The last three games were not good for the Clemson men’s basketball team. Coming off a pause in the program on Jan. 16 due to COVID-19 issues, the Tigers have lost each of its last three games and they have not been even close.
Clemson was outscored a combined 248-176 by Virginia, Georgia Tech and Florida State in the three losses. This past Saturday, FSU ran the Tigers out of the Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla., as the Seminoles led by as many as 35 points in the second half and won 80-61, despite Clemson scoring the game’s last 11 points.
The Tigers (9-4, 3-4 ACC) were scheduled to return to Littlejohn Coliseum Wednesday to face a Boston College team that was 3-10. The Eagles were perhaps the perfect remedy to get Clemson out of its funk.
However, lately, Clemson cannot seem to catch a break.
On Monday, the ACC announced Clemson’s game against Boston College has been postponed and instead Louisville will come to Littlejohn Coliseum for a 9 p.m., tip on Wednesday. In case you are wondering, the Cardinals are 10-3 overall, including a 5-2 record in the ACC.
“It is a little disruptive because we had an assistant coach or two preparing for Boston College ahead of time,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. “Louisville was on the schedule at the end of the season, so we really had not put any time into those guys and now that is who you are going to play.
“You have to quickly adjust and do what you can to get ready. I guess, it is just that kind of year. You just have to deal with these things. What does it do to your team?”
Brownell indicated during Monday’s ACC Coaches teleconference call they got a heads up that the BC game was going to be replaced and Louisville would replace them. So, they quickly changed course. He said, however, things were not dramatically different for the players.
They will present information at practice today for the first time. It would have been Boston College, but now it is Louisville. However, the staff has had a lot more to do. They spent all day Sunday and Monday morning trying to play catch up.
“They are doing their jobs and they are doing what we need them to do. They are working hard and all of us were watching a lot of Louisville film last night, this morning and just trying to get as familiar with them as we can be,” Brownell said. “They are doing the same for us. It probably would have been more challenging if there was also travel involved.
“We have been on the road the last couple of games. Even though it is a different opponent, at least it is still at home. It is not ideal, but it is just kind of part of what this year calls for. It is fine.”