Brownell hoping to redshirt more players in the future

  • Travis Sawchik
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  • Posted: Saturday, February 11, 2012 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Friday, March 23, 2012 10:13 p.m.
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Clemson senior center Bobo Baciu has made significant strides this season, growing from an end-of-the-bench option to a contributor for the Tigers.
/File/APClemson senior center Bobo Baciu has made significant strides this season, growing from an end-of-the-bench option to a contributor for the Tigers.

CLEMSON -- A sizeable hypothetical is tied to 7-2 center Bobo Baciu: What if Baciu had redshirted earlier in his career at Clemson? How productive might Baciu have been next season?

The senior has made significant strides this season. Baciu has grown from an end-of-the-bench option to a contributor, averaging career bests of 4.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 10 minutes per game as Clemson (11-12, 3-6 ACC) travels to Wake Forest (11-13, 2-8) at 4 p.m. today (Fox Sports Carolinas) seeking its first ACC road win and its first win in Winston-Salem since 1990.

Coach Brad Brownell has said he wished former coach Oliver Purnell would have redshirted Baciu earlier in his career. Baciu said the former staff never considered redshirting him. If Baciu had another year of eligibility, Brownell said he would have been able to double his production next season for size-starved Clemson.

"I think he would make natural progression," Brownell said. "I think it's fair to say he could average eight points a game and five rebounds, and his minutes would go up. He would probably play 20 minutes a game."

Brownell said ideally he would redshirt more players, but because of the team's lack of depth, he has not be able to put in place that philosophy in his first two seasons at Clemson.

Brownell said he did not consider redshirting Baciu last season.

"Do I wish I would have (redshirted Baciu) now? Absolutely," Brownell said. "Last year we really only had Jerai (Grant) and Milton (Jennings) and Devin (Booker), and so the fear was if something happens to Jerai or Devin, Bobo would have played like he is now. I'm not saying he would have produced like he is now -- he probably wouldn't have -- but he would have played those minutes because you have to have big bodies in there.

"It's hard to know how it's going to go. I didn't know Jerai was going to play as well as he played."

While Brownell wishes he had another year from Baciu, the senior center's growth and Grant's improvement speaks to this staff's ability to develop players.

Baciu thinks he can still improve down the stretch, and he'll have to if Clemson is to have any chance of turning around its season.

"Rebounding is where I can improve a lot, and I think I can be a little more physical," said Baciu, who hopes to play professionally overseas. "(A fifth year) would have been great but you can only go forward."