I work over at NCSU and a coworker

CU Medallion [58411]

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Expectations need to be much higher for sure, but

Feb 14, 2017, 12:49 PM

I think it's important to distinguish between goals and realistic expectations. The goal should be to win every game, including the national championship. It would be completely unreasonable to expect that.

Just my opinion, but it would be unrealistic to expect Clemson to compete head-to-head with UNC/Dook/Louisville in the near term. For now, those schools simply have too much tradition and powerful branding; they are too well established and have an extensive network of connections. Recruits know that these teams play at a very high level and may be in the final four any given year. It takes years to build that kind of a program, that kind of a brand. Therefore, it would be ridiculous to expect Clemson to compete at that level in the near term.

Having said all of that, the question becomes "How good can Clemson expect to be on a consistent basis?", and that depends largely how much money Clemson is capable of and willing to spend to build that brand, and that I can't answer. What I am certain of is that there is nothing, and I mean ZERO, inherent about Clemson University itself that would prevent them from building a much better basketball brand and better program. It may be somewhat true that more good basketball players come from big metro areas that are very different from Clemson's small town atmosphere, but there are also tons of great basketball players that don't come from those places. Many of them come from the same exact same areas where we get some of the best football players in America. There are also a lot of players from big metro areas who may like a more laid back place like Clemson; either way we can't use it as an excuse. I'm convinced that the right coach, with the necessary commitment from the university, could bring that kind of player to Clemson. I think that's very doable right now. Without the tradition and the brand, it won't happen overnight, but it can be built.

You have to start somewhere, and it starts with higher expectations.