In a showdown that halted Clemson's spirited run, the No. 1 seed Duke outplayed the Tigers in the ACC Tournament semifinals, securing a 73-61 victory in Charlotte. The Tigers, seeded fifth, struggled with their shooting, managing only 32.7 percent from the field. The first half was particularly challenging, as they hit just 22 percent, capped by a streak of 10 consecutive misses before halftime.
Clemson's head coach, Brad Brownell, took some responsibility for the sluggish start, admitting, “We didn't have our best in the first half. I've told my team some of that is on me.” Despite his reluctance to delve into specifics, Brownell expressed his regret, saying, “I won't sleep very well tonight because of it.”
With this win, the Blue Devils (31-2) advance to face No. 2 seed Virginia, who convincingly defeated Miami 84-62, in the tournament’s title game.
Though Clemson fell short of reaching their first ACC tourney final since 2008, they made a commendable effort, especially given the adversity they faced. The team lost starting forward Carter Welling to a torn ACL in their second-round victory over Wake Forest and had recently emerged from a four-game losing streak in February.
Senior Dillon Hunter reflected on the journey, stating, “I feel like we rallied back. Being able to come in here, get two good wins - didn't accomplish what we wanted to, but using this momentum and going into Selection Sunday, just staying positive.”
As Selection Sunday approaches, Clemson’s resume remains strong, boasting an 11-0 record in Quad 3 and Quad 4 matchups, with no “bad” losses according to the NCAA tournament selection committee’s NET rankings. Despite the setback against top-ranked Duke, Clemson stands at 7-6 in Quad 1 games and 6-4 in Quad 2.
The Tigers are expected to secure an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament, with predictions placing them as a No. 10 seed, potentially facing UCF in either the Midwest or West Region.
Brownell acknowledged the disappointment of not clinching an ACC tourney title but took pride in his team’s achievements this season. “This is a true team,” he remarked.
“We didn't think we had anybody that was maybe gonna be an all-conference player, but we have a lot of good players. And we have competitive guys and we have guys that are coachable and we have guys that care.”
Clemson will need to rediscover their shooting touch for the NCAA Tournament. After a strong performance against the Tar Heels, their shooting faltered against Duke’s formidable defense. The Tigers hit just one shot in the final 12 minutes of the first half, trailing 41-22 at the break.
In the second half, Clemson improved slightly, shooting just under 43 percent and hitting 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. However, they ended the night 7-of-25 from three-point range.
Defensively, Clemson struggled to contain Duke’s Boozer brothers. Freshman forward Cameron Boozer posted a double-double with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while his brother Cayden contributed 16 points.
“We've done a decent job defensively, but not good enough offense to help us,” Brownell noted. “There's just too much pressure on us. And obviously, the Boozer Brothers hurt us.”
Leading the Tigers were RJ Godfrey with 18 points and six rebounds, Ace Buckner with 11 points, and Jestin Porter with 10.
Brownell praised his team’s efforts, saying, “It's a privilege to coach these guys. I hate it because they're hurting, because these two guys (Hunter and Godfrey) wanted to be in a final two. And we're not gonna get that opportunity.”
Looking ahead, Brownell remains optimistic about Selection Sunday, confident that the Tigers’ season will be celebrated. “We've had a hell of a year, and we're gonna have one hell of a fun Sunday.”