CLEMSON BASKETBALL

Brownell excited about Blossomgame, Coleman, and signing of big men

Brownell excited about Blossomgame, Coleman, and signing of big men


by - Senior Writer -

The addition of two big men and the return of two injured players have Clemson head basketball coach Brad Brownell Brad Brownell
Head Coach
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convinced the future is bright for his Tigers.

Brownell recently welcomed in 6-10 big men Sidy Djitte and Ibrahim Djambo as part of his 2013 recruiting class, and he hopes that Devin ColemanDevin Coleman
So. Guard
#15 6-2, 200
Philadelphia, PA

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and Jaron BlossomgameJaron Blossomgame
Fr. Forward
#5 6-7, 205
Alpharetta, GA

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– both missed last season due to injury – will be 100 percent healthy by the end of the summer.

Center Sidy Djitte of Fayetteville (NC) Northwood Temple committed to the Tigers early last week, joining Ibrahim Djambo, who has played the past two seasons at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Brownell told TigerNet late last week that picking up the two recruits filled a big hole in the front court created by the graduation of Milton JenningsMilton Jennings
Sr. Forward
#24 6-9, 225
Summerville, SC

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and Devin BookerDevin Booker
Sr. Forward
#31 6-8, 250
Whitmire, SC

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and the transfer of Bernard SullivanBernard Sullivan
So. Forward
#22 6-7, 230
Gastonia, NC

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.

“Two big kids. Both guys are all of 6-10,” Brownell said. “Certainly Sidy is stronger physically at 235 pounds. He needs to work on his skill level around the basket, but he has a physical presence you can’t teach. He is a good student, and a very focused guy.

“Ibrahim is just the opposite at 6-10 and 205 - he is really thin and has more perimeter skill right now. Both guys will have to adjust to Division I basketball in terms of physicality and the speed of the game. They will have to adjust to the speed of the game. Ibrahim is a very mature young man. He is coming in as a junior, and that’s not like a freshman adjusting to life away from home. He has been to college and has done well in school.”

Brownell said that rising sophomores Josh SmithJosh Smith
Fr. Forward
#33 6-8, 260
Charlotte, NC

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and Landry NnokoLandry Nnoko
Fr. Center
#35 6-10, 245
Montverde, FL

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have also shown improvement this spring, and that has him excited about the possibilities.

“Both of those guys [Djambo and Djitte] are guys we are excited about, and they are excited about Clemson,” Brownell said. “They have great potential and they have the size we needed in the frontcourt. Josh is improving his body and rounding into shape and has had a good spring. Landry has had a great spring and is improving. He is now 6-11 and 255, not 235 like he was as a freshman. They are just all really young, but we have good pieces in place and I think they will be good in the future.”

Coleman missed all of last season after rupturing his Achilles tendon during conditioning drills last July, and Blossomgame suffered a compound fracture of his leg last April. Brownell said that he hopes both players will be at or near 100 percent when the team travels to Italy for a series of exhibition games in August.

“They are still not quite a hundred percent,” Brownell said. “We are hoping that will come at some point earlier in the summer rather than later. That would be good for us. Those are the kinds of injuries you have to give some time to. People don’t understand when I say a ‘compound fracture’ but when I say it was the same thing as the kid from Louisville, and then everybody understands. Jaron has done an unbelievable job working at it. He is not quite 100 percent, and Devin is about 85 percent right now. Hopefully they will both be good when we go to Italy.”

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