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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

January 24, 2011

Brad Brownell

THE MODERATOR: We have with us now Clemson head coach, Brad Brownell. Coach, if you could, a few comments about your team, and then we'll open it for questions.

Q. If you could, a few comments about your team and we'll open for questions?
COACH BROWNELL: Tough week in the ACC last week for us. We had two very competitive games at North Carolina and Maryland. I like the way our guys battled in both games. Had a little trouble scoring at the end of the North Carolina game and couldn't take that one to the wire.
And then against Maryland, we didn't get enough stops. Tried to shoot a 35-footer to win and missed it. Played competitively in both games. Need to find a way to get back on the left side of the column this week.

Q. I know you want to keep your team focused on the next opponent, but as a coach, are you already thinking about your game plan against Florida State?
COACH BROWNELL: No. We are solely thinking about NC State and I think every coach pretty much just worries about the one right in front of him.

Q. There's been talk across the media that the ACC is down this year having only one ranked team. Is there anything that you can see across the board that might be causing this perception or the BIG EAST a legitimate threat to dethrone the ACC as the top Conference?
COACH BROWNELL: Well, the larger question, I don't know that I have an answer, I think, you know, certainly the BIG EAST is very good this year with a bunch of really good teams. I think our league is going to be really good by the time it's all said and done.
I'm new to this level so I haven't paid as much attention to it. I think any time there's several coaching changes like we have had, three new coaches this year and one last year that sometimes that affects programs a little bit and makes it a little more difficult, there's some turnover, we also seem to have a lot of younger players in our league, and so I just think the league is in a little bit of a turning point. But teams are going to play themselves into very good basketball teams over the course of the next two months.

Q. NC State has gone to a bigger lineup in the last two games. Wondering what you saw in them, particularly what they average with Kyle on the floor.
COACH BROWNELL: I think he played really well in the Miami game. Especially I thought he was very active. He's got great hands. I think he's a deceptive athlete for as big as he is, moves very well. I think he makes good decisions. And it certainly, you know, it's different when Leslie is at the three; he's as good of an athlete as there is in our league.
Scott Wood, who I've seen play back in high school, back in Indiana, he's a tremendous sharp shooter and deep range at 6-6 so he can shoot over a top of the lot of the people. And I think the other thing is I think just the longer that Tracy Smith gets back, it makes an unbelievable difference.
I think you take the best player off of any team, and NC State had to fight through that for the better part of the beginning of the season and I think now they are getting him back and getting his legs under him so I think you are going to see a really good NC State team here the next month and a half.

Q. Every league has a home/road split. First time through the league -- is it more of a home-court league or what's your take on that?
COACH BROWNELL: Well, I do think this week, the crowds at North Carolina and Maryland were terrific. There were a lot of people at the game but they were also very into the game and certainly I think that they were very supportive of their teams and I do think that's a difference in some leagues.
I think when the games are on campus, or really close to campus, it makes a difference. I think you have more student turnout. Student turnout was very good at both games and right next to the court and just makes it a little bit more of a hostile environment and difficult for opponents to go in and be successful.

Q. That's usually something younger teams have trouble coping with. Is that something you think your team has handled well? You did make a great comeback against Maryland.
COACH BROWNELL: Yeah, I think we have done reasonably well. I have seniors in Demontez and Jerai Grant, and they have been through the battles a little bit. I think it does help to have a guy or two that's been through it like that, and going through it your first time with young, young players, we'll be in a little bit more of that situation next year when we'll have a little bit more of a newer group.
It will definitely be more difficult for those guys to go in those environments their first time and not to be wide-eyed I think is a little, you know -- that doesn't happen very often. I think most kids are going to come into those environments and arenas and look at all those banners and see all that crowd and hear all that noise.
It's hard to just focus on playing between the lines, but that's what you have to try to get your guys to do. Fortunately for me this year, we have a couple of seniors that have been able to help us get through some of these road games.
THE MODERATOR: Thanks for taking time with us today and we'll hear from you again the same time next week.

End of FastScripts

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