Tonight, the Clemson basketball team will play the first of two games in a row on the road when the Tigers take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta. And as the game unfolds, Clemson fans will be watching closely to see how star forward Ian Schieffelin plays.
That's because the senior forward is dealing with a couple of potentially nagging injuries that could impact his play. First, head coach Brad Brownell admitted after Saturday's win over Florida State that Schieffelin has been playing through a calf strain. What's more, during that game against the Seminoles, Schieffelin was seen leaving the Tigers' locker room wearing a back brace.
Thus, is is no surprise that he didn't play up to his normal standards the last time we saw him. Against Florida State, he posted only two points and two rebounds in 31 minutes of action. Though he did impact the game with six assists, he was far from the player Clemson fans have come to expect.
For the season, Schieffelin is averaging 12.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. His rebound average is good for 14th-best in all of college hoops. But that wasn't the type of performance he put up on Saturday.
It will be interesting to see how Schieffelin plays against the Yellowjackets because one of their best players is also a power forward. 6-foot-9, 240-pound Baye Ndongo is averaging 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for Georgia Tech.
We can expect Ndongo and Schieffelin to go head-to-head plenty in this game and whichever player gives his team the better performance could help tilt this matchup in his team's favor. Of course, Clemson needs Schieffelin to be at his best not only tonight but through the teeth of the ACC schedule.
Head coach Brad Brownell did say earlier this week that he anticipates having Schieffelin available for the two-game road set but that it was "too early" to know how much the senior would be able to play. If Schieffelin is limited, it will put a greater emphasis on a player such as 7-footer Viktor Lakhin, who has been struggling in recent games after fighting through an illness that took its toll on him physically. Also, a Schieffelin injury might mean Chauncey Wiggins might have to step up and play more minutes in the post instead of on the wing where the 6-foot-10 junior prefers to operate.
There is no question that Schieffelin is the heart and soul of this Clemson basketball team. He is the hardest-working player on the roster and he defines what it means to play with the "Clemson grit" that Brownell expects from his team.
Thus, having him as close to 100% as possible is imperative. So keep an eye on Schieffelin tonight as he faces the Yellowjackets because his health could be what determines the type of run that the Tigers can make this season.