Clemson’s final tune-up before the season opener came with far less drama than the first one, but it still offered a few useful snapshots of where this group stands.
The Tigers handled Presbyterian 84-70 on Wednesday night at Littlejohn, getting 21 points from Ace Buckner and enough steady production elsewhere to finish their second exhibition with a win. Now the focus shifts to Monday night’s opener against Stetson, but the scrimmage still gave Clemson a chance to sort through a few things before the games start counting.
The early stretch looked like it might turn into a runaway. Clemson jumped ahead 15-2 in the opening minutes, and the matchup seemed headed exactly where most people would have expected.
Instead, the Tigers let Presbyterian hang around longer than they should have. Sloppy shot selection, gaps on defense and a generally loose first half helped the Blue Hose claw within three late in the opening 20 minutes.
Clemson eventually settled things down with a 12-0 burst that pushed the lead to 42-27, but the uneven play never fully disappeared. Even with the result never really in doubt, the Tigers carried some of that sloppiness through the full 40 minutes. Whether that’s a warning sign or just the kind of mess that comes with exhibition basketball is something Monday may help answer.
One of the brightest takeaways came from Dylan Faulkner, who keeps looking like a perfect fit for what Clemson needs in the frontcourt. The Samford transfer finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and five blocks, hitting seven of his eight shots from the floor while going 6-of-10 at the line.
He wasn’t just scoring around the rim, either. Faulkner kept showing touch, timing and awareness as a passer, making himself useful in ways that go beyond the easy dump-off finish.
That kind of all-around presence has made him look like a glue guy already. Through two exhibitions, he’s been one of the Tigers’ most dependable pieces.
Ace Buckner also gave Clemson something to build on. After fouling out against Georgia and playing only 15 minutes in that exhibition, he got much more runway Wednesday and made the most of it.
His speed to the basket was there, and he mixed in a few threes as well on the way to 21 points. Against a lesser opponent, that’s the sort of line Clemson should expect from him.
Still, after the quieter showing against Georgia, it had to feel good for Brad Brownell to see Buckner get rolling again.
Liutauras Lelevicius added another encouraging note. The former TCU wing scored 11 points and grabbed three rebounds, helping Clemson shake loose from a few offensive dead spots.
After taking only three shots against Georgia, he came out aggressive Wednesday and opened his night by drilling a three from the top of the arc. Clemson brought him in for scoring help on the wing, and this was the kind of response Brownell had to want to see.
Clemson will face Stetson on Monday, November 2, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
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