Clemson basketball: ‘Best is the standard’ shouldn’t just apply to football

Clemson basketball has hit a rough patch over the last 10 days.

For the third straight game, Clemson basketball got absolutely embarrassed on the court – there is no other way to say it, they stunk.

That said, I don’t know what is more embarrassing the program’s effort after a 10-day layoff from covid or the reaction from local media and fans as they continue to make excuses for a team that has the talent and experience to win.

Remember, last season, a majority of the Clemson basketball fan base adopted the South Caroline football motto of “wait until next year”. Well, we are here and while this program had an amazing start, they are showing their true colors and it should no longer be acceptable.

What we have witnessed over the last three losses to Virginia, Georgia Tech and Florida State should upset everyone within the program and every fan outside the program.

When you lose games in the manner in which this program has over the last week, there isn’t one simple fix and blow-out losses like that don’t happen because they are winded and need more motivation. They happen because the message in the locker room is stale and no one is paying attention.

Best isn’t just the standard for Clemson football.

There are casual Clemson fans and there are actual Clemson fans.

Casual Clemson fans are here for football season because the Tigers have become one of the elite programs in the country. Casual Clemson fans may donate to IPTAY but they don’t donate to the actual university and they don’t root for Clemson basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, softball, or any other entity on campus.

Actual Clemson fans and alumni donate time, effort, and energy to all things Clemson and bleed orange and purple regardless of the sport.

If you are making excuses for the results on the floor over the last week and a half, you are a casual Clemson fan and should find your way back to whatever fan base you came from – that goes for local media too.

After decades of average basketball, it is time that Clemson basketball finds a new pathway because what they are doing currently simply isn’t working. Unfortunately, until Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich believes “best is the standard” applies to all Clemson athletic programs, we more than likely won’t see a change anytime soon.

That doesn’t mean that real Clemson basketball fans should accept it