Clemson basketball on COVID pause again. What the Tigers learned from last shutdown
For the second time this season, the Clemson men’s basketball team is pausing team activities due to COVID-19.
The ACC announced Monday morning that Clemson’s game scheduled for Wednesday night at Notre Dame has been postponed.
“The postponement follows a positive test, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Clemson men’s basketball program,” the ACC said through a statement.
Tigers coach Brad Brownell, speaking on the ACC teleconference Monday morning, confirmed there were multiple positive COVID-19 tests in the program. The team will be off for at least two to three days, according to Brownell. The next game on Clemson’s schedule is Sunday at Pitt.
The pause comes at a tough time for Clemson, as the Tigers have won three straight games and four of their past five. Clemson is currently 13-5 (7-5 ACC) with about three weeks remaining in the regular season.
Clemson’s last pause in team activities led to a rough stretch for the Tigers. The team was set to play at UNC on Jan. 9 but had to postpone that game after a positive test in its program. Clemson’s following game at Syracuse was also postponed in mid-January.
The Tigers returned to action Jan. 16 against Virginia and suffered a 35-point home loss. Clemson went on to lose three consecutive games and four of five.
“Your guys’ conditioning goes quicker than you think it does. ... If your kids are not doing anything, it’s going to affect them. You’re not going to come back with the same energy and legs. You’re going to be tired,” Brownell said. “We’ve gotta be able to keep our conditioning at a better level.”
He added that Clemson’s fundamentals and defense suffered the most after the first pause. Clemson allowed at least 79 points in four of five games after the last pause. The Tigers have allowed 72 points or less in all three games during their current winning streak.
“The other thing we’ve gotta make sure we do is we’re right on fundamentals, because I think that’s the thing that kids don’t do that on their own. You need to remind them of all the fundamentals on both offense and defense,” Brownell said. “They’re certainly not going to go into the gym and work on their defensive slides and closeouts. Being sound defensively has what’s gotten us back. So we’ll see.”
Should the ACC tournament be played?
The ACC tournament is scheduled for March 9-13 in Greensboro, North Carolina, but there has been some discussion about whether or not the COVID risks associated with playing conference tourneys are worth it.
Brownell was asked for his opinion on Monday.
“You’re putting an element of danger in the situation,” Brownell said. “The thing that I’m scared of is that my team, who’s had a heck of a season and fought through a lot ... and sacrificed since July. If we somehow get to the end and then we can’t play in the (NCAA) tournament and we made it. Like, oh my God, I’ll feel awful for my players. That’s a life experience that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.”
Clemson is currently listed as an 8-seed in ESPN’s latest NCAA tournament Bracketology.
The entire NCAA tournament will be played in Indiana this year. Selection Sunday is scheduled for March 14.
“It may not be exactly like any other NCAA tournament, but that’s the ultimate goal for these kids,” Brownell said.
This story was originally published February 15, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
