NCAA Tournament: Time Is Now for Oliver Purnell, Clemson Tigers

Clemson senior Cliff Hammonds didn't grow up rooting for Clemson, so don't expect him to spend too much time worrying about what the Tigers have or haven't done in the NCAA tournament over the last fifty years.

The talented guard and military son grew up all over the place, but settled in the small town of Cairo, Georgia, where most of the population couldn't tell you the last time Clemson advanced past the third round of the Big Dance.

Hammonds' case isn't unique among this version of the Clemson Tigers either. Fellow seniors James Mays and Sam Perry didn't come to Clemson to wallow in a sea of a storied basketball mediocrity. Instead, the trio bought into head coach Oliver Purnell's vision for a new basketball tradition and it seems to have paid off.

Fifth-seeded Clemson will have to wait until close to 10 PM to take on Villanova, but for a group of seniors who have waited for years for this opportunity, a few hours won't make any difference.

When Clemson takes the floor in Tampa tonight, the storylines will be many. It will mark the coronation of Purnell's turnaround, the light at the end of a 5-year tunnel that looked, at times, like it would never end. Freshmen Terrance Oglesby and Demontez Stitt will get their first taste of tournament basketball, an experience that figures to pay dividends down the road should Clemson sustain their success.

Then there will be Oliver Purnell's opportunity to gain his first NCAA tournament victory, something he's worked hard for over the course of three decades.

The last time an Oliver Purnell coached team was in the tournament was in 2003, when the coach guided the Dayton Flyers to a school record 4th seed. The Flyers fell in their first round matchup, though, and Purnell parlayed his success into a job in the ACC.

On Friday night, Villanova will be the focus, taking precedent over Purnell's individual struggle and the long, painful history of Clemson basketball. Knocking off a streaky but talented Villanova team will be a stern challenge, but it's one Purnell and the Tigers have been well prepared for. Clemson owns four wins this season over tournament competition, including victories over three teams which have already advanced past the first round. The fourth, Mississippi State, tangles with Oregon in an 8-9 matchup this evening.

For this hungry group of barnstormers from Clemson, a win over coach Jay Wright's Villanova Wildcats will shake one more monkey off of their back in a season that's seen the Tigers become quite the group of primate propellers.