2012-13 Under The Radar Players: Milton Jennings, Clemson
Clemson is not the team that it once was when head coach Oliver Purnell took them to five straight 21+ win seasons and four straight NCAA Tournaments. Current head coach Brad Brownell has more of a challenge on his hands after a cumulative two-year record of 38-27 and a loss of four impact players from last year's team. Enter senior forward Milton Jennings. The versatile 6'9" athlete who is the second-highest returning scorer and rebounder (9.7 points, 5.6 rebounds) should be one of the surprise players in the ACC for Clemson Tigers this season.
As a former McDonald's All-American, Jennings has yet to tap into his ceiling as a player, just recently adding enough strength to battle on the glass and down low as opposed to trying to be a full-time 3-man which he is not. But Milton Jennings did show us some of what is in store in the future against the ACC's two best teams last season: North Carolina and Duke; he averaged 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in four games against those two schools.
Now that Jennings is realizing his NBA future is at the power forward position, he becomes an even more dangerous mismatch given his agility and athleticism for a player of his size, while he continues to add bulk to his rangy frame. He can knock down shots consistently from 15-17 feet with good consistency and step back and hit the 3-point jumper if left open as he shot 33.3 percent a year ago.
Jennings averaged just 26.4 minutes per game, yet used the sixth most possessions in the conference. Given two impact frontcourt players graduating, there is a strong belief that Milton Jennings will be an even bigger part of Clemson's offense in 2012-13.
By NBA-DRAFT.com Staff Writer - 10 - 15 - 12
