Brad Brownell pleads for sold-out crowd as Clemson Basketball hosts South Carolina Tuesday
Clemson basketball has turned some heads and is gaining some national attention through ten games this season.
The Tigers received 35 votes in this week’s AP poll after moving to 9-1 with a victory over the Florida Gators on Saturday.
With his team’s recent success, head coach Brad Brownell wants to keep the momentum going against in-state rival South Carolina on Tuesday night.
Brownell wants a sold-out crowd in Littlejohn Coliseum Tuesday night.
“It should be sold out," Brownell said. "We’re playing our rival in a very important game, two teams that are playing very good basketball, very competitive. It’ll be a heck of a competitive game. I don’t know why you wouldn’t be here.”
The timing of the game is what frustrates a lot of Clemson fans with students already home for Christmas break, but there has never been a perfect time for the rivalry to take place.
The Gamecocks are coming into the game 8-2 and are looking to avenge a 62-60 loss at home last season. Coming off of his 300th career victory, Brownell is disappointed that this game against South Carolina isn’t getting the hype it deserves.
“Sometimes there are games where we’re both 8-2, 9-1, both teams playing well and it’s just not talked about as much as it should be talked about,” Brownell said. “I’m a little frustrated by it at times. We understand that we have very good football teams and those are important. Obviously, if (football teams are) still playing at this time of year, those are huge games, but I don’t know if there’s been a perfect date (to play South Carolina).
“I just think that everybody in the state of South Carolina, if they want this to be a big game, they’ve got to help make it a big game. Frank (Martin) and I are really trying hard to do our part to put good products on the floor and have good teams; we just hope that that’s recognized.”
Some fans have gone after South Carolina’s head coach Frank Martin on Twitter for the product he has produced so far ten games after a Final Four run. He fired back.
Brownell said that both him and Martin have put together solid basketball programs and he pleaded that fans needed to be excited about this game, as well as get behind their respective teams earlier.
“I just want this game to be as important as it should be, locally first then nationally,” Brownell added.
This game isn’t just another rivalry matchup. It’s another chance for Clemson or South Carolina to get a signature non-conference victory to bolster their chances of getting into the NCAA tournament.
Brownell believes that in the grand scheme of things that this game is important, but won’t matter down the stretch. History has taught him that already.
“Win or lose, it doesn’t change things,” Brownell said. “Last year we went down there and won, and it was great, it was an unbelievable win for our team, but we couldn’t hold it together all the way through the ACC season. Whether we win or lose tomorrow, the same will be true.”
The Tigers host South Carolina Tuesday night a 7:00 PM on ESPN2.
“I’m anxious to see what our turnout is,” Brownell said. “I’m certainly hoping for a very good one.”