"Please don't compare yourself to Kobe Bryant": Clemson HC Brad Brownell hilariously turns down Ian Schieffelin's comparisons to late 5x NBA champ
Ian Schieffelin was the man of the hour with his stout defense and timely buckets that powered the #6-seeded Clemson Tigers to upset the #2-seeded Arizona Wildcats 77-72 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
During the post-game interview, however, it was head coach Brad Brownell who had the best dig at his protege. When asked about wearing Kobe Bryant sneakers to the game tonight, Ian Schieffelin alluded to channeling the Mamba Mentality.
"Shoutout to my brother, he's a big Kobe Bryant guy. So, you know, I guess you could say that."
But, coach Brad Brownell was quick to chip in, putting the young superstar in his place in a teasing albeit hilarious manner.
"Please do not compare yourself to Kobe Bryant. You're playing well, but let's..."
The banter between coach and player continued with Ian chipping in with a Kevin Durant comparison.
"I mean, RJ Godfrey calls me Kevin Durant sometimes. So I don't mean, I don't think that's much closer."
Coach, on the other hand, had a different name in mind when looking at Schieffelin.
"Bill Laimbeer rings true to me. You don't even know who that is."
The jovial nature of the squad was visually apparent as the team completed a monumental upset, knocking off a 2nd-seeded Arizona team and reaching the first Elite Eight in 44 years, the second ever in its history.
How did Ian Schiefflin channel the Mamba Mentality?
In a historic upset, Ian Schieffelin had his blueprints over the game. His 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists summed up a tidy contest for the young forward. But it was the block and two steals, along with consistently excellent defense that decided the course of the game.
Every Arizona run was met with some stellar defense on Ian's part as Clemson found an answer each trip down. Chase Hunter was the star on offense, tallying 18 points, including a dagger three-point play with 25.7 seconds left that effectively ended the game.
Apart from quipping with his players, Coach Brad Brownell had positive things to say about his group.
"We have got confidence in our team. I've got an older team. These guys have seen a lot, done a lot and experienced success. As just really happy that we were able to withstand it, and we executed some things really well down the stretch."
For Arizona, it was a rough shooting night at the worst possible time. While Jaden Bradley, Oumar Ballo, and Caleb Love all reached double digits, scoring 18, 15, and 13 points, respectively, the team as a whole shot under 18% from 3-point territory.
The team has now lost to a 4-spot or lower seed in each of its last six appearances in the Big Dance, the longest streak in the seeding era that began in 1979.
The inefficient shooting might feel like an anomaly, but that has been the recipe for success for the Tigers. In three straight games, they have held their opponents to sub-40% shooting.
After missing two straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, this turnaround for Clemson has been remarkable.They will now face either Alabama or the top-seeded North Carolina.
Do you think Clemson can continue its Cinderella run? Let us know in the comments below.