Ian Schieffelin explains cause of his strong rebounding numbers

The Clemson Tigers men’s basketball team is off to a hot 9-0 start and is currently ranked No. 13 in the nation. A large part of their success has been the play of big man Ian Schieffelin and his work on the boards.

As Clemson prepares for another big-time showdown, this time with the Memphis Tigers, their star big man explained what he is doing to be as impactful on the boards as he has been this season. Schieffelin also addressed whether or not he is aware of his numbers heading into the game or at halftime.

“Just going for the ball,” said Schieffelin. “I mean, I’m thankful the ball comes my way sometimes, and I make it come my way sometimes. And in the game, I have a lot of rebounds. So, whatever I’m doing, it’s been working. I have no idea. I always know I’m grabbing rebounds, but I’m never thinking like I’m grabbing 17 rebounds. It’s kind of the flow of the game and what I do. It’s just natural and how it goes.”

Schieffelin’s rebounding has been tremendous for the top team in the ACC this season. The junior forward from Loganville, GA, is averaging nearly a double-double on the season with 8.9 points per game to go along with his 9.6 rebounds. And Schieffelin’s 9.6 rebounds puts him in the top 25 in the nation in the category.

Brad Brownell identifies what stands out to him in Clemson’s road tests

Clemson men’s basketball is 9-0 to start the season and sitting atop the ACC. And Brad Brownell’s squad hasn’t been doing it with a buffet of home games, either.

The Tigers have played just four games at home to start the year, playing a pair of road games and three neutral-site games. It’s provided some good tests, Brownell said, and taught him plenty about his teams resilience and mental strength.

“I just think we’ve been a little resilient at times. When we’ve gotten behind, we’ve been fine. We haven’t panicked. We’ve kept playing, stayed with things. I think we’ve done a good job, both as a staff and team, or making a few adjustments every once in a while within games or, whether it’s timeouts or halftime, and having an older group helps because you feel like they can handle that and they can make an adjustment on the fly,” Brownell said.

Veteran players have also aided the group coming together, Brownell said. Clemson has its share of new additions, and the new faces have acclimated perhaps quicker than normal due to the advanced age and maturity of the roster.

And that experience spills over on the court, too. The players on this Clemson team have been around long enough to know some games might be decided on defense while others will be about transition scoring and getting to the free throw line and act accordingly, tailoring their play to what the game dicatates.

For Brownell, the result has been a team that’s handled its business no matter where it has taken the court, letting the head coach focus on maximizing this veteran squad amid a 9-0 start.