By Will Vandervort

Milton Jennings’ four years at Clemson will be remembered for a lot of things. Some might say his career was a disappointment. Pointing out that he never lived up to the five-star ranking and McDonald’s All-American status he received coming out of Pinewood Prep High School in Summerville, SC.

Others might say he was a guy that improved as his career went along, improving his scoring and rebounding numbers each season, including his last year when he averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per game.

Sure the 6-foot-9, 223-pound forward got in his fair share of trouble with three suspensions, including a November 28, 2012 arrest on drug charges. But, like this year’s mishap, he found a way to bounce back in each case, and came back more productive and focused than he was before his suspension.

So it should come as no surprise that Jennings’ final game in a Clemson uniform was a lot like his entire career. There were flashes of brilliance here-and-there in the Tigers’ 73-69 loss to Florida State Thursday night in the ACC Tournament, but also the persona that made him such an interesting figure in the locker room and to the media was on display.

Always known as a guy that likes to speak his mind, Jennings let it be known that he was not pleased with the way the officials—Jamie Luckie, Brian Dorsey and Bernard Clinton—called the game.

“As a senior, I really went out there and tried to give it my all, but I thought the referees really made it all about them with the fouls and stuff,” he said. “I really don’t understand that. The whole year, you can step in front of people and use your chest and stuff. But for some reason in the ACC Tournament it’s a fouls.

“That, I don’t understand. I don’t know how you get to the tournament and make such soft calls. But, I know one thing, Florida State shoots like 77 percent as a team so that was in their benefit to get fouled all the time. It’s whatever.”

Jennings, who finished the game with seven points and seven rebounds, was called for four fouls and was forced to sit the last 10:01 of the first half after getting his second. K.J. McDaniels, who had 16 points and seven rebounds, was disqualified after picking up his fifth foul in the second half, while Devin Booker was also called for four fouls.

At one point in the second half, Jennings, McDaniels and Booker were all on the floor playing with four fouls. Jennings picked up his fourth foul when he tried to draw a charge on FSU’s Terrance Shannon with 7:41 to play.

“I fell back a little too early and stuff and they called a block,” he said.

Jennings even questioned the officials for allowing Clemson to get back in the game when at one point the Tigers shot 12 free throws from the 2:23 mark of the second half to the 32-second mark. The biggest of the calls was a flagrant foul called on Shannon with 42 seconds to play.

The officials said Shannon caught Jennings with an elbow to the eye, awarding Clemson with two free throws and the ball back. Jennings made one of the two fouls shots, then Jordan Roper was fouled while attempting a three-pointer on the following possession.

After Roper made only one of his three shots, Rod Hall stole the basketball and was fouled with 32 seconds to play. He made just one of two shots. By the time all of that was done, Clemson trimmed what was a 13-point deficit to five points.

“It is unbelievable that they even gave us those calls, really,” Jennings said. “In the regular season, the flagrant might have been one where they just give us the ball and no free throws. They probably would not have called that foul on Rod.”

And though Jennings was just being Jennings with his comments, he finished his Clemson career doing what he always did – he played hard, even if things were not going his or the Tigers’ way.

It was late in the second half Thursday and things looked bleak, but Jennings was still diving after loose balls, blocking shots, making three pointers and trying to draw charges.

“As a senior those are plays I have to make and plays I know I have to make,” he said. “I was happy to go do it. I did not shoot well on the offensive end. It’s weird because that has happened to me all season. It goes long. Then it goes short. Then it goes in and out.

“It is so frustrating, but those plays are normal for me and ones I wanted to make as a senior.”