Clemson was defeated at home by the Duke Blue Devils on Sunday by the score of 66-57.
Defense was the name of the game, as neither team shot above 40 percent and both teams scored well under their season averages. Injuries were a major factor for both teams, as Clemson was without starting point guard Shelton Mitchell after a head injury against Florida State last Wednesday, and Duke was without freshman phenom Marvin Bagley due to a lingering knee injury that has caused him to now miss three consecutive games.
With Shelton Mitchell out, though, the offense needed Marcquise Reed and Gabe DeVoe to raise their level of play. Reed shot a low-percentage from the field, but frequently created contact that led to a healthy number of free throws. He filled the stat sheet and finished the game with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. DeVoe, though, was ice-cold throughout the game.  He went scoreless until the final three minutes of the game when he hit a timely 3-pointer to cut Clemson’s deficit to just two. He finished just 1-10 from the field with a meager 3 points. The most confusing aspect of DeVoe’s struggles was the fact that he was by no means being smothered by Duke’s defense. Additionally, The Tigers shot a horrid 5-20 (25 percent) from the three-point arc, with Reed and DeVoe combining to shoot just 2-14 from that distance.
Aside from Reed and DeVoe, Clemson’s role players made a tremendous impact in the game and were a major factor in the tightness of the game. Elijah Thomas had a demonstrative game with 13 points and 15 rebounds, while Aamir Simms and Mark both found success with 10 points apiece. While the game may have ended in a loss, it is nonetheless inspiring to see the way the Tigers’ bench can respond to adversity and excel against a skilled opponent.
Defensively, the Tigers struggled. The Tigers frequently got lost on ball-screens and found themselves either a step behind on a drive to the basket, or a step too far away on shooters. Grayson Allen dominated the Tigers in the first half, going 7-7 from the line and 2-2 from the field. Allen’s success from the line was indicative of a much larger problem for the Tigers: the inability to defend without fouling. Clemson gave Duke an overwhelming 26 chances from the charity stripe. To achieve their true peak, the Tigers will need to be able to defend without fouling, while also balancing the three-point shot with athletic drives to the hoop.
Despite all of Clemson’s struggles, though, the team found themselves trailing by just five points with possession of the ball and 48 seconds remaining in the game. With the right execution in this situation, the Tigers could have had two offensive possessions and a chance to tie the game or take the lead. So why didn’t Brad Brownell call timeout? The Tigers had two timeouts at the time and would have had a chance to design a play against a zone defense that they had struggled against all game long. Instead, Reed brought the ball up the court and the offense hovered in limbo, trying to decide whether to shoot a three or attempt a drive. As a result, too much time was taken off of the clock and Reed missed a difficult shot.
Additionally, Brownell’s decision to play Scott Spencer for the last six minutes of the game seems unusual. Spencer had been held scoreless in his eight total minutes in Clemson’s last four games combined but was on the floor for the entirety of the game’s most crucial moments. Spencer had not had time to acclimate to the game in the first half and seemed somewhat overwhelmed as a result. It was Spencer who fouled Duke guard Gary Trent Jr on a three-point attempt, who shot three free throws which put Duke ahead for the rest of the game.
Brad Brownell has built one of the country’s premier basketball teams in Clemson. The development of his players has been significant, and it is no coincidence that the team is experiencing such success now that his influence has had time to bear fruit. However, in the pursuit of a conference or a national championship, when one mistake can make the difference between another game of basketball and a flight home, there is no room for error from anyone.