Clemson Tigers

THE FIRST TIME ANDRE YOUNG ATTENDED A BRAD BROWNELL--run practice, in the spring of 2010, the Clemson point guard couldn't believe what he was seeing. His new coach and the Tigers' assistants were practicing with the team. "They worked our butts off," says Young, now a senior and the team's leader on offense. "You kind of raise an eyebrow. I was like, What is this guy doing?'"

Says the 42-year-old Brownell, whose staff regularly participates in drills and workouts, "Kids appreciate it when their coaches are sweatin' with 'em. It helps us build relationships with our players a little quicker." The perspiration approach, which Brownell also employed as coach at UNC Wilmington and at Wright State, worked on Young and his teammates. Though the Tigers needed time to start to jell under Brownell, by January the team had grown into his motion offense and bought into his defense-first attitude.

"It took a couple of close losses—against Michigan and Florida State," says Young, "but that's when we started rolling and clicking."

The Tigers made last season's NCAA tournament, but this year's team has a much different look after losing its top two scorers, guard Demontez Stitt and forward-center Jerai Grant, as well as guard Cory Stanton, who transferred in July. Clemson has five true freshman scholarship players on its roster and only one player, Young, who has averaged in double figures.

"We have a lot of guys who haven't been primary players," says Brownell. "The first concern is, do we have guys who can make that jump to get you 14 or 15 points a night?" The coach has leveled the challenge at Young along with senior guard Tanner Smith and junior big men Milton Jennings and Devin Booker, the four of whom averaged 8.8 points and 26.5 minutes last season. Brownell sees at least two freshmen, combo guard T.J. Sapp and power forward Bernard Sullivan, getting into the rotation right away.

With that offensive inexperience, Brownell knows it will be crucial for his team to continue to stifle opponents as it did last year. Defense has always been a calling card of sorts for Brownell teams, and Young says that last season it "became more of our identity, something that we took pride in." The coach's hard work in practice, it would seem, is paying off.

THE VITALS

COACH Brad Brownell (2nd year) 22--12 (9--7 in ACC)

ASSISTANTS Earl Grant, Rick Ray, Mike Winiecki