College basketball countdown: No. 17 Clemson

Sat, Oct 24, 2009

Rob Daniels, Sporting News Yearbooks

The default assumption on Clemson basketball is the Tigers will make the NCAA Tournament every year. Yes, this is a major cultural shift. What’s next? Texas Hold ‘Em Night at the Vatican?

While it won’t knock football off the summit, the presumption of basketball relevance is a major testament to coach Oliver Purnell’s long-term work. Top-50 recruits are showing up on campus. And in 2009-10, the Tigers will seek to make the NCAAs for the third straight season. Only once in their history—the final three years of the Rick Barnes administration—have they put together that level of consistency. Clemson already has three straight years of 20 or more wins, and that’s an unprecedented feat.

Having said goodbye to the winningest senior class in its history, the program now welcomes its first McDonald’s All-American in 18 years in 6-9 forward Milton Jennings, the centerpiece of a national top-25 group.

This team starts with Trevor Booker, the burly, diligent low-post force who last year became the first player since Tim Duncan to lead the league in field goal percentage (.571) and rebounding (9.7 per game). He was also one of only six players nationally to average at least 15 points and 9.5 rebounds …

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College basketball countdown: No. 17 Clemson

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