I was one. I’ll admit it. I wasn’t sure if Brad Brownell was ever going to get Clemson back to the NCAAs. Sure we all thought he could coach, but could he ever assemble a team that could contend in the ACC and make a run in March?
The answer is a resounding YES. After the injury to Clemson’s most versatile player Dontae Grantham in the middle of the year, you figured maybe the Tigers could reach the NCAA tournament, but probably not make much of a showing.
Brownell mix and matched his lineup finding extra scoring from his guards, and rebounding from guys like Aamir Simms. For Clemson to make a deep run March, an athletic deep frontline like Texas A&M probably needed to be avoided. Clemson had a tricky New Mexico State in round 1, but the round of 32 was a winnable game against the weakest top 4 seed in the Big Dance Auburn.
Clemson took full advantage, and wiped out Auburn in a 84-53 where the lead ballooned to over 40. It was a backcourt clinic, as the Clemson guards dominated the action from the get go.
The Tigers will next face college basketball blue blood Kansas in the Sweet 16, and I anticipate that will be the end of Clemson’s run. Even if that happens, Brownell has answered his critics. This is only the 4th time in Clemson history they’ve made the Sweet 16. It has already been a historic season for Clemson and anything else is just a bonus.
Brownell is going to be around for awhile, and this might be the foundation year he’s been looking for to build the Clemson program.
