Tigers look to go deeper in NCAAs

CLEMSON — Perhaps the most impressive characteristic of Oliver Purnell's coaching tenure at Clemson has been steady, methodical progress.

His basketball teams have improved their winning percentage each of the last four years, and no one else in the ACC has done that.

Last year's success, coupled with the losses of three key players who helped achieve it, figures to make improvement considerably difficult in Purnell's sixth year. But that doesn't mean the coach isn't expecting it.

At his annual preseason media golf outing Tuesday, Purnell said the goal for this team is to win the ACC and advance deep in the NCAA Tournament.

"We feel like our program has progressed to the point where those goals are reasonable goals," he said. "So we're looking to go above and beyond last year."

The Tigers broke impressive new ground last season, winning 24 games and advancing to the ACC Tournament final for the first time since 1962. They also earned the school's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1998 before losing to Villanova in the first round.

Clemson has won 49 games the past two seasons, and a big part of those victories were Cliff Hammonds, James Mays and Sam Perry. Purnell, whose team begins the season Nov. 14 against Hoftstra in the opening game of the inagural Charleston Classic, said the holes left by those three players will impose a philosophical shift.

Purnell will continue to emphasize defense and rebounding, but he says this year's team could be known for offensive exploits. He says there will be more running and more scoring as he tries to take advantage of the team's strengths.

Purnell's returning starters are senior wing K.C. Rivers, junior center Trevor Booker and sophomore point guard Demontez Stitt. Rivers has led the team in scoring the past two years, and Booker averaged double-figure scoring as a freshman and sophomore.

The Tigers also have an explosive scoring threat in sophomore shooting guard Terrence Oglesby, who averaged 10.5 points per game last season while hitting 40 percent of his 3-point attempts.

"I think we have got weapons, and we want to really attack with those and give ourselves a chance to score a bunch of points and blow some games open," Purnell said.

Purnell is concerned about his defense because Mays, Hammonds and Perry were so adept at it. How much or how little the Tigers employ full-court pressure will depend in large part on what Purnell sees over the next month during preseason practice.

"We will be a pressure team, I'm convinced of that," he said. "But we're going to have to take a look at tweaking some things and doing some things a little bit differently."

Purnell has been able to watch his team practice two hours per week since Sept. 15. He's excited about the possibility of point guard Andre Young pushing Stitt for playing time, and he says 7-1 center Catalin Baciu runs the floor well.

Baciu is expected to sit multiple games at the start of the season as a penalty for playing professionally overseas. Clemson has yet to announce the suspension.

Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the Clemson blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks.