To wit, Clemson just showed us that it can punch back. Ambushed by Wake Forest three weeks ago, the Tigers in turn up to save it Wednesday in Charlotte and opened the Spectrum Center with a 71-62 victory that kicked off the Tigers’ ACC Tournament run.
And it was a story of two halves, of a frightful injury, and of a lot of “what’s next” for Brad Brownell’s team. And though the 23-9 Tigers appear to be a lock for the Big Dance, the recent bracketology projections would suggest they are reluctant to get complacent. If the experts are right, Clemson is about to stumble on the college hoops front.
The Good, Bad, and Welling Injury.
Clemson played as one in the opening frame of the season, raining down a season-high nine 3-pointers by the break. They came into the locker room up 41-23, an incredible 18-point cushion that turned the regular-season loss to the Deacs into a lifetime ago. After that, however, the vibe soured dramatically when leading receiver Carter Welling went down. Welling held onto his right knee after a layup attempt late in the first half and was forced out of the game off the floor. He never came back and his role for Thursday’s quarterfinal is the enormous orange cloud above this victory.
The Tigers’ depth came into it in his absence. In addition, with 11 points and eight boards, RJ Godfrey led the way. But freshman Chase Thompson gave it a welcome break with nine points from off the bench.
Breakdown of the Bracketology: One roadblock, not an easy path.
Nevertheless, the “experts” aren’t lifting the ball that much for Clemson, even with the victory. The Tigers are firmly set in that 8-9 seed "danger zone," where the reward for a one-round win is in this case only likely a date with a No. 1-seed.
Source | Projected Seed | Potential Round 1 Opponent | Potential Round 2 Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
ESPN (Lunardi) | No. 9 | Utah State | Michigan |
USA Today | No. 9 | Iowa | Florida |
CBS Sports | No. 8 | Iowa | Duke |
Jerry Palm | No. 8 | TCU | Florida |
The consensus is clear: Clemson is likely heading to the South or Midwest, and must knock out such a giant like the Wolverines or current champion Florida Gators before it gets to the Sweet 16.
Revenge in Charlotte
Before the Tigers can get down to travel brackets, they have a massive chance tonight. Clemson has the No. 4 seed North Carolina Tar Heels at 9:30 p.m. ET. It’s a rematch of the March 3 thriller in which UNC got away with a 4-point win. If Brownell can orchestrate an upset over the No. 19-ranked Heels, Clemson could finally emerge from that nine seed gutter and have a better route on Selection Sunday. In the first half, however, the Tigers were decisive in the close battle against Wake. Now they have to prove how they can live without one of their key big men.