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Clemson Basketball: Clemson Tigers 2015-16 Season Preview

By Alex Piasecki

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Clemson Tigers

2014-2015 Record: 16-15 (8-10, ACC)
Postseason: ACC Tournament – Second Round

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The Clemson Tigers have struggled to be a memorable team in an perennially stacked ACC in recent years. Head coach Brad Brownell and his group are a force on defense, but its lack of scoring ability (288th in the nation at 62.7 ppg) holds back and limits what could a NCAA tournament ready team. At times last year, it looked as if Clemson were a team ready to compete against the top teams, including a victory against LSU and strong showings at Notre Dame, NC State, and Louisville.

Aptly named, junior Jaron Blossomgame will once again shoulder the majority of the offensive load for this Tiger squad. If a few others, including four-star recruit Ty Hudson, start clicking in the offensive game, the Clemson Tigers could orchestrate surprising wins and a potential run for a tournament bid.

Newcomers

G – Ty Hudson (#110 247Sports)
C – Legend Robertin (JUCO transfer)
G – Shelton Mitchell (transfer from Vanderbilt)

Key Non-Conference Games

Nov. 30 vs Minnesota – This crossover in the Big Ten/ACC challenge features two very different team, heading in very different directions. On one end, Richard Pitino and the Minnesota Golden Gophers love to score and score with a number of different options with all five starters averaging ~10 ppg or more. Clemson buckles down on defense but really is limited to one scoring option (Blossomgame). These polar opposite sides should make for an interesting match-up for Clemson against the reigning NIT Champions.

Dec. 22 @ Georgia – This match-up in Athens is the Tiger’s final non-conference game and most likely will be their toughest. The Georgia Bulldogs are one of the SEC’s five best teams and are one of the better rebounding teams in the nation–an area where Clemson will be outmatched. A win on the road would give great momentum to Brownell’s squad as they enter conference play but they will have their work cut out.

Key Players

Jaron Blossomgame – Jaron does it all for the Tigers. Blossomgame was the only Clemson Tiger to average more than 10 ppg last season (averaged 13.1 ppg) and was also the team’s leading rebounder and one of its stoutest defenders. He will look to be even more of an offensive force this year and will pair up nicely with senior rim-protector Landry Nnoko, who also excels at defending tough without fouling.

Donte Grantham – Forward Donte Grantham made an immediate impact for the Tigers last year in his his first season of college basketball. A big factor in whether the Clemson Tigers will improve upon last season will be if an offseason of work will polish his offensive game, where he shot a dismal 27.6% from behind the arc and 54.7% from the free throw line. Even just slight improvements will help alleviate scoring pressure off of Blossomgame and make Clemson a harder defense to guard.

Season Outlook

Brad Brownell and his Clemson Tigers team will be one of the better defensive teams in the ACC as they have been for the past few years. But defending has never been the limiting factor for the Tigers. Future success, including a potential NCAA tournament bid, will hinge on the what strides Donte Grantham, Landry Nnoko, and freshman Ty Hudson can make on the offensive end. Blossomgame will score, but few players in the country can shoulder the offensive expectations he has. Clemson will be better this year because their key returning players have another season of experience, but I still see the Tigers missing out on an at-large bid and settling for the NIT.

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