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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

January 3, 2011

Brad Brownell

THE MODERATOR: We have with us now Clemson head basketball coach Brad Brownell. Coach, if you could, a few comments about your team and we'll open it for questions.
COACH BROWNELL: Well, I think our team is still a work in progress. Like all first-year coaches, you're getting to know each other. The guys are trying to get familiar with what you're trying to do. I think we've improved a great deal in the last month. Little bit of a winning streak here, but we're beating teams that we probably should beat, we're beating them at home. Those are things that are expected. It will be a new challenge for us to jump into ACC play, play better competition, and see if we've improved the way we want to during the course of the last month.
I've been pleased obviously with our two seniors Demontez Stitt and Jerai Grant. I think those guys are having solid seasons. We need them to play well for us to have any kind of success in the ACC.
THE MODERATOR: We'll open it up for questions.

Q. Coach, there was a big change in the style of play from what you guys were used to, particularly at point guard with Demontez. Are you asking him to do different things than he perhaps has done in the past? What kind of adjustment has he made to running the offense that you want to run?
COACH BROWNELL: Well, I think it's been an adjustment for everybody. I think we're asking just about all of them to do something different. Certainly Demontez and Andre are sharing the point guard responsibilities. Sometimes in our motion style of play you don't necessarily have to have a pure point guard. But we're also asking both those guys to learn how to play more without the ball. When they give the ball up, how to use screens, how to move more, be harder to guard off the ball as opposed to just pounding it into the ground or just having a ball screen.
So I think that those guys are getting more comfortable. Demontez is shooting ball a little better more recently. Some of that as you get more comfortable on offense, you understand where the shots are coming from. Certainly I think he's done that. Andre as well. He's been a solid player for us all year. Those two guys in the backcourt have done a good job and both understand what we're trying to do as well as anyone.
But I think it's more off-the-ball type movement, understanding how to play without the ball as opposed to with it in your hands.

Q. Any special concerns that you might have as you get ready for the ACC schedule?
COACH BROWNELL: We got a lot of concerns, to be honest with you. Probably too many to list.
Just like everybody, I'm anxious to see how our guys react. In losing Trevor Booker, you lose the guy that everybody's kind of looked to here for the last couple of years to make big plays. We're trying a work in progress, especially on the offensive end in terms of finding out who's going to take and make big shots for us, who's going to be willing to make a big play at the end of a close game, who's got the courage and talent to be able to step up and do those kind of things.
I think our guys have improved as players. But I don't know that we have anybody that really scares an opposing coach or a person right now that is sure-fire, all-conference player. We have to play really well together. We've improved our offensive efficiency in terms of taking care of the ball, limiting our turnovers.
But, again, we've got to find more ways to score, and our guys have got to be able to step up and make a shot when needed in the heat of a big game. I don't know that many of them have been asked to do much of that in their careers yet.

Q. I was wondering if you could talk about Jerai Grant and the season he's having. Seems like he's really kind of established himself as a consistent guy for you.
COACH BROWNELL: He has. He's played really well for us. When I got the job, I spoke with he and Demontez immediately, met with them again a couple weeks later after kind of watching some film on both guys, trying to get to know them. One of the things I talked to Jerai about was I felt he needed to be bigger and stronger. I know Oliver really preached length, athleticism. I like guys to be a little bit bigger. I like them to carry a little more weight.
I think Jerai made a commitment to stay at Clemson all summer and lift and work out with our strength coach. He's improved his diet. He's done things to give himself a better chance to have a low-post presence. Instead of getting shoved out of the box, he's able to hold his position a little bit better. He's always had pretty good hands and a pretty good feel around the basket. But for the first time in his career, he's becoming more of a primary offensive weapon.
He's improved his shooting range. He can now step out to about 17 feet and make a face-up jump shot. But I think a lot of it is as a result of hard work that he's done in the weight room and improved maybe dietary situation to give him the confidence and strength he needs to be able to finish more plays.
He's had a great month for us. He's played really well. Shooting a high percentage. We need that to continue.

Q. I know it's been four games since Demontez came back. Is he at a hundred percent or is he still hobbled at all?
COACH BROWNELL: He's getting closer. I think there were certainly times when I watched him before he had the surgery where you could tell that he was having some problems. Obviously we talked about how he had some fluid in his knee. They couldn't get it healed the way maybe they'd like to. So the surgery was necessary. He showed great courage in coming back in nine days and playing, competing for us for our win at Charleston. I think he's gotten or comfortable and confident. I don't know that he's a hundred percent yet. He's close enough that it shouldn't bother him too much.
What he needs is we continue to have him on the practice court so he can go every day, continue to improve, get a feel and rhythm for what we're trying to do offensively.

Q. Is he practicing all the time now?
COACH BROWNELL: He just started here recently getting back into it, doing everything we need him to do. I would say that as long as everything came out of yesterday reasonably well that he'll be pretty close to a hundred percent.
THE MODERATOR: Coach, thanks for taking the time to be with us today. We'll hear from you next week.
COACH BROWNELL: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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