Previewing Clemson

2008 Scouting Report / 2008 Game Plan
2008 Schedule
2008 Roster

Clemson Offense 07-08Four FactorsPercentNat'l RankeFG%53.069Turnover Rate20.9122Off Reb Rate42.26FTM/FGA21.1271
The Tigers weren't noteworthy from beyond the arc in 2007, shooting a modest 34.2%; so far in 2008, however, they're hitting 40.1% of their threes, a percentage that ranks 23rd nationally. It helps when you replace Vernon Hamilton's shooting with Terrence Oglesby's:

2007 3FGA 3FG%
Rivers 223 39.5
Hammonds 199 37.7
Hamilton 121 30.6

2008 3FGA 3FG%
Oglesby 98 42.9
Rivers 87 39.1
Hammonds 77 42.9

About 32% of their field goal attempts come from three, so while it's a good outside shooting team, it's also an infrequent outside shooting team.

Starters:

Demontez Stitt (6-2, 170) -- The freshman has had a rough introduction to college basketball; his shots aren't falling and he's been a turnover machine. But he gets to the line often and hits a high percentage of his free throws, and on a team that does neither, that's valuable.

Cliff Hammonds (6-3, 200) -- Ken Pomeroy has found a decent relationship between one's free throw percentage and one's outside shooting. If you're bad at the line, that indicates you probably lack the touch to be a good outside shooter. Hammonds proved this point as a sophomore in 2006, but he's been busy defying it ever since. This season, his 42.9 3FG% is accompanied by a 36.0 (9-25) FT%.

His assist-to-turnover ratio is nearly 3-to-1, but this is more due to the fact that he never turns the ball over; his assist rate isn't anything special.

KC Rivers (6-5, 215) -- So far, Rivers looks to have made some solid improvement to his overall game. For one thing, his rebounding at both ends of the court is dramatically better. He also has a turnover rate below 10%, which is rare for anyone but especially so for a player who isn't completely perimeter-oriented.

Trevor Booker (6-7, 240) -- Hasn't scored as efficiently as he did in his outstanding freshman season, and he remains a bit on the turnover-prone side, but those are far from serious concerns. He is a rebounding monster, especially on the defensive glass.

James Mays (6-9, 230) -- Mays has been battling injuries all season; he missed a handful of games thanks to a hip problem and he's currently playing with a broken bone in his hand. Despite the bruises, he has remained as involved in the Clemson offense as anyone, averaging 16 FGA/40 minutes.

Bench:

Terrence Oglesby (6-2, 185), Raymond Sykes (6-9, 220), David Potter (6-6, 205), and Jerai Grant (6-8, 215) will see most of the time.

Oglesby has been outstanding as a three-point specialist. Sykes shoots well from two and rebounds well offensively but is a turnover machine.

Clemson Defense 07-08Four FactorsPercentNat'l RankeFG%47.081Turnover Rate23.876Off Reb Rate31.9113FTA/FGA29.055
Pomeroy has the Tigers by 15.