Huffman: Clemson Capable of ACC History

While much has been said about the Triangle’s ties to Charlotte, a school that has been overlooked in that discussion is Clemson.

The Tigers are only 144 miles from downtown Charlotte, about the same as Duke and UNC.

Late on Friday night, in a half-empty arena filled largely with Tiger orange, they demonstrated this could be when they finally make their own piece of ACC history.

Watch Carolina and Duke up close, and what impresses you is the relentless intensity with which they play.

Watch Clemson up close, and you see relentlessness, too. You also see a team that is deep, athletic and determined. Here's one moment from Friday's blowout of Boston College - a Tiger reserve tossed up a jumper with the shot clock expiring. Just as the ball bounced off the iron, Clemson's Sam Perry exploded down the lane, rose up and gracefully tipped the ball in. And it's not just one Tiger but many capable of plays like that.

This is essentially the same team that started last season 17-0 before collapsing and finishing 25-11 and in the NIT. As close ACC observers know, Clemson’s starts can be deceiving because of the soft schedule the Tigers play.

Clemson is now 23-8 overall and its 10-6 record was good enough for third in the league.

This was no mirage. Guard Cliff Hammonds is a gritty leader who can score and handle the ball, and the Tigers have waves of powerful athletes inside in James Mays of Garner, Trevor Booker and Raymond Sykes. They also have plenty of guards to fit their uptempo style with the K.C. Rivers on the wing and steady freshman Demontez Stitt running the point.

As Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski pointed out, the Tigers might have been regular-season champions if not for close losses. Two of those, of course, were overtime defeats to UNC. Duke also hammered Clemson 93-80 in Durham on Jan. 19.

But it’s clear, from watching the Tigers, that they are gifted enough to beat Duke and Carolina and win this championship.

Clemson has never won the ACC Tournament and only played in the final once, in 1962, when it lost to Wake Forest.

“I don’t talk about a whole lot in terms of history,” coach Oliver Purnell said. “Now if we get to the last game, we might try to give our guys a little bit of a jolt on the way out by saying, ‘Let’s go out and make history.’

“But I don’t believe the lack of success Clemson has had over many years in the ACC Tournament should be a concern or heavy weight for these guys.”

This team, Purnell said, “has been through a lot. They believe in themselves. … That’s more my message than any historical perspective.”

Still, one can’t help but think all those years of frustration were spilling out of Tiger fans on Friday night, as they ringed the court with orange and screamed, “Clemson!!!... TIGERS!” in a gym that belonged, for the night, to them.

There are formidable foes ahead, starting with Duke. And of course, this is still a team that shoots 62.3 percent from the line, and the foul line is often where champions are forged.

But when you watch Clemson closely, see the quickness and strength, you realize this tournament in Charlotte could make history in a way few in the North Carolina might expect.