Little things become big things for Clemson in NCAA Tournament

After he got an extended look and feel for a totally new and reconstructed team last summer, Brad Brownell said his biggest concern was shooting.

But he wasn’t talking about the type of shots that Clemson couldn’t get into the basket for an agonizing first-half stretch last night in Tampa.

The Tigers missed 15 of their first 19 shots. That tends to hurt.

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This is what the official play-by-play looks like from one trip down the floor, starting at the 12:02 mark when Ace Buckner closed out a defensive possession by grabbing one of just 17 defensive rebounds on the night:

11:44: R.J. Godfrey 2 pt FG in the paint, hook shot missed

11:40: Jake Wahlin offensive rebound

11:40: Wahlin 2 pt FG second chance in the paint, tip-in layup missed

11:39: Godfrey offensive rebound

11:38: Ace Buckner 3 pt FG second chance, jump shot missed

11:36: Buckner offensive rebound

11:34: Buckner 2 pt FG second chance in the paint, layup missed

11:32: Offensive dead ball rebound

11:30: Butta Johnson 2 pt FG second chance in the paint, layup missed 

The term “woof” seems like not enough.

It would be going too far to say that was a total killer, because Clemson got back into the game by halftime and had a chance to win in the end.

But it would be totally appropriate to say the season is over because the little things became big things.

Earlier this week we wrote about the truth in typical March Madness cliches, namely the idea that playmaking and shot making by guards is what brings survival and advancement.

Turns out it wasn’t that simple in this case.

Yes, Iowa’s possession of such a weapon in Bennett Stirtz did show Clemson what it was missing all year, and probably what it needs if it’s going to win in March. Iowa had so much more flow offensively all game in large part because of the attention on him, and that was undoubtedly crucial.

But if you’re looking at this largely from the Clemson lens, the critical factors last night were more complex than a catchphrase.

To get hot at the right time, you can’t be injured at the wrong time. Carter Welling’s absence was massive in this type of game.

To even have a chance for shining moments on the offensive side, you have to get to that side first. And the inability to close out defensive possessions was the most galling and painful development overall.

Our scouting report going in didn’t include: “Must not allow Iowa to grab 15 offensive rebounds and turn them into 16 second-chance points.”

Nor did we say: “Clemson must not miss shots at the rim in the first half when Iowa is becoming energized by hitting 3-pointers.”

Maybe those shooting woes were the worst part. 

But if you have two worst parts to that extreme, you’re probably going to be in trouble.

Every game, regardless of whether it’s in December or March, is its own story.

But the final 40 minutes of basketball from this team did reveal some familiar flaws.

Eighteen days ago, the Tigers couldn’t close the deal in Chapel Hill and most folks were gnashing their teeth over the inability to run a play in the final moments with North Carolina up three.

Another popular source of frustration that night was Luka Bogavac having the game of his life and going 6-of-10 from 3-point range.

But the more concerning thing was the cumulative effect of missing shots from medium and close range. 

Dillon Hunter was 1-of-9 that night from inside the arc.

Buckner was 1-of-5 on 2-pointers.

Pretty big deal when you’re trying to close the deal in a close game.

Clemson had Welling that night, by the way.

The Tigers had Welling when they lost four consecutive games after coming home from California at 20-4 overall and 10-1 in the ACC.

Dips are going to happen, though, and Clemson seemed to right itself with four wins in five games before running into the Duke monster in Charlotte.

Yet as this team headed to Tampa there were concerns beyond the lack of a guard who could create something late in a close game.

Once upon a time this season, Jake Wahlin started 27 of the first 29 games. His lack of production on offense made it common for fans to question why he was getting so much playing time, but the light seemed to come on for him in a Feb. 18 loss at Wake Forest when he scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting while grabbing five rebounds.

He closed the season with 20 points in the final eight games while averaging 17.7 minutes per game. He scored zero against Iowa and Duke in a combined 30 minutes after totaling nine points in three consecutive wins over Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and North Carolina.

Wahlin’s plus-minus last night was minus-10. His aggregate plus-minus over the final eight games: minus-20.

So yes, the story of how this season ended — and the story of seven losses in the final 11 games — goes much deeper than one season or even one paragraph.

This team needed everyone to play well. Wahlin was far less than that. 

It’d be unfair not to include the injuries. Yes, those happen. But two torn ACLs suffered by two vital pieces (Welling and Zac Foster) are a big deal.

You figure Welling would’ve made a difference, perhaps a defining one, last night around the rim.

Clemson had 17 defensive rebounds and Iowa had 15 offensive boards.

And the cost of not closing out defensive possessions is magnified even more when you consider that it prevented the Tigers opportunities for transition baskets against a defense that wasn’t set.

Missing those chances, and missing all those shots around the rim in the first half, will suck the life out of a team.

Shots from close range should be one and done.

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So should a lot of those missed shots from Iowa (36 total, including free throws).

Should have.

Would have.

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Could have.

Didn’t.

And Clemson again goes home with the wrong kind of one and done.

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