Putting Brad Brownell into Perspective

Mar 11, 2015, 5:57 PM

I'm gonna stroll back 20 years to the beginning of the Rick Barnes era if you don't mind. I think is necessary to see the current Clemson Basketball program in context.

In 1994, Rick Barnes took over from Cliff Ellis a program that averaged just four ACC wins per season over the previous four years. I remember Cliff was "retiring", and ACC schools would pat him on the back after beating us to pieces. Despite a few good seasons with some top level talent, Ellis was never able to develop consistency. I'm sure no one feared seeing Clemson on the schedule. Barnes would do his dead level best to change people's perception.

Rick brought in a freshmen class of tough energetic players, guys like Tom Wideman and Harold Jamison. And in 1996, the young team along with Greg Buckner made it to Clemson's first NCAA tournament in six years. Buckner also gave us the iconic "Buckner with the jam" call by Jim Phillips in the win over North Carolina. I had the great fortune of listening to that moment live. It ranks up there with "Braves wins" from the 1992 NLCS, and Bob Fulton's call of Brandon Bennett's goal line dive.

The next season, Clemson started the season by beating #3 Kentucky, shot all the way to #2 in the country, and finished the year in sweet 16. Along the way Barnes endeared himself to us by working the Tiger Tailgate show, and arguing with Saint Dean. Of course after the 97-98 season, Rick bolted to Texas.

In all, Rick Barnes won exactly one ACC Tournament game, had one winning season in ACC play, but managed 3 straight NCAA appearances. And he managed to change Clemson into the ACC's version of the Badboy Pistons. His replacement, Larry Shyatt, was suppose to be a Barnes carbon copy.

Larry Shyatt was a more subdued coach than Rick Barnes, and he was not a good recruiter. In his five years at head coach, Clemson made one NIT tournament, averaged over ten losses in conference play, and lost any mojo created in the Barnes era. To his credit, Shyatt did coach the team that beat #1 ranked UNC in 2001. Thanks Larry.

Personally, I thought Oliver Purnell was the guy. He had an ominous start in 2003, but expectations were low. He used it to his advantage, eventually recruiting long athletic players like James Mays and Trevor Booker to run his uptempo/trapping style of play. KJ McDaniel was a Purnell recruit. Can you imagine him in OP's system?

Purnell built the program. His ACC win rose in his first few season, managed to stay above .500, 3-5-7-7-10-9-9. He also managed to win a few ACC and NIT tournament games, not to mention three straight NCAA bids. Even more, the games were exciting. There were always lots of blocks and dunks. And then? He left. For Depaul. Where's he's managed to average 12 wins a season and double digit conference losses.

Before I go on, I want to make a note. The ACC has grown from the Ellis era to now. The 14 ACC games Clemson played in the Ellis era were tough, everyone of them. Then the ACC added FSU which made the conference tougher. Check it. FSU under Pat Kennedy had some great teams, which generally out performed Clemson (FSU is the most underrated program in the ACC). However, the addition of the VT, BC, and Miami did not bolster the conference from a basketball perspective. So the added programs meant teams didn't play twice every year. Purnell and Brownell don't have the tough task of going on the road every year to Duke, Chapel Hill, Charlottesville, etc.

Now, we sit in the Brownell era, which started well. The 2010-11 season featured a winning conference record, ACC tournament win, and NCAA win. By year two, it was obvious that Brownell favored a slower pace of play not suited for the Purnell hold overs. To be fair, it's a different age for college basketball. In Brad's second season, Clemson went 16-15(8-8 in the ACC), which is the exact same overall record which got OP an NIT tournament bid despite a 5-11 ACC record. In year three, the wheels came off, and Clemson limped to it's lowest win total since 03-04, losing it's last seven games.

Then KJ McDaniel happened in Brownell's fourth season. In all fairness, the 13-14 season should have featured an NCAA bid. Thanks to the nightly heroics of KJ, Clemson won 20 games, and boasted a winning conference record. Rick Barnes made it to the Big Dance with much less qualifications his last season. Chalk it up to RPI and the use of stats, or the fact that every conference gets a bid. Whatever it is, times have changed.

Today, Clemson looked lifeless and dead for all of 50-odd minutes or so. Then in typical fashion, managed to give us hope only to- get this- miss key shots. We can't shoot. Not even the most ardent Brownell supporter will say otherwise.

So how do we judge Brad Brownell? Put into perspective, his tenure is uneven. The conference is not the powerhouse it was, and schedules are more favorable. However, earning an NCAA bid is no long as easy as it was. Being a top half ACC team will not get us into the tournament. A winning record isn't what it was for NIT. Therefore, Brownell should be judged on his merits in this era. It's the only way to do so.

With that in mind, based on record alone as some have noted, Brownell has "the most ACC wins by Clemson head coach in his first five years." Blah. That says more about the sorry history of Clemson basketball than his coaching ability. It also fails to mention that Cliff Ellis teams only played 14 games a conference season, Brownell gets 18.

One thing Brad has introduced us to is boring low-scoring defensive slugfests. I don't blame the students. Given Brownell's penchant for losing big home games- save Duke last year-, it's a snoozefest even during a win. Why go? Sports are about entertainment lest we forget. I don't hear anyone complaining about the lack of attendance at soccer games or Lady's BB.

For the season, and his career at Clemson thus far, I give Brad Brownell the Tommy Bowden award. He's not bad enough to fire or good enough to be hired away by a better program. And thus, we have what we have. Let's be honest, if Brownell were our football coach, he'd be on the hot seat.

As such, he deserves at least another year. The Littlejohn remodel will likely be tough on the team as it was under Shyatt. The students will also get a reprieve given the drive it will take to get to the games. The thing is, what could Brownell do with a shooter or two. He obviously he can coach defense. Imagine, KJ with a 3-point shooter to take the pressure off of him. Hopefully, Brownell will find some soon. I don't think anyone will want to watch Brownell Ball in a fancy new LJC.

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Putting Brad Brownell into Perspective

Are you saying KJ was a OP type recruit

Actually OP's last recruit was Marcus Thornton

yup...link

Good point...he's the Tommy Bowden of basketball

Re: Good point...he's the Tommy Bowden of basketball

So far, that is very true.***

Re: I wish that he was as good as TB***

Re: Putting Brad Brownell into Perspective

TB typically hammered the Coots.

I'd like to see him fired...

OMG..."war and peace"

I just used the "Bowden of basketball" talking to a buddy

it's not even that....the style of play is painful to watch

The Barnes style was great to watch

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