Purnell looking to take Tigers to new level

Sitting at the end of a row of tables that was headed by Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney, there were plenty of down moments for Clemson hoops coach Oliver Purnell Tuesday at the Aiken Municipal Building. While fans racked up autographs and posed for pictures with Swinney, Purnell was often left tapping his pen waiting for the group to get to him.

Eventually, though, the fans came, and with them they brought basketballs to be signed, young fans to sit on his lap for pictures and certainly plenty of praise. Just a few short years ago, those fans may have passed right by without a second look. But as orange-shirted enthusiast after orange-shirted enthusiast thanked the coach for "putting Clemson basketball back on the map" Tuesday, it became clear that Tiger hoops was no longer playing second fiddle.

"The excitement around our program has grown leaps and bounds every year," admitted Purnell, who has led his team to three NIT tournaments and two NCAA tourney berths in his six years at the Tiger helm, winning at least 20 games in each of the last three seasons and making it into the NCAA Tournament two years in a row. "From a winning-percentage standpoint, we have gotten a lot better, and that has a lot to do with it. But there has been a tremendous emphasis on marketing our program. We have amazing fans, and all we have to do is give them something to get excited about. They like our brand of basketball, and they like to win."

If Purnell hopes to move into Swinney's position at the front of the line, though, he knows he will have to take the program to the next level. The trend of starting fast and finishing slow has shown itself three straight seasons in Tiger Town. During the 2006-07 season, Clemson started out 17-0 only to finish 8-11 down the stretch, miss out on the NCAA tournament and lose to West Virginia in the NIT finals. Clemson started 12-1 in 2007-08 and again had the basketball world talking. A 12-9 finish was good enough to make a run to the ACC Tournament finals, but a first-round loss to an underdog Villanova team in the NCAA Tournament left fans wondering what could have been.

The latest Tiger campaign again began with a bang as Clemson accumulated 16 straight wins to begin the season and quickly climbed up the national polls. Again the February blues took a toll on the team, though, as the Tigers finished 7-9 down the stretch. Purnell did lead the team to its second straight trip to the "Big Dance," but John Beilein's Michigan team provided another premature ending to the Clemson season in round No. 1.

Speaking about the poor finishes at the gathering in Aiken Tuesday, Purnell said that fans have remained optimistic, but he is ready to take the program to the next level and provide Tiger fans something to really get excited about.

"We just need to get better and more experienced," said the 55-year-old coach, who admitted that some bad luck in getting matched up with two underrated teams in the opening round might have played a part in the team's early exits from the NCAA Tournament. "We have 12 of our top 15 back, we have an outstanding recruiting class and there are a lot of positives. We are looking forward to taking that next step.

"It's going to take some good fortune, and we're going to have to play well," he continued. "We are on a climb. We came from under the league, and we have gotten into the top echelon. We just need to win a close game and have a chance to advance. The draw is always important. But if we can get a win, the sky is the limit. We have the type of program that is capable of making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament."

A familiar face to CSRA basketball fans will try to help Purnell and the Tigers make that run. North Augusta High School graduate Bryan Narcisse played in 16 games during his freshman season this past winter, and he ended the year with 24 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Narcisse will likely see a little more time as a sophomore, but even if he doesn't make a significant impact on the stat sheet, Purnell said Narcisse can be a difference-maker on the practice floor.

"Bryan is Mr. Energy, and he fits perfectly into our style of play," said Purnell, who said he became interested in the long-armed Yellow Jacket after he noticed similarities to a former player, Sam Perry, in Narcisse's game. "He is a long athlete that plays hard, and that is the way we have cut our teeth. That is Clemson basketball, and Bryan represents that. He is a fantastic young man, and I am glad to have him in our program."