Be Ready, Stay Ready: 3 players that will step up after Donte Grantham’s injury
Clemson basketball got another big win Saturday afternoon against Notre Dame, but it didn’t come without a crushing blow.
Senior Donte Grantham drove through the lane in the middle of the second half and did a strong jump stop. His right knee buckled and he fell awkwardly to the floor.
Grantham left the game in what turned out to be the final basketball game of his career at Clemson. MRI results on Sunday morning showed that Grantham tore his ACL, something that the team hoped and prayed wouldn’t have happened.
The Tigers will now be without their second leading scorer at 14.2 points per game, a versatile player who can push the ball on the fast break after a rebound, and not to mention their leader.
Brad Brownell preaches to his players that they should be ready and stay ready at all times. After Grantham went down, they did just that and were able to continue playing under duress and make key plays down the stretch to win the game.
All of Clemson’s players will have to step up the rest of the way if the Tigers are going to make any run at an ACC championship or NCAA tournament. Clemson hasn’t been known for its bench depth this season, but here are three players that will step up after Grantham’s injury.
Aamir Simms
The player that we expect to fill Grantham’s starting spot will be Aamir Simms.
The freshman Palmyra, Virginia came in for Grantham the moment he went down on Saturday and brought a tremendous amount of energy on both sides of the ball. Simms sealed the game for the Tigers after he knocked down a three-pointer with a minute remaining to give Clemson a 6-point lead.
Simms averages nine minutes per game, but played 14 on Saturday afternoon and will be called upon to play more now. Clemson is going to need him to bring a young spark to a starting rotation that was filled with mostly veterans.
After the game on Saturday, Simms looked excited, yet cool and calm at the podium fielding questions. He’s a confident kid. Confident in his game, his teammates, and his coaches that will put him in a position to succeed. He’s getting thrown into this opportunity, but it seems like Simms isn’t going to be one to shy away from it.
“My teammates always do a good job of telling me ‘stay ready and be ready whenever you get put out on that court,’” Simms said Saturday. “Whenever I go out there, my first mindset isn’t about offense. My main focus is to give my energy, attitude, and effort every single time I go out there and give 110 percent.”
David Skara
The transfer from Valparaiso is known for his defensive role, but he is going to have to find ways to score more.
Skara is a tremendous defender whose length can disrupt whoever he is guarding. As a forward, he’s quick enough to be a “stretch four” and can defend on the perimeter, which will be key for Clemson on the defensive side of the ball.
But Skara is going to have to find a way to be more offensively productive.
He has only made two field goals in ACC play on ten attempts and is averaging .9 points per game in those games. He’s been held scoreless in five of the seven ACC games he has played in.
If he can find a way to be more active on the offensive end, attack the rim, and give Clemson seven or eight points per game, that’d be a huge help. He’s averaged 14 minutes per game in the ACC coming off of the bench and may also get more time now that Grantham is done.
If he and Simms can somehow combine to score double figures consistently, then the Tigers should be alright offensively in Grantham’s absence.
Gabe DeVoe
You may think that the third player needs to be Mark Donnal or Shelton Mitchell, but Gabe DeVoe’s play is going to be absolutely crucial for Clemson’s season as it continues.
For one, he is now going to be the lone senior leader on the floor for the Tigers. It was him and Grantham that led the charge this summer to get the rest of the team to buy into Brownell’s “defense-first” mindset.
With Grantham gone, DeVoe now has a unique opportunity to step up as the team leader.
DeVoe’s also been playing a lot better lately at a steady rate. The shooting guard from Shelby, North Carolina has averaged over 32 minutes for the Tigers this season, eight more than last season. Currently, he’s averaging over 12 points per game in ACC play, and has continued to play at a high level since his third free throw to tie the game at North Carolina State fell short.
His 11 points in the first half at North Carolina kept Clemson from rolling over. You’d like to think that he will continue to provide a spark to this team from long-range and on the defensive side of the ball.
Look for DeVoe to continue to play his game and shoot the ball. He’s shooting a tad under 40 percent from three-point range and shooting 42 percent from the floor. We expect DeVoe’s 21.2 usage percentage in ACC play to rise as the season continues. If he’s hitting his shots and can continue to average double-figures, he’ll only gain more confidence.
He’s going to score. He’s going to be vocal. He’s going to lead this team down the stretch.
As we said, all of Clemson’s players are going to have to elevate their play if they want to continue their impressive 16-3 season. There may be some added pressure to players like Marcquise Reed and Elijah Thomas to carry the load for the Tigers now. The combination of Simms' minutes, Skara's offensive production, and DeVoe's leadership will take away some of that pressure.
It’ll be up to these three players to embrace this opportunity, be ready, and stay ready to step up for their team. If they can do that, Clemson will be ready for a postseason run.