Enough with all the pats on the back and all the high fives following 20th-ranked Clemson’s big win over No. 19 North Carolina Tuesday night. It is time to get back to work, which is exactly what the Tigers did on Thursday.
Though the Tigers don’t play until Saturday at Wake Forest, Clemson head coach Brad Brownell says the team has moved past the big-win over the Tar Heels and has their sights set on the Demon Deacons, who are coming off a big win themselves on Wednesday night in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Wake (9-13, 2-8 ACC) snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 76-72 win over Florida State.
“We are certainly coming off a good win, but now it is on to Wake Forest,” Brownell said. “They are a team that had a great win over Florida State. I thought they played very well. They have great guard play.”
Clemson (18-4, 7-3 ACC) has received great guard play, too, recently. Gabe DeVoe, Shelton Mitchell and Marcquise Reed played well in both wins over Georgia Tech and UNC. DeVoe has made 10-of-16 three-pointers in the two games combined and scored 42 points, Mitchell has scored 31 points, while Reed dropped in 20 against the Tar Heels and the Tigers in assists and rebounds with no turnovers. He also had 13 points and 11 assists at Georgia Tech last Sunday.
The three also combined to make 11-of-22 three-pointers in the win over North Carolina.
“The quick turnaround with Georgia Tech and North Carolina, we had two really good performances and wins,” Brownell said. “There has been a lot of basketball and we still have not had our bye (week) yet so we have been going kind of non-stop. Yesterday was kind of good for everybody to compress and take a deep breath.
“Certainly, it was nice after a big victory. We all got patted on the back yesterday, which was great.”
After getting a day off Wednesday, the team was back at on Thursday. They started the day at 7:15 a.m. watching film on the North Carolina game, pointing out the good the bad and the ugly of what happened in the game and what they have to do to correct it.
In the afternoon, it was on to Wake Forest.
“We are starting our Wake Forest film as soon as we leave this room and jump right into our Wake Forest scout. We have two full days to get ready for that,” Brownell said.
Donnal injury update: Clemson center Mark Donnal was cleared to practice in limited situations on Thursday.
The graduate transfer from Michigan missed the North Carolina game on Thursday due to concussion like symptoms following a head injury he suffered at Georgia Tech last Sunday.
The reserve center is questionable for Saturday’s game at Wake Forest.
“He did get clear to shot and run through some dry offense,” Brownell said. “Hopefully if no symptoms come back then he will be able to practice (on Friday). If none come back, then he will be cleared to play. If he has any symptoms then he will be scratched.”