In a game that should have solidified Clemson’s NCAA positioning, the Tigers came out flat, disinterested, and sloppy against Virginia. They rallied in the second half to give themselves a chance but ended up losing 66-65. Clemson is descending toward the bubble once again. This time if Clemson misses the NCAA tournament, I don’t think Brad Brownell gets another year.
Just a couple of weeks, after Clemson’s stunning home loss to Georgia Tech we wrote this…
Three weeks ago Clemson sat 11-1 with wins over Alabama, TCU, and South Carolina. They were in the top 15, and it looked like Clemson was headed toward a top 3 NCAA seed. Since then Clemson is 1-4, the wheels came off Tuesday night in losing a 9-point lead with just 90 seconds to previously 8-8 (1-4) Georgia Tech. The Jackets have only won 1 game in January.
The Tigers fell to 12-5 (2-4) after that game.
Four games later, Clemson is still treading water going 2-2 to be 14-7 (4-6). Here’s the problem: Clemson’s nonconference results have them in the field if selections were this week, but they head to UNC 18-4 (10-1) next, and Clemson being 14-8 (4-7) is a very real and likely possibility. The OOC results can only carry Clemson so far and so long if they keep losing conference games.
That’s the problem with Brad Brownell and Clemson. They shouldn’t be in this position. They should be fighting for an ACC Tournament double BYE spot, and NCAA seeding notfor their NCAA lives.
Saturday Tony Bennett coached circles around Brad Brownell. The Hoos relentlessly crashed the boards in the 1st half, and seemed to chase down every loose ball. I would estimate Virginia outplayed Clemson in 18 out of the first 20 minutes.
PJ Hall is in a massive 3-point shooting slump missing 11 of his last 12 shots from that range. With Clemson’s struggles on the glass, Bronwell should have parked Hall in the paint to help on the boards, and reduce the number of 3’s he was taking.
How about setting up screens for Joe Girard, whom Virginia’s Reece Beekman controlled for most of the game?
Clemson hasn’t been able to win any of their last 3 one possession games losing to Georgia Tech, Duke, and Virginia and they haven’t won back-to-back games since December.
If Clemson misses the NCAA tournament, it will be Brownell’s 11th season out of 14 without an NCAA bid.
Can Clemson keep for Brownell for another season when they should have cruised toward a bid? Hall, Girard, and Chase Hunter will be gone next year and it will be a major rebuild.
I believe it’s NCAA or bust for Clemson and Brad Brownell at this point.
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