Even expecting a bad season next year, our new Clemson AD understands waiting a year to hire a new coach will allow him to put some priorities in order including: 1) Focus on most important football season in 20-plus years, 2) Allow another year of Brownell's contract to wind down to minimize payout, 3) Plan capital improvements or replacement for Littlejohn, and 4) Perform due diligence on Brownell's replacement. There are some Larannaga's out there but not many.
RB and OP put credible products on the floor. As Mickey or Hood stated, they offered a brand that could give the fans a rooting interest. Clemson hoops fans, including me, are more than OK with 5th, 6th and 7th place finishes and the occasional 3rd place. This was the first time in twenty-some years I didn't make the 5-hr trek to watch the Clemson hoopsters and enjoy the greatest big time small town university in the US of A.
I will look forward to watching the GA Tech and/or GA Southern baseball weekend series in April.
$1.2MM is a lot of cash to pay Brownell for the product we put on the floor in 2012-13. Similar to pay raises for decent seasons, should there not be a pay for performance cut for losing the last 10 of 11 games? Another question is why bother to play Jennings and Booker after mid-season when they will not be on the team in 2013-14 and Brownell will be coaching for his job? What record will it take for Brownell to return in 2014-15? 8-8 in ACC? 7-9? 6-10?
A difficult topic as Brownell seems to be a highly paid good man with an untalented team (by ACC standards) and a fan base that his teams are keeping away from Littlejohn. Dr. RAD will give him his full support this off season & next season and likely a hand shake and a shrug this time next year. If there was ever a time for Clemson to seek out academically qualified JC players, this is the time. Coach Brownell, I hope you turn it around, prove me wrong and silence all the doubters.
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Orange Blooded [2587]
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Point for you...
Mar 19, 2013, 9:42 PM
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hope you get more. I like posts that are well thought and offers some substance. I too hope BB succeeds...he should have some time but more importantly he needs support while he is HC. Tigernet does not fire or hire coaches.
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CU Medallion [58417]
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Good post. I think you are dead on about DR's
Mar 19, 2013, 10:17 PM
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thinking going forward, but I do think that if Blossomgame and Rooks truly appear to be difference-makers, and if we show some improvement next year, Brownell will be back for at least another year. On the other hand, if Blossomgame and Rooks are more of the same not-quite ACC caliber as freshmen, and we don't show some real improvement next year, and he doesn't get commitments from some really big-time recruits, then Brownell is gone, and should be. Too bad, because I like him a lot and I think he's a really good basketball coach.
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Legend [19694]
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As for Brownell's salary
Mar 19, 2013, 10:25 PM
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1.2 million will make him the 2nd lowest paid coach in the ACC next year only ahead of BC's coach. It's not a lot of money in college basketball these days.
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1st Rounder [639]
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Re: As for Brownell's salary
Mar 20, 2013, 12:07 AM
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I think Clemson alumni/fans need to consider finding more creative ways to approach the basketball program. (if they intend to have any success in what will soon be an even more competitive ACC)
I think Duke, UNC, Syracuse etc. all offer a richer basketball tradition to recruits. The key for Clemson (IMO) is to figure out what makes Clemson a better option than the teams they compete with, (campus, weather) and focus on marketing that while improving in the areas where the other schools are clearly ahead. (tradition, facilities, head coach & free throws come to mind)
I would like to see Clemson invest/build a new basketball arena (on the west side of lake Hartwell) that overlooks the lake & campus. That would improve the facilities and use the campus as more of an asset.
I also think it would be wise to reconsider our head basketball coach. I think Clemson's best chance to compete with Duke, UNC, etc. is to get a young star coach. (therefore offering a complete contrast to older (and established) coach K, Williams, etc.) Stevens would be great, but Smart is probably more realistic IMO.
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Fan [65]
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Re: As for Brownell's salary
Mar 20, 2013, 8:02 AM
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Great Post! I like Brownell also but you have to be a great recruiter @ a school like Clemson. His defense first mentality is great however players even fans love scoring. If he could reinvent some of his philosophies it would help his recruiting. Coaches like Brownell need great assistants that can flat out recruit. I think Johnson to VaTech hurt him a ton. Would not hurt for Brownell get connections in the MD,DC area and the NE.
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Legend [19694]
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If?when guys like Stevens or Smart do move on
Mar 21, 2013, 12:45 PM
[ in reply to Re: As for Brownell's salary ] |
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they are going to an elite job. I'm not saying we can't have a great coach, but it will be someone we pluck who is rather unknown. Personally, I think if we are going to be patient in a sport, basketball is the sport we need to be patient in. If facilities and recruiting can improve, we have a coach who can make it work. Best bet here is to upgrade facilities and give this guy a chance to build something we've never had: a truly, consistent ACC caliber program
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1st Rounder [639]
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Re: If?when guys like Stevens or Smart do move on
Mar 23, 2013, 7:25 AM
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I like Brownell.
I just think if Clemson wants to compete in the expanded ACC, they may need to go in a different direction. I think going for a well respected, young coach would present a potential recruit with a stark contrast to coach K, Williams, etc.
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1st Rounder [639]
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Re: If?when guys like Stevens or Smart do move on
Mar 23, 2013, 7:29 AM
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I also think facilities are currently holding Clemson basketball recruiting back. (much like they did in football)
With Clemson's campus possibly being it's greatest asset, I think it makes sense to invest in a new basketball facility that takes full advantage of the views, resources, etc. that the Clemson campus offers.
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Legend [19694]
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We are not going to go head to head with elite programs in
Mar 23, 2013, 10:56 AM
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recruiting, no more than a Duke or Syracuse are going to go up against us in football. We were right there with a guy like Brice Williams until Roy Williams came calling. If Clemson is ever to have a truly consistent program it will be through being grittier than other teams and getting guys with raw ability who we develop. We won't ever get there giving a coach 2 recruiting classes to accomplish this. OP appeared to be heading in that direction then left and the result was a 2 year recruiting void. Have to give a guy time to overcome that
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1st Rounder [639]
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Re: We are not going to go head to head with elite programs in
Mar 23, 2013, 4:01 PM
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We don't have to do anything...
I prefer to give Clemson the best chance to succeed. IMO, hiring a coach that presents recruits with a stark contrast to what Duke, UNC, Syracuse offer them would give them the best chance to be successful. (as far as the head coaching position is concerned)
To me Shaka Smart is young and was an assistant at Clemson, so he may be interested in the opportunity. (unlike Stevens) His youth presents the best contrast to Coach K, Roy Williams, etc. IMO, and might give Clemson the best chance to be successful. I'm not saying Brownell isn't a good coach. I do think Smart might be a better fit for the challenge that Clemson basketball presents though.
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Legend [19694]
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Shaka is beyond us-he'll be at an elite program soon
Mar 23, 2013, 4:22 PM
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if/when Brownell moves on, maybe we could lure a Keith Dambroit from Akron, someone like the FGCU guy(former FSU asst), a Gregg Marshall, but Smart has reached the level of cherry picking. You can dream all you want, but there is no reason for him to come to a mid-lower tier ACC program like Clemson. And the one thing we have to consider is whoever we would bring in has to recruit guys who can get i to school. Schools like Akron, VCU, FGCU or Wichita St can recruit jucos and have far less stringent academic restrictions. It's going to take patience with a coach, so why not stick with a guy like Brownell and give him 4 full recruiting classes to lay a foundation of his own guys?
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1st Rounder [639]
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Re: Shaka is beyond us-he'll be at an elite program soon
Mar 25, 2013, 12:15 AM
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I think Clemson presents an incredible challenge/opportunity. (for the right coach that is capable and interested in that challenge/opportunity) I think Brownell is interested, I'm just not sure that he is capable. (based on his results thus far)
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Orange Blooded [3924]
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Re: Clemson Hoops - Difficult Topic***
Mar 25, 2013, 12:58 AM
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All-Conference [441]
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Re: Clemson Hoops - Difficult Topic
Mar 25, 2013, 7:35 AM
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Blossomgame, Roper and Rooks together are going to be crazy good shooters at times. It will change everything. It makes sense to wait until February 2014 before forming an opinion.
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Fan [65]
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Re: Clemson Hoops - Difficult Topic
Mar 25, 2013, 7:45 AM
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Watch out for Aujukwa he can ball. Would love to see us push the ball and play an uptempo offense. Would help our recruiting. Many of the players from Florida Gulf Coast were not heavily recruited. I think that Clemson can find many of these type of players and win. For the sake of God start the academic programs that help JUCO players transfer to Clemson.
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