The TCI staff of Ed McGranahan, Hale McGranahan, Will Vandervort, William Qualkinbush and Robert MacRae go Around the Horn to answer some of the questions surrounding Clemson athletics and college football.
What is the preseason prediction for the Clemson basketball team?
Robert MacRae – The Tigers need to make the NCAA this season. It has been way too long since that happened. Now most will likely not predict that however and will predict an improved team, but an NIT team. I will have to agree that the Tigers will be improved, but will not make the NCAA. Holmes will be a big upgrade at point guard and something that Brownell has not had at Clemson, a scoring threat at the point. If the Tigers can have some consistency on the win then they could be a bubble team for the real tourney.
Hale McGranahan – I like the pieces that are coming back to this year’s team, plus the addition of Avry Holmes at point guard. He’ll provide an element to that position we haven’t really seen at Clemson in a while. The ACC is going to be a tough league to navigate this year. The traditional league powers (UNC, Duke) are going to be strong, the you’ve got teams like FSU and Miami that are going to be really strong. I wouldn’t be surprised if 10 teams make the tournament. A trip to the NIT would be nothing to be ashamed of, and I think that’s where Clemson is headed in March.
Will Vandervort: I think the Tigers will go 17-13 this year. Will they make the postseason? I think 17 wins will do the trick, though it will be just an NIT bid at best. I think Clemson will shoot the basketball better, which has been a problem and they might surprise me with a win or two that I’m not expecting. I like Avry Holmes at the point guard position. I think he will definitely help with the shooting and will be more of a scorer than Rod Hall was. Jaron Blossomgame, I believe, will be an all-ACC performer, while Donte Grantham should be a year wiser and better in his second-year in Brownell’s system. I think the Tigers will be much improved, but it is just hard to imagine them in the NCAA Tournament this year. Maybe I will be wrong.
William Qualkinbush: I just did a quick win-loss assessment of this team, with a very basic knowledge of what the opposition will bring to the table.I’m setting my sights on 18-12, with a 9-9 conference record. With that kind of record, it will depend on the kind of wins the Tigers can get and avoiding the troubling uh-oh losses to get to the NIT. The ACC should be thick in the middle, but it will still be a top-heavy league. Clemson will look like a better team on offense this season with Avry Holmes and Ty Hudson running the point. Comparisons between K.J. McDaniels and Jaron Blossomgame can be credibly made based on the way his game has blossomed. In fact, more than once, I’ve heard this team compared to the one two seasons ago that made a surprising run in the NIT. Having a home court a few dozen miles off campus creates a whole other set of problems, so this record is merely a rough estimate because no one really knows how that will affect this squad over the long haul. The description I’d use is “cautious optimism” with this team, and I think it’ll be a fun one to watch at times as it builds to what should be a very good 2016-17 season.