Brad Brownell calls for consistency from Chauncey Wiggins

Clemson hoops finally fell in ACC play after starting 7-0, with Wake Forest spoiling the fun. And while the loss — and especially the defensive performance from the Tigers — is hard to stomach for head coach Brad Brownell, he did see major development from one of his true freshmen. Chauncey Wiggins, a lanky rookie forward, had his breakthrough game on the road against the Demon Deacons. He nearly tripled his season-high in minutes with 30 off the bench and went on to set season-high’s across the board — 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal.

For a kid who hadn’t played more than six minutes in a power conference matchup, his productive 30 minutes of action against Wake Forest was a welcome surprise. Although, Brownell wasn’t shocked that Wiggins came through when his number was called. Despite his lack of experience, the Clemson coach believed in his youngster and let go of the leash on Tuesday.

When asked whether Wiggns handled the moment well, Brownell answered that he did. “And that part doesn’t surprise us,” he added, emphasizing the need for confidence in such moments. “We feel like he’s getting better and he’s more comfortable, more confident. For him, that’s a big thing is just being confident. He’s a better player than he thinks he is. And it’s like, I think our whole team feels he’s a good player. You know, but sometimes he’s absent in practice – he’s out there and nothing is going on.”

According to Brownell, Chauncey Wiggins was particularly effective against Wake because his shooting ability from the forward spot helped break their zone. Five of his six shot attempts were three-balls, and he knocked down three of those.

“You know, he’s not afraid to shoot a ball, right? Obviously, they went 1-3-1, we got into what we practiced, fired it right to him in the corner, he got a wide open shot, he knocked it in. And that’s what he can do. So, it was a great start for him.”

The shooting was nice, but with most freshman, the head coach wants to see more well-rounded performances. “You know, we just…he’s 6-foot-10, we want him to do more things,” sad Brownell. “He needs to get more than three rebounds. He needs to continue to fight defensively and get better, but he’s coming. Like, this is why we recruited him. We think he’s a really good player.”

Wiggins has plenty of career left to improve in those areas and Brad Brownell knows that the sky is the limit for a 6-foot-10 forward with his athleticism and jumper.

“Once he continues to gain confidence in himself, he can play like this. One of his best attributes, we think, is his poise. He has good basketball skill. He can pass, he can shoot, he can dribble for his size, he’s a long guy. He’s a little immature and young. And so, it’s taken awhile to get to this point, but great bright spot. I’m really happy for him, proud of him. I think he’s got a bright future.”