It's not too much change from the past -- this is pretty much the same team that started 17-0 last season (becoming the nation's last unbeaten team), yet still failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Aside from trading Vernon Hamilton for Stitt and Oglesby, it's the same team.
If there's a difference this year, I don't think it's a change in the type player Purnell is recruiting, but experience -- his starting lineup of Mays (senior), Hammonds (senior), Perry (senior), Rivers (junior), and Booker (a sophomore who started 36 games last season) is the most experienced in the ACC.
I think they are very much like Virginia Tech last year -- a good team that will finally get over the hump this season and make the NCAA field. I think their season will be different this year ... but I don't think they will challenge UNC and Duke for the ACC title (unless one or both of those teams slump badly).
I have been impressed with their performance this year. I think their experience showed up in a road win at Mississippi State (where Miami also won) and in impressive homecourt wins over Purdue, South Carolina and Old Dominion. They also blew out East Carolina in Greenville, NC, just a few days before the Pirates beat NC State.
Starting Thursday night, the Tigers play three games in San Juan -- they'll face DePaul and Ole Miss. Then they come back on New Year's Day and play at Alabama.
They open in the ACC Jan. 6 when North Carolina visits Littlejohn. In fact, they open in the ACC with three straight home games (FSU and NC State also visit) before playing their first ACC road game at Duke on the 19th.
As of this moment, I think Clemson is a clear No. 3 in the ACC ... in fact, let's try an ACC power ranking (as of Dec. 17, 2007):
IN THE NCAA FIELD TODAY
1. North Carolina (they are ahead of Duke in the RPI and the polls)
2. Duke
3. Clemson
4. Miami (unbeaten and No. 1 in the RPI!!)
ON THE BUBBLE
5. Boston College (1-0 in the ACC and a surprising 7-2 overall)
6. Virginia (good win at Arizona ... bad loss at Seton Hall)
NIT BOUND
7. Florida State (very erratic)
8. Wake Forest (not great, but maximizing their opportunities)
9. Virginia Tech (struggling to stay afloat)
UNDERACHIEVING
10. Maryland (no good wins and some dangerously close bad wins; homecourt loss to BC hurts)
11. N.C. State (actually good enough to make an NCAA run, but based on results to date, the ACC's most disappointing team)
12. Georgia Tech (see NC State comment ... it's pretty much the same)
Let me repeat, those are the rankings AS OF TODAY, based on their current accomplishments -- not how strong I think the teams actually are. I think those bottom three teams are more talented than the three teams in front of them and SHOULD move up.