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Saturday, June 23
Team preview: Clemson Tigers
ESPN.com
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The lowdown
2000-01 record: 12-19; 2-14 in ACC (9th)
Final Ranking: NR
Postseason: None
Three Questions for 2001-02
1. Finding a replacement for Will Solomon. Coach Larry Shyatt says he's fine with Chey Christie as a sub for Solomon. But it?s still hard to forget Solomon's experience and reliability as a near 20-plus scorer again.
2. The overall talent in the program needed an upgrade. Did it get one with this recruiting class? Clemson was at the bottom of one of the best league's in the country for a reason. If Clemson's recruits are as good as advertised then they have a shot.
3. Who is going to score? The Tigers relied too much on Solomon last season to be successful. But do they have enough options to be competitive?
Three Key Facts
1. Tony Stockman isn't shy about shooting from behind the 3-point arc. The sophomore-to-be connected on 75 of 196 3-pointers and broke the freshman record for 3s when he shot 4-9 from behind the arc in the victory over top-ranked North Carolina late last season Stockman was also the Tiger's best bet from the charity stripe, hitting 84 percent of his free throws.
2. "Stockman to Hobbs" -- as in Tony Stockman and Chris Hobbs -- should continue to be an increasingly frequent saying at Clemson, as the two freshmen accounted for 26 percent of Clemson's offense last season.
3. The Tigers will travel to Penn State to play in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Andy Katz's Scenarios
Best case: Finish in seventh in loaded ACC and earn an NIT berth.
Worst case: Back to the bottom with a finish below .500 and the alumni who care about hoops will get restless.
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Key Players Returning
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Player
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Yr.
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Pos.
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Ht./Wt.
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Comment
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Tony Stockman
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So.
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G
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6-1/165
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PTS: 12.0 | REB: 1.9 | AST: 2.5
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Chris Hobbs
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So.
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F
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6-7/250
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PTS: 7.3 | REB: 6.3 | AST: 0.5
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Edward Scott
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Jr.
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G
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6-0/180
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PTS: 7.3 | REB: 3.4 | AST: 4.2
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Ray Henderson
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Jr.
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F
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6-8/250
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PTS: 5.4 | REB: 4.8 | AST: 0.2
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Key Losses
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Player
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Pos.
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Ht./Wt.
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Comment
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Will Solomon
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G
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6-1/185
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PTS: 19.7 | REB: 2.9 | AST: 3.4
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Adam Allenspach
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C
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7-1/265
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PTS: 7.7 | REB: 5.5 | AST: 0.5
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Clemson Signings
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Player
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Pos.
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Ht.
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High School/College
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Olu Babalola
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F
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6-6
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London/St. Augustine Prep
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Chey Christie
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G
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6-4
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Biloxi (Miss.)
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Sharrod Ford
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F
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6-9
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Brandywine/Hargrave Military Academy (Md.)
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Steve Allen
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C
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6-10
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Fort Lauderdale/Dillard High (Fla.)
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