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The ridiculous sports/war analogy has been around since various competitive pastimes were invented. Among the many insults to those who fought in Antietam, Anzio and Khe Sanh, the words “it was war” rank high.
But insiders and outsiders alike agree that the current Clemson basketball team is a very tight-knit group.
“You can clearly see how united they are and how tough their defense is,” Duke head coach John Scheer said.
It is no exaggeration to say that some of it came from sacred places. Three exhibition games, before Clemson’s team, which finished 11th in the ACC’s preseason media polls, stunned the college basketball world with a 5-0 start to Wednesday night’s home game against Louisville. Traveled to France for 11 days for croissants. and sightseeing. The tour included an inspirational stop in Normandy.
Few players knew more about the massive D-Day invasion that turned the tide of World War II than Head Coach Brad Brownell.
Some knew the opening and closing scenes of “Saving Private Ryan,” in which an aging veteran visits a sprawling American cemetery near Omaha Beach.
The sacrifice came home when players and coaches found the grave of a former Clemson student.
“I think it’s had a really big impact on the players,” Brownell said during a warm-up break in Louisville.
France was cool.
“Being together, having a good time away from basketball and getting to know each other on a deeper level,” Brownell said. “It’s always really good when we travel.”
Normandy was the highlight.
Amazing, inspiring, and humble, said Brownell.
“Courage, courage that young people had to show in their lives,” he continued.
“Very, very physical”
This Clemson basketball success won’t last as long as Normandy’s memories. But France has helped build chemistry with a team that includes key veterans Hunter Tyson, PJ Hall, Chase Hunter, and his six new players (five of whom are his freshmen). I was.
It took a while.
Hence the twisted resume.
The Tigers are #1 in ACC.
Ranked 52nd in the kenpom.com personal computer ranking, with an overall record of 13 wins and 3 losses.
Clemson doesn’t rank just outside the AP’s top 25, losing twice to South Carolina State (215th in Kenpom) and Loyola Chicago (192nd).
But the ACC’s No. 1 team leads by two games over Miami and Pittsburgh. And part of the bracket theory debate (ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Clemson as his No. 10 seed against the Rutgers in Albany, NY).
A 6th-8th grade graduate student, Tyson has a double-double in all five ACC games and ranks 3rd in the ACC in rebounding (10.0 per game). Best of all, he is finally healthy.
“He’s worth a lot more than just stats,” said Brownell, who is in his 13th season with Clemson and is 108-112 in ACC regular-season games. “His maturity, IQ, leadership, toughness.”
Tyson, Hunter, Hall, Blevin Galloway (who moved to Boston College via Charleston) and Alex Hemenway average 15.4 to 9.8 points per game.
Nine players are averaging over 10 minutes per game.
While Clemson has no players among the top 13 scorers in the ACC, he has a .394 field goal percentage defense (.394), free throw percentage (.784), and 3 percentage offense (.390). The Tigers are number one in the league. .
These guys aren’t as athletic as most Brownell teams, but they’re a bigger team. Be tougher.
Certainly more “connected” (Brownell’s words), demonstrating mutual familiarity that allows coaches to switch defenses frequently.
“First of all, they’re a good team,” Pittsburgh head coach Jeff Capel said on Saturday, after Clemson’s 75-74 road win and a 4-0 matchup in conference play. “They’re very, very physical. Very physical.”
Spain and Suite 16
There’s definitely something to be said for Brownell’s international travels during his tenure and his subsequent enjoyment of Clemson hoops. The Tigers played an exhibition game in Spain in August 2017 (there was a temporary blockade after terrorists crashed a van into a crowded street in Barcelona), and in 2018 he was in Suite 16 of the NCAA Tournament. before losing to Kansas in Omaha. .
The 2022-23 Tigers are a major contributor to the ACC chaos that could last until March Madness.
“It wasn’t somewhere[within the ACC]where you could go. Shire, who coached him, said. Following Mike Krzyzewski. “But especially this year, we see teams beating each other.
That’s how the members of the Clemson Travel Party have envisioned it ever since they connected with each other in France.
Follow Gene Sapakoff on Twitter @sapakoff
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