Clemson faces difficult year ahead despite winning season

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Brad Brownell is as disappointed as many fans are at his team’s late-season slide, yet believes there are reasons for hope next fall.

In early February, the Tigers (16-15) had won five of six Atlantic Coast Conference games and in the discussion of NCAA Tournament bubble teams. Things burst soon after that as Clemson went 2-7 down the stretch, knocking the team out of the mix of the NIT where it advanced to that’s tournament’s semifinals a season ago.

Brownell acknowledged the discontent over the final month, despite posting his fourth winning seasons in five years as coach. Brownwell said he, too, expected more down the stretch. But he’s also mindful that leading scorer Jaron Blossomgame is just a sophomore and third-leading scorer Donte Grantham is a freshman.