Orange: The Experience by EDWARDS PUBLICATIONS

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Orange: The Experience

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Orange: The Experience

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Volume 4, Issue 3

DEPARTMENTS 6 Terry Don Phillips

Clemson’s basketball programs are moving in the right direction

SOMETHING IN THESE HILLS 8 Pawsitive Press

Radakovich Named Clemson’s 13th Athletic Director

10 Bill D’Andrea

What Is IPTAY? Simply put, we help Clemson Athletics

12 Where Are They Now?

Charlie Bussey

14 Rock the ’John Gaining Reputation as Top-Notch Event 16 Clemson Putting on a Full-Court Press for Basketball Facilities 17 IPTAY Donor Spotlight

Bill Biggs

18 IPTAY Representative Spotlight

Scott Sampson

20 IPTAY New Donor Spotlight

INSIDE 22 Men’s Basketball Outlook

Earning Their Stripes: Booker, Jennings and Clemson Basketball

46 Bridging the Gap

Seniors Devin Booker and Milton Jennings will be looking to lead six other returning lettermen in the upcoming season.

Ceremony for ‘Father of Clemson Soccer’ recalls glory days as program builds for the future.

35 Women’s Basketball Outlook

Baseball welcomes a large, decorated class to campus.

Head Coach Itoro Coleman continues to revitalize program from classroom to community to competition.

38 The Time is Now Nikki Dixon looks to build off strong freshman campaign and find success in new season.

51 Joining the Clemson Family

54 The Foundation of Clemson Women’s Golf

Taylor Ramsey and Lauren Salazar first athletes to sign with Clemson’s newest varsity program.

56 New Opportunity for IPTAY Members

42 Getting Serious

58 NCAA Compliance

After the first true offseason of his career, DeAndre Hopkins emerges as one of the country’s truly elite receivers.

59 An Inside Look at Clemson’s Military Appreciation Day

Jon Ansberry

61 Memorials 62 IPTAY Donor Photos 64 The Last Word

Build it and they will come

Editor: Philip Sikes Assistant Editors Tim Bourret Steven Bradley Lindsey Leonard Graphics Coordinator: Melissa Bradley Contributing Writers Jeff Kallin Kathryn McGinn Mike Money Victoria Reid Davis Simpson William Qualkinbush Chief Photographer Rex Brown

IN THE NEXT ISSUE ... A review of the 2012 football season and a look ahead to the Tigers’ bowl matchup.

Orange: The Experience is published eight times a year exclusively for donors to the IPTAY Scholarship Fund. A minimum priority contribution is $140, although contributions of any amount are welcome. To join IPTAY, call 864.656.2115 or go to www.clemsontigers.com and click on IPTAY. To advertise in Orange: The Experience, call 864.882.2375, fax 864.882.2381 or call 864.656.2975 or e-mail to lsweval@exchange.clemson.edu. Orange: The Experience is produced exclusively by Iptay media. If you’ve had an address or phone number change, call the IPTAY office at 864.656.2115; go to www.clemsontigers.com and click on IPTAY; or send your name, IPTAY number, new address, new phone number and e-mail address to: IPTAY, P.O. Box 1529, Clemson, SC 29633.

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Orange: The Experience

november 2012

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Clemson’s basketball programs are moving in the right direction Terry Don Phillips

clemson athletic director

obody wants to hear the word patience when it comes to winning. We all want to win right now, and I certainly understand that as well as anybody. In my final year as Senior Associate Athletic Director at Arkansas, our men’s basketball team won the National Championship, and then the following year, my first as Athletic Director at Oklahoma State, our team went to the Final Four. I probably thought, “This is not so hard.” Of course, the reality is it is not easy at all, and as we know, extremely difficult to get to that level. When you look at it objectively, we’ve been somewhat spoiled in recent years because we have accomplished some things in men’s basketball for the first time in the history of the program with regard to the number of consecutive years we have gone to the NCAA Tournament and the number of consecutive years of finishing with at least a .500 record and above in conference play. Those are good things because we’ve elevated our expectations due to that success. Now, it is a disappointment not to make the NCAA Tournament. Now, it is a disappointment if we are not successful in the ACC. It is a similar story with women’s basketball. At one time, Clemson had really great women’s basketball, and we’ve got to return it to that place. Because it’s happened in the past, it can happen again in the future. We’re very pleased with the job that Brad Brownell and his staff are doing with our men’s team. Brad is an excellent fundamental coach, and he will build a very good program in the long term. I hate to draw comparisons, but Brad reminds me a great deal of Eddie Sutton, who was our head basketball coach at Oklahoma State. Eddie would recruit blue-collar, hard-nosed players, and every night his teams were going to play great defense, were not going to turn the ball over, would be sound on the offensive end, and his program was one that, when one class graduated, the next group stepped in. He took two teams to the Final Four, and that was done with yeomen-type players — no superstars. Brad is only now getting going with his recruiting patterns to build that consistency. Obviously, we have Milton Jennings and Devin Booker coming back as seniors, but we don’t have a junior class and the rest of the team is comprised of underclassmen. It’s a building process with Brad, and we recognize that he is recruiting players who fit into his style of play, which is obviously very aggressive on the defensive end and very sound on the offensive end. That system requires mature players who have the opportunity to play two, three or four years in it. He hasn’t had that luxury yet. But I am more than confident he is going to have a very solid and competitive team as he continues to build his program. Even though he’s been here two years, he has just now gotten started with regard

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Orange: The Experience

to the recruiting process and having four solid classes on his roster each year. As for our women’s coach, Itoro Coleman was a player here when Clemson enjoyed some of its finest moments in women’s basketball. Itoro was a great player and had a good background as an assistant coach when we hired her to lead our program. We are very excited about and delighted by the recruiting class that she has brought in, which was ranked No. 16 nationally by ESPN. It’s obvious we need to continue to enhance our talent level — because the ACC is one of the top women’s basketball leagues in the nation — and we have a great start on that with this class. Coach Coleman has a roster without a single senior on it and with only two juniors. So even with some extremely talented young players, that lack of experience means some patience will be required as that talent develops. Again, it is a building process, because unfortunately our program hasn’t been at the level we would like for quite some time, and it’s going to take awhile to build it back. But we are very optimistic and excited about Itoro’s leadership and recruiting and the future before us. Again, nobody likes to hear that we need to have patience. We all want to win right now, and maybe it will all come together and that will happen. We must remember, however, that we are going to have two basketball teams this season with only two upperclassmen on each roster. But I feel good about the direction of both programs. I’m extremely confident in the leaders we have in charge of our men’s and women’s squads, and I wholeheartedly believe we will have two very solid and extremely competitive basketball teams on an annual basis as Brad and Itoro continue to build their programs.

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something in these hills PAWSITIVE PRESS Highlighting Clemson’s top performers in athletics Terry Don Phillips Athletic Director 11th Season Phillips was the recipient of the 2012 Bobby Dodd Athletic Directors Award in Dallas, TX on Monday, Sept. 24.

Tajh Boyd Football • Hampton, VA The junior signal-caller was named a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, given annually to the nation’s top quarterback. Boyd broke Clemson’s career record for touchdown passes when he tossed three in the win over Georgia Tech on Oct. 6.

Damarcus Harrison Men’s Basketball Greenwood, SC Harrison’s waiver to forego the required one-year transfer residency was approved by the NCAA on Sept. 27. The former BYU Cougar will be immediately eligible this season as a sophomore wing player for Brad Brownell’s team. Jonquel Jones Women’s Basketball Freeport, Bahamas Jones was one of five freshmen in the Atlantic Coast Conference named to the Newcomer Watch List by the coaches & media at the preseason ACC media day in October.

Miller Capps Men’s Golf • Denver, NC

Alexa Rand Volleyball • Mentor, OH

The freshman finished third individually in just his third career tournament at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate in Birmingham, AL on Oct. 16. Capps finished with an even-par 210 score over 54 holes.

Rand is among Clemson’s all-time leaders in multiple statistical categories. She had 489 block assists through games of Oct. 21, second-most in the Tiger record books. She is also second in career blocks per set and career hitting percentage.

Brandon Ford Football • Wando, SC

Austin Savage Men’s Soccer Summerville, SC

Ford was one of 25 players named to the John Mackey Award Midseason Watch List. He had 20 receptions for 234 yards and four touchdowns through the first six games of the 2012 season.

Savage recorded a hat trick in Clemson’s 5-0 win over Gardner-Webb on Oct. 16. It was the first time a Clemson player scored three goals in the same game since the 2008 season.

Radakovich Named Clemson’s 13th Athletic Director Dan Radakovich was officially introduced as the 13th athletic director in the 116-year history of Clemson Athletics on Monday, Oct. 29 in the McFadden Building. The way Clemson sports have made their way into Radakovich’s life throughout the years, it almost seemed only fitting. Some 45 years ago, one of Radakovich’s first sports heroes was Clemson basketball great, the late Butch Zatezalo of his hometown in Aliquippa, PA. Fifteen years later, when Radakovich was working toward his MBA at the University of Miami, he was in attendance for the 1982 Orange Bowl when Danny Ford’s Tigers beat Nebraska to capture their first and only National Championship in football. In 1990, Radakovich made his first trip to Death Valley as an athletic administrator at Long Beach State, as Ken Hatfield won his first game as the Tigers’ head coach. “I don’t remember much about that game, but I distinctly remember the atmosphere, the hospitality and the passion … and I remember thinking, ‘This is a place that I want to be,’” Radakovich said. On Oct. 29, that desire became reality, as Clemson University President Jim Barker said Radakovich had been picked from a “national field” after serving as director of athletics at Georgia Tech since 2006, following a five-year tenure as senior associate athletics director at LSU — a period when the SEC Tigers won a national title in football. “We set this bar very high,” Barker said. “We wanted an individual who knew how to lead, who knew how to win, who how to generate revenue, how to communicate a vision for Clemson’s future that would rally our students and faculty and coaches and staff and fans. We believe that we have found that individual.” Under Radakovich’s guidance, Georgia Tech had 51 teams advance to either NCAA team tournament play or bowl games. He also has extensive experience with facility upgrades, notably at Georgia Tech, where he played a leading role in the construction of a new indoor practice facility for football and the redesign of the Yellow Jackets’ basketball facility. Clemson and Georgia Tech have been longtime rivals in all sports, most notably football, where the two schools met in the 2009 ACC Championship game and have had one of the league’s most competitive series in recent years. Because of that, many at Clemson are already familiar with Radakovich, including Head Coach Dabo Swinney. “I don’t know him intimately, but I’ve had opportunities to be around him a little bit and he’s always struck me as a first-class guy,” Swinney said. Radakovich replaces Dr. Terry Don Phillips, who announced his plans to retire in August, saying at the time he would stay on through the end of his contract in July 2013 or whenever a replacement was in place. — by Steven Bradley

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Orange: The Experience

FOLLOW THE TIGERS RIGHT ON YOUR PHONE. On America’s Fastest 4G Network, stay up-to-the-minute with the latest Clemson football news, stats and more. With Verizon, no one will know the game better than you. Coverage not available everywhere; see vzw.com. 4G LTE is available in more than 200 cities in the U.S. ©2012 Verizon.

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What Is IPTAY? Simply Put, We Help Clemson Athletics Bill D’Andrea

— executive senior associate athletic director for iptay external affairs —

ftentimes, when you are representing Clemson University, the name IPTAY speaks for itself. As an organization, IPTAY has been called the “Father of Athletic Fundraising,” so the name carries quite a bit of weight. There are always a few out there, however, who ask, “What is IPTAY?” With Coach Swinney and our football team getting set for a pair of meaningful home dates, our Homecoming game Nov. 10 versus Maryland and the Nov. 17 game against North Carolina State, which has been designated IPTAY Day, I thought it appropriate to take the time to answer that very question. When you look back at the history of Clemson Athletics, you would have to say the IPTAY Annual Fund has played a significant role in the success, traditions and support that have put Clemson in the competitive position that it is today. What is IPTAY? Simply put, we help Clemson Athletics. Many people think Clemson has all the money it needs from ticket sales, television contracts, bowl payouts and conference distributions to fund all of its athletic programs, but in reality, those revenues can’t cover all our expenses. Like many athletic departments, Clemson depends upon a fundraising arm, IPTAY, to pay the cost of the scholarships, facilities and resources necessary to stay competitive. IPTAY raises those funds through more than 14,000 loyal and passionate donors who choose a tax-deductible membership level ranging from $140 to $10,000 annually. Our membership enjoys a wide range of benefits, including this very magazine that is delivered to donors eight times annually, an email newsletter 37 times per year, as well as ticket and parking priority and discounts. In addition, your membership will bring you a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment in knowing you are making a difference in Clemson Athletics. Without the support and essential funds that we receive from our donors, we would not be able to have the resources necessary for us to be a top-notch program, especially with today’s hypercompetitive landscape of college athletics. IPTAY is sometimes considered the golden goose that can be depended upon to lay the annual egg that supports Clemson Athletics, and it is one of the best annual fundraising organizations in the country In fact, the reason IPTAY is often called the “Father of Athletic Fundraising” is simply because of the point system that it has es-

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Orange: The Experience

tablished and mechanisms for capturing cumulative giving over the years that it has developed. The one thing that puts Clemson University and its athletic programs in a position of power, particularly in our conference, is that we have a dynamic annual fund. And through that fund, we’re able to pay for scholarships, the support of Vickery Hall, operating expenses and a comprehensive scope of services to support athletics that include maintenance and facility improvements, as well as the establishment and maintenance of an adequate reserve fund deemed appropriate by the IPTAY Board. We are fortunate to have over 14,000 donors. Although we lead the Atlantic Coast Conference in money raised, we are not the largest annual fund in our conference. Florida State and NC State actually have more donors who give to their respective annual funds than we do. With the changing landscape of college athletics and some of the organizational changes that we have made in IPTAY, we are engaging in marketing and branding efforts to grow our donor base, focusing on some of our feeder programs, such as the Tiger Cub Club, IPTAY CATS for teens and IPTAY Collegiate Club, as well as IPTAY YA! for recent graduates. It is essential that we be more aggressive in our approach to secure more members. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the tremendous job that our IPTAY reps did this year in securing over 700 new members. On Nov. 17, we will celebrate our second annual IPTAY Day in Littlejohn Coliseum prior to the football game against NC State. This event gives the Clemson Athletic Department an opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to the members of IPTAY for their support of this program and our student-athletes. We have had tremendous leadership under Terry Don Phillips, as well as our IPTAY Board of Directors, and with the cooperation of our coaches through various speaking engagements and the Prowl & Growl tour, we’re able to embrace our donors. However, IPTAY Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate this wonderful organization and take the time to thank our reps and donors for their contributions. What is IPTAY? IPTAY is the organization that gives Clemson University the resources it needs to compete among the best athletic programs in the entire country. On IPTAY Day, we say thank you to those who have helped make that possible.

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WhereIPTAY Are They Now? Making charlie bussey Donors

The Difference

Charlie Bussey is more than just a football star from another era. served more than eight years in the Air Force before beginning a Bussey believes many of his life experiences have happened just by professional career in management. Even with no experience, he “being in the right place at the right time.” For this D’Andrea man with a kind landed a job as athletic director at Louisiana Tech University in 1980. Bill heart and — strong family, the right place and time was Clemson in for“In the three years I was executive senior associate athletic director external affairs —there, we won the National Championship the 1950s. (women’s basketball) twice and came in second place the third He grew up in Henderson, NC, but high school football would year. The good ball players and coaches were already there, I just lead him back to his place of birth, South Carolina. came at a good time.” “Our football team was very successful and was recruited by The game plan to retire in Clemson came true after finishing up Clemson at the time,” he said. “Folks living in Henderson that were his career in textiles and retiring from business in Greenville, SC. graduates of Clemson put them in touch with me.” After officially making the move back to the city of the university he Bussey distinctly remembers the different recruiting process once attended, Bussey was asked to become the Executive Director during 1952 and the physical differences of the Letterwinners Association. in comparison to football players today. “We do a good job keeping the former “I was a very small quarterback even letterwinners, men and women, in the 19 for that day, and back then, people were sports that we have, in touch with each shorter, smaller and were not as skilled in other. We have a newsletter that goes out athletics as they are now,” he said. if someone gets married, promoted or if Although Bussey is humble about someone dies, everybody knows about it.” his talents, at the time the game of The Letterwinners Association is not football required knowing both offense Bussey’s only remaining tie to his alma and defense. Being a two-way player, mater. He has also been the President of Bussey led the Clemson Tigers to an IPTAY and is a member of the IPTAY Board ACC Championship as well as their first of Directors, to name a few. appearance in the Orange Bowl during his Bussey has quite the Clemson family, senior year of 1956. and his three daughters grew up sitting on Bussey was inducted into the Clemson the Hill their father once ran down. Bussey Hall of Fame in 1988, but it is not an honor asked his daughters to look at different he chooses to boast about. universities when the time came, but each “I am smart enough to know that I came told him the same thing: “We’ll do it, but it’s along at the right time and had the right just at your expense because we are going Charlie Bussey, a former standout people around me. The Hall of Fame is very to Clemson.” quarterback at Clemson, has been meaningful to me, but I am in awe of the His Clemson family expanded even involved with the Tiger Letterwinners skills of athletes today.” more with one grandson graduating Association for years. Even with a change in athletic skills, the from Clemson and two others currently wins against South Carolina will always attending the university. remain concrete, and Bussey certainly had Aside from the many rewards and plenty to do with it. During his four years as Clemson quarterback, opportunities the school has given Bussey in his life, the biggest gift the only loss was in 1956 and they were the most memorable of all is witnessing what Clemson LIFE has given his granddaughter, games to play in. It was the era of “Big Thursday,” when every game Hope Banks. The program helps children with intellectual was played in Columbia. disabilities and teaches them how to live independently. Even with “We went during State Fair holidays, and all the schools shut Down syndrome, Hope has the Clemson experience that all of her down. The coaches couldn’t stand to play at Carolina all the time, family once enjoyed. but the players enjoyed it because we had a holiday right after the Bussey’s favorite part is the excitement it has given Hope. She game,” he said. and other Clemson LIFE students take the same class as Clemson Despite the fact the games were held on the road against kicker, Spencer Benton. Clemson’s rival, playing other teams in Death Valley is something “He’s a football player and she is a child with intellectual still indescribable to this day for Bussey. disabilities, that’s something really special,” he said. “There was no Howard’s Rock back in my day, but the team ran Charlie Bussey may have been in the right place at the right time, down The Hill. The stadium sat about 27,000, and in my mind, it still but his story and his own Clemson family are truly deserving of all looks gigantic,” Bussey said. “The locker room was in Fike, and we the opportunities. would walk down the street to get to The Hill. I told Dabo Swinney In the words of Bussey, “It is a story that has a little bit athletics, not too long ago, we were doing Tiger Walk 50 years ago.” a little bit of academics and a little bit of warm and fuzzy feelings.” — by Victoria Reid After graduation, Bussey married his sweetheart, Joyce. He

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Orange: The Experience

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13 11

With Fifth Annual Installment, IPTAY Donors Making The’John Difference Rock the Gaining Reputation Bill D’Andrea

as Top-Notch Event

— executive senior associate athletic director for external affairs —

When Mike Money was hired at Clemson six years ago, he was charged with the task of coming up with a Midnight Madness-style event to energize fans for basketball season. He was given just one caveat: “We don’t want to call it Midnight Madness because we don’t want it to be at midnight,” recalls Money, Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Game Management. During a brainstorming session, Money threw out the name “Rock the ’John,” a nod to the electric atmosphere inside Littlejohn Coliseum when Clemson is playing its best basketball, and the moniker stuck. More importantly, the event itself has had equal staying power, as Clemson held the fifth annual installment of the event Oct. 19. In fact, Rock the ’John has been so successful, other schools are looking to emulate it. Money, Marketing Assistant Brad Lewis and student worker Jordan Plumblee were invited to Dallas this summer for a convention of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators to lead sessions on the best practices for Midnight Madness events. “We were honored to be able to do that,” Money said, “but I think that just shows the hard work that everybody here puts into Rock the ‘John because it truly is a team effort. The guys over at Littlejohn, with the special effects, the stuff they do behind the scenes is just unreal to be able to put this on. Normally, we have halftime at a basketball game to entertain the crowd and maybe a little pregame stuff. At this event, we have an hour and a half to two hours to entertain the crowd. And that’s where we spend hours upon hours and days and months to try to plan this thing.” Due to his football responsibilities with gameday management, Money largely turned over the lead role of Rock the ’John to Lewis, a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where Midnight Madness is among the highlights of the athletic calendar. While Clemson’s version of the event is generously supported by IPTAY funding, a big reason the NACMA convention wanted Money and Lewis’ input was the success they have had in pulling off a top-notch event with a reasonable bottom line. “They’d seen our event, and they realize we put on something that’s pretty realistic as far as budget and things like that,” Lewis said. “You look at Kentucky and North Carolina and places like that, sometimes you can’t compete because they have huge budgets. I know Ken-

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Orange: The Experience

tucky spends half a million dollars on their Big Blue Madness, and that’s something most schools can’t do. We do a good job with what we have, and we work well with the Littlejohn staff. They have a great feel for what fans enjoy and what they can do in the venue.” Part of the challenge of this year’s Rock the ’John for organizers was coordinating it with arguably the busiest weekend of the fall in terms of the athletic slate, which also featured the Military Appreciation Day football game against ACC juggernaut Virginia Tech, as well as a slew of Olympic sporting events. “It was a huge weekend, and we had a lot of big games going on,” Lewis said. “Men’s soccer had their 25-year reunion that night, playing San Diego State, which was the team they actually played for the national championship that year. Volleyball had a big match that night against Miami. And then we had volleyball again on Sunday against Florida State for their Dig Pink match. We wanted to get everybody out if they could go to Riggs Field or Jervey, and then come on over to Littlejohn.” This year’s event certainly met its goal of getting fans whipped into a frenzy for their men’s and women’s basketball programs. The night began with the Air Elite trampoline dunk team getting the crowd on their feet, before the always-popular player entrances introduced the Littlejohn faithful to their teams. The event moved on with a shooting contest that teamed players up with fans, won by women’s sophomore Nikki Dixon and her teammate. Next up was a game of “Yo’ Momma,” where players attempted to match answers to personal questions about themselves provided by their mothers. After the fun and games, the teams got down to business by showing off their skills on the court. The Lady Tigers ran a series of team drills, and the men’s team held a fullcourt scrimmage, where freshman guard Adonis Filer knocked down three longrange shots in leading the purple team to a 28-23 win over the orange. Then, a video of last season’s top 10 dunks was shown — with Bryan Narcisse’s slam against South Carolina taking top honors in fan voting — and finally a dunk contest capped the event, highlighted by

the exploits of high-flying freshman Jordan Roper and the presence of Jonquel Jones, the first member of the women’s team ever to participate. “When Littlejohn is full it’s one of the best arenas in the league,” men’s Head Coach Brad Brownell said, “but there’s a challenge sometimes in November and December of filling up the arena. And that’s what the event is really about. It’s about introducing the men’s and women’s teams to our

fans. It’s getting everybody to get to know our kids, see them in a different light, have a little fun and just wake everybody up to the fact that, ‘Hey, basketball season’s right around the corner.’” There’s no doubt about that, as the Clemson men’s team opens its season Nov. 12 at home against Presbyterian College, while the women begin one day earlier, also against PC. — by Steven Bradley

november 2012

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Clemson Putting on a Full-Court Press for Basketball Facilities With the upcoming additions of traditional basketball powers such as Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame to the already-loaded Atlantic Coast Conference, the Clemson basketball program is well aware its competition is about to get even tougher, not only on the court, but also on the recruiting trail. Littlejohn Coliseum opened in 1968 and was last remodeled in 2003, and the Tigers know every day they continue to stand still, they are actually being left behind. Talk about the shot clock winding down. In order to help Tiger basketball face these new challenges, Clemson and IPTAY have launched a campaign to build a new practice facility that will give the men’s and women’s basketball programs a recruiting tool that will allow them to compete in the upper echelon of one of the nation’s elite basketball leagues. “We’re trying to create top facilities for Clemson basketball,” said Bert Henderson, IPTAY’s Associate Athletic Director of Planned Giving. “And it’s not so much a want; it’s truly a need. I truly believe that both programs — our women’s program, as well as our men’s — can be at the big table, so to speak, of the ACC now…because it’s getting ready to be exceptionally large.” The $24.5 million facility is being designed to serve as a “front door” for Clemson basketball, much like the WestZone is for the Tiger football program. Since it opened, the WestZone has helped the Tigers bring in recruiting classes that are consistently among the nation’s best. “The basketball practice facility will be a huge recruiting tool,” said Aaron Dunham, IPTAY’s Assistant Director of Major Gifts. “You’ve got to show kids when they come to your campus that you are committed to basketball.” The new practice facility will be located on the north side of Lot 5, where the football team begins its Tiger Walk prior to every home game, helping to form what Dunham calls the “centerpiece of 16

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Clemson Athletics going forward.” With a pedestrian bridge spanning over the Avenue of Champions to connect the new facility to Littlejohn Coliseum, the facility will provide separate practice space for the men’s and women’s teams and will also house coaches’ offices, as well as conference and video rooms. “We’ve got to strengthen our school identity, and we must have recruiting

Georgia Tech and they’ve already built a new practice facility and just refurbished their arena. Virginia Tech spent over $20 million on their practice facility. These schools already have this, and we’re only talking about doing it.” The efforts are ahead of schedule and actually exceeded the amount of capital gifts made to football during 2011-12, which is impressive given that this is the

facilities that make an impact,” Henderson said. “When Littlejohn is full, it’s as good as any of them. But our players and coaches have to have that good interaction at all times, and you can’t do it when you’re sometimes having to practice in a facility that’s a little bit too small and you’re hurrying up and sharing it with the ladies, or the ladies are sharing it with you. We need to have a full-court press here.” However, time is of the essence. While the Basketball Campaign Committee has already raised over $2 million in a year and a half toward the $8 million needed to begin work on the facility, head coaches Brad Brownell and Itoro Coleman have joined in the efforts to get the project off the ground as soon as possible. “Coach Brownell says it best, ‘Every day we don’t do it, we’re losing ground,’” Dunham said. “If you look at the teams we recruit against, we recruit heavily against

first comprehensive basketball fundraising campaign of its kind at Clemson. Dunham said Dr. Jim Bostic of Atlanta, the committee’s chair, has been instrumental in the campaign’s success, along with Bart Proctor, of Charleston, who has played host to numerous events to help increase awareness of the project. “There are a lot of people out there who love Clemson basketball, and we’ve found a lot of them, but we need to find some more,” Dunham said. “We need people that have an interest in basketball, that like Coach Brownell and Coach Coleman, that want to see us succeed, to reach out to us and let us know they want to be involved.” For more information on how to participate in the basketball campaign, IPTAY members should contact Henderson at 864-656-2973 or berthso@clemson.edu, or Dunham at 864-656-5209 or dunham@ clemson.edu. — by Steven Bradley

When did you become a Clemson fan? “Twenty years ago when we moved to the area. My partners were Clemson graduates, and we started going to the games with them and soon became huge Clemson fans.” Why did you get involved with IPTAY? “After we started going to some games we decided we wanted tickets for all the football games, and then basketball became a fun event for our family. After meeting the staff at the IPTAY office, Linda Davis got us interested in the West Endzone, and we have enjoyed the experience of gameday even more. We believe IPTAY has helped to improve the facilities and offer the fans one of the best programs in the country.” What is your favorite gameday tradition? “We park with several friends and have gotten our parking spots together so tailgating with old friends and getting to know other Clemson fans that park around us makes the day great. Clemson has so many great traditions from Howard’s Rock, the team racing down The Hill and the excitement when the fans start spelling out C-L-E-M-S-O-N. How could you have only one?”

Bill Biggs and family.

Current Hometown

Anderson, SC Years of Membership

10 Years

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Bill Biggs

Who is your all-time favorite student-athlete? “We have had the opportunity to meet so many of the student-athletes and have enjoyed getting to know them over the years. But currently our favorite football player is by far Dalton Freeman, big No. 55. To watch him play over the past four years and the leadership he has shown this year with such a young line has been amazing. We need to give a little love to the big guys up front that make the skill players look so good.” Who is your favorite Clemson coach? “Coach Danny Ford is such a great guy to meet and spend time with. His stories will keep you laughing long after you part company, and he did have a pretty good record. But, Dabo Swinney is moving up the ladder very fast. Also, I could never forget Coach Cliff Ellis. As a member of the Board of Trustees at Coastal Carolina, our family has gotten to know Cliff and Carol over the years and remember all he did for our basketball program.” What is one thing you always do when you come to Clemson? “I always stop by the IPTAY office and see Mrs. Davis. She always has a smile on her face and a nice word for all the fans of Clemson. It is the people at Clemson and the fans that make the experience so great.” Why should someone who is not an IPTAY member join? “To continue to grow our programs, Clemson needs to compete with all the major universities in the country. To do this takes a commitment from the board, the staff and the coaches. This is the best way for the fans to help in that effort. Look at Clemson today and remember where it was 20 years ago, and you will see where this university is going. I am glad to be an IPTAY member and be a small part of this great university. Even though my wife and I are not graduates of Clemson, we have become fans and look forward to many more years supporting our adopted school.” — compiled by Victoria Reid

“(IPTAY) is the best way for the fans to help. ... Look at Clemson today and remember where it was 20 years ago, and you will see where this university is going.

I am glad to be an IPTAY member and be a small part of this great university.”

november 2012

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REPRESEN TATI V E SPOTLI G HT

When did you become a Clemson fan? “I don’t ever remember not being a Clemson fan. Both of my parents went to Clemson, so I grew up always coming to the home games each fall.” Why did you get involved with IPTAY? “When I was an undergrad, I heard about the IPTAY Student Advisory Board. I knew I wanted to be involved with IPTAY as a student, so I interviewed for that at the end of my freshman year and was on ISAB for the next three years. Once I graduated, I wanted to keep my involvement beyond undergrad, so as I finished grad school here, I joined the IPTAY YA program because that was an easy way for me to transition into being involved with IPTAY, post-graduation.”

Scott Sampson

What is your favorite gameday tradition? “Hands down, it’s The Hill. To think that our players and coaches get on three buses, with a police escort from the locker room all the way around the stadium and to The Hill, with 80,000-plus fans waiting for that live video feed, is just anticipation building. Then Dabo and the players stand on The Hill, the band starts moving toward The Hill, playing “Tiger Rag,” with the cannon ready to shoot when the chorus starts; you can’t beat it. I get chills every time because I think, ‘Who else has an entrance involving buses, police escorts, a hill, a rock and a cannon? Uh, no one!’” Who is your all-time favorite student-athlete? “That’s tough, I grew up in middle school and high school watching Woody Dantzler, and he was a freak athlete. You’ve got Gaines Adams, Keith Adams, Rod Gardner. But when you have the athlete by the name of C.J. Spiller at your program (who should have been in New York for Heisman, by the way), that makes him my all-time favorite. No. 2 on our team now will have many votes in two years, I’m sure.” Who is your favorite Clemson coach? “For me, it’s Coach Swinney. I had the chance to meet with him three years ago when he agreed to speak to a group of guys one night. He hung out with us for over two hours. I know his story. I’ve seen it and heard it. I try to email or text him once a week during the fall before each game. He has been very genuine in any interaction I’ve ever had with him. My mom wrote him a letter when he got the job back in 2008 and people were wondering about his hire being a good decision, and he wrote her back. He’s top-notch, and I think his platform is awesome in college football and the change he brings here at Clemson is obvious.” What is one thing you always do when you come to Clemson? “Well, I work at Clemson and have for just over two years now so I can’t say I’ve really left. When we have home games, I like to go by the stadium on Friday night when the lights are on and it’s quiet, and just stand at The Hill for a few minutes. Clemson’s field is second to none, always looks awesome, and to see the stadium without people in it, knowing that within the next 12 hours, it will be packed with 80,000-plus, is a cool thing to take in for a few minutes.”

Scott and Coach Swinn ey in 2009 when after winnin g the Atlantic Division Title.

Current Hometown:

Seneca, SC

Years of Membership

9 Years

Why should someone who is not an IPTAY member join? “Support Clemson because Clemson was a place that left a lasting mark on your life the four to six years you were here. We want the best facilities, the best athletes, the best coaches and those things don’t just appear. Join IPTAY so you can be a part of that support system that Clemson Athletics relies on. If you expect players and coaches to be passionate on the field or court, then it’s two-fold.” — compiled by Victoria Reid

“The Hill ... I get chills every time because I think,

‘Who else has an entrance involving buses, police escorts, a hill, a rock and a cannon? Uh, no one!’” 18

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Orange: The Experience

(L to R): Scott (‘08), dad, Pete (‘77), mom, Lynn (‘78), brother’s girlfriend, Amber Rhody (senior at Clemson), and brother, Alan (‘12) at a family wedding.

(L to R): Will Krause (‘11), Scott, John Hoppe IV (‘11), Justin Lambert, (‘10) at a Clemson wedding.

november 2012

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N E W DO N O R SPOTLI G HT

When did you become a Clemson fan? “I have been a Clemson fan since I was 12, I watched them on TV in the ’78 Gator Bowl and was just impressed with the fan base, Tiger Rag, and how tough they played. Ironically, the game was against Ohio State. It was Danny Ford’s first game as head coach and the last game for coach Woody Hayes. My hometown’s favorite son played for Ohio State then, so it was an interesting night with my family to say the least.”

Jon

Ansberry

Why did you get involved with IPTAY? “Well, I always wanted to donate, and in the last couple of years, I have been fortunate enough to have some financial freedom and I thought to myself, ‘I am going to help out.’ It might not be a huge amount, but every little bit helps. It also gives me a nice feeling of helping out my favorite team.” What is your favorite gameday tradition? “The band and, of course, the most exciting 25 seconds in college football. I have never seen it live yet, but watching on television is still a rush.” Who is your all-time favorite student-athlete? “Wow, there are so many. I always enjoyed watching C.J. Spiller because he was so exciting. And years back, I always enjoyed watching Larry Nance in basketball. But my all-time favorite would have to be Daniel Rodriguez. To serve your country and earn a Purple Heart, fight through adversity to be able to fulfill your dream and play for your favorite school is just a remarkable story.” Who is your favorite Clemson coach? “Coach Dabo Swinney is a first-class individual and has really brought back the enthusiasm I believe was missing in the football program. I also really liked Rick Barnes. I was sad to see him go, but those are the breaks.” What is one thing you always do when you come to Clemson? “Well, I have only been there once. But in the future, aside from the sporting events, I will get in a little shopping and make a trip to the Esso Club.”

Jon Ansberry

Current Hometown:

Cambridge, Oh Years of Membership

1 Year

Why should someone who is not an IPTAY member join? “If you love Clemson in any capacity, whether as a fan, student, alumni, etc. I think it gives you a nice feeling that you are helping the young student-athletes at Clemson get their education by supporting the athletic department. The folks at IPTAY are a great bunch of people and for this organization to be so successful as long as it has been in existence shows great organization and leadership by some great people.” — compiled by Victoria Reid

“My

all-time favorite (student-athelete) would have to be Daniel Rodriguez.

To serve your country and earn a Purple Heart, fight through adversity to be able to fulfill your dream and play for your favorite school is just a remarkable story.” 20

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Orange: The Experience

Experience Oconee

y a l P . . . k r o W Live ... y t n u o C e e n in Oco

Land Beside the Water A diverse, growing, safe, vibrant community guided by rural traditions and shaped by natural beauty; where employment, education and recreation offer a rich quality of life for all generations, both today and tomorrow. Great Housing Options • Retirement Communities Low Taxes • Great Schools • Job Growth Strong Retail Businesses and Restaurants Four Lakes • Wild & Scenic Chattooga River • 29 Waterfalls 90,000 Acres Of Sumter National Forest

www.oconeeSC.com n oa vu em gu be st r 2012

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21 37

2012-13 SEASON OUTLOOK | MEN’S BASKETBALL by Tim Bourret

When Devin Booker and Milton Jennings were freshmen in 2009-10, Trevor Booker, now in the NBA with the Washington Wizards, was the senior leader of the Tigers. When they were sophomores, Demontez Stitt, the only Clemson basketball player to start on four NCAA Tournament teams, was the leader. Last year, guards Tanner Smith and Andre Young showed the way. Now it is Booker and Jennings’ turn to provide that all-important intangible. They are the only two seniors on a 14-man roster that includes 12 freshmen and sophomores, the most players in their first or second year on the Clemson men’s basketball team since freshman eligibility was established in 197273. Clemson’s frontcourt duo has been a part of two NCAA Tournament teams, and three Tiger teams that have posted a break even or better record in the ACC (Clemson and Duke are the only ACC teams with break even or better conference marks each of the last five years). They have the experience, as they have combined to play 189 games, 3,880 minutes with 90 starts. “There is a lot riding on the play of Devin and Milton this year,” said Head Coach Brad Brownell, who begins his third year as head coach of the Tigers. “They are seniors in the program and have gone from backups to starters, to now hopefully leaders and primetime players. They’ll get more touches this

year, but they should be ready to play well. They’ve taken the path you would want players to take over their careers. You’ve seen development within their individual games, and now they are in position to be breakout guys.” Booker and Jennings will be looking to lead six other returning lettermen, but none of them were considered starters over the course of last season. Only three of the six have started a game, and one of those was just one start. There are five sophomore scholarship players who lettered last year, but only four will be available as Devin Coleman, Clemson’s leading scorer in the ACC Tournament game against Virginia Tech, was likely lost for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon suffered over the summer. There are six newcomers to the squad, including Damarcus Harrison, a transfer from BYU whose eligibility was granted for 2012-13 after Clemson’s waiver was successfully granted by the NCAA. One of the freshmen, Jaron Blossomgame, suffered a broken leg in April and has been a limited participant in practice. Obviously many of the underclassmen will have to step up, as the Tigers have three starting positions available, all in the backcourt or wing positions.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Roster No.

Name

Pos.

Hgt.

Wgt.

Class

Exp.

Hometown

1 2 3 5 12 15 20 21 22 24 31 32 35 33

T.J. Sapp Carson Fields Adonis Filer Jaron Blossomgame Rod Hall Devin Coleman Jordan Roper Damarcus Harrison Bernard Sullivan Milton Jennings Devin Booker K.J. McDaniels Landry Nnoko Josh Smith

G G G F G G G G F F F/C F C F

6-2 6-4 6-2 6-7 6-1 6-2 5-11 6-4 6-7 6-9 6-8 6-6 6-10 6-8

195 200 185 190 210 200 155 195 230 225 250 195 240 255

So. So. Fr. Fr. So. So. Fr. So. So. Sr. Sr. So. Fr. Fr.

1VL 1VL HS HS 1VL 1VL HS TR 1VL 3VL 3VL 1VL HS HS

Fort Lauderdale, FL Pewee Valley, KY Chicago, IL Alpharetta, GA Augusta, GA Philadelphia, PA Columbia, SC Greenwood, SC Gastonia, NC Summerville, SC Whitmire, SC Birmingham, AL Yaounde, Cameroon Charlotte, NC

Head Coach: Brad Brownell Associate Head Coach: Mike Winiecki Assistant Coaches: Earl Grant, Steve Smith

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Orange: The Experience

“When you lose startBrad Brownell ers like Tanner Smith returns for his third season as and Andre Young, our head coach of question marks are obvithe Tigers. ously in the backcourt,” Photo by Rex Brown Brownell said. “We need our perimeter players to step up. It’s a big step to go from not starting to being a consistent, productive player. Decision-making and scoring from the wing will be big factors for us. We need to improve in terms of outside shooting. “Our interior should be our strength with Devin and Milton, and I look for Bernard Sullivan to be in the mix on the inside as well. We should have some good depth. I hope rebounding will be one of our strengths. Devin was great on the defensive boards last year, but we need to be improved as a team in terms of offensive rebounding.” This young Clemson team will face a difficult schedule, one that will challenge the Tigers early in the season. “I’m very excited to bring Purdue and Arizona to Littlejohn Coliseum,” Brownell said. “I hope our fans understand how special that is. Purdue and Arizona have both been perennial NCAA Tournament teams over the years. It is hard to get those games at home.“ The Tigers will also play perennial NCAA

Rod Hall will see plenty of time at the point guard position alongside freshmen Adonis Filer and Jordan Roper.

Backcourt While Rod Hall and T.J. Sapp are not considered returning starters, they did start nine games apiece last year. Both had high moments last year and will be looked upon to provide more offensive punch on a consistent basis. Hall averaged 3.8 points per game and shot 44.1 percent from the field, including 49 percent in ACC games. He was regarded as the top defensive player among the freshmen and played 519 minutes last season, more than any other first-year player. He scored a season-high 18 points in Clemson’s overtime victory against Southern Illinois. “There will be a lot of competition at the point guard position, and Rod is a competitor,” Brownell said. “He is a little too quiet, but he has an air of confidence about him and the guys respect him because he is a player that makes other guys better. He is one of our best post passers and he knows how to lead guys into baskets.” Sapp, a 6-foot-2 guard from Fort Lauderdale, FL averaged 3.6 points per game last year in just over 16 minutes per game. He

men’s basketball Schedule

Tournament team Gonzaga at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, where the Tigers will play three games in four days over the Thanksgiving holidays.

played 482 minutes over- provement over the course of the season all, second among the and will be a big loss for the Tiger backcourt. five freshmen. He aver“Devin had gotten comfortable as a scorer aged 5.7 points per game late in the year, and we saw that in the ACC in the pre-ACC slate and Tournament when he led us in scoring.” scored in double figures Clemson got a boost in late September four times. He showed when Harrison’s eligibility was granted. Instead of sitting out the usual one-year waitPhoto by Rex Brown his scoring potential in Clemson’s victory at Iowa ing period as a transfer, he will be on the when he produced 13 court in November for Brownell’s team. He points and hit 3-of-6 three-point shots. averaged 3.2 points per game for BYU in “Sapp had a typical freshman year,” 2011-12, and was a four-star prospect comBrownell said. “He played a lot early and hit ing out of Christ School in Asheville, NC. the wall like a lot of freshmen do. He has put Two freshmen will be in the mix in the on 10 pounds during the offseason to help backcourt, Adonis Filer and Jordan Roper. him absorb contact and finish plays more ef- Filer is a 6-foot-2 guard from Chicago, IL who fectively in the paint this year. We need him played at Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts to keep things simple. When he does that he last year, while Roper is a 5-foot-11 guard is pretty effective.” from Columbia, SC who played at Irmo High K.J. McDaniels is a 6-foot-6 wing from Bir- School. mingham, AL who has great upside potenFiler, whose brother played football at the tial. He averaged 3.9 points per game last University of Notre Dame, helped his prep year when he played 10.1 minutes per game. school to the national semifinals of the NaHe made 45 percent of his shots and had 20 tional Championship last year. He possesses blocked shots on defense, seven more than good quickness and is a fiery competitor. his turnover total. Roper was ranked as the No. 84 senior The high-flying McDaniels was sixth on the prospect by PrepStars when he was a firstteam in scoring and fifth in ACC games where he averaged Date Day Opponent Time 4.9 points per game. Nov. 12 Mon. Presbyterian 7:00 PM He had some breakNov. 16 Fri. at Furman 7:00 PM out games in ACC Nov. 22 Thu. # vs. Gonzaga 9:00 PM play, including 14 at Nov. 23 Fri. # vs. Oklahoma/UTEP TBA Virginia Tech and 16 Nov. 25 Sun. # vs. TBA TBA at Florida State. Nov. 28 Wed. ^Purdue 7:15 PM “Athletically, K.J. Dec. 2 Sun. at South Carolina 12:00 PM Dec. 8 Sat. Arizona 8:00 PM is extremely gifted,” Dec. 15 Sat. Florida A&M 7:00 PM Brownell said. “He Dec. 19 Wed. at Coastal Carolina 7:00 PM helped us win some Dec. 23 Sun. SC State 2:00 PM games last year with Jan. 1 Tue. The Citadel 4:00 PM his athleticism. He Jan. 5 Sat. * Florida State 4:00 PM has been pretty foJan. 8 Tue. * at Duke 7:00 PM cused in the offseaJan. 12 Sat. * Virginia 12:00 PM son and is shooting Jan. 15 Tue. * Wake Forest 7:00 PM the ball well. With Jan. 20 Sun. * at NC State 6:00 PM the injuries to Devin Jan. 24 Thu. * at Florida State 8:00 PM and Jaron, he is goJan. 27 Sun. * Virginia Tech 1:00 PM ing to see a lot of Jan. 29 Tue. * Georgia Tech 7:00 PM Feb. 2 Sat. * at Boston College 12:00 PM playing time on the Feb. 7 Thu. * at Virginia 7:00 PM wing. He will have Feb. 10 Sun. * NC State 1:00 PM the opportunity to Feb. 14 Thu. * at Georgia Tech 7:00 PM show what he can Feb. 17 Sun. * Miami 6:00 PM do. He has the abilFeb. 23 Sat. * at Maryland 12:00 PM ity to create his own Feb. 28 Thu. * North Carolina 7:00 PM shot and can get an Mar. 2 Sat. * at Virginia Tech 8:00 PM offensive rebound.” Mar. 5 Tue. * Boston College 7:00 PM Coleman averMar. 9 Sat. * at Miami 2:30 PM aged 2.6 points and Mar. 14-17 Thu-Sun. ACC Tournament (Greensboro, NC) TBA 1.3 rebounds per game last year, but Note: All times are Eastern * - ACC regular season game; # - Old Spice Classic (Orlando, FL); ^ - ACC/Big Ten Challenge he showed great imnovember 2012

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team all-state selection. He averaged 17.1 points and 4.6 assists per game and was the South Carolina MVP in the Carolinas AllStar Classic when he scored a game-high 26 points. He led Irmo to a state title as a junior as well. “Adonis is a bigger, stronger freshman who has an outgoing personality,” Brownell said. “He is not afraid to make plays and likes to drive to the basket. Jordan is a good midrange shooter who can score off the bounce. He is thin, but has a ton of spring.” Frontcourt As stated previously, Booker and Jennings will be the frontcourt and overall leaders in 2012-13. The two will be keys to Clemson’s interior defense, which was a strength of the team last year when the Tigers allowed just 60.6 points per game, best by a Clemson team since 1950. Booker is Clemson’s top returning scorer with a 10.5 average. He also led the team in rebounding last year with a 7.0 average, and in blocked shots with 29. For his career, Booker is just three rebounds short of 500 and needs 252 points to reach 1,000. “Devin is a gifted athlete,” Brownell said. “His skill level has improved during his time here. He is stronger this year and has the

❘

Orange: The Experience

K.J. McDaniels has a significant opportunity to provide a scoring punch from the wing as a sophomore. Photo by Rex Brown

physical tools to compete with anyone at this level. He is in a good place entering this year.” Jennings is Clemson’s leading returning scorer from last season in terms of ACC games, when he averaged 10.9 points per game. He added 6.1 rebounds per game in league games as well. The former McDonald’s All-American has improved each year he has been at Clemson in terms of scoring average and rebounding. He was Clemson’s top player in the win over a Florida State team that won the ACC Championship last year. “Milton has some skills, especially when it comes to shooting,” Brownell said. “He has improved in his strength in the offseason. He has a chance to make another major step in his career development.” Sullivan is a third returning letterman in the frontcourt. Sullivan was limited in playing time last season due to asthma problems, but he is much better heading into his sophomore year. The 6-foot-7 native of Gastonia, SC averaged 1.4 points and 1.1 rebounds last year in 210 minutes of play. “Bernard was behind last year in terms of conditioning because of his asthma last year,” Brownell said. “It affected his stamina. But he has the ability to play longer now and he has the versatility to help us. He can drive from the post or hit the 15-footer. I am excited to see what he can do this year.” The other three members of the roster in the frontcourt are true freshmen - Jaron Blossomgame of Alpharetta, GA, Josh Smith of Charlotte, NC, and Landry Nnoko of Yaounde, Cameron. All three will compete for playing time this year. Bernard Sullivan, Blossomgame is who suffers Clemson’s most highfrom asthma, is ly regarded signee in much better from the 2012 class condition heading by many services. He into his second was ranked as the No. season with the 74 senior prospect by program. Photo by Rex Brown PrepStars, and No. 94

by ESPNU. A first-team AAAA all-state selection, he averaged 25.8 points per game as a senior at Chattahoochee High School. “It was obviously a big setback when Jaron suffered the injury,” Brownell said. “He has missed the entire summer. When we saw him play during the recruiting process, you had to be impressed with how hard he plays. He is a good rebounder and competitive defender.” Nnoko is a 6-foot-10 center who is a long, athletic player, and he is the cousin of former UCLA standout Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. He was ranked as the No. 19 prospect at center by ESPNU. “Landry can really run the floor,” Brownell said. “For a guy who has only played three years of basketball, he has a solid understanding of how the game should be played.” Smith is a 6-foot-8, 255-pounder who led Olympic High School to a 28-2 record last year and a fourth straight conference title. He averaged 12.5 points and 11.5 rebounds as a senior. “Josh likes to bang down low in the paint, and that will serve him well in this league,” Brownell said. “He runs very well for his size.”

n oa vu em gu be st r 2012

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25 59

Milton Jennings (left) and Devin Booker (right) give the young 2012-13 Tiger basketball team size and experience in the frontcourt.

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Orange: The Experience

Earning Their Stripes I t was one of innumerable individual workouts this summer at Littlejohn Coliseum, with the upcoming season too far ahead to serve as tangible motivation, and only more workouts and time in the weight room for Clemson’s basketball players on the horizon. Rising seniors Milton Jennings and Devin Booker were putting freshmen Josh Smith and Landry Nnoko through the ringer, dominating a four-man, big-man session like a pair of returning starters and veterans of Atlantic Coast Conference play should dominate two newcomers to the team and the league. In a rare moment of competitive balance, however, Nnoko got the jump on Jennings, beat him down the floor, gathered himself and looked to feed the ball ahead to Smith for a bucket. Instead, Jennings seized the opportunity that split-second provided, flung his body through the air and slapped the ball away, skidding across the court and sacrificing his body, all in the name of preventing a meaningless pass in a lopsided workout when nobody was even keeping score. But that, according to Jennings, is what Head Coach Brad Brownell means when he says leading by example. “Getting on the ground is one thing Coach is always talking about that the fresh-

men haven’t done, that they haven’t been used to,” he said. “So by me diving on the ground, it showed them that, ‘Hey, Milt can dive on the ground; anybody can dive on the ground.’ It’s stuff like that, and running when we’re conditioning and making every time count and not giving in, not stopping early, not saying, ‘My body’s tired, I can’t make it.’ You keep going. I tell them all the time, ‘Hey, I don’t know how I made it. But you always make it.’”

rownell admits neither Jennings nor Booker necessarily fits the mold of a natural-born leader, especially of the vocal variety. That won’t stop him from handing them that role this season. Not that he has a choice. Thanks to the attrition that occurred when Oliver Purnell left Clemson for the head job at DePaul in April of 2010 — the other two members of the Tigers’ once-ballyhooed freshman class eventually transferred, and the only member of the ensuing recruiting class that Brownell was able to cobble together followed suit — the team enters the 2012-13 campaign with a roster that features two seniors, no juniors and 12 under-

Booker, Jennings Have Stayed the Course Through Changing Times in Clemson Basketball Program by Steven Bradley photos by Rex Brown

classmen, including six newcomers to the program. But because of that adversity, what Jennings and Booker may lack as vocal leaders, they more than make up for when it comes to having earned their stripes as Clemson Tigers. Both came in highly regarded by recruiting experts when they joined the program in 2009. Jennings was the first McDonald’s All-American to sign with Clemson since Sharone Wright in 1991, while Booker was the younger brother of the school’s first first-round NBA draft pick in 15 years (also Wright), Trevor Booker. Instead, they lost the coach that recruited them after their freshmen seasons, then lost

november 2012

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the other members of one of the most highly touted signing classes in school history during their sophomore years, missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in their careers as juniors and now enter their senior seasons as the only two remaining pieces of the Clemson program that existed prior to the coaching change. “They’re two guys that our fans should really want to see do well,” Brownell said. “They’ve paid their dues here. They’ve had good careers to date. And, these guys have stuck with us. They stuck through a coaching change. They’ve been all about Clemson. They are on track to graduate, so we’re really proud of them for that. And I think they’ve done some good things in their careers and not always got as much positive feedback as I would like to see. Certainly, I’m proud of them, and I really want them to have good senior seasons. I think they’ve earned that.” The two have also developed a bond Jennings likens to “blood” brothers because of the collective chip on their shoulders when it comes to what they’ve been through together at Clemson. Booker agreed all the adversity and attrition has forced them to develop a unique kinship. “We had to. We were the only two that stuck together, really,” Booker said. “We had other teammates that left, other coaches that left and we were the only ones that really stuck through it these whole four years. And we’ve been together since. That bonding is going to take place on the court too, and we’re going to have something to relate to each other. It’s going to be something special.”

ooker grew up as a great athlete in a long line of great athletes. His dad, Gerald, had been a star linebacker on the gridiron, and mother Tracey led Union High School to an undefeated season and a State Championship on the hardwood during her day. Asked which one he gets his athletic ability from, Devin chose his words carefully. “I’d say it comes from both, just so I wouldn’t make the other mad. I can’t pick one because I’d get back home and end up getting a spanking for saying the wrong one. If you look at my parents, you can tell that they don’t joke around. They’re pretty big, and I’m not messing with them,” said the 6-foot-8, 250-pound Booker. The second-youngest of the four Booker brothers, Devin was in middle school when big brother Trevor, three years his elder, emerged as a star player renowned for his powerful dunks that left opponents running for cover at Union County High School near their hometown of Whitmire. “Since probably his 10th grade At left: The 6-footyear, he was the superstar,” Booker said. 8 Booker is one of When it came time for Devin to go to the most athletic, high school, he was more than content to explosive post players join the junior varsity and spend a season in the ACC. honing his skills alongside brother Darrion, Inset: Booker led all who was a year older. Instead, the Union returning Clemson County coaches thought Devin was ready players in points, to skip that level and take a spot on the varrebounds, assists, sity squad, where Trevor was already wellsteals and blocked established as a future big-time Division I shots in 2011-12.

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Orange: The Experience

player by then. Four years later, Devin found himself in the same spot — a freshman on a Clemson team where Trevor was the squad’s star senior — and again with almost everyone wanting to know when he’d be ready to fill his brother’s sizable shoes. Remarkably, Devin has never seemed to resent those comparisons and, to this day, recalls fondly the opportunity he had to play alongside his brother. “It was good just to know I had a big brother to fall back on and look to for anything, just knowing that he was there to give me advice on anything I needed help with.”

ennings came in with even higher expectations. As the star player at Pinewood Prep in Summerville, he was the highest-rated recruit to sign with Clemson in more than a decade when he did so in 2009 over reported offers from Florida, Connecticut, Georgetown and UCLA, among others. Jennings was a McDonald’s and Parade AllAmerican out of high school, and was named Mr. Basketball in South Carolina as a senior. But while other players of such high regard were signing with traditional basketball powers, Jennings recalls being scoffed at during a bus ride for one of the all-star games he played in when he told other blue-chip recruits he was committed to Clemson. Not that it bothered

him one bit. “I wanted to pick a place I felt at home,” Jennings said. “I was a McDonald’s All-American, and I could have gone anywhere. I visited a bunch of places, and I never felt like I did at Clemson.” Jennings has never regretted his decision to come to Clemson — not even when Purnell left after his freshman year — and truly feels at home here. “I’ve got the best of both worlds,” Jennings said. “I live in Charleston, so I’m always by the ocean, and when I come up to Clemson, I’ve got the lakes. That’s how I look at it. I’m an athlete that embraces the student life. I enjoy wakeboarding as much as basketball. There’s just something about being behind a boat, out on the lake, zooming across the water. I hang out on the lake all the time. It’s my safe haven and stress-relief place. I did that before I was even (in school) here. I like to go on Bowman Field and play ultimate Frisbee, and I go to Fike to play basketball and just to see the students. I enjoyed all that stuff way before I even enjoyed going to the games to see the Tigers play.”

hile the Tigers’ two seniors have plenty in common when it comes to their careers at Clemson, they could not be more different in terms of personalities. Booker is the definition of laid-back, seem-

ingly taking everything from tough losses to big wins to the constant comparisons to his brother in stride, with a smile on his face and the same low-key demeanor. “I’d like to see a little more fire out of him at times,” Brownell said. “He has it to a degree — and it comes and goes. But I’m proud of how hard he’s worked through the years and really want him to have a good year.” Jennings, on the other hand, is a fiery competitor who Brownell has encouraged to keep an even keel, not getting too high when he and the team are having success and not getting too down when they are not. “It just boils down to when some things don’t go his way, when there’s a bad call, when he makes a couple of bad plays, being able to bounce back away from that and not let that play bother him,” Brownell said. “We’ve talked to him about that for several years now, especially late last year and into this year, and I think his ability to handle those things and stay positive and be confident all year will really lead to him playing well.” From a leadership standpoint, Jennings is easily the more naturally vocal of the Tigers’ senior duo. Brownell said the 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward is comfortable leading the huddle on the court and talking to the team in the locker room, and doesn’t shy away from calling out younger players when they’re

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not doing their jobs. Booker, meanwhile, is naturally quiet, not necessarily shy, but more reserved. But Brownell has seen his starting center welcome the onus of leadership with open arms in the preseason, making a conscious effort to become a more vocal presence. “Devin is not a vocal person, so he’s not going to be a rah-rah guy, he’s not going to be telling a lot of guys what to do,” Brownell said. “Having said that, I’ve been standing under a basket and I may have said something to Landry or Josh, and they come out of a drill and go over to the side and I hear Devin over my right shoulder, either explaining or telling those guys, ‘Hey, this is what Coach meant by this.’ So, he’s done that a few times, and I don’t really remember him doing that too much throughout the course of his career.”

lemson isn’t just counting on Booker and Jennings to step up as leaders, however, as Brownell admitted they need to step up their games on the court, as well. Booker is the only returning player who averaged double figures in scoring (10.5 points) and was also the leading returning rebounder (7.0) from a team that finished 16-15 overall and 8-8 in ACC play in 2011-12, while Jennings averaged 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds a year ago. But with sophomores Rod Hall, T.J. Sapp and K.J. McDaniels projected to fill out the starting lineup from point guard to small forward, respectively, Jennings believes the Tigers have what it takes to surprise some people this year. “I’m excited for this season,” Jennings said. “I think our starting five is as good as anybody’s starting five in the league. And then the guys coming off the bench, I think they’ll really do well. We’re hopefully going to shake up the polls a little bit. It’s going to be good.” While the Tigers are admittedly short on experience in the backcourt — and beyond Booker and Jennings, in the frontcourt, too — Brownell has taken comfort in the belief few teams are going to overmatch his team in terms of sheer size and strength in the low post. “I like the fact that we do have two grown men that are coming back, and physically, with Milt and Devin, we’re not going to get shoved around. We’ve got two guys that have been at the level and have had success enough to At left: Jennings compete and know what to exscored a game-high pect,” he said. 17 points in Clemson’s And “two grown men” is a fitting way to upset win over describe the duo of Booker and Jennings, as eventual Sweet 16 they have certainly been forced to grow up bound participant NC since coming onto campus four years ago. State in 2011-12. “It’s flown by tremendously quick,” BookInset: Jennings er said. “We came in with a group of guys started 23 games last that we thought was going to stay with us season as a junior forever, but they decided to go elsewhere and and averaged over try their luck another place. We stuck with 11 points per game it. We stayed here. And our time is here now for the Tigers against that we’re seniors.” ACC teams.

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Orange: The Experience

november 2012

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Orange: The Experience

november 2012

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Count on The Journal to be your information source. In print or online, our publications cover life in the Upstate and all you need to know for your busy lifestyle. The Journal is the Upstate’s source for the latest news and features on Clemson football, basketball, baseball and all sports, including up to the minute recruiting news.

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Orange: The Experience

2012-13 SEASON OUTLOOK | WOMEN’S BASKETBALL by Jeff Kallin

The restoration of the Clemson women’s basketball program is well under way for Head Coach Itoro Coleman, who enters her third year as the leader of the program. Coleman has worked to change the culture around the program, and in year three, things appear to be looking up. Coleman’s revitalization of the program has been built with well-roundedness in mind. Last fall, the team recorded its highest grade point average in nearly 15 years. They’ve also upped their footprint in the community, visiting many schools and participating with local charities as Coleman stresses the importance and pillars of what it means to be a Lady Tiger. “The vision for the program is to restore, renew, and reproduce,” Coleman said. “When I think about restoring a program to being a national power, there was an expectation when I first stepped on campus to win. When I got here three years ago, it wasn’t there. This year’s team definitely embodies that. They want to be the best at everything. They’re very competitive, and you can see that in drills, academically, and on the court.” Coleman embraces the competitiveness around the program, and has great hopes for that attitude to spill over to all walks of life for the staff and student-athletes. “We want to renew that image. When I came here as a player, I knew I had to carry my weight in order for this team to be successful, and the players are feeling that right now. “What I mean by reproduce is that we want

to cultivate and maintain this level of play and expectation every year, and we are well on our way. We’ve made strides in the classroom and in the community.” Coleman is hoping for all of this to translate to the court, where she enters the 2012-13 season with one of the youngest groups in school history. With the graduation of fouryear letterwinners Shaniqua Pauldo and Lindsey Mason in May, Clemson enters this season without a senior on the roster. Quinyotta Pettaway and Chancie Dunn, now juniors, are the senior-most players on the team. All told, Clemson’s players have totaled 10 seasons of playing experience among 12 players, an average of 0.833 seasons per player. This proportion is the thirdlowest in the NCAA entering the year. What that statistic does not account for, however, is the amount of time that each of those players has seen in the past. Of the seven returning players, six averaged 15 minutes or more per game, and five played more than 24 minutes per game last season, when the youthful Lady Tigers finished 6-22. “I don’t like to lose, so that’s frustrating,” Coleman said. “But, with the type of work we’ve been putting in, I can see the big picture, and I understand that it takes time. I understand the type of patience that it takes to rebuild, but as a competitor, I don’t like to lose, and neither do these players. We need to do whatever we can do to change that.“ The first step for Coleman has been to bring

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Roster No.

Name

Pos.

Hgt.

Class

Exp.

Hometown

1 2 5 10 11 12 15 21 22 23 30 34 52

Charmaine Tay Chelsea Lindsay Kelly Gramlich Aisha Turner Jonquel Jones Quinyotta Pettaway Nyilah Jamison-Myers Nikki Dixon Danaejah Grant Chancie Dunn Deja Hawkins Natiece Ford Aneesah Daniels

G G G G G/F F/C F/C G/F G/F G F/C F F/C

5-9 5-6 5-10 5-7 6-3 6-3 6-3 5-10 5-10 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-0

*So. So. So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. So. Fr. Jr. So. So. *Fr.

TR 1VL 1VL HS HS 2VL HS 1VL HS 2VL 1VL 1VL TR

Irvington, NJ Durham, NC Austin, TX College Park, GA Freeport, Bahamas Hertford, NC Orangeburg, SC Alpharetta, GA Piscataway, NJ Decatur, GA Landover, MD Holly Springs, NC Decatur, GA

Head Coach: Itoro Coleman Assistant Coaches: Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Karleen Thompson, Jimmy Garrity

in high-caliber playQuinyotta Pettaway returns for her ers with experience junior year after in winning and with great talent. Her averaging 9.1 points and 7.2 rebounds 2011 recruiting class per game last ranked 30th in the season. nation, and the crop Photo by Dawson Powers saw huge minutes as freshmen last season, totaling 68 starts and 3,004 minutes. Nikki Dixon, originally recruited for her defensive ability at Milton High School, took over on the offensive end, leading Clemson at 12.4 points per game last season. Dixon played exactly 900 minutes at the wing, and worked at both ends. She was second among all league freshmen in scoring and her 2.6 steals per game was tops among freshmen and sixth in the ACC overall. Dixon drained 32 three-pointers, just one fewer than classmate Kelly Gramlich, who played more than 700 minutes on the wing. Gramlich is an excellent shooter from long range, and put up more than 20,000 shots in the offseason, and will be relied upon heavily to help spread the floor and put down open looks in transition. Chelsea Lindsay logged more than 900 minutes at point guard for the Lady Tigers, finishing sixth in the league at 32.6 minutes per game. She led all ACC freshmen in minutes played, minutes per game, assists, and assistto-turnover ratio, and gives Clemson a terrific option to run the point as a sophomore. Also in the class were Natiece Ford and Deja Hawkins. Ford entered as Clemson’s highestnovember 2012

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Photo by Rex Brown

Chelsea Lindsay started 26 games at the point guard position as a freshman last season. Photo by Dawson Powers

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Orange: The Experience

defense went from .417 in 2009-10 to .403 She tallied 9.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per in 2010-11, and finally to .382 last season. game, while also blocking 1.1 shots per game. Three-point field goal percentage defense Her length and quickness coupled with her also improved from .332 in 2010-11 to .306 in leaping ability will again likely have Pettaway 2011-12. With the added length and number amongst the league leaders in rebounding. of players, Coleman will begin to institute her pressure defense, and Date Day Opponent Time hope to drop these levels even further. Nov. 11 Sun. Presbyterian 2:00 PM Nov. 13 Tue. South Florida 7:00 PM “We want to hang Nov. 18 Sun. at South Carolina 3:00 PM our hats on defense. Nov. 23 Fri. # vs. Montana State 7:00 PM Everything that we’ve Nov. 24 Sat. # v s. SMU/SIU-Edwardsville TBA been doing thus far Nov. 28 Wed. ^at Indiana 7:00 PM has really concentrated Dec. 2 Sun. Jacksonville 2:00 PM on our defense - our Dec. 9 Sun. SC State 2:00 PM help side, our ball presDec. 16 Sun. Radford 2:00 PM sure, and what we’re Dec. 19 Wed. ! vs. Providence 9:00 PM doing in the half court.” Dec. 22 Sat. Samford 1:00 PM If they’re looking for Dec. 30 Sun. * North Carolina 2:00 PM an indication of the Jan. 3 Thu. * at Miami 7:05 PM future rewards of the Jan. 6 Sun. * Georgia Tech 2:00 PM defense, they need not Jan. 10 Thu. * at Duke 7:00 PM look farther than ColeJan. 13 Sun. * Boston College 1:00 PM man’s signature win Jan. 17 Thu. * at Wake Forest 6:30 PM thus far, a 52-47 win at Jan. 24 Thu. * Duke 7:00 PM Jan. 27 Sun. * Maryland 5:00 PM No. 21 North Carolina Jan. 31 Thu. * at Virginia Tech 7:00 PM last season. The Tigers Feb. 3 Sun. * a t Florida State 2:00 PM held the Tar Heels to Feb. 7 Thu. * M iami 7:00 PM their lowest scoring Feb. 10 Sun. * NC State 2:00 PM output at home in Feb. 14 Thu. * Maryland 7:00 PM school history, and a Feb. 17 Sun. * Virginia Tech 1:00 PM 1-for-17 figure behind Feb. 21 Thu. * Virginia 7:00 PM the arc. Feb. 24 Sun. * at Boston College 1:00 PM Anchoring the Feb. 28 Thu. * at Georgia Tech 7:00 PM post defense is junior Mar. 3 Sun. * NC State 2:00 PM Quinyotta Pettaway, Mar. 7-10 Thu-Sun. ACC Tournament (Greensboro, NC) TBA who led Clemson in rebounding a season Note: All times are Eastern; * - ACC regular season game; ago during a breakout # - Hoops for a Cure Tournament (Dallas, TX); ^ - ACC/Big Ten Challenge; sophomore campaign. ! – Myrtle Beach, SC

WOmen’s basketball Schedule

rated prospect, and saw action in all 28 games at small and power forward spots. Hawkins saw limited play due to an injury. Coleman’s 2011 freshman class grew up quickly, and she’ll need the same from this year’s group. “One of the challenges is that I need my freshmen to grow up fast,” said Coleman. “Even though we have a lot of experience coming back, we are fairly young. The role that we talk about is to get better every day, and to control the things that we can control.” Defensively, Clemson has improved greatly over Coleman’s first two seasons. Opponent scoring average dropped from 69.2 to 65.1 points per game, and field goal percentage

Fellow junior Chancie Dunn has drawn praise from teammates and coaches early in the preseason for her improvement on both ends. She’s worked on a more consistent jump shot, and is the team’s eldest stateswoman, at just more than 1100 career minutes played. With the solid foundation of the players in place, Coleman welcomes the nation’s 16thranked recruiting class, which includes what Coleman hopes is a franchise-player in Jonquel Jones. Jones, a 6-foot-4 wing from The Bahamas, attended Riverdale Baptist High School in Maryland, and shot up recruiting boards as last season progressed. “Jonquel can play the two through the four, and we’ll use her that way. She’s so long, and creates so many mismatches. She can shoot the jumper, she can shoot the pull-up, she’ll get in there and rebound, and has a great allaround game.” Jones was rated as the 17th-best player in the nation by ESPN Hoopgurlz, and the No. 6 post player overall. Joining her in the freshman class is Danaejah Grant (Piscataway, NJ), who was a fourstar prospect and ranked 65th nationally by Hoopgurlz. A slasher and scorer, Grant has the ability to put points on the board in a hurry, and she’ll be looked at early and often. Four-star prospects Aisha Turner, a point guard, and Nyilah Jamison-Myers, a post play-

Kelly Gramlich er, were the other gems of was Clemson’s the recruiting cycle. Turner top shooter in is quick and has great floor 2011-12 as a vision, and Jamison-Myers freshman with is an immediate impact 33 three-point player on the defensive baskets. end and rebounding with Photo by Rex Brown her height (6-foot-3) and length. Another sleeper for the Lady Tigers is Charmaine Tay. She will sit out the fall semester after her transfer from Louisville. She’ll bring grit and experience to the guard spot, as she played on Louisville’s Sweet 16 team in 201011 before her move to Clemson. Tay was a high school All-American, and was rated as the 17th-best player in the 2010 recruiting cycle. With many of the foundation pieces in place, Coleman is excited about the 2012-13 season. The Lady Tigers are poised to make a jump, and can build on the notion that in 2013-14, they’ll have the exact same group as well. “We’ve been able to take a lot of strides in recruiting,” she said.“We are definitely attracting the types of players that are going to help us return to national prominence.“ If they keep up this pace, the rebuilding effort may not take as long as originally intended.

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The Time is Now Dixon Looks to Build off Strong Freshman Campaign by William Qualkinbush

ikki Dixon does not feel like a tiny fish in a big pond anymore. That was last year. To illustrate her new mentality, the sophomore guard on the Clemson women’s basketball team made reference to a Pixar flick about gaining confidence and maturing. “We were like Nemos in a big pond,” Dixon said of herself and her fellow freshman teammates. “We had no idea where we were going. We just wanted to find our way.” In Dixon’s mind, all of the excuses for poor performance that come with being a freshman are gone. As the Lady Tigers’ leading returning scorer from last season with 12.4 points per game — the only team member who averaged double digits — much will be expected of her, even as a sophomore who still has plenty of room to grow. Usually, things would look different for Dixon this season. Under normal circumstances, she would be looking to take a smaller step as a budding role player behind a veteran who could show her the ropes. But these are not normal circumstances. Look for senior leadership on Clemson’s roster, and the search will come up empty. There are none to light the way. Look for a large class of juniors to provide a two-year anchor for the program, and no such thing will appear. Guard On a team with no Chancie Dunn and forward Quinyotta Pettaway will shoulseniors, Nikki Dixon is all smiles when thinking der much of that load this season. Dixon knows the roster, the makeup of the team. She was about the future of there last season, when certain possessions felt like the blind Lady Tiger basketball. trying to lead the blind as a large group of freshmen were feelPhoto by Rex Brown

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Orange: The Experience

ing things out in their first collective season of Atlantic Coast Conference competition. The Alpharetta, GA product knows what she has to do in order for the Lady Tigers to experience success this season. The sophomore must lead like she is not a sophomore. She must step up to fill a void that is bigger than most second-year players can fill, but not too big for Dixon, according to Head Coach Itoro Coleman. “Hearing about what Coach Coleman wants and what this program wants, I know I’m still young and I have a lot to learn about being the best and being great and being a leader and being a captain,” Dixon said. “But I definitely want to fill those shoes.” Coleman attempted to get Dixon to fill those shoes last season, when her quickness, scoring ability, and penchant for making big defensive plays vaulted her to the top of opposing scouting reports. Admittedly, the young head coach’s hopes and dreams did not resonate with thenfreshman Dixon right away. “Being a freshman last year, it didn’t make sense as much as it does now,” Dixon said. “It was in one ear and out the other last year when she would say, ‘Leaders do this and leaders do that.’ Leading is way different from high school to college. It’s way different.” Now, after a year of floundering a bit in the big pond, Dixon says becoming a force at guard for the Lady Tigers does not seem nearly as daunting. Practice looks different; the game slows down; teammates that were well guarded now seem open. Things look different for Dixon in the first few weeks of practice, and her head coach has taken notice. Coleman has put a lot on Dixon’s plate as the preseason gives way to regular season competition, and Dixon has begun to answer the call. “I’m more aware of what needs to be done to accomplish team goals and goals in general,”

Dixon led Clemson in points and steals as a rookie in 2011-12, when she was one of five players named to the All-ACC Freshman Team. Photo by Dawson Powers

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Dixon said. “As far as building something here, every year has to have a different mentality, and it has to be stronger than it was in the previous year. “I believe it’s a really big change. I know now what to do in practice, and I didn’t know that stuff as a freshman. I don’t feel like she’s giving me too much responsibility, except to really play ball this year and not think about messing up.” Coleman knew more than a year ago that Dixon would be the one to lead her women’s basketball team in the 2012-13 season. But she also recognized some things that needed to change in order for the process to take hold. There were times last season when Dixon got discouraged. There were times when her frustration showed on the court. There were times when her demeanor soured as creating separation to score became increasingly difficult due to fatigue. In short, Dixon simply needed to mature. She knew it, and her coach knew it. Not only did Coleman know the problem, but she also prescribed the solution to cure Dixon’s ills. Over the summer, Dixon read a book — given to her by Coleman — appropriately entitled Mental Toughness that outlines some principles designed to equip athletes to deal with the difficulties of succeeding at a high level in competitive environments. “It tells you step-bystep what to do and how to be more aware of when you’re speaking negatively in your mind without even knowing it and how to control it and switch it into a positive mindset,” Dixon said. “That was my number one thing because I feel like the game is 90 percent mental.” The Lady Tigers cannot afford for Dixon to lose her cool this season due to the void created by a lack of seniors on the roster. In addition to the five-member sophomore class, there are a handful of freshmen to add to the fray. Four collegiate newcomers — Danaejah Grant, Nyilah Jamison-Myers, Jonquel Jones, and Aisha Turner — and transfer Aneesah Daniels (who is not eligible this season) have joined the Clemson program. In addition, fel-

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Orange: The Experience

low transfer Charmaine Tay will be eligible in January after coming over from Louisville. In all, Dixon has now been tasked with aiding the coaching staff in integrating six new faces into the team’s practice setting and four bodies into the possible rotation. It can be a tall task for a sophomore, but equipped with a newfound steely demeanor that allows her to be an example to her younger teammates, Dixon marches onward. “We’re learning five new personalities, how to play basketball with one another,” she said. “It’s learning how everyone plays and understanding how to mesh with everyone. Chemistry is something we need to focus on more and more as the season gets closer.” Chemistry will be crucial for the Lady Ti-

when all the pieces that have converged on Tigertown will become a well-oiled machine — or a solid dessert. “We have the ingredients to make a great recipe,” Dixon said. “We have it all this year, and we don’t have any seniors, so we’ll have the same group next year to do the exact same thing even better.” It would be inaccurate to characterize Dixon as simply a scorer. In her first season, in addition to leading Clemson in scoring, the Georgian led the team in steals (73) and finished third in rebounds (116) and assists (69). Dixon says she focused on a number of oncourt elements in the offseason to smooth out the rough edges of her game. The facets of focus for the Lady Tiger guard included her jump shot, her physical strength, and her conditioning. Even given the way Dixon’s all-around game shone on campus last season, she recognized the need to continue to grow and improve. It is all a part of the process of growth that, if Coleman’s and Dixon’s goals collide, will end with the lanky sophomore taking on a prominent role in the Clemson locker room this season. As squeamish as Dixon was a year ago about stepping up to lead her teammates, she feels the opposite way now. “If I say no, then I wouldn’t be honest,” Dixon explained when asked if she was prepared to lead. “I’ve been through a lot and I unDixon (second from derstand what happens if gers, who are still attempting to craft left) will be looked to I’m not ready to step up an identity as the talent level rises with as a leader among a for this team. I will be each passing year. After spending a group of six second- prepared. I will be ready.” year players at the few weeks in workouts and practices Now, Nikki Dixon collegiate level. sees something different with the newcomers, Dixon says fans Photo by Rex Brown when she looks around should expect to see a great deal of excitement on the court this season. the Lady Tiger locker “We have a lot more legs,” Dixon said. “We room. Voids have been replaced with bodies; have a lot better capability to run the floor. I problems have given way to solutions; nerves believe this year will be a faster-paced team.” have turned into confidence. All over the A quicker pace of play will put a greater place, there are signs that Clemson’s women’s strain on players like Dixon, as she will be basketball program is on the rise. asked to stay on the floor for long stretches, How far it soars this season may rest on particularly early in the season as the fresh- the shoulders of a second-year player with the men try to get their legs underneath them- task of a senior and the tools to make things selves. She believes there will come a day happen.

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Orange: the experience

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GETTING SERIOUS

After the first true offseason of his career, DeAndre Hopkins emerges as one of the country’s truly elite receivers

I Hopkins established a school record with 197 receiving yards in the win at Boston College. Photo by Rex Brown

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Orange: The Experience

n a small, skinny, spiral notebook, the kind with the cardboard backing that flips its pages vertically, DeAndre Hopkins keeps a list of personal goals, a practice he’s been in since his freshman year of high school. Hopkins writes down his goals for football and his goals for life. Not that he’s obsessive about it. “I’m not trying to write a novel,” he said. “It’s pretty long, but it’s not a novel.” At the rate Hopkins is going, he might need to start ordering those notebooks in bulk. School record for receptions in a game? Check. School record for touchdown receptions in a game? Check. School record for receiving yards in a game? Check. For a player who was only the second in Atlantic Coast Conference history with at least 50 catches as both a freshman and a sophomore, Hopkins — better known as “Nuk” — entered his junior season at Clemson surprisingly under the radar, even overshadowed on his own team by All-American Sammy Watkins. But after achieving the aforementioned records in wins over Auburn, Ball State and Boston College, respectively, Hopkins has established himself as one of the nation’s premier receivers. Not that Head Coach Dabo Swinney is surprised.

by Steven Bradley “Nuk’s been a guy that’s been developing,” Swinney said. “He’s as good as there is in the country. It’s because of his total development and commitment to being a great player and a complete player at the position. He’s a special guy. I’m not surprised at all because I see him at practice every day. If we put together a highlight tape of the plays he’s made in practice, it would be unbelievable.”

ount DeShawn Williams among those not surprised by Hopkins’ accomplishments, either. The two played football together for three seasons at nearby D.W. Daniel High School in Central, SC, but their relationship goes back much further. Williams and Hopkins are cousins and grew up playing ball in the streets and backyards of their neighborhoods. “We’ve grown up with each other since I was about 5,” said Williams, now a sophomore defensive tackle for Clemson. A few years later, the cousins started playing organized football, suiting up for the Central Tigers at the local recreation department. And while the nation is just now finding out about Hopkins’ athletic prowess through highlights on ESPN, Williams says such feats are nothing new to those who were around back then.

Hopkins hauled in three touchdowns against Ball State, including this jump ball from Tajh Boyd. Photo by Tyler Smith

“I remember the juke moves he’s doing, he’s been doing those ever since rec ball,” Williams said. “And he can throw, too. He played quarterback in rec league. The things he’s doing now, he did back then when we were little. When he makes those unbelievable catches, I already knew he could do that because I’ve already seen it. It came natural to him; he did it effortlessly, catching the difficult balls. Some receivers out there probably couldn’t catch those balls, but he does it so effortlessly. It’s crazy how he just does it.”

opkins continued starring on the gridiron up through his days at R.C. Edwards Middle School, where he shined as a dual-threat quarterback. When it came time to move to the varsity level, he looked set to be an instant success there as well, albeit as a defensive back and wide receiver instead of a quarterback. But after shining in Daniel’s spring game as a ninth-grader, Hopkins decided to give up football for his first love, basketball, where he instantly emerged as a standout point guard for the Lions’ basketball team, eventually leading them to a state championship as a senior. “He was skinny,” Williams said. “You see Nuk today. If you saw him back then, you’d say, ‘Whoa.’ He was a tall, scrawny guy who played Hopkins is on pace basketball. Then he really got dedito re-write the cated to football in the weight room, and Clemson record after that, you saw his body really chang- books from the wide ing. His first year in high school, he was receiver position. like a little noodle out there.” Photo by Tyler Smith But as Williams alluded, it didn’t take long for Hopkins’ classmates and coaches to convince him to come back out for football. It took him even less time to make an impact. Hopkins earned a starting spot at defensive back for the first game of his sophomore season at Daniel, and he needed less than three minutes into his first varsity game to nab his first career interception, which he promptly returned 72 yards for his first career touchdown. Hopkins would record two more interceptions before the night was over, helping the Lions shock Upstate powerhouse Greer. “No one expected that: three interceptions against the No. 2 team in the state,” Hopkins said. “After that, I knew that football was the goal that I wanted to go after.”

opkins went on to snatch a state-record 14 interceptions as a sophomore, and by the time his career at Daniel was done, he had established himself among the great defensive backs in South Carolina prep history by picking off 28 passes, five of which he returned for touchdowns, as a two-time AP AllState selection. Somewhere along the way, Hopkins’ high school coaches decided it would be a good idea to start putting those skills to good use on the other side of the ball as well. “It was kind of like, ‘If this guy can go up and make plays against wide receivers, then why not put him out there at that position?’” he said.

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Hopkins’ transition from defensive back to receiver continued through his signing with Clemson for its 2010 class, but most figured he would need time to develop into a contributor. Instead, Hopkins made the kind of instant impact he’d shown he was capable of as a sophomore at Daniel, earning a starting job by the fifth game of his freshman season and promptly earning ACC Rookie of the Week honors by grabbing seven passes for 46 yards against North Carolina. He quickly became a favorite target of then-quarterback Kyle Parker. “It was quite obvious to a lot of people, especially me, on Saturday that Nuk was going to make plays,” Parker said after the UNC game.

y the end of his freshman season, Hopkins was the Tigers’ de facto go-to guy, as he led the team with 52 receptions for 637 yards and four touchdowns. Hopkins also suited up for the Clemson basketball team after the bowl game that season, helping the squad alleviate the burden of a sheer lack of bodies as it worked through a transitional phase under new Head Coach Brad Brownell. But as much as Hopkins enjoyed the experience of getting to play the sport he grew up loving on the collegiate level, it also convinced him it was time to put his days as a two-sport athlete behind him. “I believe this is going to be my bread-maker right here, football and this football field,” Hopkins said during the spring of 2011. “With the whole football season and actually being out there on that field, you just fall in love with it. You don’t want to do anything else.” And during spring practice that season, the arrival of another new coach, Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris, had Hopkins chomping at the bit to get back to work. “I’m not trying to sound overconfident,” he said at the time. “But, this is a great offense, especially for the type of receiver I am — one-onones, jump balls and stuff like that — this offense puts you in that position to make plays.” And Hopkins made plenty of them as a sophomore, finishing with 72 receptions (the fourth-most in school history) for 978 yards (sixth-most) and five touchdowns. But going into his junior year, Hopkins knew he was still leaving plays on the table. So he went to work on improving his strength with Clemson coaches Joey Batson and Larry Greenlee, his uncle.

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Orange: The Experience

Hopkins also benefitted from the first true offseason of his football career. “This is the first time in my life that I’ve ever been a one-sport athlete,” he said. “Coach Swinney and I were joking around about me playing baseball, but I was just messing with him.”

t’s been pretty clear from the get-go this season that getting serious about being a football player is paying dividends for Hopkins. He established a school single-game record for receptions with 13 against Auburn in the season opener. The next week, Hopkins tied the Clemson record for touchdowns in a game with three — which he scored just over eight minutes apart — against Ball State. And three weeks after that, he set a school record for receiving yards in a game with 197 at Boston College, which he promptly followed with 173 yards, the fifth-most in

so many playmakers out there that you have to pick your poison sometimes.” Junior quarterback Tajh Boyd, however, has no problem heaping the praise Hopkins deserves upon him. “I just trust him in any situation,” Boyd said. “It doesn’t matter who is covering him, it could be a guy in the (NFL). He is one of those players that can adjust to any situation, can catch any type of ball, all you have to do is put it around him and he is going to catch it. It is just awesome playing with him.”

hrough seven games of the Tigers’ season, Hopkins had 52 receptions for 845 yards and nine touchdowns, on pace to set Clemson season records in all three areas. And after Hopkins hauled in touchdowns of 58 and 35 yards Oct. 6 against perennial nemesis Georgia Tech to help his team rally from a 21-20 second-quarter deficit for a 47-31 win, the statistics clearly showed he was well on his way to one of the best seasons in school history from a production standpoint. But according to Morris, who was asked about Hopkins’ stellar play outside the locker room after the game, the strides his junior receiver have made go far beyond catching passes. Above: Hopkins hauled in a 60-yard “Nuk, he just brings it touchdown reception on Clemson’s every day,” Morris said. opening drive at Florida State. “He’s gotten so much better, and he’s been able to At left: Hopkins out-wrestled a defensive play without the football. I back for one of his two touchdowns in know he can catch the ball, the win over Georgia Tech. and we’re going to throw it Photos by Rex Brown to him. You can’t help not to throw it to him. But, Clemson history, against Georgia Tech. what are you going to do without the ball? “Coming into this offseason I knew I need- That’s what I’m more concerned with in watched to work on little things, like being able to ing him. I’m going to high-five him when he’s beat defenders downfield, if I wanted to take catching those passes, but I’m going to hug his my game to the next level,” he said. “And I feel neck when he’s out there blocking.” like I’ve done that, thanks to the coaches that Hopkins believes every athlete should have helped me work on my strength and my speed.” a personal notebook for goals on and off the But Hopkins, who has never been one to field, like the one he still keeps. Given the sucenjoy basking in the spotlight, preferring to cess that he’s had with it, Clemson coaches spread the credit around to his teammates and might do well to make it a requirement. But, coaches, is quick to deflect the praise for his ac- for his part, Hopkins said he’s only just begun complishments. ticking off the goals he has listed in his note“I believe it’s the play-calling, and Coach book. Morris and the guys in the box being able to see “There’s a lot of things left on the list, man,” the holes in the defense,” he said. “We’ve got he laughed. “A lot of things.”

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Bridging the Gap Ceremony for ‘Father of Clemson Soccer’ Recalls Glory Days as Program Builds for the Future

by Steven Bradley

ith a packed house and electric atmosphere at Historic Riggs Field and the Tigers holding their own on the pitch against one of the nation’s top-ranked teams, it was not difficult to imagine what the glory days of the Clemson men’s soccer program under Dr. I.M. Ibrahim must have been like. The Tigers played to a 1-1 draw with No. 14 Wake Forest after two overtimes as the culmination of the university’s annual First Friday festivities on Sept. 7, as a parade through downtown Clemson delivered a raucous audience to Riggs that reminded even Ibrahim’s former players of the crowds they used to draw under the coach who came to be known as the “Father of Clemson Soccer.” “We did; we were really blessed,” said David Torris, a junior defender on Ibrahim’s 1984 national title team. “By my junior year, if we had a Sunday afternoon playing Duke, we were getting 2,000 or 3,000 people to come to the match.” More than twice that many, 6,188 officially, were on hand for the early-September tilt against the Demon Deacons. And it was only fitting that the occasion was used to pay tribute to Ibrahim, as Torris stood opposite another of his former standouts, Pearse Tormey, atop the grandstand prior to the match, holding either side of a canvas banner that they lowered to unveil “Dr. I.M. Ibrahim Stadium” on the facade. The naming ceremony for the late Dr. Ibrahim, who passed away in 2008, honored the coach who led the program to 11 Atlantic Coast Conference titles during his tenure from 1967-94. The significance of Torris’ and Tormey’s presences, of course, was not lost on those who have followed the storied history of the program, as each was part of one of Dr. Ibrahim’s two National Championship teams, in 1984 and 1987, reIbrahim coached the Tiger spectively, and both felt the ceremony was a fitmen’s soccer program to ting legacy to the only coach in school history National Championships in to win two national titles in any sport. 1984 and 1987. “At the end of the day, his record speaks for Photo courtesy of itself, doesn’t it?” said Tormey, who was a forClemson Sports Information

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Orange: The Experience

ward on the 1987 team and one of only two players in Clemson history, along with Bruce Murray, to record 40 goals and 40 assists in his career. “He was that type of coach that sometimes challenged you, sometimes got on you, wasn’t your friend very often,” Tormey said. “Personally, I had a better relationship with him when I finished playing soccer, which is a bigger part of the picture that people don’t see a lot of times. Hey, we’re young kids when we come in here at 17, 18, 19 (years old). We think we know everything. And his job as a coach was to get the best out of us out there on the soccer field — and that’s what he did. Once you matured and became what we call adults, then you saw who he actually was. He was a gentleman.” For the ceremony, Ibrahim’s widow, Julie, son Lee and his wife, Amanda, along with Julie’s son, Ryan Jones, were joined by Clemson President Jim Barker and Athletic Director TerThe family of Dr. I.M. Ibrahim was on hand alongside Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips and former IPTAY President Jim Bostic (second and third from left, respectively) for the unveiling of the stadium name at Historic Riggs Field in September. Photos by Rex Brown november 2012

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ry Don Phillips, former IPTAY President Dr. Jim Bostic, current Tiger Head Coach Mike Noonan and the entire current Clemson squad on the field as the banner was dropped and Ibrahim’s name unveiled. “This was a wonderful opportunity to honor his memory and his accomplishments, what occurred here,” Phillips said. “Coach Ibrahim put Clemson soccer on the map and created a great legacy. To have the opportunity to name the stadium here after him is something that we needed to do.” The significance of the ceremony certainly wasn’t lost on the current Tigers, a point that Noonan made absolutely certain to drive home prior to the match. “I told the guys in the locker room that they were going to be part of history,” he said, “that they were going to be able to look back 30, 40, 50 years from now and know they played in the game when the stadium was named probably for the greatest coach in Clemson history. I know the football program might have questions about that, but you think about the accomplishments that the man had — and there’s no doubt that there’s a reason why that name is on the stadium.” “History is about honoring history, and adding to that history is what we’re here to do,” he added. “I told Mrs. Ibrahim two years ago when we arrived that I was here to honor Coach Ibrahim’s legacy by adding to his history. And our team is very focused on trying to do that.” The two National Championships were among the many accomplishments that led to the naming ceremony for Ibrahim, who led 17 teams into the NCAA Tournament and six to the Final Four. Of his 11 ACC championships, eight were consecutive, and during that stretch from 1972-79, the team went undefeated in league play with a record of 38-0-2. When Ibrahim retired after the 1994 season, he was the third-winningest coach in NCAA history and a five-time ACC Coach of the Year. Clemson is hoping Ibrahim’s naming ceremony can bridge the gap between the glory days of the soccer program and its future. And there is little doubt that the evening served as a reminder of just how rich a tradition Ibrahim established. “It certainly does, but unfortunately people have short memories. And hey, that’s 25 years ago,” Tormey said. “So, the kids that are putting on the jerseys now, I’m not sure how we tie that bridge to them where they realize, ‘Hey, you’re representing Clemson.’ And I hate to say there’s pressure on them, but there is tradition.” Not only does seeing Ibrahim’s name on the stadium every time the team takes the pitch

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Orange: The Experience

remind the players what is possible, but the crowd that came out for the match against Wake Forest also served as a reminder of the potential support that still exists. “It was a great atmosphere,” Torris said. “One gentleman who was up top in the stands with me graduated in ’52, and he wanted to be there just because it was a great way to spend a Friday evening supporting one of the sports programs at Clemson. And he informed me that we were about due for another national championship in soccer. I really got a kick out of that.”

Ibrahim hoisted the school’s second National Championship Trophy after Clemson defeated San Diego State in the 1987 final. Photo courtesy of Clemson Sports Information

The lofty aspirations are certainly something Clemson is working toward. In addition to being one of Ibrahim’s former players, Torris is also the co-chair of the soccer campaign that is part of Clemson’s $60 million effort to enhance the facilities at Memorial Stadium, the Hoke Sloan Tennis Complex, Historic Riggs Field, Doug Kingsmore Stadium and Littlejohn Coliseum. “We’re just trying to help Eddie Radwanski and the women’s program and Mike Noonan and the men’s program get all the tools they need to be as successful as possible,” Torris said. The campaign starts with restoring Riggs Field back to one of the nation’s premier soccer facilities, as it was in 1987, when Ibrahim won his second national title and Clemson un-

veiled a 6,500-seat grandstand and revitalized the Bermuda grass field. But the facility had not seen a significant soccer-related upgrade in more than 20 years — until this year. A new video board is already in use this season, and the Highway 93 project, which will upgrade both the soccer and tennis facilities and provide a fitting entrance into the school’s athletic district by connecting both sides of the campus from Historic Riggs Field all the way to the new indoor practice facility for football, is set to begin. “The video board is a great enhancement by itself,” Phillips said. “But we’re going to start on the Highway 93 project as soon as football season is over. That’s going to transform that whole side over there, and it’s going to be first class. It’s going to be a very significant enhancement to soccer, and it also will help tennis, as well.” The north side project is only half of what Clemson has planned at Riggs, as the south side project will include two new locker rooms — giving both the men’s and women’s teams permanent locker rooms, meaning they won’t have to move out to accommodate one another’s visiting opponents — as well as a new entrance on the south side, complete with a new ticket booth, concession area and wall of honor, which will celebrate the program’s AllAmericans and national championship teams. “Once we are able to get the north side completed and raise the necessary funds for the south side, we’ll go ahead and get the entryway and the locker rooms taken care of,” said Ford Williams, Assistant Director of IPTAY’s Major Gifts Division. “We already have one key piece, which is the new scoreboard that just went up this summer. The progress has been exciting. However, there is always a need to continue the momentum in a campaign. We continue to seek support from those who want to see the betterment of Clemson University and its studentathletes.” According to Torris, the support the Tigers received that night in September as the school honored Ibrahim is indicative of what is still possible for Clemson soccer, as well as a fitting way to honor Ibrahim’s legacy by bridging the gap between the glory days of the program and the future. “It was awesome. I was very flattered that they asked me to participate,” Torris said. “Pearse and I were kidding each other because I played four years and he played in the four years subsequent to mine. We both commented about what a special night that was for Clemson soccer. It was very well-deserved for the Ibrahim family.”

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Orange: The Experience

Joining the Clemson Family Baseball Welcomes a Large, Decorated Class to Campus

by Davis Simpson | photos by Rex Brown

he 2013 Clemson baseball season doesn’t start until February 15 when the Tigers will take on William & Mary at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. However, Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett and the Tiger coaching staff set the foundation for 2013 long before with the Tigers’ signing class. The Tigers’ signing class features a large group with 19 players, including three who were drafted in the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Kevin Bradley

The class also features eight players from South Carolina, five from Georgia, three from North Carolina and one player each from Florida, New Jersey and Virginia. Collegiate Baseball ranked the Tiger recruiting class fifth-best in the nation, highest among teams in the ACC. One of the men responsible for bringing in the class is Clemson recruiting coordinator and hitting coach Bradley LeCroy. “We are very excited about this class,” LeCroy said. “It brings a lot of athleticism, but the big thing is it’s a deep class with 19 guys. We have a couple of transfers and junior college kids that already have some experience under their belt, and then some very talented high school guys as well. “We brought in some very talented kids that will give us intra-team competition, which makes everybody better. It pushes everybody on the team, and that was the main thing that we were looking for.” The class features a great deal of local talent, with 16 of the 19 players coming from South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina. With all of the success that the college baseball programs in the state of South Carolina have had, though, recruiting in the state isn’t easy. “It makes it tough, even competing with Coastal Carolina and College of Charleston, the mid-majors,” LeCroy said. “We have great respect for what they have done as programs. The kids in this

state understand that if they go to one of those schools they are going to have a chance to play in the postseason and go to Omaha, so those aspirations are a factor with in-state recruiting. “Obviously, a lot of times it comes down between us and South Carolina, and we try to target the kids that we feel are a good fit here. As a staff, we have done a good job over the last couple of years of locking down some of the best players in the state.” One big advantage for the Tigers in recruiting has been their success in signing players from the state of Georgia. “It’s probably one of the top two or three states in

Steven Duggar

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the country for high school talent,” LeCroy said. “We are very fortunate that the Atlantametro area is only two hours away from us. There are a lot of Clemson alumni that live in that area, so Clemson is a big name there. For kids in the Atlanta area and the entire state of Georgia, it’s cool to go to Clemson and play baseball because our program is so well known down there. “ In the signing class, Clemson inked nine players whose primary position will be pitcher. Matthew Crownover is a left-hander from Ringgold, GA and was ranked as the No. 5 player in Georgia by Perfect Game. Clate Schmidt is a righty from Acworth, GA and was drafted in the 36th round of the MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, but instead chose to join the Clemson family. “I was born in Beaufort, so I am originally from South Carolina,” Schimdt said. “I visited a lot of other schools, but there was always something missing. When I got here it was like I came into a family. Coach Leggett, Coach LeCroy and Coach Pep were all very welcoming. It was just a great atmosphere that I came into that drew me in and really kept me here, and it was a great decision.” Lefty Zack Erwin and righty junior college transfer Kyle Schnell are also Georgia natives on the pitching staff. Brody Koerner is a right-handed pitcher from Concord, NC, who was rated as the No. 5 high school prospect in North Carolina by Baseball America. Jake Long is a junior righthander from Anderson, SC, who transferred to Clemson from East Tennessee State. Long played at nearby T.L Hanna High School before playing college baseball. He will sit out the 2013 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Wales Toney is a righthander from Anderson, who also played at T.L. Hanna High School, while Garrett Lovorn is a righty from nearby Pendleton, SC. D.J. Reader is a right-hander from Greensboro, NC. His name should be familiar to Tiger fans because he plays defensive tackle on the Clemson football team. Reader has played in all seven of the Tigers’ games so far this season, recording 26 tackles in 132 snaps. Clemson pitching coach Dan Pepicelli has been working with Shane Kennedy

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Orange: The Experience

these pitchers throughout fall practice. “This is a class that has good arm strength and potential with the fastball,” he said. “Like in every sport, there is a big development curve with freshmen. We are trying to work with them on location and changing speeds, because they are so accustomed to using a fastball. We have to teach them to adjust.” Offensively, the Tigers brought in five players who are primarily infielders and five who are primarily outfielders. Kevin Bradley is a switch-hitting infielder and catcher from Pennington, NJ. Bradley was drafted in the 36th round of the MLB Draft and was rated as the No. 6 player in New Jersey by Perfect Game. Jackson Campana is a right-handed hitting infielder from Charlotte, NC and Shane Kennedy is a junior infielder from Orlando, FL, who transferred to Clemson from Santa Fe College. Steven Duggar is a left-handed batting outfielder from Moore, SC, and is happy to be a part of the Clemson family. “The big thing for me was family,” Duggar said. “I grew up without a father, so it was really important to me to have the family Tyler Krieger

thing. I know a lot of people talk about the family atmosphere of Clemson, but the camaraderie and the chemistry that we have is like a big family out here. We push each other every day and that’s what really drew me to Clemson.” Duggar was rated as the No. 1 position player and No. 4 overall player in South Carolina by Perfect Game. He attended James F. Byrnes High School, the same school that sent veteran Tigers Joseph Moorefield and Daniel Gossett to Clemson. He played with both during his time at Byrnes. Also from South Carolina are Maleeke Gibson, a lefty outfielder from Sumter; Andrew Cox, a lefty outfielder and first basemen from Belton; John Mulkey, a right-handed outfielder from Greenwood; and Kyle Whitman, a left-handed infielder from Fort Mill. Tyler Krieger is a switch-hitting infielder from Johns Creek, GA. He was drafted in the 35th round of the MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners. Matt Reed, who hails from Purcellville, VA, is the only player in the class who is primarily a catcher. Coach Leggett will likely look to these freshmen to fill the voids left by the departures of departed seniors Spencer Kieboom, Phil Pohl, Richie Shaffer and Jason Stolz. With a lot of hard work, this talented group of incoming players could help lead Clemson to another NCAA Tournament appearance and a run to Omaha and the College World Series.

Clate Schmidt

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The Foundation of Clemson

Women’s Golf Ramsey, Salazar First Athletes to Sign with Clemson’s Newest Varsity Program by Kathryn McGinn | photos by Rex Brown

T Taylor Ramsey

Lauren Salazar

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he newly-formed women’s golf program will continue a strong golf tradition at Clemson, establishing its own legacy with competition in collegiate tournaments beginning during the fall of 2013. Two women signed last year and are red-shirting in 2012-13. However, they are working diligently at the on-campus facility and local golf courses to set a firm foundation for the program. Freshmen Lauren Salazar (Santa Clara, CA) and Taylor Ramsey (Milledgeville, GA) have been working with Head Coach J.T. Horton to establish a work ethic and to serve as a guiding light for future Lady Tiger golfers. Salazar won a pair of AJGA events during her high school career at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, CA. In her AJGA career, she had 12 top-10 finishes, eight top-five finishes, and won two championships. Ramsey came to Clemson from John Milledge Academy. She won the 2010 Charles Howell Junior Championship with a 213 score and also had a strong 2011 season with four top-15 finishes. Taylor Ramsey signed a letter-of-intent last fall and hails from Milledgeville, GA.

Orange: The Experience

Although the team will not play in any tournaments until next fall, Salazar and Ramsey are excited about starting the program at Clemson. “I couldn’t get this experience anywhere else,” explained Salazar. “Thirty years from now I may have kids that attend Clemson and they can look back and see what we did to get the program off to a good start and how the program has grown.” Clemson provides the perfect environment for practice. The stateof-the-art clubhouse, named after long-time Clemson golf coach Larry Penley, is located behind the team’s driving range and provides both programs with meeting rooms, a repair shop and a small putting green. The Walker Course at Clemson ranks among the top-10 rated college courses according to PGA.com, allowing Salazar and Ramsey the opportunity to play year-round within a mile of campus. The competitive nature of Salazar and Ramsey has been emerging under the tutelage of Horton. “We’ve been playing with some of the same girls since we were young, and although they are currently playing in college tournaments, we will continue to train,” said Salazar. “It will be fun to see how much we’ve improved when we compete against each other again.” The ladies will have the opportunity to compete in some major amateur tournaments this year, events that will give them some indication of their progress. Horton has the opportunity to work individually with Salazar and

Ramsey, focusing on improving every aspect of their game. “These two young ladies are carrying forward what we expect for the program in the future,” stated Horton. “They are beginning to understand the process of improving on a day-to-day basis and finding a consistent standard for practice. During this next year, we are going to work on making their weaknesses become their strengths.” A year of preparation will give Salazar and Ramsey every opportunity to perfect their game and be ready for competition against the best in the ACC and nationally next fall. “There are only two of us, so we have a lot of one-on-one time with Coach Horton,” explained Ramsey. “It is really going to prepare us for playing at the college level next year.” Getting them ready for next year is the primary goal for Horton. Because Ramsey and Salazar’s training will be a year ahead of their future teammates, they will be able to lead by example and help new teammates find the rhythm required of a college athlete. Horton has a lot of confidence in the future of his program, and it starts with Salazar and Ramsey. “Lauren has a great head on her shoulders and a high golf IQ,” said Horton. “I’ve seen considerable improvement with her scoring ability, and I am looking forward to seeing how much she can improve all areas of her game. “I am really excited about the progress Taylor is making in her game,” continued Horton. “She is committed to making changes and improving her playing ability. After we are finished making small changes in her swing and technique, we expect to see a strong improvement in her confidence as well as her scoring ability on the golf course.” In this next year of training, Salazar and Ramsey will concentrate on the development of their skill-set. With the work ethic they have shown so far, it is apparent that the Clemson women’s golf program is on the way to setting a championship foundation. At top: Lauren Salazar signed with the Tiger golf program after a decorated career at Archbishop Mitty High School in California. At left: Ramsey shares a laugh with Clemson Women’s Golf Head Coach J.T. Horton. november 2012

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A New Opportunity for IPTAY Members

the future by SecureSecure the Future byintroducing Introducing new Tigers to IPTAY this November New Tigers to IPTAY this November

From the very beginning at Clemson University, one word has empowered our athletic success: loyalty . . . loyalty from our students, alumni, and friends. While other schools may rom the very beginning at Clemson port, hospitality, and keeping of our great want to help them carry the load by extending talk big about commitment, Clemson fans have personified it in their financial support, University, one word has empow- game day traditions. This firm foundation is a trial membership to all Clemson Tigers fans. hospitality, andloyalty keeping ourreason greatIPTAY gameexists. day traditions. This firm foundation is the ered our athletic success: . . ofthe On November 17,reason in the tradition of “I Pay IPTAY . loyalty from ourexists. students, alumni, Over its nearly eight-decade history, IP- Ten . . .,” we’re inviting all fans to be honorary and friends. While other schools TAY, which has been recognized as the father members for the rest of the football season for its nearly Clemson eight-decade history,fundraising IPTAY, which has been recognized theOur father may talk big aboutOver commitment, of athletic and the first athletic or- justas $10. goalofis to recruit new members athletic fundraising and the first athletic organization to top a multimillion dollar annual fund, fans have personified it in their financial sup- ganization to top a multimillion dollar annual so first they’ll understand what IPTAY stands fund, has been a major power in fundraising for, and then they’ll see how vital their suphas been a major power in fundraising since 1934 when IPTAY stood for “I Pay Ten A Year.” since 1934 when IPTAY stood for “I Pay Ten port is for the future of Clemson Athletics. Thetokey to IPTAY’s success today is, as a former executive secretary said, “People with pride A Year.” We are excited extend The key to IPTAY’s success today is, as a What do people love about being IPTAY who wantto the best for their university.” the IPTAY invitation former executive secretary said, “People with members? every Tigers fan! pride who wantantheinvitation best for their university.” Furbee: It’s as simple as this: We love our Today, IPTAY is pleased to announce never before extended in the history Help us recruit more Tigers to Today, IPTAY is pleased to announce an inschool, and we’re proud of our organization. Travis Furbee, director of the IPTAY Annual Fund, explains this new of our student-athbecome honorary IPTAY members vitation never before extended in the history letes. There aren’t many fans in the country for $10, providinginitiative them withthat invites every member to play their part. of our organization. Travis Furbee, director of that are more passionate about their team limited membership benefits for the IPTAY Annual Fund, explains this new than we are. When our team is playing well, the remainder of the 2012–13 football season. initiative that invites every member to play the noise coming out of Death Valley is as their part. loud as it gets in college football! When you do, you will: Our members are loyal to IPTAY because 4 Support the school by What is this new initiative that we’ve we deliver in-depth insider information for increasing the number of heard about for IPTAY members? every athletic program and share stories of supporters Travis Furbee, Assistant Athletic Di- student-athletes and coaches in different 4 Support the current IPTAY rector/Director of iptay Annual Fund: sports. members by sharing the CUATH4258-MagArticle.indd 1-2 We are so grateful for our IPTAY members— Our members also know what it takes to responsibility for scholarships over 14,000 donors. They do their part to be a solid, self-sustaining athletic club that 4 Support student-athletes by help IPTAY be the best we can be. Now we provides for a program that reaches a wide strengthening the scholarship

program

IPTAYDayChallenge.com

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Orange: The Experience

their college education, most of As was done in 2008, the modification of the IPTAY Seat Equity Plan Will the IPTAY Seat Equity Plan be required beyond 2013? will allow Life Donors to purchase the number of seats outlined in ng despite major whom could never their respective Life Donor agreements as it pertains to the specific Yes. The IPTAY Seat Equity Plan works in conjunction with your audience.IPTAY Wegiving have a huge dents are excited diploma. level. These seats in theresponsibility Life Donor agreement willto annualso IPTAY contributionto andget will bethat necessary for your season You hoped toseat values om $30. not be affected; however, seats purchased above and beyond the Life ticket renewal each year. Also,have the donation levels and be self-supportive and pay for our programs’ can see the excitement on their faces! That’s a Donor agreed upon number (included in the agreement) will be associated with each specific section may be revised to address ed parking spot graduate from Athletic college impacted by the modification of the IPTAY Seat Equity Plan, similar the future needs of IPTAY and the Clemson University operatingtocosts, which continually need to be dreamDepartment. no oneThecan ever away fromwillyou. the 2008 IPTAY Seat Equity Plan. IPTAY Boardtake and Athletic Department review otherwise. 40%. the IPTAY Seat Equity Plan each year. maintained for a competitive edge. We’re here This is the true success story of IPTAY— Faculty/Staff . How will I be notified of the specific IPTAY Seat Equity canfor rightfully a bigtickets? hand to support student-athletes—as well asto maintain keep IPTAY thousands ofrenewal athletes receiving theirincollege ion among the A faculty/staff member will have the same opportunity Plan the of myclaim football season to implement a current seats as an IPTAY Donor. Continuing from the 2008 IPTAY towillproduce Tigers program. ahead of Seat theEquity curve of other and helping education, most ofwinning whom could never Plan, a current Clemson conferences faculty/staff member who You receive a statement in September 2012 thatteams, will indicatehave purchases tickets will receive $140 credit toward an IPTAY membership your required IPTAY donation based on the 2013 IPTAY Seat conference andIn order bowl champions, individual which be applied to theand modification of the IPTAY Seat Equity Plan. tofrom maintain your current seat location, 50% schools. As a may university athletic program, hopedEquity to graduate college otherwise. Plan. If the faculty/staff member already maintains an IPTAY Donor of this donation needs to be completed by February 15, 2013 to kets, Clemsonwe are striving performances, and nationwide level, $140 will credited/added to his/her IPTAY level. ensure can your preferred season-ticketclaim renewal. prestige. Each year, in tobe be the best wecurrent can—with IPTAY rightfully a subsequent big hand all attendance IPTAY will send renewal solicitations in early fall with a deadline of annual givingIPTAY members’ What is the IPTAY Seat Equity Plan designed to accomplish? February the following for 50% of totalor IPTAY contribution. And there isofhardly a year profession business help. helping to produce winning Tiger teams, ave at or above ng in Memorial The modification of the IPTAY Seat Equity Plan is a common system in Do IIPTAY have to participate in the champions, annual IPTAY Seat which graduates have not made conference and bowl individuutilized in intercollegiate athletics to enhance the annual support Equity Plan to keep my season-ticket location? provided tolove student-athletes. Whenour the initial IPTAY Seat Equity Plan al performances, and nationwide prestige. What do you about IPTAY hletes at was announced and implemented in 2008, one component of the plan Yes. The IPTAY Seat Equity Plan is a requirement for renewal of they needed to permitted a marketplace review of the values of each section of seating And there season tickets in these identified priority locations. or business members? is hardly a profession acilities costs. in Memorial Stadium following the fifth year of the implementation. How will this affect my parking assignment? knows that IPTAY Furbee: What I love is that our mem- “Everyone in which IPTAY graduates have not made per seat Does this plan mean that everyone in your section rial Stadium pays the same amount of money? Parking is reassigned on an annual basis using each donor’s annual their mark inmakesome is entering bers love our school and giving level and priority point total. As donors a decision form to supports athletics. Most people ents have been A misconception when we use the term “equity” is that each IPTAY increase their giving to retain seats or to request seat improvements, I’veIPTAY Donor is paying the same orbe affected. another. Doctors, engictors and the our student-athletes. Donor sitting next to another parking assignments will a $50 per seat amount as the other. This is true in some cases, but there are many don’t realize IPTAY the largest over and over neers,islawyers, merchants, djusting the been toldfactors that contribute to this not being exact. Obviously, the quantity how hospitable our fans researchers, farmers, corscholarship organization at are—both at home and poration presidents, sciClemson. Nor do they realize away. They welcome visitentists, builders, teachers, that IPTAY assists athletic ing fans, they show great military leaders—IPTAY sportsmanship, and they graduates have scholarships, but they also touched the give a great representalives of millions of people. grant academic scholarships tion of IPTAY traditions. This is why weto need the deserving non-student athletes. help of every IPTAY memSpeaking of, what’s your favorite IPTAY Not ber on November 17. Please invite others to only do championships begin tradition? stand with us and be counted. In the weeks scholarships, butwe our Furbee: I love the gameday atmosphere. with leading up to IPTAY Day, willstate’s award prizNo other school has honored such unique tra- future es each does week to ascurrent well.”members who recruit ditions—like watching the team rub the Rock fans into the trial membership. Just point —Steve Czarsty (’99) and run down The Hill. Another thing I love them to IPTAYDayChallenge.com. IPTAY Member for 18 years is attending graduation. Our Clemson stuIn order to grow taller, we must strengthen

ue to strengthen opportunities

the marketplace and comparing many factors, we felt it was critical to make the appropriate modifications for the 2013 football season.

Life Donors/Endowment

2. The payment each or reimbursement the current operating expenses of award prizes weekofto members IPTAY. who fansandinto the trial membership. 3. recruit The establishment maintenance of an adequate scholarship reserve fund deemed appropriate by the IPTAY Board ofthem Directors.to IPTAYDayChallenge.com. Justroots. point our We welcome with open arms every 4.

Any expenditure other than those established under the

previous three priorities shall be limited to who either direct or alumni, every fan,taller, everyone grew up as In order toaidgrow weof must strengthen indirect to the athletic program Clemson University and must be approved by the IPTAY Board a Clemson fan or grew up ofinDirectors. the area. Please our roots. We welcome with open arms every join us in welcoming everyone to join IPTAY alumni, every fan, everyone who grew up as for $10 this November 17 and hopefully for a a Clemson fan or grewinupfuture in thegenerations area. Pleaseof lifetime of investment join us instudent-athletes. welcoming everyone to join IPTAY Clemson forVisit $10 this November 17 and hopefully a IPTAYDayChallenge.com to for find lifetime of investment generations more information on in thisfuture exciting new opof Clemson portunity forstudent-athletes. IPTAY members.

Recruit honorary IPTAY members and qualify for these prizes: 4 Football helmet signed by Coach Swinney 4 2 bowl game tickets 7/25/12 2:56 PM 4 2 pregame passes to South Carolina 4 $100 gift card for the online store

Honorary IPTAYs receive these benefits: 4 10% off code for the official Clemson Online Store 4 An issue of Orange . . . The Experience 4 3 issues of MyOrangeUpdate

IPTAYDayChallenge.com CUATH4258-MagArticle.indd 3

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NCAA Compliance

UNDERSTANDING THE RULES FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES Clemson University is receiving national attention on how well the teams are performing both on and off the field. This national attention oftentimes brings out the negative side of intercollegiate sports, secondary and major violations. Please help compliance services by “asking before you act”. Compliance Services is committed to maintaining institutional control by assisting coaches and staff, students, IPTAY members, and fans understand and abide by the rules and regulations of the NCAA, ACC and Clemson University. It is impermissible for a representative of athletics interest to directly or indirectly, makes arrangements for giving or offering to give any benefits to a prospective student-athlete or the prospective studentathletes relatives or friends and current studentathletes or the current student-athlete’s relatives or friends. The following list expressly prohibits these types of benefits and arrangements (not all inclusive): • Ticket(s) for any kind of entertainment including Clemson athletic events; • Free or reduced merchandise from a merchant (unless it is available to the general public); • Free or reduced meals at a restaurant; • An employment arrangement for a prospective student-athlete’s relatives; • Gift of clothing or equipment; • Any use of a car or other transportation; • Arrange financial assistance for a prospect, their family or friends;

• Money, gift cards, loan(s), a guarantee of bond or signing/ co-signing of a note to arrange a loan; • Any tangible items; • Free or reduced-cost services, rentals or purchases of any type; • Free or reduced-cost housing; • Use of an athletic equipment (e.g. for a high school all-star game); • Sponsorship of or arrangement for an awards banquet for high school, preparatory school or two-year-college athletes by an institution, representative of its athletics interests or its alumni groups or booster clubs; and • Expenses for academic services (e.g., tutoring, test preparation) to assist in the completion of initialeligibility or transfer-eligibility requirements or improvement of the prospective student-athlete’s academic profile in conjunction with a waiver request. Clemson University is held responsible for any actions taken by a representative of athletics interest relating to prospects or current student-athletes. The penalties for breaking these rules, whether by accident or intentional, is severe. Any violation may jeopardize a studentathlete’s opportunity to attend and/or compete for Clemson University, no matter how minor it may seem. In addition, Clemson University will be exposed to NCAA sanctions including vacating championships and the representative of athletics interest could be disassociated from our program. Your compliance with NCAA rules and regulations is a central part of Clemson University maintaining institutional control.

Go Tigers!

ASK BEFORE YOU ACT!

Please contact Compliance Services at (864) 656-1580 or email at compliance-L@clemson.edu if you have any questions on NCAA rules. Thanks for your continued cooperation to ensure compliance with ACC and NCAA rules.

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Orange: The Experience

An Inside Look at Clemson’s

Military Appreciation Day

by Mike Money, Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Game Management photo by Rex Brown

’m not one to blog and this is the first blog of my life, but as the Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Game Management for my Alma Mater, Clemson University, I am privileged to have access and be around some really cool behind the scenes happenings. The most amazing one of my professional career occurred Saturday, Oct. 20 as Clemson played Virginia Tech, a game which is designated as Military Appreciation Day. This year I took over the reigns of “running” the football games from John Seketa. It’s been an amazing learning experience that I have enjoyed and stressed over. One request that I had was for John to stay on board with running Military Appreciation Day, as he does it better than anyone in the country ... hands down! And it was truly eye opening to see everything that John does for the military. I have huge shoes to fill as I take the lead on this great tradition next year. So, I was plugging along working with John getting scripts ready for the game when I received an email from Don Munson in the football office. The email he forwarded to me was from the Pentagon and referenced an interesting story as it pertained to Daniel Rodriguez, a current Clemson football player and Purple Heart recipient. I was intrigued and after sharing with some folks in the office, I set up a conference call with the Pentagon...not something that you do every day! The gentleman I spoke with (Dave) said he came across a really neat story and wanted to pass it along. He said that he located one of the Air Force pilots who was first on scene to provide support to Daniel’s unit who was taking on heavy fire from the Taliban. He wanted to know if we would have any interest in the pilot (Capt. Michael Polidor) coming to the game. I couldn’t say yes fast enough. I told Dave that we would gladly introduce Capt. Polidor during the game, but since there is a football game going on that we wouldn’t be able to have Daniel be part of the introduction, but we would

arrange a post-game meeting. Let me stop there for a second. If you don’t know Daniel Rodriguez’s story...it’s truly an amazing and inspirational story and you need to read it. Google Daniel Rodriguez and pick your choice of hundreds of articles and videos. Back to the conversation with Dave at the Pentagon. He put me in touch with Capt. Polidor, who asked if was okay if another pilot from that day, Capt. Justin Kulish, came along with him. They arranged for a flight, and I sent them a couple tickets in the IPTAY Suite and a parking pass. I added into our script to introduce both of them at the end of the third quarter and made arrangements through Don Munson to set up a post-game meeting with Daniel in Coach Swinney’s office. Both Polidor and Kulish seemed very excited about coming to Clemson and meeting Daniel. Fast forward to game day. Military Appreciation Day had gone just awesome all day long. Seketa had just hit a home run honoring the military as he always does. When we got to the time to introduce the pilots, I had a feeling that the crowd would enjoy what was about to happen, but it couldn’t have been better if it had been scripted by Hollywood for a movie. We brought the two pilots out on the field and the crowd immediately gave them a standing ovation. But like I mentioned before, the one thing we couldn’t do was involve Daniel in the

recognition. At least that is what I thought. Completely unscripted, Daniel sprinted from the sideline to the West Endzone and gave both Capt. Polidor and Capt. Kulish a big hug. From Tiger fans to Hokie fans, for that short period of time, football didn’t matter and everyone appreciated what they were seeing and how special that moment really was. But it didn’t end there. As I mentioned, we had arranged for Daniel and the pilots to meet after the game. I had the privilege, along with Brad and Austin from my staff, to escort these guys to Coach Swinney’s office and be in the room as they met Daniel (field hug not included) for the first time. They spoke for 30-45 minutes and while I’ll leave their conversation between them, it was absolutely incredible to hear them share their experiences, and I think very few of us can even comprehend what they have done for our country. I sat there and thought about the little things that I stress over and how that doesn’t even remotely compare to what these guys have gone through. As we left the WestZone and said our goodbyes, it was impossible not to reflect on how amazing this meeting was. These pilots (heroes) ultimately saved Daniel’s life, and they had the opportunity to meet each other. This isn’t something that normally happens, and listening to them swap stories is something I will never forget. These guys were so honored by the reaction they received and couldn’t stop talking about how great of a place that Clemson is and how amazing the people are. They even said they would love to fly a B-2 Bomber over Death Valley for Military Appreciation Day next year. I’m going to figure out a way to make that happen. I know I still have a lot to learn in this business...but I do know that nobody does Military Appreciation better than Clemson, and I was lucky to be a first hand witness to the amazing day that was Oct. 20. Go Tigers, and more importantly, Go USA! november 2012

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Clemsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympic Connection Marlena Wesh and Warren Fraser competed in the Games of the XXX Olympiad in London, England this past August. Wesh represented Haiti and was a semifinalist in the 400 meters, while Fraser represented The Bahamas in the 100 meters. Both are rising seniors for the Clemson track & field program. Photo by Rex Brown

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Orange: The Experience

IPTAY Ms. Marion Repokis passed away July 30. She was an IPTAY member for 57 years.

Mr. William Atkinson passed away September 21. He was an IPTAY member for 54 years.

Mr. Robin Berry passed away August 8. He was an IPTAY member for 27 years.

Mr. George Knight, Sr. passed away September 22. He was an IPTAY member for 24 years.

Mrs. Jane Adair passed away September 11. She was an IPTAY member for 16 years.

Mr. Floyd Long passed away September 23. He was an IPTAY member for 45 years.

Mr. Michael Parham passed away September 13. He was an IPTAY member for 20 years.

Mr. John McLeod, Jr. passed away October 3. He was an IPTAY member for 28 years.

Dr. Judson Hair passed away September 16. He was an IPTAY member for 57 years.

Mrs. Sue Carol Hance passed away October 23. She was an IPTAY member for 37 years.

Mr. Robert Floyd passed away September 19. He was an IPTAY member for 12 years.

november 2012

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IPTAY R DONotOos ph

Tom (’65) and Karen Chapman of Atlanta, Ga at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

bed to the top of Charity Cirillo (‘09) clim National Park. ite em Half Dome in Yos

Noah Banks Poe was born Sept. 3, 2012. Parents are Jade (Hamilton) Poe, Graphic Communications (‘04) and David Poe, Marketing (‘94).

Amber Neeley (’11) and Michael Neeley (’12) wed on September 22nd at The Reserve. Photo Credit: Chris Isham (’09).

were born on Declan & Isabel Saffer L. Saffer (‘03) April 30, 2012 to Bryan fer (‘04). and Courtney Drew Saf

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Wayne Blair’s kitten Boo nie rubbing the Rock before the Clems on vs. FSU game.

Mason Tucker Vaughn born July 3, 2012. Parents are Ross (‘04) and Cammie (‘06) Vaughn of Greenville, SC.

Susan and Steve Best (IPT AY Rep) while in Tanzania in June 2012. Backgroun d is the Ngorongoro Crater. nings C. King, Jen , Cub er Tig ing tain Sus ers running loves cheering for his Tig s, Jeremy ent par ud Pro . down The Hill Clanton ha Let and C. King (’00 &”03) King (’03) of Union, SC.

Orange: The Experience

Margaret and Rebecca Beesley, daughters of CU grads, Rob (‘94) and Merri Beth Grant Beesley (‘01). They are accompanied by fath er Rob, Don Hughes and grandfath er Haskell Grant (‘71). Mom, Merri Beth, is taking photo.

. 31, 2011, Anjali Patel born on Oct CE 1998, (BS el Pat na daughter of Ree el. MSIE 2001) and Ravi Pat

Avery and Charley Timms, daughters of alumni Charles and Brooke Timms before the 2012 CU vs. Auburn kickoff game.

Tyler Anthony Cuneo wa s born on Aug. 9, 2012 to parent s Jennifer Cuneo (Hilliga s ‘03) and Peter Cuneo (‘04). Derek Smith in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

John (‘57) and Doris Hefner at the Columbia Icefield, Athabasca Glacier, Vasper National Park, Alberta, Canada in August 2012.

Steve (‘00) and Tiffany Gritzuk would like to announce the birt h of their son, Stephen Rocco Gritzuk.

ghter of John Alice Lanier Engler, dau of Augusta, Ga ler Eng sica Jes and ) (‘01 football game at her very first Clemson h. Tec Ga vs.

Charles (‘67) and Gail Elfert at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia in June 2012.

Taylor D’Eramo was bor n Nov. 11, 2011 to Erica and Tony D’Eramo. She is the great grandd aughter of Antoinette and Vernon Ragsdale (‘43).

on-themed William Ray in his Clems ers! Tig Go . om hro bat

Dominican Republic in 2006 — L. Dean Edgar (‘82), Caroline Edg ar, Savannah Edgar, Larry Edgar, Dan a Edgar-McBride (‘93 MHRD) and Damon Edgar.

E-mail photos, information & IPTAY number to Lindsey Leonard at lsweval@clemson.edu, or mail IPTAY, Attn: Lindsey Leonard, PO Box 1529, Clemson, SC 29633

november 2012

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years later Clemson won the National Championship. The north upper deck made Death Valley an 80,000-seat stadium in 1983. Clemson then won three straight ACC titles from 1986-88. We have seen the same pattern in other sports at Clemson. Baseball, rowing, tennis, golf and many others have had facility improvement or major constructions that have led to corresponding success on the fields of competition a few years later. A major renovation was completed at Littlejohn Coliseum in 2003. Four years later,

of raising funds for this project, probably the most important basketball infrastructure project at Clemson since Littlejohn Coliseum was constructed in 1968. With ACC basketball adding Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the conference basketball footprint, the project is essential to the program’s future. As you can see by the drawing below, it will be housed across the street but connected to Littlejohn Coliseum above Lot 5. The state-of-the-art facility will include two new practice courts, new locker rooms, training rooms, conference rooms and a basketball heritage area. Similar facilities have been built throughout the ACC in recent years. The facility at Florida State, constructed adjacent to the Tucker Center, has had a big impact on the Seminoles program, which won the ACC championship for the first time in 2012. Clemson’s facility will be a big boost to the basketball programs in many ways, not the least of which is recruiting. This facility will demonstrate the athletic department’s commitment to basketball and will be an outward

Clemson won 25 games and over the four years after that, Clemson advanced to the NCAA Tournament each year, a first in school history. The program has had at least a breakeven record in the ACC five consecutive years, also a first in the program’s history. Brad Brownell’s men’s basketball team and Itoro Coleman’s women’s team are looking to significantly boost their programs’ infrastructure with the construction of a new practice facility. IPTAY’s Major Gifts team is in the process

sign to potential Tigers that you can become the best player possible at Clemson. Trevor Booker was a young player from Union High School when the new Littlejohn Coliseum was opened. C.J. Spiller was in high school when ground was broken on the WestZone at Memorial Stadium. Those projects had a positive impact on those young men coming to Clemson. Hopefully, this new basketball facility will help attract young men and women to Clemson with similar talent.

Build It and They Will Come by Tim Bourret

ver the last couple of years, we have seen the positive results a significant improvement in infrastructure can have on a program. In 2009 the Clemson football program moved into the WestZone of Memorial Stadium. It had been in the works for many years, as the design and economic plans were first developed at the beginning of the decade when Terry Don Phillips became athletic director. Two years after the football team moved into the WestZone, the Tigers won their first ACC title in 20 years. Clemson defeated four top-25 programs in the same season for the first time in history. As this article is published, the program is on the way to having consecutive top-25 seasons for the first time in over 20 years as well. Clemson athletic history tells us that team success after a major infrastructure enhancement is not a coincidence. • Five years after IPTAY was formed in 1934, Clemson went to its first bowl game in 1939, won the Southern Conference title and had its first top 20 national finish. • Six years after the construction of Memorial Stadium in 1942, Frank Howard’s Tigers had a perfect 11-0 season in 1948. There was another undefeated season in 1950. • Four years after the Jervey Athletic Center was built (1973), the Tigers went to their first bowl game in 18 years. In 1978, the Tigers were 11-1 and finished sixth in the final AP poll. • In 1978, the south side upper deck at Memorial Stadium was opened and three

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Orange: The Experience

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Orange: The Experience