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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCEMarch 4, 2013Brad BrownellTHE MODERATOR: We have with us Clemson head basketball coach Brad Brownell. Coach, a few comments about your team, then we'll open it for questions. COACH BROWNELL: Well, we're obviously struggling here a little bit. Lost another close game at Virginia Tech. But looking forward to the game Tuesday against Boston College. We're celebrating the careers of two seniors, Milt Jennings and Devin Booker. Q. Coach, I was going to ask you about the two guys you've inherited, what they've given your program. COACH BROWNELL: First of all, really appreciative of the two kids staying. I think when you're a sophomore like they were, rising sophomores, end of your freshmen year, really when I took over, it's kind of a tough time for new kids. You haven't really been at the place long enough to have your roots established. Really both those guys as freshmen weren't established as players, so it would have been very easy for them to go somewhere else. I'm obviously very happy they didn't, that they stayed with us. I think both guys have had nice careers. I think Devin Booker is having an all‑ACC type year in terms of what he's been able to do night in, night out, averaging 14 or 15 points a game in league play with eight, nine rebounds. Does a lot of blue‑collar heavy lifting, as I like to call it, things that you need to get done that doesn't always get noticed that helps you win games, whether it's playing in the post, rebounding, setting screens, doing all the little things that big guys have to do. I think he's really improved throughout the course of his time here from a guy who really wasn't very comfortable at times playing with the ball to being able to make moves around the basket, make a high‑post shot. Having a good senior year, very consistent. Milt has had a tough career in some ways that expectations have been extremely high on him. At times he probably hasn't met what our fans would like out of him. In all honesty, he's really played pretty well for us in a lot of games for us over the last two years. He's been very consistent here, especially defensive rebounding and pretty consistent, reasonably consistent, scoring‑wise, getting us anywhere from 10 to 12 points a game. A guy who has really matured over the course of the last three years since I've been here and is completely different now than he was when I first got here the beginning of his sophomore year. Q. What is the situation with K.J. McDaniels? COACH BROWNELL: He sprained his ankle the day of the Carolina game and has not been able to play obviously the last two games. He's probably doubtful for Tuesday I would say right now. Q. If I could stretch your memory a little bit, Daniel Miller, he had 16 points against you in the first game and 1 the second. Do you see him as an X factor, that Tech is a different kind of team to have to defend? COACH BROWNELL: Well, they certainly do a lot of things in their high‑low motion when they're looking inside. He's a big, big kid that certainly is hard to guard. I think he's a very high‑level passer for a guy his size. He makes a lot of good decisions that way. I think he's a good defender. In some ways what's happened a little bit, some of those guys that are freshmen have probably gotten comfortable, starting, playing, have gotten more shots. Sometimes that happens. You have to really work to try to get the ball inside to a big man. He's not the kind of guy that is going to go do a lot of things on his own. He's not flashing up to the top of the key, making threes, beating guys off the dribble. You have to look for him, be patient for him. Sometimes that's hard. Same thing for us with our inside guys at times. It's not as easy to get the ball inside consistently, to be a consistent scorer, because there's things the defense can do to take things away, and also you're at the mercy a little bit of your personnel, your teammates being able to find you. Q. When they do get him the ball, he's looking to score, it opens things up for inside‑out stuff. COACH BROWNELL: He certainly is a talented guy. He certainly can score around the basket some. Again, he's a good passer. They're like a lot of teams in it seems like they have a lot of guys that can all score. When you don't have just one option, it's not as easy to focus on one guy. I don't know if they can just focus on getting him the ball all the time at the expense of all the other guys. Brian knows that better than I do. He coaches them every day. I would guess that's part of it. Q. I've been asking coaches about defense because I'm baffled about trying to pick an all‑defensive team. Can you talk about your team? Are there two or three guys that you feel are your defensive anchors? COACH BROWNELL: I think Rod Hall is a pretty good defender for us, does a good job of guarding the ball, keeping guys out of the paint. He's been a guy that's done a good job on some different people. Maybe didn't do a good job on Erick Green over the last game, but in all honesty Erick Green makes incredible shots sometimes. I think Rod is one guy that really on our team is probably the most consistent defender. I know K.J. blocks a lot of shots, and Book does a good job of defending his position, blocking some shots, but Rod is probably the guy on our team that does the best job of affecting the game defensively consistently. Q. You played everybody in the league. Are there three or four guys that jump out at you as great defenders? COACH BROWNELL: Off the top of my head, I'm trying to think of who that would be. I know there's guys that certainly defend very well, but I don't know who that is off the top of my head to be honest with you. I have too many other things right now to try to think about it. THE MODERATOR: Coach, thanks for taking time being with us today. We'll hear from you next week. COACH BROWNELL: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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