Clemson’s March Madness hopes just had a haymaker sent right to the chin. On Thursday, Clemson Athletics revealed what Tiger fans everywhere feared — junior center Carter Welling tore his ACL in Wednesday’s victory over Wake Forest and will miss the rest of the season. Welling, the Utah Valley transfer who became the beating heart of the Tigers' interior defense, was hurt after grasping his right knee in the first half against the Demon Deacons. Though he appeared on the bench in the middle of the second half rooting for his teammates, the MRI in a following game showed him in the worst possible scenario.
A Massive Void in the Paint
Welling wasn’t just a body in the post; he led the Tigers on both rebounds (5.4 a game) and blocks (0.8 a game) while contributing 10.2 points to the offense. Without him, Brad Brownell lost his primary rim protector as the Tigers prepare to contest the high-profile frontcourts of the ACC and the NCAA Tournament.
“Clearly so disappointing because I thought we did really well tonight and so much we want to be at full strength,” Brownell said after receiving the diagnosis. "But that's part of it. So, anyway, we’ll find a way to fight that."
Next Man Up: The “New” Frontcourt
Now with freshman Trent Steinour also sidelined (shoulder), the Tigers are suddenly thin in the trenches. Expect a heavy dose of:
RJ Godfrey: His 22-point game against UNC earlier this month had led up to the pressure being laid all on the guy inside to be the man inside.
Chase Thompson: This freshman has watched 19 minutes against Wake, and will see that total shoot up to 25+ tonight.
Nick Davidson: One need to have the veteran presence of the redshirt senior, in place of a luxury.