Donte Grantham: The Sixth Man
CLEMSON -- On Wednesday afternoon, he hopped on a plane to San Diego.
Literally.
Clemson senior Donte Grantham, whose season ended with an untimely ACL tear, was able to toss his crutches to the side just in time to board the team plane headed to San Diego for Clemson’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011.
Every college basketball player dreams of the moment they get invited to the Big Dance. For Grantham, his moment was bittersweet.
Of course, he was as excited as anyone once he saw his team’s name flash on the screen in Littlejohn on the March Madness Selection Show.
“It was kinda unbelievable honestly. Just because for me, as a kid, you dream of being in the NCAA tournament,” Grantham said.
But the senior forward was averaging 14 points per game, collected seven rebounds per game, and was headed for an All-ACC type season before a non-contact ACL tear against Notre Dame ended his career as a Tiger. Clemson was picked to finish 13th in the ACC before the season, and without Grantham, the chances of making a big splash with all the pieces together became slim.
With Grantham, Clemson is “playing for big, big, big things,” head coach Brad Brownell said. Clemson’s ceiling for this season became smaller due to his inability to step on the court, but that didn’t stop Grantham from guiding his team back to the NCAA Tournament.
From the sidelines, Grantham watched his teammates step up in his absence and continue to win games in the always brutal ACC. He saw his team come together and the identity of “Clemson Grit” grow with every kick to the gut this team faced.
“I’ve seen it evolve a lot, especially. It gave a lot of guys confidence. For example: Gabe (DeVoe).
“When I went down, Gabe stepped his game up to another level. And he knew he had to step his game up to another level, so I think that is really the prime example of our team really gaining confidence in me going down and really still believe that we're a great team because we really are.”
DeVoe scored at least 24 points five different times once Grantham went down. His career year and performance once he was the senior leader on the court made him an All-ACC honorable mention.
Clemson faltered at times without him but also rose to the occasion several other times, including in a win at home over North Carolina, which makes what this team has accomplished all more special for Brownell.
When the dust settled, Clemson found itself in prime position for postseason play. The Tigers finished the regular season 22-8 and tied for third in the ACC, ten spots ahead of where they were picked to finish (a record). Clemson made it to the semifinals before it lost in a hard-fought battle to Virginia, a team who embarrassed Clemson the first time around.
Grantham could only look on in Brooklyn as his team took the floor. It was hard on him. This was his team, and he deserved to be out there to finish off what he had started.
“It was hard. I remember I gave him a hug right before the game and my heart hurt a little bit for him because I know how much he wanted to be out there,” Brownell said. “And it’ll be a little bit the same in San Diego. He'll be excited, he’ll be pumped up, but his heart’s going to hurt a little too because he’s waited for this.”
He’s not the only one.
Clemson hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2011 and hasn’t won a game in the field of 64 since 1997. 21 years.
Grantham wanted to be the player to propel his team to the next round after years of losses.
“It's gonna hurt just because like I came here I wanted to go to the NCAA tournament. I wanted to guide a team to the NCAA tournament,” Grantham said.”
“This is the first time we did in a long time, so it's gonna hurt that I'm not playing. Obviously, I love the game, but I'm just as happy for my team because what people don't realize is that I guided us to a point, but they finished it out.”
Even if Grantham is hurting, you won’t see it on his face. Brownell has said he’s the most unselfish person on the team and you’ll see Grantham’s smile and leadership try to ignite his team. His team-first, self-second attitude is part of the reason Clemson is in the position it’s in.
He’s still going to lead his guys as he normally does, he just won’t have a basketball in his hands.
“I just try to make the guys laugh or if we are in a hard situation just to calm down. Just to know I'm another player on the team it feels good for them.”
The Tigers are on upset alert as the No. 5 seed against a New Mexico State team that has been there for five consecutive years. The last time Clemson was a five seed, its season ended at the hands of Villanova in 2008.
Ten years later, how dangerous can this Clemson team be?
“Very dangerous,” Grantham said quickly.
“Even when I was playing, nobody believed that we were a good team. Only we believed because we saw how hard we were working and how we played together in Spain and how connected we are... So we've always been slept on, and we are going to continue to get slept on because nobody has really seen Clemson basketball been successful like we have been this year. So we're always gonna get slept on, and that just throws wood in the fire for us.”
You could hear the motivation and fire in those words when Grantham said them. His mindset is Clemson’s season is far from over. A win or two in the NCAA tournament could enhance the culture of Clemson’s program that Brownell has built.
These players know that.
“It's a business trip,” Grantham added.
From the sidelines, Grantham is hoping to guide his team to something that hasn’t been done in 21 years.
He wants to hop on a plane back to Clemson, crutches tossed to the side and all, with two NCAA Tournament victories under his belt.