Three Takeaways from Clemson's loss to No. 1 Virginia in the ACC Semifinals
Clemson had its chances in the ACC semifinals against the No. 1 team in the country.
But the Cavaliers, led by their ACC Coach of the Year Tony Bennett, flexed their muscles and pushed the right buttons on their way to a 64-58 victory to get back to the ACC championship.
No one gave Clemson much of a shot, especially after the Tigers only put 36 points on the board in Charlottesville the first time around. Clemson made believers out of many once it took a 20-13 lead in the first half.
A 16-0 Virginia run right after was all it took to suffocate Clemson almost into submission. The Tigers would continue to fight and make runs, but it never got to be a one-possession game in the second half.
Shelton Mitchell (18 points) and Elijah Thomas (15 points) did all they could to make it a game, but Clemson needed exceptional games from all of its starters, especially the guards.
Marcquise Reed and Gabe DeVoe combined to score 14 points and needed a much greater effort if Clemson was going to shock the rest of the ACC.
The Tigers now have an extra day of rest before Selection Sunday, where their seven-year drought of being in the NCAA Tournament will come to a close. Can they make a run once the real madness of March begins?
Here are three takeaways from Clemson’s loss to Virginia in the ACC semifinals.
A tough night for Reed
Clemson is at its best when Marcquise Reed is leading the team in scoring. As we’ve said before, if four starters can get into double-figures, and Reed can score 20, Clemson is tough to beat.
He had a terrible game when the lights were on him the brightest on Friday night. Virginia knew he was the cog that got Clemson going offensively and made him uncomfortable from the opening tip.
Saying the words “uncomfortable” and “Reed” in the same sentence sounds odd, but it was the first time this season the guard looked bothered on the court.
Virginia’s defense forced him into settling for contested shots from the perimeter. Reed shot 2-for-14 from the field and only 1-of-10 from behind the arc. After making 12 threes against Boston College, Clemson only managed to make five on 25 attempts.
Clemson will need its closer to impose his will in the NCAA Tournament if the Tigers are going to make any sort of run. Teams advance because of tremendous guard play and Clemson is more than capable with Reed, DeVoe, and Mitchell.
The Tigers are going to need Reed at his best if they are going to be at their best.
Elijah Thomas showing presence inside
Clemson’s offense spends a lot of time swinging the ball around the perimeter to look for open shots, in part, because the offense is dominated by savvy guard play.
But there is another dimension to Clemson’s offense that is sometimes overlooked.
Elijah Thomas had a great game inside, scoring 15 points and securing seven rebounds for Clemson.
When he gets a touch on offense, the defense is forced to collapse on him when he has good position. From there, he could kick it out to a guard for an open shot or continue to battle inside for a shot of his own.
When Clemson’s offense can flow through Thomas, there is a different feel to it. Guards are cutting and there are more passes per offensive possessions.
Thomas has continued to give Clemson success on both ends of the floor. Look for him to continue to cause opponents problems on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Clemson can make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament
When the dust settles after Championship Week, Clemson will probably be the highest rated five seed or lowest rated four seed on Selection Sunday.
This could bode well for Clemson and give them a favorable draw in the first two rounds. We know everyone will look for the old 5-12 upset, but Clemson has proven they can hang with some of the best competition with its defense and confident guard play.
If someone told the average Clemson fan back in November the Tigers would have a legitimate shot at making it to the second weekend of the Big Dance, they would have laughed in your face.
In the year after South Carolina became the Cinderella story, capturing the hearts of fans around the country on its way to a Final Four run, Clemson making it out of the first round of the tournament would be huge.
Once the Gamecocks made it out of the first weekend after beating Duke, they had all the belief in them that they could survive and advance against anyone.
Clemson hasn’t been to the Tournament since 2011, but the experience this team has will give them a calming confidence against its first-round foes. A confidence that got them this far in the first place.
Brad Brownell said after his final home win over Florida State, with Donte Grantham his guys would be playing for “big, big, big things” and without him they are still a good team but it’s an uphill battle talent-wise in some games.
Well, this team still made it to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament before falling to the No. 1 team in the country. Big things could still be on the table for this team.
They just have to make it out of the first weekend.
We will have full coverage from Clemson today as the Tigers find out who, when, and where they are playing in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.