Fans impressed by 'new' Littlejohn

CLEMSON – Several former Clemson basketball stars returned to witness this year’s team debut with a victory in the “new” Littlejohn Coliseum on Friday night, including Dale Davis, Sharone Wright and Grayson Marshall.

Their only regret?

“I just wish we had it back then,” said Davis, the former NBA All-Star who played at Clemson from 1987 to 1991.

Davis fared quite well, thank you, in the “old” Littlejohn, but was duly impressed by the $63.5 million renovation that he hopes will help Clemson basketball rejoin the elite in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“I had heard so much about this place, and it definitely met expectations,” Davis said. “They did a wonderful job. It’s state-of-the-art, first class and just shows the tradition and commitment that Clemson and the fans deserve.”

For the record, Clemson made its new coliseum debut by dispatching Georgia, 74-64, and fairly delighting a sold-out crowd of 9,000 that seemed just as eager to check out the Tigers’ new digs as they did watch the season opener unfold.

“I love it,” said Peter Rowan, a third-year Clemson senior from Bethesda, Maryland. “This (video) screen is so big it’s unbelievable.”

The largest center-hung curved videoboard in the nation, to be exact. And rather accommodating to close-to-the-court viewers with its tilted tandem of video screens underneath.

“It made a lot of sense to put bleachers in for the students,” Rowan said. “Students help bring a lot more excitement to the game.”

That they do, and that was evident Friday night. New courtside roll-out bleachers hold more than 300 students.

“It was awesome – it reminded me of some of my favorite memories from going to high school games,” said Joe Devine, a sophomore from Chapin. “I think it’s definitely worth a couple of baskets when you’re able to scream at players. The louder the better.”

Also on hand to witness the new coliseum debut was former player Jordan Roper, who also was partial to the new configuration that gives students a more prominent place and voice.

“It’s more intimate for them – they’re more involved with the game and can scream at the refs a bit more,” Roper said, laughing. “That’s when it becomes one of the places you don’t want to go if you’re an opposing team – kind of like Death Valley is now. This place has the potential to be like that.

“Once the fans get involved, that’s when it becomes really special. I think this is already a Top 5 arena in the ACC, just off its looks.”