Rare benching gives Devin Booker a spark

Looking ahead to Virginia, maturing

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CLEMSON — Too often this season, Devin Booker has played like a player without a spark.

Last week, Brad Brownell gave Clemson’s junior forward one – and if early indications are clear, Booker paid attention.

When starting lineups were announced for Clemson-Georgia Tech last Saturday, Booker wasn’t in them for the first time in 53 games, dating back to the beginning of last season.

Brownell benched Booker in favor of senior forward/center Catalin “Bobo” Baciu, and Booker responded with nine points and six rebounds in 28 minutes.

Saturday, Booker was back with the starting five, and he responded with 16 points, seven boards, three assists and three blocks in Clemson’s 71-60 win over Wake Forest.

“Basically, it’s just keep being aggressive,” he said. “Some games I tend to slack off for some odd reason. As long as I keep being aggressive, going to the boards hard, taking strong, I’m going to be a factor to deal with.”

Booker played well against Wake Forest’s strong front line, which impressed Brownell.

“Some days he’s hung his head, but he fought back through it,” Brownell said. “He made plays that were tough plays the second half.”

Over the last two games, Booker has shown better mental resolve. Last week, Brownell offered him the chance to start in front of Baciu in the second half, but he declined.

“I didn’t take the opportunity, because I wanted to show him I could play off the bench with the opportunity,” Booker said. “It worked out well.”

Coaches don sneaks for good cause: Both coaching staffs wore sneakers with their suits Saturday, and with good reason. This is Coaches vs. Cancer weekend, where staffs across the nation wear sneakers with their normal suits to raise awareness for cancer research.

Brownell gets 200th win: Saturday’s victory marked a milestone for Clemson coach Brad Brownell – it was his 200th career win. He is now 200-106, winning 65.3 percent of his games.

Big day for two seniors: It was a landmark day for senior guard/forward Tanner Smith and senior forward Bryan Narcisse. Before the game, ESPN aired a segment on Smith’s non-profit charity, Tanner’s Totes, which hands out gift bags to children undergoing treatment for life-threatening illnesses. And before the game, he and fellow senior Bryan Narcissse were presented their undergraduate degrees by Clemson president James Barker. The two earned the degrees in December, but were unable to attend the ceremony because they were in Hawaii playing in the Diamond Head Classic.

He finished with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals.

Smith entered the game as the only ACC player averaging at least 10 points, five rebounds and four assists per game; he is trying to become the first Clemson player ever to accomplish the feat over an entire season.

Meanwhile, Narcisse tied a career high with 11 points, adding four rebounds and two steals. He provided excellent energy to a team that needed it, especially early on.

“Bryan was good,” Brownell said. “He was a high-energy kid, and when he’s active like that, it takes pressure off other guys.”

Booker agreed.

“He brings a lot of energy,” he said. “He plays hard on offense and defense. Even if shots don’t fall on offense, he will get after it on defense. That right there, he brings a spark to the team.”