Brownell, Simms See FSU Similarities to Rutgers in NCAA Tourney Matchup
Clemson hasn't had the advantage of a previous matchup with their first-round NCAA Tournament foe, but Rutgers draws striking similarities from a team the Tigers know all too well.
When asked about which teams were reminiscent of the Scarlet Knights, both head coach Brad Brownell and senior forward Aamir Simms were quick to offer the same answer.
"Off the top of my head, some similarities to Florida State in terms of athleticism and size," Brownell said in Wednesday's pre-tournament press conference. "Ron Harper Jr., Raekwon Gray (FSU), some similarities there in terms of just big overpowering forwards that can dribble, shoot, and make plays. Then obviously the big guards that Florida State's had over the years, Rutgers has.
"Physically they're very gifted. They play hard. They can beat you off the bounce; they can beat you in different ways. They guard hard, and they're a handful. I guess that's who stuck out immediately in our league."
Seventh-seeded Clemson takes on 10th-seeded Rutgers in the Midwest Region on Friday at 9:20 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Scarlet Knights offer versatility in all five positions, playing four "guards" and 6-foot-11 Myles Johnson at the five spot. As Brownell mentioned, Harper Jr. has been the catalyst for Rutgers, scoring 15.4 points per contest and grabbing 5.9 rebounds at the four beside Johnson. Harper Jr., at 6-foot-6, can still hurt you from three-point range if left open, shooting 32.1% behind the arc.
Rutgers shooting guard Paul Mulcahy stands the same height as Harper Jr. but is consistently one of the best shooters on the floor at all times, hitting 36.5% from three. Clemson's guards will have their hands full running Mulcahy off from a distance while still managing his height discrepancy.
"(Johnson) is really lengthy, physical, good hands, and can block shots," Simms said. "Just a pretty good all-around player. I'm not really sure that I can compare him to anyone in the ACC. Speaking on his physicality and his skill set, probably the big from Florida State, if I had to compare anyone just similarity-wise and like height and length, and hands and being able to protect the rim. But he's pretty physical from watching film, and he has a pretty good skill set and touch around the rim."
Florida State enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed in the West Region and split the regular-season series with Clemson in the ACC while finishing second in the conference.
Fortunately for the Tigers, Rutgers hasn't shown the same potent capabilities on offense as the Seminoles. Despite their low seeding, the Scarlet Knights faced a brutal Big Ten schedule in a league that put the most teams into the Big Dance. Rutgers still managed a .500 record in conference play.
The Scarlet Knights also saw their preparation for the tournament begin after losing to No. 1 seed Illinois in the conference tournament semifinals by 22 points.
"Guys are gonna be excited to play in the NCAA tournament. It's not bad, it's just managing the energy level all day is the most important thing," Brownell said. "You could very easily see one of the team's guys exhausted in the first TV timeout or first two or three minutes because they're so so anxious that you have all that nervous energy. So I think trying to manage that throughout the course of the game.
"You could also see it through nervous play or anxious play, and I think just trying to get the guys to relax, and enjoy the moment but understand that the best way to play is by mentally being prepared, and being able to slow yourself down a little bit. I think when we all get excited and nervous and anxious, we play a little too quickly and a lot of times that's when bad things happen."
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