When he was recruiting a young Ian Schieffelin in Atlanta, Georgia, Clemson head coach Brad Brownell couldn’t have expected the kind of game the big man had against No. 4 Kentucky. No one would’ve blamed him.
Performances like the senior showed last Tuesday make those expectations reality. The 70-66 upset marked the Tigers’ fourth straight victory over an AP top-five opponent as an unranked team.
“We knew he was a good rebounder,” Brownell said Wednesday afternoon. We knew he had great hands. I don’t know that we predicted he’s going to get 20 rebounds, but we’re certainly glad that he is.”
Brad Brownell
Brownell also described how as a young player, Schieffelin saw being a feisty inside presence as a path to playing time.
“His ability and drive to pursue the ball– it’s different,” he said. “Especially when he was a young player, you know, we used to talk about it a lot. And he talked about “hey, that’s my way to get on the court,” and he’s a relentless competitor when it comes to that.
Countless times during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Schieffelin has outworked opponents to the ball after lazy box outs.
“It’s just something I pride myself on,” he remarked. “That if I’m not giving myself 100% then I’ll have regrets and doubt, and that’s just something I don’t want to feel.”
Brownell urges “electric” environment in Littlejohn Saturday
“Our fan base can really help us,” Brownell said. “ I know when we played in Memphis last year, they had a white out and it was electric, it was a tough place to play. We need to have a similar atmosphere here to help give our guys juice, and energy, and positive support. I’m optimistic that we will turn out for a basketball brunch in Littlejohn.”
Saturday morning’s matchup with the other Tigers marks the penultimate game of Clemson’s non-conference slate. Following the annual matchup with South Carolina on Tuesday, December 17th, CU hosts Wake Forest and Stanford for its first two home games of ACC play.
Tigers focus on inspired and talented Memphis team
“[Memphis is a] well-rounded team,” senior Chase Hunter said. “Obviously they’re coming off a loss, so I know they’re going to come in here and be ready to play. We’ll be ready to play too.”
“[PJ] Haggerty is tremendous,” Brownell said. “He might lead the country in guards who draw fouls. He gets in the paint and lives in the paint. He can make plays for himself, his teammates, super dynamic in terms of one-on-one play and off pick and rolls.”
