By William Qualkinbush.
By William Qualkinbush.
Yes, it was only Oakland—the school in Michigan, not the city in California. Yes, it was only a ten-point win.
No, it wasn’t an ACC-caliber game, or crowd, for that matter. No, it wasn’t the performance of a sure-fire NCAA Tournament team.
But after being bludgeoned by South Carolina in Columbia on Friday, a 70-60 victory was exactly what the Clemson Tigers needed heading into a week-long Christmas break and right on the cusp of a brutal stretch of games to open up ACC play.
It won’t erase the memories that will sit and sting until the next stiff road test, but Monday’s win created a new positive memory to help the squad move forward.
“Games are different,” Brownell said. “If we played South Carolina tomorrow, it would still be a hard white-knuckler.”
Give Brownell credit: He won’t ever be accused of getting too high with the highs, or vice versa. He always understands perspective, so his comments are normally reliable. You won’t ever see him touting or maligning his team’s play based on a result
Oakland came into Monday’s game among the nation’s leaders in offensive efficiency. The Golden Grizzlies had only been held beneath a point per possession by two teams: Arizona and Michigan State, both NCAA Tournament teams.
Clemson joined that fraternity, limiting Oakland to only 0.89 points per possession. That’s the same Clemson team whose inability to consistently stop the opposition—particularly in the second half—has led to an increased level of frustration for Brownell and the staff.
By the way, Iowa State allowed 1.12 points per possession to Oakland. Pittsburgh allowed 1.2. Both of those teams seem pretty good to me.
At the very least, it’s a small step in the right direction for a team that has a long way to go on both ends of the floor. In a strange twist, Brownell was more displeased with his offense on Monday night, to the point that he lamented the closeness of the score.
“We should have scored 80 points tonight, in a lot of ways,” he said.
Even offensively, though, there were signs of long-term progress in the breakout performance of Jaron Blossomgame. The sophomore was dialed in, knocking down eight of ten shots and pouring in 26 points, including all three attempts from the outside.
Landry Nnoko responded after a disastrous showing in Columbia with a 17-point, seven-rebound performance. Even inefficient Donte Grantham managed 12 points despite shooting at a basket that had a lid on it.
Against the Gamecocks, the entire team watched as Rod Hall self-destructed, barely lifting a finger to offer any assistance. Hall was decent against Oakland, but he was not great, and any observer who has witnessed a Clemson game thus far would probably conclude that anything less than a great game from Hall means a loss.
But other guys picked up the slack. Blossomgame’s 26 wasn’t about Blossomgame. It was about anybody else showing the willingness and ability to take the reins of a game when the opportunity presents itself. There hadn’t been much of that prior to Monday night.
In the same vein, the defensive performance wasn’t about point totals. It was about energy level and consistency for 40 minutes. Again, those weren’t things you’d find much of in the first ten games of the season.
Last season, Clemson was blasted by Pittsburgh and North Carolina on the road by a combined 52 points. In the next game, Brownell led his team to a road win over Florida State.
Brownell has remained committed to the process of building a team. Signs of growth are there, albeit in small doses. He has shown a remarkable ability to help a team forget disaster and move forward toward greener pastures.
I have no idea if any of the positives Clemson showcased against Oakland will carry over into the ACC season, but at least there are positives, and I guarantee that wasn’t your takeaway after watching the Tigers’ most recent defeat.
God Bless!
WQ