Until this season, Clemson men’s golf coach Larry Penley had always appointed seniors as captains of his teams.

At the suggestion of his players, Penley instead opened this year’s choice up to the members of the team. When the votes were cast, Clemson’s new captain was Corbin Mills, a junior from Anderson.

Even after a wealth of success this summer—Mills won a pair of prestigious amateur tournaments (the United States Public Links and the Players Amateur) and has qualified for the Masters and the Heritage on the PGA Tour—Penley still describes Mills as a maturing golfer. He did not play much at an early age and played very little outside the state as a prep golfer. As such, Penley still says there is some maturing left to be done.

But the veteran head coach also recognizes Mills has quickly made himself into a force at the collegiate level, which is a quality his teammates recognize they need in their leader anyway.

“I think they see what he did this summer—winning the Public Links, winning the Players—and they saw themselves in that situation,” Penley said. “He was just one of them, but he kept working hard and kept working hard.”

“It’s an honor,” Mills said. “I think it’s the first time we’ve actually done something like that. It was really cool to see that those guys have the respect to vote me as the team captain.”

Mills’ much-publicized summer eventually gave way to a productive fall, where he established himself as the team’s most consistent performer on the golf course. In 12 rounds, he averaged right at 71 per round and finished under par eight different times.

Penley says the Upstate native’s natural progression would be to have some success in the fall since golf is a game where good fortune seems to give way to more good fortune. For Mills, the game remains consistent regardless of the level of play of his opponents or the temperature outside—something he is looking forward to seeing come back in his favor as winter gives way to spring.

“Golf is all about confidence anyway,” Penley said. “It’s just about building those different levels. He was late in that curve just because of his lack of experience, but it didn’t take him long. Once he realized he was as good as everybody else, he wasn’t afraid to win.”

“It’s still golf,” Mills said. “It’s still tournaments. I’m really, really looking forward to getting back into it.”

The Tigers’ newly-crowned team captain feels he has a good situation to lead. With several veteran players ready to come together in a push for an ACC title and in anticipation of making a run at a national championship, the Clemson junior knows his toughest task will probably be continuing a run of success that is unparalleled up to this point in history.

“We’re continuing to get closer as a team,” Mills said. “I think that’s good. Everyone is really looking forward to going out and playing on a regular basis.”

–William Qualkinbush

Question: Do you feel like you had a window there to beat North Carolina when you were down only four points?

Answer: “We had a lot of opportunties today, but we had careless turnovers. Also, throughout the game, they really killed us on the boards. That was one of the things we had to limit and the coaches stressed that, but we did not do a good job with that today.”

Question: What are your goals for this year?

Answer: “The biggest goal is being in the top 30 and making the NCAA tournament with the team,” he said. “As for myself, I’d like to go to the NCAA tournament too in both singles and doubles and do the best we can.”

We ask student-athletes somewhere between 10-20 questions each week to find out what they are like off the playing fields at Clemson.

1. What are your nicknames?

Lisa Pizza

1. Describe yourself in three words.

Energetic, hard-working, artistic

1. What is your favorite song to listen to before a game?

Mat Kearney – “Runaway”

1. Who is the team clown?

Probably Sara Manesiotis

1. What is your favorite sport besides your own?

Swimming

1. What is your favorite place to shop?

Target

1. What is your favorite food?

Ice cream

1. What is your favorite restaurant?

It’s not a restaurant. It’s my mom’s kitchen with her cooking

1. Who is your hero?

My mom

1. Who is your favorite pro team?

The Patriots

1. Who is your favorite sports hero?

Kara Goucher

1. What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?

My family

1. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?

Harry Potter

1. Batman or Spiderman?

Wonder-woman

1. What is the most played on your iPod right now?

“Hell on the Heart” by Eric Church

1. What is your favorite TV show?

Friends

1. What is your favorite movie?

The Guardian

1. What is your favorite place on campus?

Lee Hall

1. What is your favorite class?

Studio

1. Why did you pick Clemson?

I wanted to be “All In”!

We ask student-athletes somewhere between 10-20 questions each week to find out what they are like off the playing fields at Clemson.

1. What are your nicknames?
   G, Warren G
2. Describe yourself in three words.
   Talented, Smart, Energetic
3. What is your favorite song to listen to before a game?
   Any Drake or J. Cole record
4. Who is the team clown?
   Marcus Maxey
5. What is your favorite sport besides your own?
   Soccer
6. What is your favorite place to shop?
   Topman or Guess
7. What is your favorite food?
   BBQ chicken
8. What is your favorite restaurant?
   Bamboo Shack
9. Who is your hero?
   Luffy
10. Who is your favorite pro team?
    Miami Heat
11. Who is your favorite sports hero?
    Bruce Lee
12. What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?
    Ketchup
13. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?
    Lord of the Rings
14. Batman or Spiderman?
    Batman
15. What is the most played on your iPod right now?
    Drake – “Take care”
16. What is your favorite TV show?
    Wayans Brothers
17. What is your favorite movie?
    Gladiator
18. What is your favorite place on campus?
    My room
19. What is your favorite class?
    Math
20. Why did you pick Clemson?
    Because of its track program.

Clemson's Thomas Brittle watches the ball after recording his first hit in the Tigers 6-1 victory over UAB Saturday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Photo by Tyler Smith

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — First at-bats at Doug Kingsmore Stadium are normally memorable experiences for Tiger players and for their opponents. Having it as a freshman on Opening Day is extra special.

The first plate appearance by a Tiger hitter in 2012 this season was not made by a freshman, but it was made by a face that might not be recognizable to Clemson baseball fans.

Thomas Brittle, a redshirt junior centerfielder, led off the bottom of the first inning in game one. It was a feat he never imagined he would accomplish when he began his collegiate career at the College of Charleston.

“I was a little anxious up at the plate,” Brittle said on Saturday as he reflected on Friday’s happenings. “I got under a few balls and popped some balls up. That’s not really my game, so today I just took a deep breath before every at-bat and tried to square some balls up and hit the ball on the ground.”

As a transfer atop the lineup, there can be some pressure on Brittle to prove his worth to the Clemson faithful. For both of Saturday’s games, Brad Felder sat in the second spot in the lineup. As a transfer from The Citadel, Felder teamed with his former opponent in an attempt to set the tone for a Tiger offense that seemed to hit its stride after some initial struggles in the opener.

“We wanted to come out and make them make some plays and not hit the ball in the air,” Felder said. “That’s just giving it away right there. We wanted to hit the ball on the ground and hit line drives, and it just worked out.”

The two transfers have not really settled into those top spots in the lineup—mostly because the season is only three games old and anything can happen in terms of juggling the order. In fact, they have completely downplayed the concept of dueling transfers leading off the lineup.

“We joke around about it sometimes, about how crazy it is that we both ended up here,” Felder said. “We didn’t even know we were going to be a combo like that.”

Since Felder plays in right field, both he and Brittle will also be paired up in the outfield this season. Felder made a sprawling catch that brought the crowd to its feet as he slammed into the wall, and Brittle put on a show himself with three assists for the weekend to match his three hits.

Now that the opening weekend jitters are out of the way, both Brittle and Felder expect to grow into their respective roles—whatever they may be. Both also emphasized the importance of playing at a school with as much tradition as Clemson.

“There were more butterflies in the stomach during that at-bat than any other time in my life,” Brittle said. “I’ve been a Clemson fan my whole life, so to finally get a chance to play this year and hearing my name called over the intercom is like a dream come true.”

Clemson third baseman Richie Shaffer watches his two-run homer go over the wall in the Tigers 6-1 victory over UAB Saturday. Photo by Tyler Smith

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — The Clemson baseball team won two of its first three games on opening weekend, and no one was more relieved than Richie Shaffer.

The Tiger third baseman watched the entire lineup struggle to put the ball in play on Friday, so he was thrilled to see improvement come in time to win the weekend’s series against UAB.

“I think everyone was just trying too hard yesterday,” the number-three hitter in the order said. “Everyone wanted to get that big hit right away. When you tense up and try too hard, your muscles get tight. It’s still baseball.”

Based on the opinions of the magazines and scouting services, Shaffer will be one of the most targeted members of the Tiger baseball squad this season. Teams will begin to plan around his plate appearances and try to dissect his swing in search of gaps or tendencies that can be exploited.

The Blazers tried to limit Shaffer, and at first glance, it appears they may have succeeded. The junior only had two hits in 10 at-bats.

But a closer look reveals Shaffer has become a hitter whose impact goes far beyond batting average or hit totals. He walked twice in key situations and was pitched around on multiple occasions. His two-run home run—his first hit of the season—early in the second game helped the Clemson offense get in gear. He scored three runs and drove in three more.

A humble but fiery player, Shaffer downplayed his significance to the lineup. Instead, he deferred to his teammates and acknowledged the need for continual growth from the entire batting order.

“We’re going to learn and grow,” Shaffer said. “There will be plenty of different lineups, so we’re just trying to find what’s grooving right.”

The other place people wondered about Shaffer was in the field. Over his first two seasons, his slender frame was seen almost exclusively at first base, except in case of injury. But the 6’3” MLB Draft prospect grew up playing at the hot corner, and he displayed some of his natural giftedness on several occasions during the weekend.

“I had a good time,” Shaffer said. “Hopefully I can help our pitchers out as much as I can and make some plays. Defensively, I think our team really came together well.”

“He’s played a good third base for us all fall and into the spring,” Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett said. “He’s getting more and more comfortable out there every day. He’s athletic, and I think he’s going to play well at third base for us all year.”

Shaffer stopped short of saying he was the leader of the offense. In fact, he laughed off the suggestion. But it is clear the Clemson offense goes as Shaffer goes. Such expectations can bring a significant weight, but in the words of his head coach, “as long as he can just relax”, the rest of the team will rally around his influence. There are signs such a process has already begun after a mere three games.

For a donation of $250 to Clemson University and IPTAY, IPTAY members can have an engraved brick placed at one of the athletic facilities at Clemson University.

For a donation of $390 to Clemson University and IPTAY, those who are not currently IPTAY members can have an engraved brick placed at one of the athletic facilities at Clemson University. This cost of $390 includes a $140 Purple membership in the IPTAY organization that funds student-athlete scholarships, athletic facilities, academic support for student-athletes, and operating expenses.

Brick engraving can consist of 3 lines per brick with up to 20 characters (including spaces) per line. Bricks will be placed either at Memorial Stadium, Littlejohn Coliseum, Doug Kingsmore Stadium, or at the Rock Norman Track & Field Complex. You can mark your preference on the order form, but bricks will be placed based on availability at these locations.

See the link to access the Brick Order Form.

Your gift of $250 goes toward the Capital Campaign of Clemson University. The gift is registered in your IPTAY account and adds to your IPTAY priority point total. Please consult your tax advisor for tax deductibility information for this gift.

Sustaining Tiger Cub Club members, open to all fans age 18 and younger, automatically have an engraved brick placed in their name in the Tiger Cub Plaza outside of the IPTAY office. No additional order is necessary to ensure that this brick is placed.

Bricks are ordered as soon as the minimum order number is reached. After you place an order, please allow time for us to meet this minimum requirement, for brick delivery, and brick placement.

We will soon have an online brick finder so that you can easily locate your brick.

Please call or email Julia Stump in the IPTAY office with any questions:stump@clemson.edu or 864-656-2608.

Click here for the Brick Order Form.

Clemson's Yannick Maden returns a back-hand winner in his singles match Saturday against Wisconsin. Photo by Dawson Powers

Tigers rally behind Maden to beat Wisconsin

By Ashley Denny

CLEMSON — One thing Clemson Men’s Tennis Head Coach Chuck McCuen stressed to his team before they squared off against a competitive Wisconsin team on Saturday was the plus-neutral idea he had implemented into his coaching system this season.

“In the plus-neutral system I’ve taught the guys to try and remain positive throughout a match and in a worst case scenario, switch into neutral,” McCuen said. “I’ve told them to never get angry or down on themselves. By doing that it allows us to be successful and I think that it showed today.”

“Two things, Yannick is an incredibly talented player that’s a big factor,” McCuen said. “But, more than anything, I think he’s grown as a thinker on the court. He’s really matured and that comes with age, experience, and knowing what to expect. For the most part he’s bought into our system, and part of that is the plus-neutral idea.”

Maden showed off his talents again on Saturday as the Tigers, after losing the doubles point to the Wisconsin Badgers, came back to win all six matches in singles play for a 6-1 victory.

Maden started the day off losing his flight one doubles match with partner Zachary Rigsby by a score of 8-4 to Wisconsin’s Billy Bertha and Fredrik Ask. But he bounced back quickly, however, as he posted a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory against Ask in flight one singles to start the singles matches off on the right foot.

“It was good today coming off of the Furman match, which was a little weaker than today, but it was definitely good after losing a couple of matches to get two wins this week,” he said.

This coming weekend the Tigers’ will be traveling to Alabama to participate in the Blue and Gray Weekend where they will face off against teams such as Auburn, Alabama, and Tennessee. Because of this, Maden believes that this weekend’s win over Wisconsin was an important one.

“It wasn’t the nicest match today, there was a lot of fighting and it was windy but it was good to get it done,” Maden said. “It was good that everyone won their singles matches today because the doubles were a little rough today.”

Because the Tigers have several more vocal members on this year’s team, Maden continues to focus on leading by example.

“We have a couple guys on this team that are more vocal so that makes it a good fit I guess,” he said. “I just try to do the right things and lift my teammates up if they’re down and they do the same for me.”

As for personal and team goals for the 2012 season, Maden hopes Clemson can finish in the top 30 nationally and compete in the NCAA tournament.

“The biggest goal is being in the top 30 and making the NCAA tournament with the team,” he said. “As for myself, I’d like to go to the NCAA tournament too in both singles and doubles and do the best we can.”

Clemson's Richie Shaffer reacts after scoring a run in the Tigers' 7-4 victory over UAB Saturday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson. Photo by Tyler Smith

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — Richie Shaffer hears all the talk. He understands all the questions surrounding 16^th-ranked Clemson’s bats.

The Tigers, who are coming off a 43-20 year in 2011, opened the 2012 season this past weekend by replacing five of their eight position players in the field last year, including ACC Player of the Year Brad Miller, who was a first-team All-American at shortstop. Clemson also replaced All-ACC outfielders Will Lamb and Jeff Schaus from a lineup that helped the Tigers win 26 of their last 31 regular-season games.

“I think we are going to be an all-around good offense,” the junior said. “We are going to have a lot of speed. We are going to be a fast team as always. Hopefully, we are going to put a lot of balls in the gap and beat a lot of balls out.

“We are going to be an exciting offense to watch. I don’t think we are going to be a big, bruising team that is hitting 10 to 20 home runs apiece, but we will run some balls out of the yard. We will definitely be a gap-to-gap kind of team that will steal a lot of bags. We will be a really fun, high-paced offense.”

The guys that will be counted on to make this year’s offense fun will be Shaffer at third base, along with Spencer Kieboom at catcher, Jon McGibbon at first, Jay Baum at second, Jason Stolz at short, Tyler Slaton in left field, Thomas Brittle in center, Brad Felder in right and Phil Pohl as the designated hitter.

“It’s really hard to tell in scrimmages. It’s tough,” Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett said about his offense. “If you hit the ball well, then you worry about your pitching. If your pitching is really good and you don’t hit, then you are worried about your hitting. So, it is tough to be happy.”

But Leggett is happy about the progress his new lineup has made since practice began a few weeks back. The Clemson coach says he wants to see his team play well, and play with a lot of energy when it takes the field.

“I want to see us play with energy every day on the field and in every inning the whole weekend,” he said. “I want to see us continue to get better and play good team ball. I want to see us execute on offense. I want to see those guys go out there, step up and compete.”

It should help the Tigers compete at the plate considering who will be representing them on the mound. Junior right hander Kevin Brady got the ball first Friday, while Dominic Leone started the early game Saturday, while David Haselden — who has one of the best strikeout-to-walk ratios in Clemson history — started the series finale.

Clemson also brings back a ton of experience in the bullpen, including veteran pitchers Scott Firth, Kevin Pohle, Matt Campbell and Jonathan Meyer.

“It’s nice to have a bunch of good guys on the mound to fall back on,” Shaffer said. “But, we are a proud group on offense and we do not want to have to be carried. We want to supply a lot of offense and give pitchers a lot of confidence out there to know they have a little cushion.

“Hopefully, we want to reverse that and make the pitchers feel as comfortable as possible. We are going to be really aggressive and we will be a lot better on offense than what some people are giving us credit for.”

Clemson first baseman Jon McGibbon reacts with teammates after scoring on Spencer Kieboom's double to center field in Clemson's 2-1 loss to UAB on Friday. Photo by Tyler Smith

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — Clemson’s season-opening game against Alabama-Birmingham went pretty much the way 16^th-ranked Clemson expected it to Friday, except for the final score.

The Tigers got solid pitching efforts from starter Kevin Brady and relievers Matt Campbell and Daniel Gossett, but struggled at the plate as UAB pitchers Dillon Napoleon and Ryan Nance kept Clemson’s inexperienced lineup at bay.

In the end, the Blazers used back-to-back base hits in the top of the seventh inning, and then a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Tyler Mims to score second baseman Keith DePew with what turned out to be the game-winner in UAB’s 2-1 win victory at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

“We pitched really well and we played good defense. We did not do anything to hurt us that way,” Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett said. “But we just did not do anything offensively to get excited about. We had some opportunities and the right guys up, but we never got into any offensive flow.”

Clemson managed only four hits off Napoleon and Nance, with 13 putouts being record by way of fly outs or pop ups. UAB’s pitchers had only two strikeouts. The Tigers left nine runners stranded in all.

“I think everyone was anxious and maybe overly excited,” catcher Spencer Kieboom said. “Everyone has been waiting for this day for about seven to eight months, but that is just the way it fell. I thought we hit a lot of balls right on the nose and right at some people.

“We should have hit the ball on the ground a little more, I think, but overall, I don’t think we swung the bats too bad as a team, but we hit some balls right at some people.”

Kieboom was the only bat the Tigers had in Friday’s game. The junior had two hits in three at-bats, including a double off the wall in the second inning to score Jon McGibbon from first base.

“If we are going to win, we are going to have to execute,” the Clemson catcher said. “That is something we know as a team and everyone else knows. We will definitely make sure that does not happen next time.”

It was a shame it happened on a night when Brady and company were so complete on the mound. Brady, who has battled back from injury and personal tragedy to get the start on opening day, was charged with allowing one run off four hits in five innings of work. He struck out four Blazers and worked himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the third with a pair of strikeouts.

It was Brady’s first start since the South Carolina game last March. The junior missed 71 days last year after suffering a forearm tear in his right arm in that game.

“I felt like it went pretty well,” he said. “Obviously, there are a couple of things to clean up like my location, but that’s a really good team and they just came out and gave me everything.”

Brady finished the day with 73 pitches before giving away to Campbell with a runner on in the sixth inning. In those 73 pitches, he threw 43 strikes.

“I thought Brady looked good,” Leggett said. “I thought he did a good job for us. Like I said, we did not do anything to hurt ourselves on defense or pitching-wise, but we just did not do much on offense.”

Campbell went three innings, allowing one run on four hits as well, while Gossett, a freshman, made his first career appearance and did not give up a hit or run in the ninth inning.

“They did a great job,” Kieboom said. “They all hit their spots. We had a great defense game. I don’t think we had any errors. There was nothing you can complain about defensively or pitching wise. They held them to two runs and they got out of a few jams.”

Clemson's Nikki Dixon, left, reaches in and steals the basketball from Wake Forest's Brooke Thomas in Sunday's 63-51 loss at Littlejohn Coliseum. Dixon had a career-high seven steals. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — Clemson was right where it wanted to be Sunday. The Lady Tigers were making shots. They were getting steals and forcing Wake Forest into bad shots.

When Chanice Dunn’s layup pulled them within four points of Wake Forest with 10:07 to play, it appeared everything was in place for the Lady Tigers to snap a four-game losing streak. Then the Demon Deacons got hot.

“That took the air out of our balloons,” Clemson Head Coach Itoro Coleman said. “I know we had fought so hard to come back and we got within four, which was good. Then when we gave up those two threes, I felt like the effort after that dropped. We didn’t give as much as we could have because they were still worrying about that.”

When the Lady Tigers finally came back around, Wake Forest (16-11, 6-8 ACC) extended its lead to as many as 16 points.

The Demon Deacons went a strange route in getting the double-digit victory, which was their fourth in the last five games. Wake Forest dominated the glass by out-rebounding the Tigers 52-40, including a 22-17 advantage on the offensive glass. However, the Deacons shot only 30.2 percent on two-point field goals, but turned around and made 47.6 percent of their attempts from behind the arc (10-21), including 62.5 percent in the second half (5-8).

Coleman said all of that comes back to the offensive glass, where Wake Forest outscored the Lady Tigers 20-4 on second-chance points.

“We have to fix that second-chance rebounding,” she said. “If we limit their second-chance opportunities, then we have more possessions on offense. I thought Wake Forest did a good job going to the boards. They did an unbelievable job.

“Their offensive rebounding really hurt us.”

What also hurt Clemson (6-19, 2-12) were the times in the game  in which it could not make a basket. Stretching over the last 9:26 in the first half and the first 2:10 of the second, the Lady Tigers did not make a field goal. That stretch allowed Wake to go on a 12-1 run for a 32-21 lead.

The Demon Deacons then upped their lead to 37-23 on a Lindsy Wright basket with 16:36 to go before Clemson made its impressive 18-8 run to pull it within four at 45-41. During their run, the Lady Tigers could not miss a basket. They got seven straight points from Shaniqua Pauldo at one point, a three-pointer from Kelly Gramlich, a jump shot from Quinyotta Pettaway and layups from Chelsea Lindsay and Dunn.

Then they went cold again as Wake used a 16-4 run during a six-minute stretch to put the game away.

“There was no reason. We were just not in an offensive flow,” Coleman said. “When we pushed it, especially against their press, we had numbers and we took advantage of that in the second half. But, we got a little anxious, I thought, a little bit on offense. We could have made an extra pass or we could have gone inside a little more.

“We settled for a lot of outside shots. I felt like we could have got the ball inside, whether it was on the dribble or passing it inside to the post.”

Pettaway led the Tigers with 10 points and 11 rebounds. It was her fourth double-double of the season. Pauldo finished with nine points, while Nikki Dixon added eight points and had a career-high seven steals, which is also a season-high for the squad.

Despite the loss, Coleman was pleased with the Lady Tigers’ overall effort, especially since they were coming off a heartbreaking 56-53 loss at Boston College on Thursday night.

“They played a lot harder today and they responded after what happened the other night,” the Clemson coach said. “Losing to Boston College was hard because we gave up a lead and really lost the game in the last minute. For them to come out today and fight the way that they did, I can’t fault that effort.”

Clemson guard Andre Young tries to go up for a basket against UNC's Justin Watts in Saturday's loss in Chapel Hill, NC. Young finished the game with 13 points to lead the Tigers. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

CHAPEL HILL, NC — When Tanner Smith drove the lane to pull Clemson within six points of eighth-ranked North Carolina with 11:59 to play Saturday at the Dean Smith Center, the Tigers were flying high.

And when UNC’s Tyler Zeller turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, the Clemson bench went into celebration mode. It appeared everything was coming together. It appeared this might be the year Clemson finally ended its winless streak in Chapel Hill.

It was not.Following the timeout, the Tigers started to turn the basketball over and went seven minutes and 42 seconds without a field goal. In the end, it was another disappointing loss in Chapel Hill as the Tar Heels handed Clemson its worst defeat of the season — and the worst under head coach Brad Brownell — with a 74-52 victory.

“We had something going,” Clemson guard Tanner Smith said. “Then I had a bad turnover and we ended up not getting too many shots. I thought we were playing pretty good defense at that time, but when you turn the basketball over multiple possessions in a row, you are bound to start losing some confidence and momentum.

“That’s kind of what happened. We found ourselves in a bad spot.”

Clemson (13-13, 5-7 ACC) turned the basketball over on four of its next five possessions, and eight times after cutting the score to 47-41 on Smith’s layup. The Tigers had only four turnovers in the first half, but turned the basketball over 11 times in the second.

“That is the end of the game,” Brownell said. “They capitalized on them. We just needed to play better during that stretch and we did not do it.”

From that point on, the Tar Heels (23-4, 10-2) outscored Clemson 27-11. Harrison Barnes, who scored 40 points on the Tigers in last year’s ACC Tournament, dropped in 24 points and had seven rebounds, while point guard Kendall Marshall dished out 13 assists.

North Carolina also dominated the boards, grabbing 39 rebounds to Clemson’s 26, while also owning an 11-5 advantage on the offensive glass. Zeller had seven rebounds to go with his 14 points, while John Henson added eight boards and 13 points.

Point guard Andre Young was the only Tiger to score in double digits. The senior dropped in 13 points, including three bombs from behind the arc. But Clemson had very little presence inside as Zeller and Henson owned the paint, forcing the Tigers to shoot perimeter shots.

“It’s hard to score against them because of their size and length,” Brownell said. “You throw it inside and you’re facing a seven-footer. As a result, they can then guard you a little harder out on the perimeter and deny more things.

“I thought that was problematic for us early on. As the game wore on, we did a little bit better job against it. Again, they have great length at a lot of different positions and they’ve got guys that are more experienced.”

After Young’s 13 points, Milton Jennings and Devin Booker added nine points, while Smith had six points.

“We had guys we wanted with the ball, and sometimes things just don’t go your way,” Smith said.

Clemson pitcher Kevin Brady made his first start since last March in Friday's season opener against UAB. Brady had four strikeouts in five innings of work and allowed one run on four hits. Photo by Rex Brown.

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — When a young man or woman decides to continue their athletic career in college, there comes a period of time when adversity will strike.

Few student-athletes at Clemson University have gone through the trials and tribulation that pitcher Kevin Brady has had to endure during his Clemson career. But through it all, the redshirt junior has persevered, and on Friday he was rewarded by being given the baseball to open the 2012 season when the 16th-ranked Tigers hosted the University of Alabama-Birmingham at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

“I’m real excited about it. It gives me another opportunity,” Brady said early last week. “It’s a new beginning to a new season, so I’m just ready to get out there and pitch. I’m real excited about the opportunity.”

Brady pitched well in his first start since last March. He went five innings while throwing 73 pitches with four strikeouts. Of those pitches, 43 were thrown for strikes.

“My arm felt really good,” he said. “I was able to keep them off balance, but I have to still keep working on that changeup. Once I get all three pitches going, then it will be okay.”

Brady has had opportunities before. As a freshman in 2009, he opened the year with four appearances, including three starts. He was everything Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett thought he would be and more. Though he did not record a decision, he posted a 1.69 ERA and was getting better.

But tragedy hit home as his father, John, lost his battle with cancer soon after the season started. His father’s death weighed heavy on his mind and heart, and Brady struggled to find the rhythm he opened the season with. After March 11 his season was done, and he was granted a medical redshirt.

Over the next year, Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett and pitching coach Dan Pepicelli worked diligently to help Brady find his control. When a pitcher all of sudden becomes wild, he sometimes has a tough time finding his spot again. But Pepicelli knew they could lead Brady back.

“We were patient with him,” Pepicelli said. “I just told him to put baseball back in balance with his life. It got to a point that he was stressed so much about every single pitch he was throwing. I just wanted him to be where he could just let it go.

“The thing that I noticed is when he would throw a couple of pitches he would be so hard on himself about the location of those pitches. He would look to see what I thought. I told him, `Kevin, it is an imperfect game. You have to let it go.’ The better he got at letting it go and trusting himself, the bigger his confidence got, and that is where he is at now.”

After slowly bringing Brady along to start the 2010 season, his confidence returned. By the end of the year, Brady had become the Tigers’ most reliable bullpen pitcher as he recorded 25 strikeouts and had only two walks in his last 21 innings. He finished the year with a 4.20 ERA with 39 strikeouts against six walks in 30 innings over 20 relief appearances.

“He is a perfect example that you can come back from (control issues) like that,” Pepicelli said. “He is mentally a really, really tough kid and he just brought himself back. A lot of it was work he had to do, so he did it.”

Things were going great for Brady. He found his control again, and his arm was one of the strongest in the country. He opened the 2011 season by blowing the baseball past his competition. In his first start against Eastern Michigan, he totaled 10 strikeouts in only 5.1 innings of work while allowing only one run and two hits. In his second start against Michigan State, he posted nine strikeouts through seven innings and did not give up a run.

Then South Carolina came to town. Again, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound righty started strong as he struck out four Gamecocks in four innings of work while allowing only one run off three hits. But after the fourth inning, Brady felt something was wrong with his forearm and he was taken out of the game.

He had suffered a muscle strain and missed the next 71 days.

“He handled that real well,” Pepicelli said. “I think the bottom line is that the physical part in a lot of ways can be easier because you know that you are waiting for that to heal. Kevin certainly did not lack any confidence last year. He really trusted his stuff.”

Ultimately, Brady returned toward the end of the regular season, as he pitched one perfect inning in a win over Davidson, then came in and retired all five batters he faced, including four by strikeout, in Clemson’s 7-4 victory at Florida State.

“He threw for us at the tail end of the year, but he really could not throw a breaking ball. It was just his fastball,” Pepicelli said. “He went up to the Cape (Cod League) and was starting to get his breaking ball back a little bit. But between physical therapy and then us being in the postseason at the end, it was rush, rush, rush. He never got that time to shut it down and give his arm a chance to get back to full strength. He had to get his mind out of the rehab mode, which is what he needed.”

After being drafted in the 17th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Cleveland Indians, Brady took the summer off for the most part and decided to return to Clemson for a fourth year.

“I have been rehabbing and I have been in treatment. Everything feels really good,” he said. “I communicate with Coach Pepicelli on how I pitch and how my arm feels after I pitch. I have normal tightness, but that is it. Everything feels really good. We are on a normal throwing program. We have a good routine going.”

Now he is ready to go out there and give it his all for Clemson and no one wants to see him succeed more than his head coach.

“He has been one of those guys who you want to see do well,” Leggett said. “He has really been through some tough times, but he has handled things extremely well.”

So well in fact, he has earned the right to start the season.

“It’s amazing. After watching Trey Delk, Casey Harman and Scott Weismann be able to go out there the last three years, I feel excited I get to go out there, put on these cleats and throw the first pitch for the Tigers,” Brady said. “It is something I have really been looking forward to.

“It has mentally been straining, but it was a good experience for me. You are going to get injured in your career, so I learned to make the best of it. I have really been fighting back and I put all of my faith in my coaches and my teammates. It has worked out, and I’m excited Coach Leggett trusts me with the ball on Friday.”

Clemson's Devin Booker scored 10 points and shut Virginia's Mike Scott (23) down in the second half of the Tigers' 60-48 victory last Tuesday at Littlejohn Coliseum. Photo by Rex Brown

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — At halftime of Tuesday night’s game against Virginia, Clemson men’s basketball coach Brad Brownell had one clear, concise message for his team.

Get more physical.

The Tigers heeded his call, repeatedly feeding the basketball into the paint and attacking the basket on the offensive end. At the same time, Clemson managed to keep the Cavaliers at bay on defense, and the combination of the two led to a 60-48 victory.

When asked about what changed for him in the second half, Booker smiled and gave a simple answer to a simple question.

“I got more touches,” he said. “When you give the ball to me inside, good things happen. I definitely got into a rhythm. After I made the first basket, the next ones after that weren’t too hard.”

Brownell chose to look at the second half resurgence of the Union native as more comprehensive and team-oriented. He expects the same caliber of performance Booker gave in the second half every single night.

“Devin needs to be able to do that,” Brownell said. “Certainly it was a big part of the game for us in the second half. I thought our guys got him the ball in pretty good positions.”

As for playing solid defense against Scott, Booker said it was a concerted effort, but did acknowledge his offensive production and defensive effectiveness were related to one another. Scott attempted only 11 shots and scored just 13 points, both numbers the Tigers were proud to tout when the game was finished.

“I definitely thought it could be done,” Booker said of stopping Scott. “I had to help on screens a little bit too late sometimes, which gave him open shots in the first half. We tried to guard him as a team in the second half.”

Consistency of play is important to Brownell, and Booker gave it to him—at least for this week. In Saturday’s loss to North Carolina, the junior poured in nine points and grabbed nine rebounds against one of the league’s top front lines. It is part of the process for Booker, who has had to live in the shadow of older brother and current NBA player Trevor Booker for his entire career.

While flashes of brilliance have come on occasion, Brownell knows his starting big man will need to continue to play at a high level. He just hopes it can come without a tongue lashing from his coaches in a halftime locker room speech.

“You can’t do that every week,” Brownell said. “If the kids think that what you say is right, then they’ll respond. If they don’t, then you’re going to have problems.”

So far, so good on that front for Booker, who has responded positively at every turn as the back stretch of conference play has followed its course.

Clemson's Tanner Smith passes the ball in the second half of the Tigers' 60-48 victory over No. 22 Virginia last Tuesday. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — Just before Brad Brownellspoke to the media following Tuesday’s game against No. 22 Virginia, Paula Brownell asked her husband if he wanted to go to dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

“I’m pretty pleased that she wants to go, that’s a good thing,” the Clemson head coach said.

Valentine’s Day was not the only thing the Brownells were celebrating. They also celebrated the Tigers’ impressive second half performance, which led to their 60-48 victory at a sold out Littlejohn Coliseum. It was only the second time this season the Cavaliers lost by double digits, and the first time UVA had dropped two consecutive games.

With the win, the Tigers improved to 13-12 and 5-6 in the ACC, while Virginia fell to 19-6 overall and 6-5 in the conference.

“It was a great team win. I thought our guys really competed,” Brownell said. “When you play Virginia, they are so fundamentally sound and are in good position all the time, so your effort has to be supreme, and that was the case tonight – especially in the second half.

“I challenged our guys at halftime that we could not let this opportunity get away from us. We were in a position to beat this team tonight and we needed to take advantage of it. I thought our guys came out very spirited and played really well.”

With the game tied 24-24, Clemson turned up the tempo to start the final 20 minutes. Tanner Smith, who along with Andre Young led the Tigers with 13 points, drained a three-pointer, freshman Devin Coleman hit a jump shot and then Devin Bookerfollowed with back-to-back power moves that gave Clemson a 33-30 lead with 16:30 to play. Clemson never trailed again.

The Tigers connected on 14 of 26 shots in the second half, while limiting Virginia’s possession and forcing bad shots at times. Clemson limited Virginia’s leading scorer Mike Scott to 13 points — four points below his season average — and held him scoreless for nearly 10 minutes during a key stretch.

Booker played a big role in limiting Scott’s touches as the 6-foot-8, 245-pound power forward used his bigger frame to body up and harass the Cavaliers’ top scorer in the second half.

“In the second half, I knew I had to limit his touches and limit his shot selections,” Booker said. “I think I did a pretty good job.”

Booker also did a pretty good job on the offensive end, as he finished the game with 10 points and four rebounds, all of which came in the second half.

“Devin needs to be able to do that, and certainly it was a big part of the game for us in the second half,” Brownell said. “His ability to score around the basket was big. I thought our guys got him the ball in pretty good positions.”

“Devin has been playing really well the last couple of games. He has a lot of confidence and we have confidence in him, so it was a matter of him going out there and doing it,” Young said.

The Tigers did it a number of ways Tuesday night. Clemson forced 18 turnovers, 14 of which were steals, and held Virginia to just 3-of-16 shooting from behind the arc. On the offensive end, the Tigers shot 46 percent, got 32 points in the paint and outscored the Cavaliers 17-2 off the bench. Coleman scored nine of those for a second straight game.

Brownell says it was a collective group effort on both ends of the court that got the job done. Clemson used 11 different players, especially early as Brownell tried to wear down a Virginia team that lacks depth and was limited even more with Joe Harris’ broken left hand.

Harris tried to give it a go, but he played only 21 minutes, while going 1-for-5 from the field for two points. Harris had 19 points for the Cavaliers in the Jan. 31 win over Clemson.

“I thought we did a good job offensively of making them play defense,” Brownell said. “We wanted to try and wear them down. They do not play as many guys as some people. Obviously Harris’ hand was bothering him some, so we felt like this was a game where we could wear them down a little bit.

“I thought on both ends of the court we needed to push them. I did not want to call very many timeouts tonight, even to stop the clock. I was going to play a lot of guys in the first half and I did, and I knew I would probably shorten the bench in the second half. I just wanted our guys to keep the pressure on, and I thought they did a really good job.”

Former Tiger Trevor Booker will be one of many former Clemson players that will be in attendance this Saturday as Clemson celebrates 100 years of basketball. Booker will be a coach in the Alumni Basketball game this Friday at Littlejohn Coliseum. Photo by Rex Brown

Clemson men’s basketball will host an alumni game on February 24 at 7:00PM in Littlejohn Coliseum. As part of the 100th anniversary celebration of Clemson basketball, this event will feature many of the Tigers’ all-time greats. The event is free to the public and will feature an autograph session at the conclusion of the game.

The game will have two 20-minute (running clock) halves with a 10-minute halftime. Gates will open at 6:30 PM and seating is general admission. The list of players who are currently committed to playing or coaching are:

• Trevor Booker
• Greg Buckner
• Elden Campbell
• Sam Cohn
• Bobby Conrad
• Vincent Hamilton
• Tripp Jones
• Ed Krajack
• George Krajack
• Grayson Marshall
• Terrell McIntyre
• Brian O’Rourke
• Sam Perry
• Shawan Robinson
• Patrick Sapp
• Tom Wideman
• Sharone Wright

The alumni game is on the eve of the official celebration of 100 years of Clemson basketball. On February 25, Clemson will host NC State and celebrate its basketball history by welcoming back alumni, including many of the 25 players who were named to the all-time team in the fall.

Reserve Your Room at the Clemson Team Hotel Today! 

Children will be allowed to experience the singing of the National Anthem alongside the Tigers at Doug Kingsmore Stadium prior to the start of those games.  Complimentary game ticket vouchers will also be offered for select games. They can be picked up at Academy Sports and Outdoors in Greenville or Spartanburg. Each voucher will award one child age 12 and younger entry to one of the following Sunday home games:

March 11vs. UNC

March 18 vs. Boston College

April 1 vs. Miami

April 15 vs. NC State

May 6 vs. College of Charleston

May 15 vs. Florida State

A total of 500 game vouchers are available for the entire season and can be obtained at one of two Academy locations:  Greenville ( 59 Woodruff Industrial Lane) or Spartanburg (100 Peachwood Center Drive).  The first-come, first-served vouchers are only redeemable while ticket supplies last and valid for use at any Clemson ticket office.

Clemson head coach Brad Brownell spoke to the media Monday about the Wake Forest game and the Virginia game which is scheduled for Tuesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum. Photo by Rex Brown

Clemson head coach Brad Brownell met with the media Monday to discuss the Wake Forest game and also look ahead to Tuesday night’s ACC Showdown with Virginia at Littlejohn Coliseum. Tipoff for the Virginia game is set for 7 p.m. and will be televised by ESPNU.

Opening statement: I’m certainly happy that our guys got a win last weekend so we feel like we are in better spirits this week as we prepare for Virginia. We played them really well at their place. We had a great first half in the game, but to Virginia’s credit they made plays down the stretch. Mike Scott was really good and Joe Harris made shots and they got away from us a little bit in the second half. We are looking forward to the rematch.

Question: Mike Scott did a nice job shooting jump shots from the elbows the last time they played you. How do you try and stop a player like that?

Coach Brownell: “It’s hard because you don’t see that very often. He is a guy that scores in a variety of ways. His face-up jump shot is terrific. He makes shot in areas before you can double him because he has a quick release. He is doing some screening stuff too so your helping on cutters so he is then popping back for a shot. That’s why he is one of the best players in our league. He has been a factor in most games for them so we need to slow him down at least a little bit.”

Question: The last time out against Virginia, you played a low scoring game, but both teams were efficient with their offense. Do you expect the same thing to happen tomorrow night?

Coach Brownell: “Probably not. I think the efficiency on offense was really good in the first half for us. I thought both teams tried to push the pace a little bit, but there were so few turnovers for points. There were not very many transition defensive mistakes. We made a couple of mistakes in the second half and that allowed them to get away from us quickly, and they do not make very many of those. It is hard to get any easy baskets and as a result you are going against set defenses. It takes 25 to 30 seconds to score so as a result you have few possessions and that leads to lower scoring.”

Question: With Assane Sene out again, and Harris is dealing with a broken hand, can this be an advantage for you?

Coach Brownell: “I don’t know, maybe. This time of the year, a lot of teams will settle in to using six to eight guys. Virginia has done a remarkable job of absorbing the loss of Assane Sene and has figured out some ways to work through it. Sometimes they will play smaller lineups and play four guards. The other guys have shoulder the load. It’s not so much what it did offensively, but what he did was provide more presence defensively. It probably hurts them more when they play a team like North Carolina and don’t have another big man or big body to throw at those guys. We are not quite that big and most teams in this league are not that big so it is not an enormous factor. If Joe Harris is playing, then he will be fine. That means we are going to have to do a better job on him than we did the last time we played him.”

Question: Are you anxious to see if Devin Coleman or one of the other freshman can step up again and be as productive as he was the other night?

Coach Brownell: “That has been the frustrating thing, because I don’t think one of them have been able to separate themselves with consistent good play. They have all showed signs that they can be good players at times, but they have also shown they cannot be regulars. That is a little problematic especially when you think about the future. We really need those points. We shot the ball well the other night at Wake and guys came in off the bench and made some shots and came in and made a couple of threes and that is something that has not happened this year and that is part of the reason on why we have not won.”

—Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — Former Clemson All-American Kyle Stanley is first on the PGA Tour money list and first in the FedExCup Standings through tournaments of Feb. 12.  He is also second behind Phil Mickelson in Ryder Cup points among United States Players.

Stanley is the first Clemson golfer to rank first on the PGA Tour Money list and FedExCup standings this late in the season  (through tournaments of Feb. 15) and his Ryder Cup standing is the highest by any former Clemson golfer at any point in the season.  No former Clemson golfer has played in the Ryder cup.

Stanley won the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks ago when he came from eight strokes back entering the final round.  He also has a second-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.  He took this past week off and will return to action this weekend at the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles.

The two-time NCAA runner-up has earned $1,793,575 in four tournaments so far, first on the list ahead of Johnson Wagner, who has earned $1,586,858.  Brandt Snedeker is third and Phil Mickelson is fourth.  Stanley also has the lead in FedExCup points with 846, a total that is 49 more than Wagner.  He is second to Mickelson  in terms of Ryder Cup points.  Mickelson has 2,056 and Stanley has 1,822.

PGA Tour Leaders in Money

Rk      Name                        Events                Money

   1.      Kyle Stanley                      4         $1,793,575

   2.      Johnson Wagner               4         $1,586,858

   3.      Brandt Snedeker               3         $1,251,513

   4.      Phil Mickelson                    4         $1,209,131

   5.      Mark Wilson                      4         $1,168,343

PGA Tour Leaders in FedExCup Points

Rk      Name                        Events                 Points

   1.      Kyle Stanley                      4                      846

   2.      Johnson Wagner               4                      797

   3.      Mark Wilson                      4                      602

   4.      Brandt Snedeker               3                      597

   5.      Phil Mickelson                    4                      562

United States Ryder Cup Standings

Rk      Name                        Points

   1.      Phil Mickelson            2,056

   2.      Kyle Stanley              1,822

   3.      Keegan Bradley          1,805

   4.      Steve Stricker             1,683

   5.      Johnson Wagner        1,604

—Clemson Sports Information

Question: What did it feel like to have a game where you could relax at the end as opposed to the way it has been like the last couple of games where the games have been close?

Answer: “It was nice to kind of use the clock at the end, knowing we had it in our hands as long as we did not do anything stupid. I thought the young guys handled the situation pretty well so we were able to do what we needed to do.”

Question: What can a win like this do for the team’s confidence?

Answer: “This is a big confidence builder. All of our games have been close and have come down to the wire. We would win by one or two or lose by one or two so to have a game like this where we played pretty well defensively and offensively is good and gives us hope going forward that if we play this way, we can play with anybody.”

We ask student-athletes somewhere between 10-20 questions each week to find out what they are like off the playing fields at Clemson.

1. What are your nicknames?
2. Describe yourself in three words.

Kind, hardworking, and happy

1. Who is your favorite sideline reporter?

Erin Andrews

1. What is your favorite song to listen to before a game?

“Jump around” – House of Pain

1. What is your favorite sport besides your own?

Football          

1. What is your favorite place to shop?

Polo outlet/Nike store

1. What is your favorite food?

Pizza

1. What is your favorite restaurant?

Delmonico’s

1. Who is your hero?

My father

1. Who is your favorite pro team?

Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Bruins

1. Who is your favorite sports hero?

Pat Tillman

1. What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?

My family

1. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?

Lord of the Rings all day!

1. Batman or Spiderman?

Batman

1. What is the most played on your iPod right now?

“Let the beat build” – Lil Wayne

1. What is your favorite TV show?

This is a hard question, but South Park

1. What is your favorite movie?

The Shawshank Redemption

1. What is your favorite place on campus?

Vickery Hall

1. What is your favorite class?

Meditation and Relaxation

1. Why did you pick Clemson?

It has a fun and friendly atmosphere and great school spirit that makes it a great place to go to school.  I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else in the world.

We ask student-athletes somewhere between 10-20 questions each week to find out what they are like off the playing fields at Clemson.

1. What are your nicknames?
   LJ
2. Describe yourself in three words.
   Focused, Ambitious, Hard-Working
3. Who is your favorite sideline reporter?
   Don’t have one
4. What is your favorite song to listen to before a game?
   “Kid Cudi” – Day and Night
5. Who is the team clown?
   Jaron Roberson
6. What is your favorite sport besides your own?
   Basketball
7. What is your favorite place to shop?
   Don’t have one
8. What is your favorite food?
   BBQ Chicken
9. What is your favorite restaurant?
   Bleu
10. Who is your hero?
    My father
11. Who is your favorite pro team?
    Lakers
12. Who is your favorite sports hero?
    Kobe Bryant
13. What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?
    My family
14. Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?
    Neither
15. Batman or Spiderman?
    Spiderman
16. What is the most played on your iPod right now?
    “Kid Cudi” – Day and Night
17. What is your favorite TV show?
    My Wife and Kids
18. What is your favorite movie?
    Disturbia
19. What is your favorite place on campus?
    Fike
20. What is your favorite class?
    Marketing 301
21. Why did you pick Clemson?
    Because it has great family environment.

- Visit www.clemsontigers.com/iptay to make your donation online.

-Call 864-656-2115 or 1-800-CLEMSON to make your donation over the phone using a credit card

-You can also visit us at the IPTAY office; our hours are Monday-Friday 8:00 AM- 4:30 PM

For more information or questions about the February 15^th deadline, please contact the IPTAY office at 864-656-2115 or iptay@clemson.edu.

We truly appreciate your generous support of the IPTAY Scholarship Fund.

Clemson's Richie Shaffer makes contact against Wake Forest last season at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson. Photo by Annemarie Jacques

By Eric Sprott

CLEMSON — In his first two seasons on campus, Richie Shaffer was the model of consistency holding down the starting gig at first base for the Clemson baseball team.

Along the way, the junior committed just three errors, good for a fielding percentage of .996 to help make him one of the top defensive first basemen the Tigers have ever had on the diamond.

The crazy part about it? Shaffer enjoyed that success all while playing out of position, as he is a natural third baseman who spent nearly the duration of his formative years at the position.

What seems maybe even crazier now? Clemson head coach Jack Leggett is going to move Shaffer over to the hot corner despite all the success he’s enjoyed playing in front of the home dugout at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

“Richie’s worked really hard at third base and really come along well there,” Leggett said. “He’s wanted to play third base since he got here I think, but he needed to help the team at first base.”

Shaffer is certainly looking forward to moving across the diamond, which will allow Jon McGibbon to take over the starting duties at first, as well as being one of the most important cogs for Clemson heading into the season opener Feb. 17 at home against UAB.

“I’m excited. It’s getting a chance to go back home for me,” Shaffer said. “The past couple of years, the team needed me over at first, so that’s what I had to do.

“Third is my natural position, so I feel comfortable over there. There’s no learning curve or anything, so I’m going to try to hit the ground running.”

Where a slight learning curve could apply, however, is Shaffer’s ascension to a major leadership role on the team, as he’s one of four team captains along with utility man Phil Pohl, infielder Jason Stolz and pitcher Dominic Leone.

With the graduation of 2011 ACC Player of the Year Brad Miller and the steady John Hinson — along with the Tigers’ entire starting outfield from a season ago — Shaffer is one of the guys in line to take the reins from a leadership perspective.

And while he’ll be expected to be perhaps more vocal this season, Shaffer has already done a fine job of leading by example.

In addition to his defensive prowess, Shaffer is Clemson’ returning leader in home runs (13), RBIs (55), runs (62) and even stolen bases with eight — the latter a category he led along with Stolz — after earning first-team All-ACC honors a season ago.

And when Pohl addressed the Tigers’ weapons on offense this season, he beamed about the junior from Charlotte, N.C., who Baseball America has tabbed as the No. 13 prospect for the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft.

“I think we’re going to have some good power this year,” Pohl said. “Jon McGibbon has really come a long way, and he’s going to be a big bat in the middle of our order, and Richie Shaffer who has just the utmost talent I’ve played with. He’s amazing.”

As far as taking on a major leadership role is concerned, Shaffer feels he’s ready to accept the challenge as one of only a handful of surefire options in the Tigers’ lineup heading into the season.

“I think it’s pretty exciting,” he said. “It’s cool to be considered one of the guys who needs to be a big a contributor.

“But, this is a whole team effort. Without the rest of the team, we’re only as good as our weakest link. I think it’s going to be a combined effort from all the veterans on the team to make sure this program keeps going in the right direction.”

And with Shaffer helping lead the way, Leggett feels good about his squad, despite some unknowns for Clemson heading into opening day.

“We’ve got four really good leaders plus some other guys that aren’t captains who are down here every day working hard and are lending leadership in different ways,” Leggett said. “So, I like the chemistry we have.”

In this Jan. 7 file photo, Clemson’s Catalin Baciu dunks against Florida State at Littlejohn Coliseum. Photo by Rex Brown

By Eric Sprott

CLEMSON — If it wasn’t just hindsight that was 20-20 for Clemson head basketball coach Brad Brownell, there’s a limitless number of alternate possibilities the Tigers could be enjoying on the hardwood this season. One would think that would certainly include a scenario that would not have Clemson having lost eight games by five points or less.

“It’s hard to say, but I think he would make natural progression,” Brownell said. “I think he could maybe double his stats and play at least 20 minutes a game.”

And for the fan favorite better known as “Bobo,” that’s saying a lot given he has been an afterthought for most of his career at Clemson.

The 7-foot-2 Romanian played sparingly — and that’s phrasing it kindly — in his first three years after signing to play for former Tigers coach Oliver Purnell, who had little use for Baciu in his full-court pressure and transition-based attack.

Baciu totaled just 58 points in his first three years as a Tiger. But through just 15 games as a senior, Baciu surpassed that total and now has 102 points and 54 rebounds in 247 minutes this season, as he’s finally become a true contributor for the Tigers.

“I’m gaining more experience the more I play, so I’m getting more comfortable on the court that way,” Baciu said.

Crediting assistant coach Mike Winiecki for much of his development, Baciu has scored six or more points in five of his last six games, and he’s reached double figures twice on the season.

He’s also drawn four starting assignments — including Tuesday’s loss at home to Maryland — as his development under Brownell’s staff has been a pleasant turn of events for the Tigers.

Brownell wasn’t aware of Baciu’s fan-favorite status upon his arrival, but he was made well aware he had a project in the career reserve who played his prep ball at Veritas Christian in Fletcher, N.C.

“They just said, ‘You’ve got a big guy who doesn’t do much,’” Brownell said. “I didn’t know about the fans until I was here for a little while and got to see how much they really liked him.”

Since his freshman year, Baciu has drawn huge fan support whenever he steps on the floor, which never ceases to amaze him even as he’s enjoying a senior season that’s had its share of highlights.

“That’s a great feeling, and I’m very thankful for that,” he said. “In all honesty, I’m still surprised by that, and I’ve been surprised throughout my whole career here because I was never the guy who played the most. I was surprised I was a fan favorite.”

But as a teammate who works with him every day, Clemson guard Andre Young, a fellow senior, isn’t surprised with the fans’ infatuation with Baciu.

“That’s always been pretty funny. But, Bobo is that kind of guy,” Young said. “He’s the kind of guy you can get along with, and he doesn’t even get mad a lot. He’s the kind of guy who’s really open-minded and easy to talk to, and he really gets along with anybody.

“I think that really just rubbed off on the student body and the rest of the fans.”

Brownell just wishes Baciu could have another season with the Tigers — as he wasn’t even afforded the luxury to even think about a redshirt last season when Clemson was dealing with a limited roster and little depth behind then-senior Jerai Grant in Milton Jennings and Devin Booker.

“Because Jerai was so good and became so good, I wasn’t going to take him out,” Brownell said. “Obviously, Bobo wasn’t as ready at the beginning of last season, and it just became a situation where we got into a rhythm with the guys we were playing and it was to stay with that lineup.

“Do I wish I had done it now? Absolutely, but the time for that is more when they’re younger in their career.”

And as the Tigers look for their first win against the Demon Deacons (11-13, 2-8) at Lawrence-Joel Coliseum for the first time since the 1989-90 season today, Baciu is penciled in for his second consecutive start.

That alone speaks volumes for a player whose been able to enjoy success late in his career when it looked as though he could fade into obscurity with ease.

“It’s probably changed his outlook on his career at Clemson,” Brownell said. “I’m sure he’s disappointed that things didn’t happen earlier in his career, but if things hadn’t started going well this year … I think the basketball would not have been good memories. Now, at least he’s going to be able to know by the end he was able to play, contribute and be a productive guy.

“I’m just glad for a young man who’s hung in there for four years and worked and tried to stay the course. To watch him grow as a person has been a big part of the joy of it for us.”

Clemson freshman Deja Hawkins scored eight points against Maryland last Thursday. The post player is slowly making her way back after suffering two seizures last November. Photo by Rex Brown

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — Most freshmen on college campuses can normally concern themselves with adapting to new routines. First-year student-athletes try not to get behind on school work and do whatever they can to get into the lineup in their respective sports.

For Clemson freshman Deja Hawkins, the struggle to get onto the basketball court is secondary, trumped by a much bigger battle she has had to face this season.

A prominent member of a highly-regarded recruiting class, Hawkins was supposed to compete for immediate playing time on the Lady Tiger basketball team. In fact, the post player was getting into shape and rounding out as a player when the season began.

On November 25, Hawkins felt ill during a practice. Initially, she attributed it to fatigue and attempted to fight her way through the pain for the duration of the workout.

What happened next is a blur to Hawkins, but it is still all too real to her teammates and coaches. The freshman collapsed to the floor, suffering a seizure that required her to be rushed to the hospital. Doctors were able to treat her symptoms, but the impact was felt throughout the program.

The coaching staff was determined to move cautiously to bring the youngster back to health. Their plans were halted when Hawkins suffered a second seizure, which she says caused her to question whether she would ever play again.

Luckily, Hawkins has been in good health recently due to some new medication prescribed by doctors. The fact that she has played at all this season is a miracle in many ways.

“I just listen to the coaches and do what they tell me,” Hawkins said of her comeback. “You can’t think about it. You just go out and do it.”

The Maryland native stood out in the matchup she anticipated most this season—Thursday’s home game against the Terrapins, the state school that spurned her. Hawkins poured in eight points in seven minutes on the floor, including a three-point basket, in a performance that signaled her possible return to the Clemson rotation.

“I just felt like I had to come out and compete,” Hawkins said. “I felt disrespected that (Terrapins Head Coach) Brenda Frese didn’t recruit me because Maryland was one of my top choices. I always wanted to go there.”

Hawkins proved she deserved at least a look by Maryland.

“She seemed to be our calming factor on offense,” Head Coach Itoro Coleman said. “We were able to get the looks we wanted. She didn’t take any shots that she couldn’t make, and she was able to knock them down.”

Coleman was slow to proclaim Hawkins fit and ready for full-time action. After such a significant health scare, the Clemson coach says the budding star still has some work to do on the long road back.

Conditioning and development are concerns, but Coleman says Hawkins is the type of player that can rebound in a major way.

“We’ve been working her back in slowly,” Coleman said. “We’re always following what the doctors want us to do. I’m very proud of Deja. She’s capable of doing that all the time.”

Clemson golfer Crawford Reeves had back pains sideline him in the fall, but he is back on the course this winter and is ready to lead Clemson back to the NCAA Regionals. Photo by Rex Brown

By William Qualkinbush

CLEMSON — Crawford Reeves has been playing golf for almost as long as he has been walking and talking, so anything that can keep him away from the game for a period of several months has to be pretty severe.

Such is the nature of the back injury that sidelined the Clemson junior for the entire fall portion of the Tigers’ 2011-‘12 schedule. Head Coach Larry Penley has missed the leadership provided by Reeves, who was the team’s top player during its NCAA Tournament run last season.

Reeves’ first competition in several months came from February 2-5 in the Jones Cup, a three-round tournament at the Ocean Forest Golf Club in Sea Island, GA. He finished in a tie for 32^nd with a score of 12-over-par.

Simply completing the tournament was a victory for Reeves. Such a positive step has been a long time coming for the Greenville native, who reported no ill effects of the competition on his back.

“He finished the 54 holes, which was really good,” Penley said. “I think there was a little discomfort there. I think he was unsure how his back was going to react. I think he’s going to be 100%.”

Penley and the rest of the Clemson men’s golf program hopes Reeves is fully recovered soon, as the schedule ramps up in difficulty in preparation for the postseason in a few months. The team functioned without one of its key cogs for the entire fall, which was frustrating for all parties involved.

Unable to compete with his teammates and relegated to watching his teammates develop chemistry without him, Reeves became discouraged and relied on the positive vibes contributed by his teammates and coaches to maintain an optimistic outlook on his situation.

“In the fall, I tried to come back a couple of times and get back into it,” he said. “They always had the confidence in me, even when I got pretty discouraged at times. They gave me a little extra encouragement, which really helped.”

One of the residual effects of Reeves’ absence from the links was he was forced to work on his chipping and putting just to keep a club in his hands. The Tiger junior freely admits putting has been his main weakness for years, so he hopes his personal calamity will end up helping in the long run.

In the meantime, Penley says the recovery is not quite complete for Reeves. Mentally, both coach and player recognize that there is more work to be done before the Tigers can return to a peak performance level.

“He needs to get confidence that he’s not going to go to his knees in pain with that driver,” Penley said. “That’s a little bit of a hurdle right there. There are still some tentative swings there that I know are directly related to his injury. It’s something mental that he’s got to get over.”

For Reeves, the adrenaline a golf round provides is the perfect distraction from the discomfort he still feels. The mental aspect may not be back in full, but physically, he says the pain now functions as a reminder that he has played, rather than as a hindrance to his play.

“I’ve been a little sore after I get done playing lately,” Reeves said. “My back actually bothers me more when I’m not playing, which I guess is a good thing. Overall, I’m feeling much better.”

It paid off big time this past Saturday in Winston-Salem. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound guard ended his shooting slump thanks to a three-pointer from the left wing with 5:26 left in the first half of the Tigers’ 78-58 victory at Wake Forest.

It was his first field goal in four games and just his third of the season. But the beauty behind this one was it was Coleman’s first three-pointer of the season. Prior to that, the freshman was 0-for-11 from behind the arc.

“I figure that is all I needed. Just get one,” Coleman said. “That first one felt good and after that, the basket kind of opened up. It took awhile to hit that one, but once it did, I think that will now help me out in future games as well.”

Finally feeling confident, a few moments later Coleman drove the ball to the basket and made a layup that gave Clemson a 31-30 lead. On the next Tigers’ possession he continued to display more confidence as he pushed the ball up court, finding Tanner Smith for an open three-pointer.

“In practice he has shown what he can do and I think it was nice to see him put that into a game,” said Smith, who scored a game-high 20 points. “I know he has been frustrated with kind of what has been going on, but you saw tonight that he can make shots and get to the basket. He can do stuff off the dribble. He will have a really good career here.”

Coleman went on to score four more points in the second half and dished out a second assist as he finished his day a Lawrence-Joel Coliseum 4-for-5 from the field for a season-high nine points.

“It felt good and it took awhile as everyone can see, but this past week I put in a lot of extra work and I got a lot of extra shots up, ball handling drills and stuff like that,” Coleman said. “It is really just extra work that is starting to pay off.”

The freshman has put in a lot of extra work the last couple of months. He has worked hard, along with fellow freshman T.J. Sapp, on recreating his shot. Assistant coach Earl Grant has worked diligently with Coleman on getting him to work on his lift so he can build a more consistent shot.

“He did some things today that we have seen in practice, we just have not seen it all year,” Brownell said.

Though it has taken a while, it appears the coaches hard work with the freshman class is beginning to pay off as the stretch run to the regular season settles in. In the last few weeks, Clemson has seen productivity pick up from not only Coleman, but from guys like K.J. McDaniels and Bernard Sullivan. And at some point, all three guys have made big contributions at key moments during games.

On Saturday, it was Coleman’s turn and he came through with good results.

“That’s what our team has been missing,” Brownell said. “We have been missing one of those guys, one of those freshmen making those shots in these games. If they would have done that in any other game, we would have two more conference wins, but tonight we were fortunate that one of them did.”

And now that he has done it, Coleman says this is only the beginning of many more days and nights to come for him and his fellow freshman teammates.

“I can only speak for myself, but I know coming in that there was a lot to learn for me and it was hard to adjust, but as the season went on, we all got better with certain things,” he said. “Now, we are good enough to put it altogether and I think everybody is seeing those results.”

—Will Vandervort

Clemson's Tanner Smith, left, steals the ball from Wake Forest's Travis McKie in the first half of the Tigers' 78-58 victory Saturday in Winston-Salem, NC. Smith has two steals to go along with a game-high 20 points, five rebounds and five assists as Clemson won at Wake Forest for the first time since 1990. Photo by Rex Brown

By Will Vandervort

WINSTON-SALEM, NC — No better way for Clemson to end a 22-year run of futility at Lawrence-Joel Coliseum than to put on one of its best shooting performances of the season.

Thanks to Tanner Smith’s 20 points, Clemson shot a season-high 58.2 percent from the field as the Tigers beat Wake Forest 78-58 Saturday in Winston-Salem, NC. It was Clemson’s first victory at Lawrence-Joel Coliseum since the facility opened its doors during the 1989-90 season. That year, the Tigers beat Wake 89-75.

“It’s nice to get a road win anywhere in the ACC,” Smith said. “They are tough atmospheres and teams generally play very well at home. We came in here with a mindset, though, that we needed to get a win. We knew that we were more than capable of doing it.

“We just had to stay focused and have a little bit more of an attitude towards the game. I think we did a good job tonight doing that.”

Smith in particular did a good job. After going 2-for-9 at Maryland, he found his stroke in a strange way. His first basket bounced off the back of the iron and went straight up in the air before coming back down and hitting the front of the rim where it bounced in the cylinder for his first three-pointer.

“The first one did not fill too great, it bounced around a little bit,” Smith said. “I thought I was starting off 0-1, but it found its way in and the next two, the two that were kind of deep, those were the ones that felt really good.”

The two Smith was talking about were the shots that really got the Tigers (12-12, 4-6 ACC) off and running. The first came gave Clemson a 29-28 lead as the Tigers rallied back from a 26-19 deficit. After the two teams exchanged baskets, he them buried another three from the wing to put Clemson on top again, 34-32, with 3:26 to play.

A few moments later, Smith keyed an 8-0 Clemson run to end the first half with a pull-up jumper from the right side and then a layup after making a strong move to the post. The Tigers led 42-36 at the break.

“Tanner made some big plays and big shots in the first half, and that really rallied us,” Clemson Head Coach Brad Brownell said.

Smith finished the first half 6-for-6 from the field for 15 points, including 3-for-3 from long range. He finished the afternoon 8-of-9 overall.

“It was pretty nice. It was nice to see the ball go in, and it was nice for us to get a win,” said Smith, who also finished with five assists. “I think a lot of guys played well for us tonight.”

A lot of guys did. Besides Smith 20 points, the Tigers also got 15 points and five rebounds from Milton Jennings and 12 points from Andre Young, who had eight points in the second half. Clemson also got nine points from freshman Devin Coleman, who was 2-for-23 from the floor prior to Saturday’s 4-for-5 day.

“When we responded at the end of the first half and got back in the lead, I was really proud of our guys and I told them that at halftime,” Brownell said. “This could have been an issue where we hung our heads a little bit. They were making free throws while we are standing there watching them and the game feels like it is slipping away, and we can’t do anything about it.

“But our guys hung in there and battled.”

Smith and the Tigers continued where they left off in the first half to start the second 20 minutes. Smith found Jennings underneath for the first basket, then Young knocked in a trifecta and Smith completed a three-point play as Clemson extended its advantage to 13 points, 50-37, with 18:25 to play.

“This is a big confidence builder,” Coleman said. “All of our games have been close and have come down to the wire. We would win by one or two or lose by one or two so to have a game like this where we played pretty well defensively and offensively is good and gives us hope going forward that if we play this way, we can play with anybody.”

The Tigers opened the second half by hitting eight of their first 11 shots and led by as many as 23 points at one point.

“We talked at halftime about really starting the second half strong,” Smith said. “We had some momentum going in and we wanted to keep that going through the second half. We wanted to make them call that first timeout early.

“We came out and got some buckets, made some stops and were able to push that lead up.”

For a donation of $250 to Clemson University and IPTAY, IPTAY members can have an engraved brick placed at one of the athletic facilities at Clemson University.

For a donation of $390 to Clemson University and IPTAY, those who are not currently IPTAY members can have an engraved brick placed at one of the athletic facilities at Clemson University. This cost of $390 includes a $140 Purple membership in the IPTAY organization that funds student-athlete scholarships, athletic facilities, academic support for student-athletes, and operating expenses.

Brick engraving can consist of 3 lines per brick with up to 20 characters (including spaces) per line. Bricks will be placed either at Memorial Stadium, Littlejohn Coliseum, Doug Kingsmore Stadium, or at the Rock Norman Track & Field Complex. You can mark your preference on the order form, but bricks will be placed based on availability at these locations.

See the link to access the Brick Order Form.

Your gift of $250 goes toward the Capital Campaign of Clemson University. The gift is registered in your IPTAY account and adds to your IPTAY priority point total. Please consult your tax advisor for tax deductibility information for this gift.

Sustaining Tiger Cub Club members, open to all fans age 18 and younger, automatically have an engraved brick placed in their name in the Tiger Cub Plaza outside of the IPTAY office. No additional order is necessary to ensure that this brick is placed.

Bricks are ordered as soon as the minimum order number is reached. After you place an order, please allow time for us to meet this minimum requirement, for brick delivery, and brick placement.

We will soon have an online brick finder so that you can easily locate your brick.

Please call or email Julia Stump in the IPTAY office with any questions: stump@clemson.edu or 864-656-2608.

Click here for the Brick Order Form.

The locations and dates have been set for this year’s Prowl and Growl tour. Clemson staff, IPTAY reps, Clemson Clubs, and local volunteers are continuing to work hard to plan the meetings. The Alumni Association, Clemson Fund and IPTAY are very excited to visit you in your hometown and we ask you to show up in record numbers this year to show your support for our coaches.

The Prowl and Growl Tour stops are listed below. Detailed information about each tour stop, including ticket information, etc, will follow in the coming weeks as plans are finalized.

Greenwood, SC- Monday, April 9

Greenville, SC- Monday, April 16

Aiken, SC- Tuesday, April 17

Lexington, SC- Monday, April 23

Charleston, SC- Tuesday, April 24

Florence, SC- Thursday, April 26

Greensboro, NC- Tuesday, May 1

Columbia, SC- Thursday, May 3

Myrtle Beach, SC- Tuesday, May 8

Orlando, FL- Saturday, May 12

Rock Hill, SC- Monday, May 21

Atlanta, GA- Tuesday, May 22

Charlotte, NC- Thursday, May 31

Favorite Clemson Basketball Moment:  “There have been so many special moments but one of my favorite memories would be the win over #1-ranked Duke. He remembers how very loud Littlejohn was that night. I believe in what Coach Brownell is building with the basketball program and in the not-too-distant future we will enjoy many more of these special moments and they won’t be considered ‘upsets’!”

Favorite Clemson Athlete (Past or  Current):  “I am hard pressed to select a favorite athlete, either  past or present, because there are so many, but some of the athletes I have  tremendous admiration for are those walk-ons and reserves who work just as  hard as the starters because they make the others so much better.   You have to love the sport that you are a part of to work so hard knowing that you likely will never get to play on game day. These players represent another faction of the ‘All-In’ philosophy began by Coach Swinney and worthy of emulation by everyone.”

Why do you give to IPTAY? “I love everything Clemson.  Supporting the student athlete through annual donations to IPTAY and first-class facilities in their sport of choice while enabling them to get an outstanding education and preparation for their future endeavors is what IPTAY was founded to accomplish.  Serving as an IPTAY Rep and County Chairman for approximately 20 years has never been work for me but a love of Clemson.  We all need to “pay it forward” for the future leaders of our communities, state, nation and our University.”

Thank you to Mr. Buck and all IPTAY donors for what you do for Clemson Athletics and Clemson University.