After two preseason exhibitions, Brad Brownell has learned a few things about this year's Clemson team. The first would be that the level of competition is not going to be an issue for big man Dylan Faulkner. He marveled in both preseason contests versus Georgia and Presbyterian, scoring 21 and 20 points in both games. Look for Faulkner to be a reliable player for this frontcourt moving forward.
The second would have to be the up-and-down nature of point guard Ace Buckner. During the Georgia game, Buckner got himself into some foul trouble, as he only played 15 minutes against the Bulldogs. When taking on the Blue Hose on Wednesday evening, he played over 34 minutes worth of action, leading the team in scoring with 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting, to go along with five assists.
As for the third, Cole Certa has yet to find his shooting stroke in the Clemson offense. The Notre Dame transfer shot 3-of-10 from the field against Georgia and was 0-of-5 from the floor versus Presbyterian. Clemson is counting on him to provide some level of lift in the backcourt. Through the two preseason games, Certa might be the weakest starter Clemson has going for them right now.
Brad Brownell must continue to run the offense through Dylan Faulkner
While Brownell has some time to figure out the rotation during the early part of the non-conference portion of Clemson's schedule, two things appear to be true. He can rely on his frontcourt of transfer players like Faulkner to continue to come up big for him offensively. Unfortunately, the backcourt may still be a work in progress. It could be getting Dillon Hunter back at some point, but it is still in disarray.
What we can glean from Clemson's two preseason games is that Faulkner looked strong against both comparable and lesser competition. Obviously, Clemson has not played any heavy-hitters so far, only another probable tournament team in Georgia, as the Tigers are expected to be. It is still too early to get a feel for how Buckner will do as this team's primary ball-handler. Certa has to get his shots to fall.
Right now, Faulkner's emergence certainly takes some pressure off arguably the team's best player, Carter Welling, rushing back from his torn ACL. All signs point to him returning in time for conference play. Anything sooner than a return to action in January should be met with a pleasant surprise. Of course, the Tigers cannot get too far behind the eight ball during the earliest stages of their season.
Most importantly, Brownell must closely monitor everything his team is doing on and off the floor, and be more than willing to make the necessary adjustments. He has enough pieces to make the NCAA Tournament once again, albeit in an expanded field. However, the ACC may not be anything more than a seven-team league. Clemson and Virginia Tech are probably the two teams jockeying for sixth.
While Clemson looked the part in the preseason, but it all begins in earnest with Stetson on Monday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google