A lot of great athletes come from South Carolina but many go on to play football at the next level so we are often primarily deemed a football state. Clemson University has a lot of pedigree and prestige in its football program to the point where many fans correlate that as the sport they have the fondest memories of watching most often. The recent success of the football program would also further hammer home the notion that Clemson University is primarily a football school. The narrative surrounding the Atlantic Coast Conference, however, has always been that it is a basketball conference and the addition of powerhouses such as Louisville, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Notre Dame only make it tougher to shift the tide elsewhere.
So it’s no wonder that Clemson basketball would seemed to be at a disadvantage to the average fan. Many call for changes to be made and in this market, it seems that EVERYONE has an opinion on what should be done. The grass will ALWAYS look greener on the other side as long as you continue to throw shade on your side. I remember people wondering, once upon a time, if Clemson basketball actually practiced shooting free throws. Yes…yes, we did. A lot. But most don’t realize (or in some cases, care enough to realize) the differences physically, mentally, and emotionally between practices and the game. The various levels of fatigue and how that affects more than you just getting up and down the floor.
This Clemson team is relying on youthful veterans for its current and future success. Bringing in experienced, talented transfers and acclimating them to your style of play is a strategy that is becoming just as commonplace as recruiting out of high school. The downside is having them sit out a year, even though they get to practice with the team. Since Brad Brownell has gotten to Clemson, I don’t think he’s had a team at full strength ONCE. Known and expected contributors have been either hurt or sitting out due to transfer rules every single year but I know firsthand that Brownell will not and has not let that deter him. He’s always been a “next man up” type of coach and truth be told, he’s handling the cards he’s been dealt.
Playing home games in Greenville is of no convenience to ANYONE. Regardless, these next five games (four of which are at the Well) will most likely determine the postseason fate of our Tigers. Yes, that means I don’t believe the Big Dance is out of reach for us, especially with FIVE ranked opponents next up for us. The determining factor for us isn’t going to be how well we shoot or if we stay out of foul trouble. It won’t even be if we win majority of those games but rather, will there be support during the climb?
I noticed during the Syracuse game that this team has learned to manufacture its own energy. As the resident energy guy for Clemson back in my day (that feels so weird to type), I ignited my team and we would feed off of each other but someone had to set the tone. What I know though is, home games should be the easiest atmosphere to set a tone but I’ve played games with very minimal fans in Littlejohn and it seems it’s more difficult to do that at home with no support than it is on the road. On the road, the energy comes from being “hated/disliked” so we feed and fuel off of that but if there’s no positive energy to feed off of at home, then that’s when you come out flat and don’t produce.
The time to be a Clemson basketball fan isn’t once you’ve seen that we have won, frankly the time was back in the middle of December when USC came to town but since we can’t do anything about the past…how about those of us who aren’t going to Arizona, let’s show up to the Well and support these Tigers. Not because they owe you or you owe them, but because they represent what we all know and love. And that’s Clemson.
DO YOUR PART from here on out.
(..and I’ll do the same…thanks for having me in the TCI community.)