Brad Brownell claims no part in Clemson's ACC block party

Clemson's Tigers are putting on a block party, and coach Brad Brownell doesn't claim to have anything to do with it.

Asked during the ACC coaches' teleconference about the Tigers' proficiency at blocking opponents' shots, Brownell says it's not a skill that requires much coaching.

In fact, there were times when he prefers a more conservative approach to defending.

"I can assure you as a 6-4 white guy from Indiana who probably had four blocked shots in his career that I have nothing to do with it," Brownell said. "The guys who block shots on our team, KJ (McDaniels) and Devin Booker, it's not something we go around and do a lot of practicing. We don't talk a lot about it.

"It's something those guys just have, and it's innate ability to get off the floor quickly, and certainly KJ is the one that's even more surprising because he's 6-5 and not some 6-9 center that you would normally see doing those kinds of things. It's just a knack that those guys have."

McDaniels is currently the ACC's leading shot-blocker in conference games, averaging 2.6 per contest. Clemson and Florida State, who play on Thursday, lead the league in blocks with 5.1 per game.

"There are times we encourage them to block the shots obviously because they have the ability," Brownell said. "And then there are times we'd rather them wall up and be more physical and just use their chest to bother players.

"But certainly it's not anything that I help them with."