CHARLOTTE — Following Friday’s 73-61 loss to No. 1 Duke in the ACC Tournament Semifinals, Clemson forward R.J. Godfrey had a firm message to his teammates.

“We should not hang our heads. This is the worse time of the year to hang our heads,” the senior said. “We should look at this time as constructive, build, and in the (NCAA) Tournament do great things.”

Godfrey knows how do all of what he suggested. He was on the Clemson team two years ago that was pummeled by Boston College in the ACC Tournament, and then turned around and advanced all the way to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament.

He feels the Tigers (24-10) can go on a similar run in this year’s tournament or maybe take it a step or two further.

“On the first day of practice, I wrote National Championship on the board,” Godfrey said. “I really believe that we can do it. It’s my last time around and my goal, like I said, was to win (the ACC) tournament.

“Anything can happen in March. I believe in these guys. I believe in our coaches, and I believe in these fans. They are going to travel, and we are going to follow the game plan, and I believe that we can win the national championship.”

Like Godfrey, Dillon Hunter believes the Tigers can go on another run in the NCAA Tournament.

“We know it is not going to be easy, but we do not want it to be easy,” Hunter said. “We need to use the momentum to get back to ourselves. We have a couple of days. We have a lot of guys that our banged up. We have a chance to get healthy.

“We can get back to practice. We can focus on doing what we know we can do, and then attack that week when we get to the tournament.”