We interrupt our regularly-scheduled football roller-coaster ride with some coverage of basketball.
The Brad Brownell era officially begins tonight at Littlejohn Coliseum, so now's a good time to relay some of my recent conversations with Demontez Stitt and Noel Johnson.
STITT
On his elevated leadership:
"I would say before, it was more the coaching staff was different. So it wasn't as much the players leading. It was more the coach leading. But Coach Brownell, he's more of a players' coach. He likes to let the players really take control and lead the way. So it's a lot different for me this year as far as being more of a real leaders as far as play-calling, making changes on the court. Sort of playing more like Rajon Rondo. Doc Rivers gives him a lot of freedom to call calls, and he has the ball in his hands most of the time. I think that's how it'll be this year with any of the point guards that are on the floor. We have a lot of say-so in things that we do this year."
On the mental challenge of completely changing systems:
"It's a lot different, on defense and on offense. We still want to play at a fast pace in transition. But I'd say as far as halfcourt offense, it's going to be a lot different. A lot of motion, less play-calling. On defense, we're going to have a lot of switching defenses. We won't really be pressing as much as we did last year. But we'll still have a lot of pressure on the ball with the point guards and the guards. We'll still play with a lot of intensity. But it's a lot of thinking for us all right now as far as learning everything. We're so used to being taught things that we had to do over the last couple of years, so it's a lot different when you're so accustomed to doing things that you've been doing for three years, making certain cuts, doing things that Coach Purnell wanted us to do. This year, more than anything, we'll have to be not only players of the game, but students of the game."
On the biggest difference in practices now, versus under Purnell:
"This year, they're a little bit more hands-on. They're real energetic in practice. They teach a lot, just because they have to this year with a new system. ... With this staff, our offense is based on motion. So we have to know how to screen and cut and things like that. Last year, there were more set things for us to do in halfcourt offense. But with this new motion we have, we have to talk. Guys have know where we're cutting so we don't run into each other. It's a lot different. The coaches key in on the little things, and tweaking things we haven't really learned."
On the decreased number of open perimeter shots after the loss of Trevor Booker:
"Knowing how teams double-teamed Trevor gave us all open shots. But I think this offense this year is designed for us to move more, so guys are still going to get open shots. Of course, there will be certain players they key on. I'm probably one of them, being one of the driving forces of the team. Yeah, it's going to be a lot different with more contested shots. But that's something you have to work on. That's something you look forward to as you try to be one of the best players in the league."
On just how hurt he was last year with his mid-foot sprain:
"I was a lot more hurt than the coaches thought I was. Definitely. There's a big difference between the first three games before I was hurt in the ACC and the rest of the games. Watching it on film, I could tell. I couldn't finish plays where I thought I could've went a little bit quicker, but I just couldn't give it my all like I wanted to. They thought it would be six weeks, but as of this summer it was still hurting. I'm 100 percent now. Everything is feeling good. This summer, I really got some rest. I'm ready to go now. ... I guess it was a higher sprain than they thought it would. And I guess with me playing on it as much as I did, I might've aggravated it a little bit."
On whether he contemplated leaving Clemson after Purnell's departure:
"It was always a thought to go work out with the NBA and see what they thought. But when Coach Brownell got here, we talked on the first day. I knew from Day One that he was a hands-on coach and he'd help me become more of an NBA-type player, especially with the offense that he's putting in, and the opportunities he's going to give us to show that we can actually play.
"Before I met him, I was leaning toward trying out the little NBA thing and seeing how that was. But with any player, when you have coaching changes things like that probably go through your mind."
On what sold him on Brownell:
"You could just tell. When you talk to someone, you can tell when they're genuine and when they really are here for your best interests. I guess I could tell when I first talked to him, when we sat down. It was almost 12 o'clock at night, and he didn't want to wait until the next day. I felt like that was a big step, even though it was late at night and I was laying down when he called me. I felt that right there showed he was dedicated already on the first day that he got here. We had a good conversation for about 30 or 45 minutes."
JOHNSON
On the biggest difference between Brownell and Purnell:
"It's definitely different from last year, because we focus on slowing down and playing not slower but smarter and making better decisions on the court. We're going to be stressing fundamentals this whole year, so we've just got to be patient with it.
"We ran a lot last year in practice. But this year, we've been really getting after it. It's been more intense -- way more intense than it was last year. Instead of coming to the gym and just shooting and leaving the gym, we actually work on individual moves and situations and reading screens and different stuff like that. We're getting up a lot more shots now in practice than we did before. A lot of mid-range shots, coming off screens, shooting 3's, transition stuff."
On how he wants to improve individually:
"Getting better footwork, using longer strides, bending my back more on dribbles, and just getting my shot off quicker. I'm covering more ground, playing lower to the floor."
On the period in which he was thinking of not returning:
"That comes with every situation when a coach leaves. You have to weigh out all your options first. I waited to see who Clemson was going to hire, and he's a great coach. So that's why I stayed."
On when he was convinced he'd stay:
"The first workout. The first individual workout, I called my dad up and told him, 'This is cool. This is for real, and I want to be here and be a part of it.' It was way more intense than last year. That's what sold me the first day. I was going hard. We only worked out for like 45 minutes, but it was real intense. I was tired after that. I need that to get better. That's what I wanted. You can ask any player on the team: After that fist workout we had, we all felt like we were getting better as a team and individually."
On the frustration of last season:
"It was up and down, emotionally and physically. Just getting adjusted to college in your freshman year is going to be difficult, balancing school and basketball. It was kind of challenging, but I got through it. There were times where I thought I should be out there more. There were games I started, and then games I didn't play at all. There were different scenarios. I just had to deal with it and mature from it."
On this offense fitting his talents:
"It seems like we can be four men in and out, a lot of screening and curling. For shooters, we can throw it in the post and go four out and have one man in the post. I think it'll be perfect for me."
On the learning curve going from one extreme to another:
"It's going to take a good amount of weeks, but we've got a smart team. And we have good team chemistry already. We should pick it up pretty good, but if we don't we've just got to keep working at it and coming together as a team.
"The hardest part of it is tempo, when to play fast and when to play slow. Or when to push the ball, or when to back it out and set something up. That's probably the biggest adjustment."
On what Brownell has told him about his game:
"He's told me I have a chance to be one of the most versatile players in the ACC this year. I'm trying to get ready for that."
On the importance of defense this season:
"We have to work on that. Coach Brownell stresses really getting up in your man, not letting him breathe, really. We have to do some adjusting to that, but it shouldn't be a problem."
LW
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