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‘A warrior’: Schieffelin impacts the
Tigers’ success
Emma Makin, Contributor
A driving force for Clemson men’s basketball this year
is the 6-foot-8 senior Ian Schieffelin who, despite
playing through back spasms and calf cramps, has
made valuable contributions throughout the season.
During Clemson’s win against Florida State on Jan. 11,
Schieffelin was seen coming out of the locker room
wearing a back brace, and head coach Brad Brownell
later announced that he was playing through a calf
strain.
The injuries didn’t stop Schieffelin from playing 31 of
40 minutes and leading the team in assists. After the
game against the Seminoles, Schieffelin has
continuously been sporting the back brace during
warmups and during some timeouts.
In an overtime win against Pittsburgh, the Atlanta native recorded another double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds — despite playing through these injuries.
Snapping their win streak with a loss to ACC rival Georgia Tech, the Tigers faced some trouble during the triple overtime game, one of which was Schieffelin, who went out late grabbing his calf. After some time on the sidelines with the trainers, Schieffelin returned and finished the game with a total of 23 points.
In the postgame press conference, questions were raised about Schieffelin’s health.
“You know Ian’s playing at the end of the game with a cramp,” Brownell said. “He’s had a little bit of that in a couple
games and some practices, he was trying to gut it out, he’s a warrior.”
Even though Brownell described Schieffelin as “a wounded soldier,” in the next game against Duke, he put up his ninth
double-double, scoring 12 and securing 10 rebounds. His efforts helped the Tigers bring down the Blue Devils, which
was the highest win over an AP opponent in Brownell’s coaching career.
With the injuries almost unnoticeable, the forward came back out on Monday, as the Tigers took on North Carolina.
Schieffelin led the team with 10 rebounds, his 29th double-digit rebounding game, helping win the team’s second
straight ACC win.
Schieffelin’s health will remain a key factor for the rest of the season, as Clemson looks to make a deep run in the ACC
tournament and beyond. No matter the injury, the senior is determined to play and win.
Clemson volleyball swept by No. 6
Stanford
Emma Makin, Contributor
The Stanford Cardinal made quick work of the
Clemson Tigers in the first-ever meeting between the
ACC teams. Then-No. 6 Stanford swept Clemson, 3-0,
on Friday evening at the Maples Pavilion in Stanford,
California.
After the loss, Clemson had lost 13 straight games.
Within the first serves, Stanford took immediate
control with Clemson’s attack error and two straight
kills. Clemson saw an opening after sophomore
middle hitter Kate Hansen had a kill for its first point
and a successful service foot violation challenge. The
Tigers continued to struggle offensively and
defensively, hitting only 0.143 and a total of nine digs
and let the Cardinal finish out the set 25-14.
Clemson, fighting for its first ACC win, came out in the second set ready to play, though a service error foretold the end.
After sophomore libero McKenna Gildon’s service ace, Clemson gained the lead, giving the team momentum. Both
teams exchanged points in a tightly contested set, and Clemson managed to tie the score multiple times.
Pin attackers Mia McGrath and Azyah Dailey worked to keep the Tigers within reach, putting up three and four kills,
respectively, while McGrath also had four digs. Stanford sealed the set with a 25-18 victory after a kill.
The Cardinal jumped out to an early lead in the third and final set, taking a 7-3 lead. Hansen responded with a kill, but
Stanford’s attack proved too much, and the Tigers found themselves at a 16-9 deficit. The team struggled to find a
rhythm but had a late push, with kills from McGrath, Dailey and freshman pin attacker Lejla Sara Hadžiredžepović.
Stanford set up a game point but was disrupted by a final kill from Dailey. However, the Cardinal completed the sweep
with a 25-15 third set.
Despite the loss, Clemson had a personal victory, with McGrath surpassing 600 career kills during the match. The
Tigers could not stop the Cardinal but had defensive stands from redshirt freshman setter Katherine Sandt with a total of
eight digs and McGrath with nine.
Clemson’s record fell to 8-17, losing in straight sets to Cal a day after, and is now looking to regroup and improve as it
finishes out the season in ACC play.
Setting the standard: Comparing
Clemson and South Carolina
coaching success
Emma Makin, Contributor
The rivalry between the Clemson Tigers and the
University of South Carolina Gamecocks doesn’t just
lie in the football game and traditions, it’s also a battle
on the sidelines. Each head coach continues to shape
the future of their programs, but the question remains:
Which coaches set the standard?
Coaching success for both universities spans across
multiple sports. From Dabo Swinney’s “All In” mentality
to Dawn Staley’s storied success, they shape the
athletic programs fans love.
Football
Starting with Clemson football, Swinney is in his 17th
season with the Tigers. As soon as Swinney took over
the Clemson football program, he started to transform
the team into a national powerhouse.
The Tigers have taken home two national championships in 2016 and 2018 under Swinney and have made six College
Football Playoff appearances from the years 2015 to 2020. He has the ability to recruit top talent from all positions and
to focus on his players, building a connection.
Many NFL draft picks come from under Swinney, especially quarterbacks, including Deshaun Watson and Trevor
Lawrence. In the 2024 NFL draft, six Tigers were selected. Clemson’s consistency stems from Swinney’s program
concentrated on family, faith and hard work. The success has been shown through his winning ACC coach of the year in 2015 and 2018, in addition to other accolades on the national and divisional levels. Swinney continues to solidify his place among college football’s top coaches.
Looking at the Gamecocks’ football program, Shane Beamer has quickly established himself as an admirable coach.
Beamer was named head coach in 2020 after continuous losing seasons. In just his second full season, Beamer led
South Carolina to an 8-4 record, the first winning season since 2018.
Even though Clemson has 73 wins against South Carolina, Beamer was able to pull off an upset in 2022. He led the
Gamecocks to defeat Clemson to close out the regular season and also upset Tennessee to bring the team into national recognition.
Under Beamer, South Carolina appeared in two bowl games in 2021 and 2022, an encouraging sign for the program’s
future. With it still being early in his career at South Carolina, he has built up their defense, bringing in high-profile
recruits and transfers while developing a team atmosphere, even guiding Spencer Rattler to the NFL a season ago.
In 2022, Beamer received multiple coach of the year nominations while he continued to turn the Gamecocks into a force in the SEC.
Basketball
Dawn Staley wasn’t just an amazing basketball player but is also a coaching legend in women’s basketball at South
Carolina. Staley has built the Gamecocks into a dominant force that can not be stopped. The team is currently the
reigning national champions after securing the title in 2017 and 2022 as well. Staley has been a Gamecock since 2008
and reached 20 postseasons, making her team one of the most well rounded in the country.
As her time as head coach continues, Staley has seen her Gamecocks ranked in the AP Top 25 every week since
December 2012. Over her last 16 seasons, Staley was named national coach of the year four times and was unanimously selected in 2020 for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award.
Many of her players are selected for various honors, and many are drafted to the WNBA, just like A’ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston. She has built a program that is known for its excellence, player development and community involvement, making South Carolina the place for women’s collegiate basketball.
In contrast, Shawn Poppie is new to the Tigers; he was named head coach of the women’s basketball team in April.
As of late, Clemson has struggled, with the team failing to place higher than seventh in the ACC standings over the last
six years and ending last season with a 5-13 record.
Poppie is an experienced coach who has had many achievements before coming to Clemson. Just last year, he was named the 2023-2024 Southern Conference Coach of the Year. Previously, Poppie led the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to two consecutive Southern Conference championships.
In the first four games of the season, any Clemson fan can see the impact he has made. The team has won three of the
four, falling only to the Gamecocks.
Though Poppie doesn’t have the team history, he is ready to lead the Tigers into a new era.
Soccer
As soon as Mike Noonan became Clemson’s men’s soccer head coach, the program gained public attention. In recent
years, Noonan and the Tigers won the national championship in 2021 and 2023.
Currently in his 14th season, he has led the Tigers to compete at the highest level. Together, the team has only missed the NCAA Tournament once since 2013. Over the past nine seasons, he has had 29 players selected in the MLS SuperDraft. Clemson had three selections in each of the last five MLS SuperDrafts, the only team to do so, thanks to Noonan making Clemson a top tier team.
Noonan has also played a pivotal role in helping players achieve recognition, including Ousmane Sylla winning the 2023 MAC Hermann Trophy.
Across the Palmetto state, South Carolina’s men’s soccer team has Tony Annan in charge, who received the position in
2021. Annan has a proven track record, spending the prior six years at Atlanta United and playing a crucial role in
building the club’s academy into one of the most successful in the MLS.
As a coach, Annan has an extreme ability for players’ skill development, resulting in 80 of his former players earning
college scholarships. At South Carolina, Annan is bringing that experience to build a competitive program, ready to
recruit and develop players. Annan’s tenure at South Carolina aims to elevate the program.
As the rivalry between Clemson and South Carolina continues to build before the big game, the Tigers’ head coach is leading their programs with unmatched successes, while the Gamecocks are on the rise.
The Savannah Bananas make history
selling out Death Valley
Emma Makin, Contributor
The first-ever football stadium Savannah Bananas
game will head to Clemson’s Memorial Stadium at 7
p.m. on April 26 to take on the Party Animals. When
the news was announced in early October, fans
entered a lottery to be chosen to buy tickets, which
then closed a month later.
Fans were sent an email on Monday, Jan. 20,
informing them if they were selected to buy tickets
and which time slot on Tuesday, Jan. 28 they had
received to purchase up to six tickets based on
availability.
After playing in front of 1 million fans, Savannah
Bananas owner, Jesse Cole, said sellouts are
expected for the 2025 Banana Ball World Tour. By 3
p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Savannah Bananas
announced that Memorial Stadium was completely sold out.
This game marks Banana Ball history, selling out its largest venue yet with 81,000 seats. The Bananas’ biggest game
thus far was selling out the Philadelphia Phillies Citizens Bank Park with a crowd of over 45,000 fans.
In preparation, Death Valley will be getting nets, backstops, padding and new dirt to build base paths.
The Bananas can’t wait to run down the hill to give Clemson fans the greatest show in sports, hoping for fans to go “all
in” at the Banana Ball game.
“The biggest Banana Ball challenge yet,” Cole said on his social media. “It’s going to be hard to pull off. But it’s going to
be electric and unforgettable.”
Trotter Jr. emerges as a future star
for Philadelphia Eagles
Emma Makin, Contributor
Philadelphia Eagles fans have seen their share of
legendary defensive standouts, from Brian Dawkins to
Jeremiah Trotter Sr., but the future of the defense
looks brighter than ever with Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
showing signs of greatness.
“I tell him almost every day, best rookie,” Eagles
linebacker Zack Baun said in an interview with NBC
Philadelphia. “From the snacks to the decorations in
the linebacker room. He’s been terrific, and after his
play on the field, he came in and no one really knew
what to expect from him.”
Though Trotter Jr.’s new team might not have known
what to expect, his time at Clemson showcased just
what he’s capable of. In 1,413 snaps, Trotter recorded
202 tackles, 13 sacks, three forced fumbles, four
interceptions and two pick sixes, making him one of only 14 Football Bowl Subdivision players in the last 20 seasons to
record 10 sacks, four interceptions, three forced fumbles and two pick sixes.
After declaring for the 2024 NFL draft at the end of his junior season, the Eagles traded up to select Trotter in the fifth
round with the No. 155 overall pick. Trotter signed a four-year, $4,348,468 rookie deal but has primarily seen snaps only on special teams. With limited defensive time, he totaled 25 tackles, a half-sack and a pass deflection.
His name began to be heard more during the last game of the regular season against the New York Giants, where Trotter had 11 total tackles. The biggest impact came in the wild-card round of playoffs against the Green Bay Packers, where Trotter recovered a fumble by kick returner Keisean Nixon on the opening play to set up for the Eagles’ first touchdown of the game.
With star linebacker Nakobe Dean going down with a season-ending injury, Trotter was a strong candidate to take over. Vic Fangio, the Eagles defensive coordinator, believes the same.
“We’re not afraid to put him in there,” Fangio said. “I think Trot’s got a good future, and that future may be now.”
Trotter started the divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams as a linebacker, with everyone on the team
having confidence in him as a player.
“It means a lot that the coaches have confidence in my abilities and knowing that they feel that way,” Trotter said.
“Especially now that the team needs it, it definitely means a lot.”
During the game, Trotter was seemingly quiet, but whether he’s breaking up plays, delivering crushing tackles or
recovering fumbles, the former Clemson standout is quickly proving that he’s not just the son of a legend — he’s a
legend in the making.
Along with former Tiger Will Shipley, Trotter will look to help the Eagles try for their second Super Bowl appearance in
three seasons, playing the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship game this Sunday.