Painter’s Preview: Tiger Basketball Week 10
Clemson Men’s Basketball had an up and down week this past week that began with a loss on the road to Louisville, but ended with a big home win over a much improved Florida State at home. The Tigers finish the week 13-4 (4-1) with a NET Ranking of 38th after both those performances. Coach Brad Brownell made it a priority for the Tigers to defend better after that disappointing road loss to the Cardinals, and they were able to hold the Seminoles to a season low 57 points. Clemson goes back on the road throughout this whole week with games against Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh.
Key Tiger Takeaways:
Travel Troubles: To start this season, Clemson has not been very successful on the road. The Tigers are just 1-3 in true road games and that lone win was over a struggling Miami Hurricane team in which Clemson only scored 65 points. The other threes losses were by a combined 26 points to Boise State, South Carolina, and Louisville. This past week, Clemson went on the road to the Cardinals, and despite controlling the game for the first 17 minutes, a late first half collapse practically sealed the game for the Cardinals. The Tigers’ leading scorer was Chase Hunter who only had 15 points, and Clemson’s big men were rendered useless against the physical defense from Louisville. Ian Schieffelin scraped up a double-double in garbage time to finish his night with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Viktor Lakhin went just 2-9 from the field as he could not finish many put back efforts. While statistically this loss does not look like a ten point difference, Coach Brownell’s roster could not take advantage of the opportunities given to them. Clemson out-rebounded Louisville on the offensive glass; however, the Cardinals had more second-chance points throughout the contest. In a difficult road environment, teams have to take advantage of important opportunities like winning the offensive glass. Clemson will have to prove their ability to play on the road this week against a mediocre Georgia Teach squad and a very good Pittsburgh team.
Hurt Ian Schieffelin: Clemson’s Chef may have just had his worst week performance wise of the season, and Coach Brownell mentioned that Schieffelin has been fighting against a calf injury and now back spasms. Schieffelin and the Tigers’ other big men were tested all week against two very physical defenses, and they did not take on that challenge very well. The Tigers struggled without a balanced offense on the road, and Clemson’s backcourt had to take the Florida State game into their own hands to secure the win. However, Schieffelin’s performances may have been hindered by the injuries in which he is struggling with. Going into this next week and as they move further into ACC play, will Coach Brownell rest the Chef in these lesser caliber match-ups for him to heal?
Elite Backcourt: As mentioned above, Clemson’s backcourt took over the game against Florida State. Chase Hunter led the way as usual, scoring 25 points. Hunter shot 8-14 from the field and 5-9 from deep to led the way, and his improved scoring ability continues to amaze Tiger Fans. While his scoring led the way, his hustle on defense helped set the tone for his teammates after a lesser spirited game against the Cardinals. Hunter was successful in getting a huge chase down block to shut down Seminole momentum late that ignited Clemson fans down the stretch. Along side Hunter, Jaeden Zackery finished with a strong 15 points, making 3 deep balls for Coach Brownell. Zackery, just like Hunter, has been able to use his experience to also set the tone defensively for Clemson. Zackery is top three in the ACC in steals this season, and his hustle plays gift Clemson extra value possessions. Reserve Freshman Guard Del Jones had one of his best performances all year as he also hit multiple three-pointers to take back the momentum. Jones has had less of an opportunity to contribute since the start of ACC play, but a recent surge of good play from the young-buck has propelled him back into valuable playing time. Other Guards Dillion Hunter and Jake Heidbreder provided great reserve minutes, but neither player played their best game. Clemson has one of the deepest backcourts they have ever had, and as the season winds down, this group will play a big role in where the Tigers end up.
Hometown Team: To start the Key Tiger Takeaways, I mentioned Clemson’s 1-3 road record, but to counter act their road struggles, the Tigers have went 12-1 at home. That lone loss was in overtime against a very talented Memphis team; however, one of those 12 wins is over one of the best teams in College Basketball, the Kentucky Wildcats. Coach Brownell and his Tigers seems so prepared for every home game that they play, and the Littlejohn crowd continues to grow and help out. Down the stretch this season, Clemson plays vital games both on the road and at home. However, the Tigers’ big games against both Duke and North Carolina are on their own home court meaning that Littlejohn will have a lot to say about the outcome of those games. Clemson needs to improve their road production, but it is relieving that Coach Brownell has his team prepared to protect their home court.
Clemson’s Upcoming Match-ups This Week
On the Road At Georgia Tech, Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Clemson starts out this week going on the road to McCamish Pavilion to play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets currently sit at 8-9 (2-4) on the season in a position that they did not want to be in, especially after their disappointing season last year. Head Coach Damon Stoudamire led Georgia Tech to a 14-18 record last season that included a double overtime win over Coach Brownell and the Tigers on the road as the highlight of their season. Clemson will be looking for their revenge to start this week as they hope to avoid a stain on their resume. Coach Stoudamire team is led by fifth-year Senior Lance Terry who missed all of last season dure to injury. Terry is a 6’3 Guard that is having the best year of his career, averaging 15.4 points/g on a 46.2% field goal percentage and 39% three point percentage. He has slowly worked his way back into his current role, and he has been on a tear during his last five games. Terry has averaged 17 points/g while shooting over 45% in 4 of those contests and over 40% from deep in 3 of those contests. Expect to see Clemson’s Jaeden Zackery on Terry to try and force him into some costly turnovers. The Yellow Jacket Guard has turned it over 6 times in their last two games, and the Tigers are hoping for him to repeat that trend. Along side Terry in the backcourt is fellow Senior Javian McCollum. McCollum has missed 4 games this season, and started only 5, but he has been a valuable contributor for Coach Stoudamire as of late. McCollum averages 12.5 points/g and 3.4 asts/g on the year, but he has reached at least 20 points in three out of their last four games. The dangerous Senior lives and dies by the deep ball and the free throw line, so Clemson will have their hands full between McCollum and Terry if both of these experienced plays get hot. Stoudamire’s potential future stars Baye Ndongo and Naithan George decided to return to Georgia Tech in the offseason, and both players are producing good Sophomore campaigns. Baye Ndongo is a 6’9 Forward who played a vital role in the upset Georgia Tech had over Clemson last season, but even though he is still producing at a good level, he has decreased his production from his Freshman season. Ndongo averages almost 12 points/g and 6.9 rbs/g which leads the Yellow Jackets, but he has not been as successful on the glass this year compared to last as he averaged 9 rebounds per game. Naithan George is sort of a different story as he has steadily improved, and his running Coach Stoudamire’s offense at an elite level. George put on 20 points on Clemson last season and was the major reason for their double overtime upset. This season George is averaging 10 points/g, 3.7 rbs/g, and 6.5 asts/g which leads the Yellow Jackets. He has produced three double-doubles this season, and he is hoping for a third against a very good Tiger defense. Naithan George was the x-factor last season during this game, and Coach Stoudamire hopes he gets the same kind of production from his Point Guard. As a team, Georgia Tech has struggled defensively and with turnovers. They allow over 73 points per game, but they are hoping Clemson’s shooting slumps on the road to give them an opportunity to take over. The Tigers will be eyeing the basketball very closely as they have been very efficient in creating turnovers with the additions of Jaeden Zackery and Viktor Lakhin. Even though this game may be on the road, it is hard to see Clemson fall to this Georgia Tech team. Clemson will win 76-63 because of costly Yellow Jacket turnovers and a balanced offensive attack.
On the Road At Pittsburgh, Saturday, January 18, 2025
Coach Brownell and his team’s toughest challenge this week falls on Saturday against the 12-4 (3-2) Pittsburgh Panthers. It is likely that the Panthers will be 13-4 (4-2) after a midweek contest at Florida State, but that game could get tricky for the Panthers if they let the Seminoles hang around. Pittsburgh Head Coach Jeff Capel has steadily improved the Panthers over his tenure there even making the NCAA Tournament once during the past three years. Last year, Pittsburgh finished 22-11 and were the fourth team out of the NCAA Tournament, but Coach Capel has his teams’ sights set on getting that berth this season. The Panthers lost their two best players to the Draft and Graduation after last season, but Coach Capel trusted in his development, and his top players this season are both returners. Leading this 24-25 roster are two Guards, Jaland Lowe and Ishmael Leggett. Lowe is a former 2023 top 100 prospect, and during his Sophomore campaign his is averaging 17.2 points/g, 4.6 rbs/g, and 5.9 asts/g. Despite this good looking numbers, Lowe has struggled with consistent shooting ability as he has shot under 40% from the field and under 30% from behind the arc. As anyone could tell, Lowe still does it all for Coach Capel making his presence known in every phase of the game, but he needs to improve his shooting ability for the Panthers to truly get over that hump. He currently gets a lot of his work done on the free throw line and behind the arc because his opportunities given to him are so huge. Ishmael Leggett is the veteran presence for Coach Capel, and he has averaged just under 17 points/g and 5.6 rbs/g while shooting 49% from the field, but under 32% from deep. Leggett, like Lowe, also loves to get to the free throw line, but if either one of these guys or both are successful from deep, it will be a long day for Coach Brownell and his squad. The Tigers struggled against Memphis’ shooting duo of Guards earlier this season, and it will not be favorable for them to struggle again. The duo of Cameron Cohen and Guillermo Diaz Graham have been cleaning up the glass for the Panther within the paint. Cohen is a 6’10 Transfer Forward who has been averaging 11 points/g with 6 rbs/g, while Graham is a 7’0 that have been averaging 6.4 points/g and 5.7 rbs/g. These two huge big man do a great job within Pittsburgh system, and Pittsburgh backcourt also helps get rebounds as they mostly rebound by committee. The Panthers score over 80 points per game, and they rely heavily on the deep ball. They are 1-3 in Quad 1 games similar to Clemson’s 1-2 record, but one of these teams will have to improve that number on Saturday. It will be interesting to see the match-up between the Panthers’ dynamic guards against Clemson’s great defense. Because of Pittsburgh’s Star’s inconsistency shooting the three-ball, I believe Clemson will sneak out a win in this valuable ACC match-up. Clemson will win 78-76 and improve their Quad 1 record.
Sources:
ESPN. “ESPN.” ESPN.com, 2019, www.espn.com/.
“Sports Reference | Sports Stats, Fast, Easy, and Up-To-Date | Sports-Reference.com.” Sports-Reference.com, 2019, www.sports-reference.com/.
“DI Men’s Basketball Rankings - NCAA Men’s Basketball NET Rankings | NCAA.com.” Www.ncaa.com, www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/ncaa-mens-basketball-net-rankings.