Clemson came into this one with a chance to prove something, but instead, the Tigers got a lesson in physicality. Iowa controlled the boards from the start, and that was the difference. This was a game decided by who wanted it more inside, and Clemson came up short.
Watching the box score is enough to make any member of the Clemson faithful sick. A 40-27 rebounding deficit? Allowing 15 offensive rebounds? In a game decided by the narrowest of margins, those extra possessions for Iowa were the equivalent of handing them the keys to the stadium.
The "Hunger" Gap
Coach Brad Brownell didn't mince words after the game, and he shouldn't have. When asked how frustrating it was to get beat on the offensive glass, Brownell’s disappointment was palpable.
"Yeah, it was," Brownell said. "You know, I'm anxious to watch the film and just see what happened. Certainly some long shots by them, long rebounds. I'm sure there's a couple that just bounced their way, but there were others that we needed to win; 50/50 balls you have to get. We just weren't quite as hungry as we needed to be to win those."
Hunger was the difference. RJ Godfrey and Nick Davidson battled inside, but Iowa, with Cam Manyawu and Cooper Koch leading the way, got to almost every loose ball.
A Breakdown in the System
Not securing the defensive glass gave Iowa too many second chances and took Clemson out of its offense. The Tigers couldn't get out and run, and every time Butta Johnson or Jestin Porter tried to push the pace, they were forced to play against Iowa's set defense because Clemson couldn't finish the play with a rebound.
Brownell explained the tactical nightmare this created:
"What makes that doubly hard is then you don't get to start your break, and you don't get any easy baskets, so we were constantly playing against their set defense all night. That became a problem, as well...I thought we stayed with our plan and hung in there reasonably well defensively, but the defensive rebounding was a problem, and obviously the fouling with the free throws, that was the big difference in the game."
The free throw numbers were just as lopsided. Iowa shot 31 free throws to Clemson's 12. Dillon Hunter and Ace Buckner tried to give the Tigers a lift, but the fouls kept piling up.
Final Take: Grit is Not Optional
Clemson actually shot better from the field (41% to 38%) and from three (35% to 28%), but still lost. In the end, basketball is about possessions, not just shooting percentages.
Alvaro Folgueiras came off the bench and grabbed key rebounds, and Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks set the tone for Iowa. Clemson got some moments from Chase Thompson and Dallas Thomas, but that wasn't enough against a team that played harder on the glass.
If Clemson wants to play in March, the hunger Brownell talked about has to show up every night. The Tigers need to get tougher on the boards.