Rivers closing out Littlejohn career

CLEMSON — Tiger Nation is going to miss K.C. Rivers — and it might not realize to what degree.

Most Clemson fans probably know that Rivers has been involved in more victories than any other Tiger. They probably know that Rivers rarely forces a shot and thereby rarely posts 25-plus point games.

The senior won't be found among the ACC's top 20 scorers. Clemson coaches and teammates prod the Charlotte native to be more aggressive in the half-court offense.

So many of the things the 6-5 senior does well on the court are not counted, or cannot be counted, at least by traditional methods. But what can be counted are the 90 wins Rivers has taken part in.

"None of us are five-star players, McDonald's All-Americans,'' Rivers said. "I came in wanting to make something unproductive, productive.''

Tonight marks the final time his selfless, efficient play can be witnessed in Littlejohn Coliseum when the Tigers host Virginia at 7 p.m. It marks the last time in Clemson to view a player Clemson coach Oliver Purnell calls one of the most under- appreciated in the ACC.

"He does so many things well,'' Purnell said. "He is not a flamboyant player. He is straight up and down, tough and strong. He shoots it in, rebounds it, guards, all those things.''

Rivers sits atop the club's effort chart, which is kept by the basketball staff. Players earn points for deflecting passes, for ball pressure for "hockey assists'' among others. They lose points for allowing a middle drive on defense or a no-contest basket.

Through 26 games, Rivers leads the team with 275 effort points. No other Tiger has broken the 200-point barrier.

He is also third on the team in plus/minus, which the staff tracks to monitor how the scoring margin shrinks or grows when a player checks in and out of the game.

Trevor Booker leads the team with a positive 9.9 margin, Demontez Stitt is second at 8.3 and, Rivers follows at 8.2.

What Rivers does well, and that is counted in traditional statistics, is rebounding. He is one of only three players under 6-7 in the top 20 in the ACC in rebounding.

There are still other skills that can't be measured.

When Rivers knows he can't secure a rebound but is able to tap it to friendly hands, the action goes unrecorded. Knowing which hand to force his man to on the bounce. Helping the coaching staff sell its message, through leadership, which Purnell cited as Rivers' greatest growth this season.

His Littlejohn career ends tonight.

In has last home-court competition, Rivers will receive typical senior day treatment along with Raymond Sykes and Jesse Yanutola. Not that Rivers sees tonight as an ending. There are still games at Winston-Salem, Atlanta and Rivers hopes more than one city in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers have never advanced beyond the Sweet 16.

For the program's all-time winningest player, 90 wins is nice. Rivers says 100 would be sweet.