Season Recap: Clemson

2009-2010
Clemson: 21-11 (9-7 ACC)

What we thought was going to be a quiet offseason for Clemson has been anything but. Coach Oliver Purnell decided to bolt for Big East doormat DePaul. Clemson settled on Wright State coach Brad Brownell. More on the future of the program later. For now, let's look back at 2009.

Clemson has been pretty predictable in recent years. They do extremely well in the non-conference, only to come back to earth in the ACC and lose in the first round of the NCAAs. Now I will say I never really thought this Clemson team had the talent of the teams in past years. They lost great players like K.C. Rivers and Terence Oglesby, and the incoming class didn't really produce anyone of note. So it was a good accomplishment to get where they did: you can't take making the NCAA Tournament for granted.

Clemson did most of its damage this year at home. Their only home loss in conference was to Duke. They did struggle some on the road, going 2-6 in conference. But I'm sure fans are disappointed by how the season ended. The Tigers lost to NC State in their first round ACC game, and then fell to 10 seed Missouri in the first round of the NCAAs.

Best Win: 70-69 over Butler in Anaheim (11/29)

This game in the 76 Classic didn't get a lot of attention, but when you knock off the team that gets to the National Title game, that earns you this spot. Clemson had already lost once in the tournament, to Texas A&M, and put together a nice win to add to their resume. But it was hard to keep the momentum from that game...

Worst Loss: 76-74 to Illinois (12/2)

I like to put conference games in these spots, but I just couldn't overlook this one. Clemson was up by 23 points at home in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and let Illinois come all the way back to win. It was definitely a game that sent shockwaves through the country, and was the first real sign of a chink in the armor of the Tigers.

Postseason Play:

As I mentioned earlier, it was a rough end to the season. The Tigers lost in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. They were still able to get a 7 seed in the NCAAs, largely due to their non-conference resume. But they lost by 8 to Mizzou. This is the third straight year Clemson has lost in the first round of the NCAAs. And they haven't won an NCAA Tournament game this decade.

What's Ahead:

Like Boston College, Clemson certainly has a lot of question marks with a new coach. Brad Brownell compiled a decent record at Wright State and Old Dominion, but it was nothing overwhelming. Experts I've read seem to like the hire, but I think it will take some time to work out. The good thing is Oliver Purnell has not left the cupboard bare. Clemson loses its heart and soul, Trevor Booker. That will be a tough loss. The only other senior is David Potter. They have some potential with young big guys like Trevor's brother Devin Booker and Jerai Grant.

I think the question mark will be outside shooting. Demontez Stitt is a good shooter but they don't have a lot else in terms of offensive firepower. Still, I expect Clemson to contend for a fourth straight NCAA bid next year.