My email exchange with Dan Radakovich from March 2016.

Mar 17, 2023, 11:43 AM

My email was written when transfers had to sit out a year before they could play. DR's response sounds remarkably similar to Graham Neff's statements over the last year in terms of expectations.

Dan,

I am a 1982 graduate of Clemson University. I have been a fan of Clemson basketball since the 60s. I love basketball and I love Clemson.

The current state of the Clemson basketball program is far below what it could be and what it should be after 6 years under Coach Brownell. Coach Brownell inherited a team that had been to the NCAA tournament 3 straight years and the NIT in the previous 3 years before that - 6 straight years of postseason tournaments. The best team that Coach Brownell has fielded was his first that consisted of Oliver Purnell's recruits. Coach Brownell and Coach Phillips both agreed that the program was in good shape, not a rebuilding project. However, there has been a steady decline in performance and expectation and attendance in the program. Here we are at the end of year 6 and we are on the bubble of getting into the NIT after failing to reach any postseason tournaments last year. Once again, we are poised to lose our best player to the NBA.

When evaluating the program and looking for signs of improvement, the results are incremental at best. The inability to recruit ACC caliber high school players has been a constant. The transfers of players out of the program before they can realize whatever potential they have in their upperclass years has been a constant problem. The general lack of player development for the majority of the roster is an ongoing problem.

Now, we are seeing a focus on transfers into the program from other programs. This year's team and last year's team have been hindered by the focus on transfers. The lack of a sense of urgency in recruiting is puzzling. The focus on transfers seems designed, in part, to buy time for the coaching staff, and to create a "wait til next year" attitude among the fan base.

With the new facilities set to come on line next year, a charismatic energetic, enthusiastic, passionate coach who can sell his vision could have already seen the recruiting improve for next year. However, we have two scholarships left(and possibly more after attrition) and appear to be focused on recruiting more transfers that will further delay our team's development. It appears the next commitment for Clemson basketball will be another transfer that will be of no help to us next year that was kicked off the Robert Morris team(http://www.nycbuckets.com/2016/02/what-does-elijah-minnies-dismissal-mean-for-robert-morris/). The pace of his recruiting and the constant turnover of the roster will not put us on a path to consistent sustained success.

Clemson basketball fans deserve a better basketball program that the current coach has demonstrated he most likely cannot achieve.

Thank you,

Dan's Response:

Thank you for the email.

I appreciate your taking the time to write, however I do not agree with much of your assessment. Transfers ( over 700 in D-1 this past year ) are becoming a “new” way to recruit….not a substitute for HS players just an add … much like Junior college players were prior to the APR rules being instituted in the mid 2000’s.

Brad has developed players … certainly KJ and JB are examples of that. Also, I do not believe that the young man that you reference in the email from Robert Morris is on our radar. I know that we have not enjoyed the success that we desire but we are now investing in the infrastructure of the program and positive results will be expected.

My response to Dan:

Dan,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my email. While, we do not agree on many of the issues I raised, I felt it was important to let you know that, in spite of what many may say, Clemson fans DO care about basketball and want very badly to have a successful basketball team that can consistently compete at the highest levels. There is no reason that high school basketball players can't fall in love with Clemson just like I and so many others did and just like so many high school football players do. There should be no doubt that Clemson fans will support a successful program with great enthusiasm.

Build it and they will come.

Thank you for your time

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Re: My email exchange with Dan Radakovich from March 2016.

My email exchange with Dan Radakovich from March 2016.

Re: My email exchange with Dan Radakovich from March 2016.

Re: My email exchange with Dan Radakovich from March 2016.

Re: My email exchange with Dan Radakovich from March 2016.

Perhaps you should write a similar letter to AD Neff....***

Re: My email exchange with Dan Radakovich from March 2016.

Re: My email exchange with Dan Radakovich from March 2016.

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