Coming off a 22-win season and its first NCAA tournament victory in 14 years, Clemson enters a rebuilding year. Head coach Brad Brownell, in his second year with the Tigers, returns three starters—Andre Young, Devin Booker and Tanner Smith—and will try to figure out how to work his six freshmen into the rotation.
Brownell’s team will feel the effects of losing its top two scorers from last season, point guard Demontez Stitt and Jerai Grant, who also led the Tigers in rebounding and was a defensive force.
Perhaps the biggest question mark for the Tigers is junior forward Milton Jennings, who showed flashes of his excellent potential but lacked consistency in 2010-11. Jennings finished fourth on the team in scoring and third in rebounding, but he struggled to produce numbers consistently. If he can deliver on his rare combination of size and skill, he could emerge as a dangerous scorer. Jennings shows plenty of promise on the defensive end of the floor as well, where his 6-foot-9 frame gives him versatility to guard both power forwards and the wings.
Center Booker shares a last name with his older brother, Tiger legend Trevor, but plays more of a perimeter game and will need to add to his 5.5 rebounds per game from last season if Clemson hopes to be competitive. If that happens, and undersized guard Young can provide senior leadership, the Tigers could be sneak into contention in the ACC. More likely, though, they will finish squarely in the middle of the conference with their unproven squad, and will be on the bubble to appear in the postseason.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.