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Associated Press

Clemson's K.C. Rivers, left, and Terrence Olgesby, right, battle USC-Aiken's Josh Dollard for a rebound during the first half of an exhibition game at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson earlier this month. Rivers led the Tigers in scoring the last two seasons.

CLEMSON — If history is any indication, the Clemson men’s basketball team is supposed to be in a rebuilding season. Just go back and look at the years following a successful run.

Led by a senior class that experienced the highs and lows of playing in the ACC, the Tigers cruised to a 24-10 record, while advancing the program to its first ACC Tournament Championship game in 46 years. They also made the NCAA Tournament and finished No. 22 in the final rankings.

But the question this year is can they keep it up?

Like the teams that followed those great Clemson teams of the past, this year’s Tigers will have to replace a senior class that played a huge role in the Tigers fortunes the last four seasons. Can they keep it going or will they slip like history says they will?

“We will miss the seniors from last year, no doubt,” Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said.

That group of seniors included guard Cliff Hammonds and forwards James Mays and Sam Perry. Their 84 career wins marked the best four-year stretch in Clemson history. So how can the Tigers match that or better yet, top it this season and avoid a slip.

“This is a young and vigorous team,” senior guard K.C. Rivers said. “They are full of life. We have guys that are excited to play. Usually there are guys that are willing to play, but our guys are getting on the floor and diving after loose balls. They are willing to keep the crowd enthused.

“That’s the main thing we did last year. When things got rough, we found ways to get the crowd back involved and made them a sixth man for us.”

Besides Rivers, Purnell will have two other starters back – point guard Demontez Stitt and center Trevor Booker – as well as 11 lettermen.

“The thing about this team is that to a point, we are more mature,” Rivers said. “We kind of handle things a little bit different now. We have seen the limelight. We have seen what it takes to get there. We tasted an ACC Championship. We could have had it as a whole, but we tasted it.

“We got a whiff of the NCAA Tournament. We know what is out there and what the significance is in winning and advancing. I believe this team here is more mature. We have guys that are willing to win, ready to win and wanting to do whatever it takes to win.”

Purnell likes the way his team has stayed grounded and focused on not being satisfied.

“This is a high character group. They listen, but they are young men and they are acceptable to listen to some of the hype,” the Clemson coach said. “We have had to get on them a few times about that. Just the other day after the USC-Aiken game. We came in the next day and it was like we thought we arrived, but I talked to them about it.

“The next day they came out to practice and the next day was even a better day and hopefully today will be a better day. They are starting to smell that it is game time like a mature team should and have an understanding that now it is for real and that we have got challenges here.”

Though he wasn’t a starter, Terrence Oglesby was a double figure scorer off the bench as a freshman sharpshooter, while David Potter and Raymond Sykes are experienced in the frontcourt and will challenge for a starting position. The same goes for power forward Jerai Grant, who had flashes of brilliance in his 249 minutes.

Reserve center Karolis Petrukonis is also prepared to be a factor. Purnell also has freshmen in guards Tanner Smith and Andre Young, sophomore forward Bryan Narcisse and Catalin Baciu, who should all contribute.

“The freshmen have to help us this year whether they are starters or seventh or eighth guys because of our style of play. We need a lot of players to contribute to our system,” Purnell said. “They all give us something different.”