Clemson head coach Brad Brownell says his returning players have taken on the mindset of “leave no doubt” after they were left out of the NCAA tournament last season. Brownell says his veterans were “scarred” by not making the “Big Dance,” and they don’t want to experience that hurt again this year.
So far, the Tigers have left no doubt in the committee’s mind, reeling off nine straight wins to open the season, reaching #1 in the RPI and #11 in the NET rankings. Clemson has another opportunity to impress the voters on Saturday as the Tigers travel to Memphis for a 3 p.m. tipoff at the FedEx Forum.
Penny Hardaway’s club is 7-2 on the season and currently ranked 8th in the RPI. The Tigers have wins at Missouri, and over Michigan and Arkansas. Their losses have come to Ole Miss and against Villanova in the championship game of “Battle 4 Atlantis.” Senior forward David Jones will be a handful along the front line, averaging twenty points and seven rebounds per game.
Earlier this week, Brownell visited with the media to discuss Saturday’s road date at Memphis and to elaborate on what has fueled his team’s 9-0 start.