2008-09 Clemson Tigers men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2008–09 Clemson Tigers men's basketball team represented Clemson University
. The Head Coach is Oliver Purnell
. The team played its home games in Littlejohn Coliseum
in Clemson, South Carolina
. All games were produced and broadcast locally by the Clemson Tigers Sports Network
.
n professional basketball team. The term of the suspension equals the number of games Baciu played as a 15-year-old for U Mobitelco Cluj, a club team that plays in Romania’s top pro division, Divizia A
. Although Baciu was not paid for his participation, NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from playing on a professional team, regardless of whether they are employed. He played for a total of four minutes in his five games with U Mobitelco Cluj.
On Sunday, October 26, 2008, members of the ACC
media were polled and picked Clemson to finish fifth in the conference behind North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest and Miami respectively.
8-team tournament in Charleston, SC. This marks the 25th time in school history Clemson has won a regular season tournament.
On Saturday, November 22, 2008, Clemson beat Charlotte
71–70 at Halton Arena, marking the first time ever a current member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
has played at Charlotte. (Miami played during there during their time as a member of the Big East).
On Wednesday, January 21, 2009, Clemson lost to North Carolina
94–70. This extended the NCAA record for the longest road losing streak against one opponent to 54 games. This also ended Clemson's streak of not losing back-to-back ACC games that dated back to the 2006–07 season.
On Sunday, January 25, 2009, with a 73–59 victory over Georgia Tech
, Senior Guard K.C. Rivers broke the team record for most career wins as a player with 85. The previous record of 84 was co-held Cliff Hammonds and Elden Campbell
.
On Monday, February 2, 2009, EA Sports
announced that Littlejohn Coliseum was one of the Top-15 toughest places to play in College Basketball
. Through an online poll, Fans determined 15 finalists, whose home courts were judged to be the most difficult for opposing teams to play in. These results will form an integral part of a new game mode in the EA SPORTS NCAA Basketball videogame franchise
for 2009–10.
On Wednesday, February 4, 2009, Clemson defeated No. 3 Duke in Littlejohn Coliseum by a score of 74–47. With the win, Clemson snapped a 22-game regular season losing streak to the Blue Devils
dating back to January 7, 1997. The win was also Clemson's first win over a top-5 team since a victory over No. 5 Virginia
in 2002.
The 27-point victory was Clemson's largest margin of victory against a top 25 team in history. The previous best was a 22-point victory margin on two occasions. Clemson defeated a fourth-ranked NC State
team led by David Thompson
at Clemson 92–70 on Feb. 22, 1975 at Clemson, and defeated a 13th ranked Maryland
team by 22 points, 93–71 on January 19, 1977 at Clemson.
The defeat was also the worst suffered by Duke since the NCAA Championship game of 1990
, a 103–73 victory by UNLV
on April 2, 1990. The 27-point margin was the largest for Duke in an ACC regular season game since January 18, 1984 when Wake Forest
defeated Duke at Winston-Salem, 97–66.
Clemson's 10-point win over Boston College in Boston on Feb. 10 was just the third ACC road win over an ACC team that finished the year with a winning record in the last 22 years. Boston College finished the ACC regular season with a 9–7 record and went to the NCAA tournament.
On Tuesday, February 17, the EA Sports Tour visited Littlejohn Coliseum as Clemson hosted Maryland. Along with judging the game day atmosphere, the tour handed out video games, t-shirts and hosted an NCAA Basketball 09 tournament leading up to the game. After their visit, Novell Thomas, the producer of the NCAA Basketball game
, wrote that "Hands down, Clemson just set the bar for all hosts of the EA SPORTS Toughest Places to Play, tour." The 29-point victory was the largest margin of victory in Clemson history over Maryland, and tied for the largest margin of victory for a Clemson team against an ACC team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Clemson defeated Florida State in 1997–98 by 29 points.
The Tigers finished the season at 9–7, which gave them back-to-back winning seasons in the conference for the first time since the 1965–66 and 1966–67 teams did it. It is also Clemson's eleventh winning season in the conference since 1953.
Clemson defeated five NCAA tournament teams during the regular season in Duke, Maryland, Boston College
, Temple
and Illinois
. It is the most wins over NCAA Tournament teams in the regular season for the Clemson program since 1997–98.
Clemson finished the regular season with a 14–0 record against non-conference teams, one of just eight Division I teams with a perfect non-conference record. The others were Pittsburgh
, UConn
, North Carolina, Wake Forest
, Minnesota
, Illinois State and Stanford
.
The Tigers won seven regular season ACC games by double digits, the most regular season league wins by 10 points or more in Clemson history. Statistically, Clemson finished the year with a +10.3 average margin of victory, third best in school history. Clemson's .688 free throw percentage was the third best for the program in the last 22 years. Clemson's .374 three-point percentage was the fourth best in school history.
as the No. 5 seed with a 9–7 record in the ACC Regular Season. The Tigers lost their opening game to No. 12 seed Georgia Tech 86–81 dropping their record to 3–8 all-time in the opening round of the tournament.
for the second consecutive year, joining Duke
and North Carolina
as the only ACC schools to make the tournament each of the last two years. It was just the third time in Clemson history that Clemson has gone to the NCAAs in consecutive years. The Tigers opened the tournament in Kansas City, Missouri
as a the No. 7 seed in the South Region. Down by double-digits against #10-seed Michigan in the first round, the Tigers went on a 14–0 run to make it 58–57 with just over a minute left. Clemson had a chance to tie the game with 13 seconds left, but K.C. Rivers' contested 3-pointer at the buzzer fell short. The 59–62 loss dropped Oliver Purnell
to 0–5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games as a head coach.
!colspan=9| Regular season
|-
!colspan=9| Postseason
1 – Note that rankings above 25 are not official rankings. They are representations of ranking based on the number of points received in the weekly poll.
K.C. Rivers
Tanner Smith
Oliver Purnell, Head Coach
Ron Bradley, Associate Head Coach
1 – Note that rankings above 25 are not official rankings. They are representations of ranking based on the number of points received in the weekly poll.
as the only coaches in ACC history to take a program to a better winning percentage in five consecutive years. Cremins did it from 1980–81 through the 1986–87 season. The team finished the year with 23 wins, tied for the fifth highest total in school history. The .719 winning percentage ranks in a tie for fourth best in school history and the best since the 1989–90 team was 24–8 for a .750 winning percentage. The 23 victories gave Clemson at least 20 wins for the third straight year, a first in Clemson history. Clemson has 72 wins over the last three years, third among ACC teams behind North Carolina and Duke.
Clemson finished the year ranked 24th in the final Associated Press
poll. It marks the second consecutive year Clemson has been ranked in the final AP poll, the first time in history Clemson has finished in the top 25 in any poll in consecutive years. Clemson was ranked in the AP poll for 14 consecutive weeks and in the USA Today
poll for 13 consecutive weeks, the second longest streak of weeks in the top 25 in the same season in Clemson history and most since 1996–97 team was ranked in all 19 polls. Clemson reached a high ranking of No. 9 in the USA Today poll on Feb. 9, the highest ranking for the program since the 1997–98 season.
Clemson won 10 games away from home, including seven on the opponent's home court. The 10 wins away from home were the most since the 1996–97 team won a record 11. The seven road wins were the most since the 1986–87 team won eight on the opponent's home court. The Tigers posted a 4–4 ACC road record this year, the most ACC road wins in a season for the Clemson program since 1996–97.
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
. The Head Coach is Oliver Purnell
Oliver Purnell
Oliver Purnell is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach at DePaul University. Purnell previously served as the head coach for Clemson University, the University of Dayton, Old Dominion University, and Radford University.-Early years:Purnell was born in Berlin,...
. The team played its home games in Littlejohn Coliseum
Littlejohn Coliseum
J.C. Littlejohn Coliseum, usually known as Littlejohn Coliseum, is a 10,325-seat multi-purpose arena in Clemson, South Carolina. It is home to the Clemson University Tigers men's and women's basketball teams. It is also the site of Clemson graduations and the Clemson Career Fair...
in Clemson, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. All games were produced and broadcast locally by the Clemson Tigers Sports Network
Clemson Tigers Sports Network
Clemson Tigers Sports Network is a subsidiary of Clemson Tigers Sports Properties and is the official media rights holder for Clemson University Athletics. CTSN is a joint venture between Learfield Sports and ISP Sports.-Coach's Show:...
.
Pre-season
On Tuesday, October 21, 2008 the NCAA suspended Freshman Catalin Baciu for the first five games of the season for his participation with a RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n professional basketball team. The term of the suspension equals the number of games Baciu played as a 15-year-old for U Mobitelco Cluj, a club team that plays in Romania’s top pro division, Divizia A
Romanian Basketball Division A
The Divizia A is the top-tier professional basketball league of Romania. There are 16 teams in Men's Division A.The regular season begins in October and is played over a normal round-robin home-and-away basis. The first 8 clubs qualify for the play-offs. The play-offs are played using the knock-out...
. Although Baciu was not paid for his participation, NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from playing on a professional team, regardless of whether they are employed. He played for a total of four minutes in his five games with U Mobitelco Cluj.
On Sunday, October 26, 2008, members of the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
media were polled and picked Clemson to finish fifth in the conference behind North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest and Miami respectively.
Regular season
On Sunday, November 16, 2008, The Tigers won the inaugural Charleston ClassicCharleston Classic
-2008 standings:-2009 Tournament:ESPN confirmed that the 2009 field of eight schools have been selected for the tournament as follows: South Carolina, La Salle, Miami, Penn State, South Florida, Tulane, UNC Wilmington and Davidson. Davidson was the representative from the host Southern Conference...
8-team tournament in Charleston, SC. This marks the 25th time in school history Clemson has won a regular season tournament.
On Saturday, November 22, 2008, Clemson beat Charlotte
Charlotte 49ers
The Charlotte 49ers represent the NCAA Division I sports teams of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Charlotte joined the Atlantic 10 in 2005. The 49ers field 16 teams, 8 men and 8 women....
71–70 at Halton Arena, marking the first time ever a current member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
has played at Charlotte. (Miami played during there during their time as a member of the Big East).
On Wednesday, January 21, 2009, Clemson lost to North Carolina
2008-09 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
The 2008–09 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Head Coach was Roy Williams. The team played its home games in the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
94–70. This extended the NCAA record for the longest road losing streak against one opponent to 54 games. This also ended Clemson's streak of not losing back-to-back ACC games that dated back to the 2006–07 season.
On Sunday, January 25, 2009, with a 73–59 victory over Georgia Tech
2008–09 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team plays basketball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. In 2007-08, they went 11-10 . Georgia Institute of Technology's basketball program is one of the most popular and successful college basketball programs in the nation...
, Senior Guard K.C. Rivers broke the team record for most career wins as a player with 85. The previous record of 84 was co-held Cliff Hammonds and Elden Campbell
Elden Campbell
Elden Jerome Campbell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center in the National Basketball Association .-Playing Career:...
.
On Monday, February 2, 2009, EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
announced that Littlejohn Coliseum was one of the Top-15 toughest places to play in College Basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
. Through an online poll, Fans determined 15 finalists, whose home courts were judged to be the most difficult for opposing teams to play in. These results will form an integral part of a new game mode in the EA SPORTS NCAA Basketball videogame franchise
NCAA Basketball series
The NCAA Basketball series was a College basketball game published by EA Sports from 1995 until 2009. After EA Sports' rival publisher 2K Sports cancelled its own college basketball game, College Hoops, in 2008, EA changed the name of the series from NCAA March Madness to NCAA College Basketball...
for 2009–10.
Blue Devils
Blue Devils may refer to:In botany:*Eryngium pinnatifidum, a plant from Western AustraliaIn military history:*The Fighting Blue Devils, nickname of the 88th Infantry Division of the United States Army in World War II...
dating back to January 7, 1997. The win was also Clemson's first win over a top-5 team since a victory over No. 5 Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball program represents the University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA's Division I. The team is coached by Tony Bennett.-Statistics:-Retired numbers:-Retired jerseys:...
in 2002.
The 27-point victory was Clemson's largest margin of victory against a top 25 team in history. The previous best was a 22-point victory margin on two occasions. Clemson defeated a fourth-ranked NC State
NC State Wolfpack men's basketball
The NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Wolfpack currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which it was a founding member....
team led by David Thompson
David Thompson (basketball)
David O'Neil Thompson is a former American professional basketball star with the Denver Nuggets of both the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association , as well as the Seattle SuperSonics...
at Clemson 92–70 on Feb. 22, 1975 at Clemson, and defeated a 13th ranked Maryland
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
team by 22 points, 93–71 on January 19, 1977 at Clemson.
The defeat was also the worst suffered by Duke since the NCAA Championship game of 1990
1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1990, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Denver, Colorado...
, a 103–73 victory by UNLV
UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball
The UNLV Runnin' Rebels are a NCAA Division I men's basketball team who play at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada. Their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament was in 2011 when they received an at–large bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, earning an 8-seed in...
on April 2, 1990. The 27-point margin was the largest for Duke in an ACC regular season game since January 18, 1984 when Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference and their homecourt is the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Their only Final Four appearance was in 1962 and through the years they have produced several NBA players. The Demon Deacons have...
defeated Duke at Winston-Salem, 97–66.
Clemson's 10-point win over Boston College in Boston on Feb. 10 was just the third ACC road win over an ACC team that finished the year with a winning record in the last 22 years. Boston College finished the ACC regular season with a 9–7 record and went to the NCAA tournament.
On Tuesday, February 17, the EA Sports Tour visited Littlejohn Coliseum as Clemson hosted Maryland. Along with judging the game day atmosphere, the tour handed out video games, t-shirts and hosted an NCAA Basketball 09 tournament leading up to the game. After their visit, Novell Thomas, the producer of the NCAA Basketball game
NCAA Basketball series
The NCAA Basketball series was a College basketball game published by EA Sports from 1995 until 2009. After EA Sports' rival publisher 2K Sports cancelled its own college basketball game, College Hoops, in 2008, EA changed the name of the series from NCAA March Madness to NCAA College Basketball...
, wrote that "Hands down, Clemson just set the bar for all hosts of the EA SPORTS Toughest Places to Play, tour." The 29-point victory was the largest margin of victory in Clemson history over Maryland, and tied for the largest margin of victory for a Clemson team against an ACC team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Clemson defeated Florida State in 1997–98 by 29 points.
The Tigers finished the season at 9–7, which gave them back-to-back winning seasons in the conference for the first time since the 1965–66 and 1966–67 teams did it. It is also Clemson's eleventh winning season in the conference since 1953.
Clemson defeated five NCAA tournament teams during the regular season in Duke, Maryland, Boston College
2008–09 Boston College Eagles men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Boston College Eagles men's basketball team played basketball for the Boston College Eagles. In 2007–08, they went 14–17 . Boston College's basketball program is one of the most popular and successful college basketball programs in the Northeast...
, Temple
Temple Owls men's basketball
The Temple Owls men's basketball team represents Temple University in the Atlantic 10 Conference at the Division I level. The program is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The head men's basketball coach is Fran Dunphy.-History:...
and Illinois
2008–09 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represents University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the 2008–09 college basketball season...
. It is the most wins over NCAA Tournament teams in the regular season for the Clemson program since 1997–98.
Clemson finished the regular season with a 14–0 record against non-conference teams, one of just eight Division I teams with a perfect non-conference record. The others were Pittsburgh
2008–09 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team
The 2008-09 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represents the University of Pittsburgh in the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Head Coach is Jamie Dixon, who is serving for his 6th year as head coach at Pittsburgh and 10th overall at the University...
, UConn
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
, North Carolina, Wake Forest
2008–09 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Wake Forest Demon Deacon's men's basketball team represents the Wake Forest University. The Head Coach is Dino Gaudio. The team plays its home games in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.On...
, Minnesota
2008–09 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represented the University of Minnesota in the college basketball season of 2008–2009. The team's head coach is Tubby Smith. This is his second year as Minnesota's head coach. The Golden Gophers played their home games at Williams Arena in...
, Illinois State and Stanford
Stanford Cardinal men's basketball
The Stanford Cardinal Men's Basketball team represents Stanford University, located in Stanford, California, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team has won 13 conference championships , the last in 2004, and one NCAA championship, in 1942...
.
The Tigers won seven regular season ACC games by double digits, the most regular season league wins by 10 points or more in Clemson history. Statistically, Clemson finished the year with a +10.3 average margin of victory, third best in school history. Clemson's .688 free throw percentage was the third best for the program in the last 22 years. Clemson's .374 three-point percentage was the fourth best in school history.
ACC Tournament
Clemson entered the ACC Tournament2009 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, the culmination of the 2008–09 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season and a part of the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place from March 12–March 15, 2009, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
as the No. 5 seed with a 9–7 record in the ACC Regular Season. The Tigers lost their opening game to No. 12 seed Georgia Tech 86–81 dropping their record to 3–8 all-time in the opening round of the tournament.
NCAA Tournament
Clemson was selected for the NCAA Tournament2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
for the second consecutive year, joining Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
and North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
as the only ACC schools to make the tournament each of the last two years. It was just the third time in Clemson history that Clemson has gone to the NCAAs in consecutive years. The Tigers opened the tournament in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
as a the No. 7 seed in the South Region. Down by double-digits against #10-seed Michigan in the first round, the Tigers went on a 14–0 run to make it 58–57 with just over a minute left. Clemson had a chance to tie the game with 13 seconds left, but K.C. Rivers' contested 3-pointer at the buzzer fell short. The 59–62 loss dropped Oliver Purnell
Oliver Purnell
Oliver Purnell is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach at DePaul University. Purnell previously served as the head coach for Clemson University, the University of Dayton, Old Dominion University, and Radford University.-Early years:Purnell was born in Berlin,...
to 0–5 all-time in NCAA Tournament games as a head coach.
Coaches & staff
| Position | Name | Year at CU | Experience | Alma Mater | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head Coach | Oliver Purnell Oliver Purnell Oliver Purnell is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach at DePaul University. Purnell previously served as the head coach for Clemson University, the University of Dayton, Old Dominion University, and Radford University.-Early years:Purnell was born in Berlin,... |
Old Dominion Old Dominion Old Dominion may refer to:*Old Dominion, nickname for the U.S. State of Virginia*The Old Dominion, a reference to the Colony of Virginia, which became the "Dominion of Virginia"*Old Dominion , former Amtrak passenger train... ('75) |
Berlin, Maryland Berlin, Maryland Berlin is a town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,491 at the 2000 census.-History:The town of Berlin had its start around the 1790s, part of the Burley Plantation, a land grant dating back to 1677... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
||
| Associate Head Coach | Ron Bradley Ron Bradley Ron Bradley is currently the Associate Head Coach of men's Basketball at DePaul University. He has previously served as associate head coach at Clemson, James Madison University, assistant coach for the University of Maryland, College Park and the head coach at Radford University, where he led... |
Eastern Nazarene ('74) | Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
||
| Assistant Head Coach | Frank Smith | Old Dominion Old Dominion Old Dominion may refer to:*Old Dominion, nickname for the U.S. State of Virginia*The Old Dominion, a reference to the Colony of Virginia, which became the "Dominion of Virginia"*Old Dominion , former Amtrak passenger train... ('88) |
Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
||
| Assistant Coach | Josh Postorino | Dayton ('99) | Clearwater, Florida Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
||
| Director of Operations | Michael Morrell | Milligan College Milligan College Milligan College is a Christian liberal arts college founded in 1866 and located immediately outside of Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The school has a student population of just over 1,100 students as well as a campus that is located just minutes from downtown Johnson City... ('05) |
|||
| Video Services | Andy Farrell | Dayton ('07) | Richmond, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
||
| Graduate Assistant | Adam Gordon | Tampa University of Tampa The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary... ('06) |
Ocala, Florida Ocala, Florida Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Players
| No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Position | Year | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 | Anderson, Zavier | 5' 09" | 160 | PG | SO | Greenville, South Carolina Greenville, South Carolina -Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 10 | Baciu, Catalin | 7' 02" | 230 | C | FR | Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
| 04 | Baize, Jonah | 6' 06" | 205 | F | SO | Evansville, Indiana Evansville, Indiana Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 35 | Booker, Trevor Trevor Booker Trevor Fitzgerald Booker is an American professional basketball player with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. He was the starting power forward at Clemson University prior to playing in the NBA... |
6' 07" | 240 | F | JR | Whitmire, South Carolina Whitmire, South Carolina Whitmire is a town in Newberry County, South Carolina, along the Enoree River. The population was 1,512 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Whitmire is located at .... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 45 | Grant, Jerai | 6' 08" | 220 | F | SO | Bowie, Maryland Bowie, Maryland Bowie is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 54,727 at the 2010 census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the state of... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 21 | Narcisse, Brian | 6' 06" | 200 | F | FR | North Augusta, South Carolina North Augusta, South Carolina North Augusta is a city in Aiken County, South Carolina, United States, on the north bank of the Savannah River. The population was 21,348 at the 2010 census. The city is included in the Central Savannah River Area and is also part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.- History :North... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 22 | Oglesby, Terrence Terrence Oglesby Terrence Rønnestad Oglesby is an American-Norwegian professional basketball player. He is a shooting guard for the team CB Tarragona. Before moving to Europe to play professionally, he had played U.S. college basketball at Clemson University... |
6' 02" | 190 | G | SO | Kongsberg, Norway, United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 55 | Petrukonis, Karolis | 6' 11" | 260 | C | JR | Trakai Trakai Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of... , Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark... |
| 15 | Potter, David | 6' 06" | 205 | F | JR | Severn, Maryland Severn, Maryland Severn is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 35,076 at the 2000 census, which is a 30 percent increase over the 24,499 population of 1990... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 01 | Rivers, K.C. | 6' 02" | 215 | G | SR | Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 05 | Smith, Tanner | 6' 05" | 205 | SG | FR | Alpharetta, Georgia Alpharetta, Georgia -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,854 people, 13,911 households, and 8,916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile . There were 14,670 housing units at an average density of 686.7 per square mile... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 02 | Stitt, Demontez | 6' 02" | 150 | PG | SO | Matthews, North Carolina Matthews, North Carolina Matthews is a large suburban town of Charlotte located in southeastern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The population was 27,198 according to the 2010 Census.- Geography :Matthews is located at .... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 12 | Sykes, Raymond | 6' 09" | 220 | F | SR | Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 44 | Yanutola, Jesse | 6' 04" | 215 | F | SR | Tega Cay, South Carolina Tega Cay, South Carolina Tega Cay is a planned city in York County, South Carolina, United States. The city is a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina and Rock Hill, South Carolina. The population was 4,044 at the 2000 census.... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 11 | Young, Andre | 5' 09" | 160 | PG | FR | Albany, Georgia Albany, Georgia Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
2009 commitments
Schedule and results
|-!colspan=9| Regular season
|-
!colspan=9| Postseason
1 – Note that rankings above 25 are not official rankings. They are representations of ranking based on the number of points received in the weekly poll.
Player statistics
Finals Stats| # | Name | GP | GS | Min | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | R/G | A/G | STL | BLK | PTS/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Booker, Trevor Trevor Booker Trevor Fitzgerald Booker is an American professional basketball player with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. He was the starting power forward at Clemson University prior to playing in the NBA... |
32 | 32 | 30.7 | .571 | .409 | .707 | 9.7 | 1.7 | 47 | 63 | 15.3 |
| 01 | Rivers, K.C. | 32 | 32 | 31.0 | .449 | .392 | .667 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 55 | 14 | 14.2 |
| 22 | Oglesby, Terrence Terrence Oglesby Terrence Rønnestad Oglesby is an American-Norwegian professional basketball player. He is a shooting guard for the team CB Tarragona. Before moving to Europe to play professionally, he had played U.S. college basketball at Clemson University... |
32 | 31 | 25.8 | .375 | .388 | .845 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 28 | 1 | 13.2 |
| 02 | Stitt, Demontez | 32 | 32 | 25.9 | .413 | .273 | .673 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 48 | 14 | 8.7 |
| 12 | Sykes, Raymond | 32 | 31 | 21.7 | .578 | .000 | .557 | 5.1 | 0.7 | 20 | 32 | 7.9 |
| 15 | Potter, David | 32 | 0 | 17.6 | .380 | .365 | .756 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 19 | 7 | 4.9 |
| 45 | Grant, Jerai | 32 | 1 | 14.6 | .644 | .000 | .647 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 12 | 45 | 4.7 |
| 11 | Young, Andre | 32 | 0 | 14.9 | .377 | .390 | .632 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 31 | 1 | 4.4 |
| 05 | Smith, Tanner | 32 | 0 | 13.2 | .448 | .357 | .667 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 29 | 6 | 3.6 |
| 10 | Baciu, Catalin | 9 | 0 | 4.9 | .400 | .000 | .400 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 3 | 2 | 2.0 |
| 21 | Narcisse, Bryan | 16 | 0 | 4.2 | .533 | .000 | .667 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 2 | 1 | 1.5 |
| 44 | Yanutola, Jesse | 7 | 1 | 2.0 | .200 | .000 | .500 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2 | 0 | 0.4 |
| 55 | Petrukonis, Karolis | 6 | 0 | 4.5 | .200 | .000 | .000 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0.3 |
| 03 | Anderson, Zavier | 7 | 0 | 1.6 | .500 | .000 | .000 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0.3 |
| 04 | Baize, Jonah | 4 | 0 | 1.8 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Clemson Totals | .463 | .374 | .688 | 37.2 | 14.9 | 298 | 187 | 78.3 | ||||
| Opponent Totals | .431 | .359 | .666 | 35.2 | 13.3 | 243 | 106 | 68.0 | ||||
Awards and honors
Trevor BookerTrevor Booker
Trevor Fitzgerald Booker is an American professional basketball player with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. He was the starting power forward at Clemson University prior to playing in the NBA...
- Charleston ClassicCharleston Classic-2008 standings:-2009 Tournament:ESPN confirmed that the 2009 field of eight schools have been selected for the tournament as follows: South Carolina, La Salle, Miami, Penn State, South Florida, Tulane, UNC Wilmington and Davidson. Davidson was the representative from the host Southern Conference...
Most Valuable PlayerMost Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. - ACC Player of the Week, November 17, 2008
- Naismith College Player of the YearNaismith College Player of the YearThe Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
Mid-Season Candidate - Second Team, All District, District 2, National Association of Basketball CoachesNational Association of Basketball CoachesThe National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...
- First Team, All-District, District III, United States Basketball Writers AssociationUnited States Basketball Writers AssociationThe United States Basketball Writers Association was founded in 1956 by Walter Byers and serves the interests of journalists who cover college basketball.-Scholarships:...
- Second Team, All-ACC Team
- All-ACC Defensive Team
K.C. Rivers
- ACC Player of the Week, December 22, 2008, February 2, 2009
- Honorabe Mention, All-ACC Team
Tanner Smith
- ACC All-Academic Team (To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.)
Oliver Purnell, Head Coach
- Henry Iba AwardHenry Iba AwardThe Henry Iba Award was established in 1959 to recognize the best college basketball coach of the year by the United States Basketball Writers Association . Five nominees are presented and the individual with the most votes receives the award, which is presented in conjunction with the Final Four....
Finalist - Coach of the Year, District III, United States Basketball Writers AssociationUnited States Basketball Writers AssociationThe United States Basketball Writers Association was founded in 1956 by Walter Byers and serves the interests of journalists who cover college basketball.-Scholarships:...
Ron Bradley, Associate Head Coach
- Assistant Coach-of-the-Year Semi-Finalist, BasketballScoop.com
Rankings
| Ranking Movement | Week | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| USA Today/ESPN Coaches | 431 | 39 | 39 | 34 | 30 | 25 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 26 |
| Associated Press | 431 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 24 | |
1 – Note that rankings above 25 are not official rankings. They are representations of ranking based on the number of points received in the weekly poll.
Team notes
Clemson finished the season with a 23–9 record for a .719 winning percentage. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Clemson has improved its winning percentage from the previous year. Head Coach Oliver Purnell joins former Georgia Tech coach Bobby CreminsBobby Cremins
Bobby Cremins is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the College of Charleston's men's basketball team, and former head coach at Appalachian State and Georgia Tech.-Early years:...
as the only coaches in ACC history to take a program to a better winning percentage in five consecutive years. Cremins did it from 1980–81 through the 1986–87 season. The team finished the year with 23 wins, tied for the fifth highest total in school history. The .719 winning percentage ranks in a tie for fourth best in school history and the best since the 1989–90 team was 24–8 for a .750 winning percentage. The 23 victories gave Clemson at least 20 wins for the third straight year, a first in Clemson history. Clemson has 72 wins over the last three years, third among ACC teams behind North Carolina and Duke.
Clemson finished the year ranked 24th in the final Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
poll. It marks the second consecutive year Clemson has been ranked in the final AP poll, the first time in history Clemson has finished in the top 25 in any poll in consecutive years. Clemson was ranked in the AP poll for 14 consecutive weeks and in the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
poll for 13 consecutive weeks, the second longest streak of weeks in the top 25 in the same season in Clemson history and most since 1996–97 team was ranked in all 19 polls. Clemson reached a high ranking of No. 9 in the USA Today poll on Feb. 9, the highest ranking for the program since the 1997–98 season.
Clemson won 10 games away from home, including seven on the opponent's home court. The 10 wins away from home were the most since the 1996–97 team won a record 11. The seven road wins were the most since the 1986–87 team won eight on the opponent's home court. The Tigers posted a 4–4 ACC road record this year, the most ACC road wins in a season for the Clemson program since 1996–97.
Individual notes
Clemson's senior class of K.C. Rivers, Raymond Sykes and Jesse Yanutola finished their careers with 91 victories, a Clemson record for a four-year class. The previous record was 84. The class also had a record 33 ACC regular season wins and 12 ACC road wins. The .679 winning percentage is second best in Clemson history behind the seniors of 1979–80.- Junior Trevor BookerTrevor BookerTrevor Fitzgerald Booker is an American professional basketball player with the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association. He was the starting power forward at Clemson University prior to playing in the NBA...
led the ACC in field goal percentage and rebounding, the first ACC player to do that since Tim DuncanTim DuncanTimothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
in 1996–97. He is the first ACC underclassman to do it since Dale DavisDale Davis (basketball)Elliott Lydell Davis is a former American professional basketball player who played center and power forward. He is 6'11" and weighs 252 pounds....
of Clemson in 1989–90. Booker finished his junior year with 1,239 points, the fifth highest total in Clemson history for a junior. He finished the year seventh in school history in career rebounds with 792 and will need just 208 rebounds his senior year to become the third player in Clemson history with at least 1000 rebounds, joining Tree RollinsTree RollinsWayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
and Dale Davis. Booker is already first in Clemson history in rebounds among players 6–7 or shorter. Booker will enter his senior year with a .576 field goal percentage for his career, fifth best in school history. He also stands fifth in career blocked shots with 204. - Senior K.C. Rivers leaves Clemson as the school's career leader in victories (91), ACC wins (35), three-point goals (281) and tied for first in games played (134). He is third in steals (210), fourth in double figure scoring games (90), fourth in field goals (625), sixth in career scoring (1684), and 11th in rebounding (721). He is first among Clemson players 6–5 and under in rebounding. Rivers finished his career with 210 steals and 174 turnovers, just the second player in Clemson history to complete a career with more steals than turnovers (Sean Tyson 1987–91).
- Freshman guard Andre Young finished the year with a 2.87/1 assist/turnover ratio (66/23), the second best assist/turnover ratio in Clemson history.
- Senior Raymond Sykes finished his career with 102 career blocked shots, ninth best in Clemson history. He played in 85 victories, second on the Clemson all-time list.
- Sophomore Terrence OglesbyTerrence OglesbyTerrence Rønnestad Oglesby is an American-Norwegian professional basketball player. He is a shooting guard for the team CB Tarragona. Before moving to Europe to play professionally, he had played U.S. college basketball at Clemson University...
made 92 three-point goals in 2008–09, fourth highest single season total in school history. Oglesby enters his junior year sixth in school history in three-point goals with 177. - Sophomore Demontez Stitt took 18 charges this year, tied for sixth best in Clemson history and most by any Clemson player since Jerry Pryor had 21 in 1987–88.
See also
- 2008–09 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season2008–09 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball seasonThe 2008–09 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season was the 56th season for the league. North Carolina won the regular season crown while Duke won the ACC Tournament championship...
- ACC Men's Basketball TournamentACC Men's Basketball TournamentThe ACC Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Atlantic Coast Conference . The tournament has been held every year since 1954, one year after the conference's creation. It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season...
- 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball seasonThe 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2008 and ended with the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 6, 2009 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The season saw six different teams achieve the AP #1 ranking during the...
- 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....