Various media and fans have spent time trying to figure out just what makes Clemson Men’s Basketball tough to beat.
The Tigers aren’t particularly athletic as major college basketball teams go. They aren’t particularly tall in the aggregate and there’s no sure-fire top NBA pick on the team.
How did this team win 17 of its first 21 games, including 9 of 10 in the ACC?
It turns out, it really isn’t that hard to figure it out.
Yes, I’ve written about effective field goal percentages and some other “advanced” metrics, but I’m not sure those are necessary to discover the success of this team.
Call it what you will, but the Tigers are blue-collar, workmanlike and, most of all, play as a team.
A throwback team if you will, that can be defined by old-school stats.
They shoot well, make their free throws, don’t turn the ball over, rebound on defense and don’t give up easy buckets.
With 352 Division I teams playing ball, Clemson is 68th in field goal percentage (46.7%), 5th in free-throw percentage (79.6%), tied for 38th in fewest turnovers (11.2) and 17th in field goal percentage on defense (39.2%).
Simply put, if you shoot well, make your free throws, rebound your opponent’s missed shots and defend well you’re going to win most of your games.
Coming from someone who loves analytics, sometimes even advanced analytics, we sometimes make it harder than it needs to be.
Take good shots, make your free throws, play defense and rebound.
I can hear my high school coach screaming this over and over.
These few things have allowed Clemson to win despite injuries and despite not always having the most talented roster top to bottom.
There’s another thing that this team is, that we all need to acknowledge – well coached.
Brad Brownell and his staff have done a remarkable job with this team and he’s pushed all the right buttons at the right time this season.
There are winnable games left, but there are certainly tougher ones on the schedule ahead, too.
Clemson Men’s Basketball has a formula that’s been successful, but it isn’t perfect
The formula above has proven to be a winning one, but it won’t always translate to every game. There’ll be off shooting nights, turnovers and defensive lapses. That’s the nature of college basketball, especially one with Clemson’s roster type.
But the Tigers have made the most with what they have for any given game and once the season starts that’s all you can really ask for.