By Hale McGranahan.
With his early jump to the NBA, K.J. McDaniels leaves behind a rather significant void.
Selected by the 76ers with the 32nd overall pick in the July draft, McDaniels received first-team All-ACC and was named the league’s defensive player of the year. He led Clemson in scoring (17.1) and rebounding (7.1) and was first on the team with 100 blocked shots and 41 steals.
Rod Hall, the team’s top returning scorer and assist maker, will be among the cast of upperclassmen that Brad Brownell will lean on during his fifth year at Clemson.
“Everybody has improved from the previous year and we play more as a team,” Hall said. “We just do our best to get everyone going, kind of, like, just take whatever the defense is giving to us.
“(McDaniels) is going to be a big piece that’s missing, but we’ve got to do our best to pick that up.”
Hall and fellow senior Damarcus Harrison make up half of the starters that will be back in 2014-15. A season ago, Harrison shot 35 percent from behind the 3-point line and 84 percent from the charity stripe.
“We’ve got a lot of new guys coming in and a lot of guys returning,” Harrison said, “So this is going to be good for us, because we’re better than we were last year. A lot of guys improved and matured, and a lot of guys have got bigger roles to fill.”
The other two returning starters: Landry Nnoko and Jaron Blossomgame, fall into the category of guys who will be counted on to fill bigger roles.
“I feel like it’s my time,” Nnoko said.
The top returning rebounder (6.2) and field-goal shooter (55 percent), Nnoko was second on last year’s team in blocked shots (69). Developing into the top center in the ACC is a goal that be believes is within reach.
“I’m definitely going to compete for it,” Nnoko said. “I’m not going to make any statement, but that’s what I’m going for.”
Joining him on the low block will be Blossomgame, who emerged as one of the most vocal leaders on the team. As a redshirt freshman last season, Blossomgame averaged 4.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
“Coach Brownell told me this summer that he wanted me to work on driving the ball, to pass and score,” Blossomgame said. “So I’ve been doing that, but mostly a lot of shooting, trying to stay consistent (when) shooting beyond the arc.”
That foursome of returning starters is ready to prove that last year’s run to Madison Square Garden for the NIT semifinals didn’t start and end with McDaniels. While there are plenty of folks who doubt Clemson will take the next step this winter, the Tigers are hungry to prove they’re up for it.
“I think we’re going to take that challenge and be good this year,” Harrison said.