Brownell on his team at 9-0: “Long way to go, but great start”

Clemson has continued its best start since 2008-09 with a 9-0 run. (Photo: John Sokolowski / USATODAY)

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Tue Dec 12 07:00:06 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON - In the best start under head coach Brad Brownell yet, the No. 13-ranked Tigers extended their undefeated streak against formerly undefeated TCU to bring their record to 9-0 this season.

Things have really turned around for Clemson when last year they struggled to get wins against some of the larger opponents, and this year, they have yet to be stopped. They will face another challenge on the road against Memphis this coming Saturday (3 p.m./ESPN+). The road has not been a problem for the Tigers this season as they have played in neutral sites, such as Toronto, for the TCU game, and hostile environments, like the Alabama victory. Throughout all those games, Brownell was proud of how the team performed.

“Really proud of our team. We’ve played a lot of different places. This is our third neutral-court game, and we’ve had two road games and maybe four home games. So, we’ve challenged ourselves against good competition, both at home and away from home, been in good environments, and we knew that we thought we had a chance to be a really good team this year if guys just came together and stayed coachable and hungry and they’ve done that,” Brownell said. “Obviously, (Joseph Girard III)’s been a big part of it. He’s done an unbelievable job of assimilating with our team. Our guys, I think, have welcomed him with open arms and really made him feel like he’s a big part of it just like some of the other guys, and so, I’m proud of our team.

“This has been some tough stretches and we’ve shown some fortitude and grit. So, it’s a great start. Long way to go, but great start.”

The Tigers were led Saturday by Girard, who scored 21 points, making it his second game in the last three contests with at least 20 points. Especially coming after their victory over rival South Carolina, Brownell liked how the team bounced back in the second half against the Horned Frogs.

“We were pretty emotionally spent, physically drained, from the South Carolina game. Thursday, we walked through and watched film and traveled, so then Friday, we worked out for about 40 minutes, 45 minutes maybe, but it was half-speed at most,” Brownell said. “So, I just think we were a half-step slow in the game, and TCU’s so athletic and long that it kind of jumps at you if you’re not ready for it and not practicing against what they do. It was problematic for a half. Our guys adjusted much better in the second half.”

This team relies on their young talent, particularly in this game, with a few injuries including graduate guards Alex Hemenway, who is expected to be out approximately a month, and Jack Clark, who dealt with soreness and could not play. One rising player is sophomore forward RJ Godfrey, who played 22 minutes, his highest since mid-November against Boise State. Godfrey held his own against a fast TCU team and showed promising growth.

“RJ was terrific (Saturday). I thought his athleticism, defensively, was really good,” Brownell said. “His rebounding, he had ten rebounds, I thought he guarded a lot of their front-court athletes really well, kept them from getting around the basket area, walled them up. Thought he helped us in the glass, his speed and transition defense was good. He’s just an improving player.”

Other players who got a chance to show their growth were sophomore guards Dillon Hunter, who played 24 minutes, tied for a season-high, and Josh Beadle, who made his first successful three of the season, and graduate forward Bas Leyte. Overall, Brownell thought the bench played well and kept Clemson in the game with their performance.

“Thought our bench in general was really good. Got in a lot of foul trouble,” Brownell said. “Dillon played a lot, Josh gave us some good minutes, Bas gave us a couple minutes. I thought our bench really held us in the game and played well.”

Girard is one of several players who transferred to Clemson. He spent four years at Syracuse but wanted to show how he could perform in a different scheme. Brownell’s defensive style is part of what drew him to the Tigers, as he wants to build his basketball IQ and show the diversity of his skills. So far, this is working out quite well for him and Clemson.

“I came to a defensive program. In the transfer portal, that’s kind of one of the things I was looking for is obviously, after playing zone for four years, I needed to learn, and I needed to learn fast to be able to play right away and Coach Brownell and his staff have done a great job of teaching me all the little things,” Girard said. “Game planning part of it helps me out a lot as a guy who tries to have a high IQ playing basketball, that’s both on offense and defense. So, I’m just trying to learn. I’m still learning. I’m still getting better."