A legendary coach champions Clemson head coach Brad Brownell, praising his resilience and coaching prowess amidst doubts and crucial injuries.
The Tigers overperformed relative to preseason expectations this year.
Even when Cater Welling suffered a season-ending ACL injury against Wake Forest last week, Clemson was able to overcome a ranked North Carolina team in the ACC Tournament.
Former Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim told the Greenville News that Brownell doesn't seem to get the credit he deserves.
"They don't notice you (nationally) until you do something in the tournament," Boeheim said. "It doesn't mean you're not a good coach. That's not always easy to do. It's hard to do, and that's the last step to make that, kind of, breakthrough...
"He survived, flourishing in the league, and he deserves a lot of credit. Somebody once said, 'It's not easy when everybody's out to get you and they can't.'"
Brownell, 57, is 316-206 during his time with Clemson. He's made the NCAA Tournament six times, and the Tigers are set to make their third appearance in a row.
Following Clemson's loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament last week, Brownell said he was proud of his players’ response to being doubted before the season.
"A lot of people did not think we were going to be very good, and those two guys right here were a big reason why we turned this thing into a really good year. I'm proud of the way we responded...
"We played great the first two days. Just didn't have as good a performance today against a really good team."
Iowa will be a tough challenge for the Tigers on Friday. Clemson will have to find a way to grab boards without Welling, which is a big miss for the team during March Madness.
Regardless of what happens this weekend, Clemson should feel good about its future going forward. Brownell has built a strong culture, and that could make the team even more dangerous next season.