Men's Basketball: Clemson Defense Too Much for Cal in 77-55 Defeat

After a competitive opening, the Tigers strangle the Bears to control the game

In my recap of the ACC opening game against then #13 Louisville, I lamented the fact that Cal was thoroughly outplayed in a potential statement game. Since that December game, Cal has survived the first half of conference play with a reasonable 5-5 ACC record, including a pair of noticeable victories over ranked North Carolina and Miami. Currently on the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Golden Bears had another chance for a statement win this afternoon against #20 Clemson. The Tigers are 18-4 overall, 9-1 in ACC play, and have not lost an ACC road game since January of last year. Clemson is a well balanced team on offense, with five players averaging between 9 and 13 points a game. They are 12th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 64.5 points per game. Would Cal’s superior shooting be enough to overcome the stout Tigers?

A non-plussed Coach Madsen during tonight’s loss to Clemson. Photo courtesy Don Collier.

Chris Bell connected on his first two long range shots to fuel the Bears early. The teams traded blows in a close first eight minutes of the game. Cal led 13-9, then Clemson’s defensive acumen started showing. The Bears committed seven turnovers early, the Tigers blocked four shots, as Clemson went on a 12-0 scoring run to grab a 21-13 at the eight-minute media timeout.

Clemson continued to play superior defense. The Tigers get back quickly, allowing zero transition opportunities. Their pressure defense gives no room to the ball handler. Ball handoffs are contested, shooters given no room. Clemson ended the half on a 27-8 scoring run to take a 39-20 lead into halftime. Cal shot only 24% in the first half.

Six different Clemson players scored between 4 and 6 points, as Clemson outscored Cal 20-0 in bench points. The Tigers were efficient against Cal’s help defense, moving the ball crisply and finding the open shooter to the tune of 60% shooting over the first twenty minutes.

The second half was not much different. Clemson maintained a 20-ish point lead until Cal cut the lead to 15 points at the 7-minute mark, 44-59. Clemson quickly responded with a 9-0 run to push the lead back up over twenty. There was no further drama as Clemson closed out the 77-55 victory.

Ten different Clemson players scored, led by RJ Godfrey’s and Ace Buckner’s 13 point each. The Tigers continually found the open shooter, hitting 54% of their shots, including 12-of-26 from long range.

Cal shot well in the second half, 56% over the final twenty minutes, but could not make a dent in the score. Cal recorded only 7 assists on 19 made baskets as Clemson’s defense made everything difficult for Cal. John Camden did not score until two minutes left in the game. Justin Pippen led Cal with 19 points.

Notes and Observations

• In postgame comments, Justin Pippen credited Clemson’s half court defense, saying they disrupted their offensive plan. Both he and Chris Bell indicated Clemson became more aggressive on both ends after the even start to the game, and Cal was slow to respond.

• Coach Madsen was critical of his team on both ends. “We had 7 assists, 14 turnover. Too much one-on-one, especially in the first half….We were not discplined in with getting the ball moving.”

• Madsen, on the team’s defense tonight; “We were in the wrong spots. We weren’t talking. The help side wasn’t there.”

• Coach Madsen always takes on the responsibility in the losses, credite the players in the wins. Tonight; ”I have to be better as a head coach. I take responsibility for this. This was 100% unacceptable, especially the stagnation offensively.”

• Outside of Haas Pavilion before the game, a Clemson group was entering with a shoulder bag, but was being told by security to bag check or get a clear bag. They were argumentative, indicating they had no issues in Palo Alto. “Today’s a new day. I don’t care what happened at Stanford. This here’s Cal.”

• Tonight’s attendance was 5,629. Even though the game was mostly one-sided, the students were loud and engaged the entire forty minutes.

• I talked to several groups of Clemson fans. There were repeated comments that Stanford was a subdued place, and that Stanford students and fans were much quieter then they expected.

• Earlier in the week, Cal reported that Lee Dort will be out for another couple weeks as he continues his recovery. A reasonable target for his return is the home game against Stanford on February 21st.

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Like the Louisville game, Cal was outplayed in all facets and had no answers against their superior opponent. Unlike that game, I am not concerned about the rest of the season. With 2/3 of the season behind us, we have a clear picture of this team. The Bears are an above average team powered by their excellent perimeter shooting and improved switching defense. They lack size and muscle at the point and on the interior. They struggle against big backcourts, muscular rebounding teams, and aggressive ball defenses. They’ll be competitive most nights, but aren’t ready to be consistent threats against upper tier teams. Saturday evening’s ESPN Bubble Watch Update says today’s “….loss to Clemson was likely a wake-up call. The Golden Bears surrendered a 23-1 run in the first half, and the Tigers never looked back.”

Cal makes the Northeast trip this upcoming week, playing Wednesday night at Syracuse then next Saturday at Boston College. The Syracuse game should be close to a tossup, while Cal will most likely be favored against Boston College. The Bears need to sweep in order to maintain their current status squarely on the bubble.