The “storybook” season for Clemson basketball now has a concrete plot twist set in, and the Tigers are trying to close chapters in order to repair the story.
Once the darlings of the ACC after a blistering 10-1 run in conference play, Clemson (20-7, 10-4 ACC) heads into Saturday’s noon tip-off against Florida State at Littlejohn Coliseum, desperate to break a three-game losing streak. The cushion that once came from standing at the top of the standings has faded, leaving the Tigers tied for fourth on the scoreboard and grappling with the defensive identity of their past success.
“I just think every night you have to get ready to play,” the head coach, Brad Brownell, said after his team’s recent loss to Wake Forest. “This league is as deep as it’s been in the past couple years. If you’re not ready to compete at a high level, you’re not going to win.”
The biggest hurdle for Clemson’s rebound is an old one. Chauncey Wiggins has spent three seasons in a Tigers uniform at the University before finding his way back to Littlejohn Coliseum, giving the best basketball of his career.
Having transferred to Tallahassee, the 6-foot-10 Wiggins has propelled his production from 8.3 points per game to a team-high 12.6. His inside-out versatility will offer a singular challenge for Clemson’s RJ Godfrey, who continues to be the Tigers’ most consistent point-scoring force at 11.4 points with over 5.1 rebounds per game.
The Seminoles (13-13, 6-7 ACC) have positive momentum in South Carolina with an upswing, having won a two-game streak and senior guard Robert McCray helping lead the way. Following a 27-point explosion against Boston College, McCray now leads FSU in scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg).
The matchup poses a paradoxical statistic. Florida State is ranked low in three-point percentage (31.7%) yet second in the league in attempts when it comes to the ACC rank. It is a high-volume, high-variance strategy that could potentially serve Clemson or exploit a Tigers defense that seemed weak in their last few games.
Though Clemson has won the last six games against the Seminoles, home court can prove anything but a sure thing in recent seasons. For their last three games at Littlejohn, the Tigers have a 1-2 record, with devastating overtime defeats to Virginia Tech and NC State.
In the regular season with just four games remaining, the margin for error has vanished. If Clemson wants a double-bye at the ACC Tournament and secure its NCAA Tournament ranking, Saturday is a guaranteed “get-right” game.