How much can Clemson's defense compensate for guard play?

CLEMSON — March is the time for cliches that go beyond just the madness.

But in this case the cliches exist because they’re largely true.

Surviving and advancing perfectly captures the essence of the postseason.

BECOME A TIGERILLUSTRATED.com SUBSCRIBER!

So does, in many ways, the idea that superior guard play is the foundational element to that survival.

You could put superior defense in that conversation, too. Not necessarily to win championships, but to win games and extend your season.

ALSO SEE: Clemson’s Elite Retreat Insider II | Elite Retreat will help shape Clemson’s 2027 class with top targets visiting this weekend | Friday Insider: More Elite Retreat Developments | The cold, hard realities of this off-season | Part 3: Our first impressions of Clemson’s portal and freshmen players | Clemson’s verbal commitments

Now the question is how much Clemson’s defense can perhaps compensate for guard play that simply hasn’t been it down the stretch of this regular season, which concludes Saturday at Littlejohn against Georgia Tech.

Brad Brownell and his staff knew entering the season that they didn’t have an elite shooter. They also knew that, other than Zac Foster, they didn’t have an explosive backcourt threat who could both run the floor and attack the rim to break down defenses.

In a perfect world, last spring Clemson would’ve had the cash available to go get a dynamic point guard. But when football is commanding 86 percent of the revenue share and the above-the-cap NIL calculus is murky and still being sorted out abroad, it’s less than a perfect world.

Brownell and his staff nonetheless did remarkable work to compile a solid roster that returned just one experienced player in Dillon Hunter.

If we told you before the season that Clemson would be basically an NCAA Tournament lock heading into the final game of the season with a record of 21-9 overall and 11-6 in the ACC, you’d probably have taken it.

And if we told you that after Foster was lost in mid-December, you’d have definitely taken it.

In this way the Tigers have been a victim of their own surprising and captivating success, which came in the form of a 20-4 and 10-1 start.

When they came back from California after dispatching Cal and Stanford, it felt like the trajectory was headed upward. 

Freshman Chase Thompson had what appeared to be a coming-out party at Stanford, signaling an emerging weapon in addition to an ahead-of-schedule Ace Buckner.

The Tigers shot it well in the domination of Cal, with six different players hitting 3-pointers on a 12-of-26 night from long range.

But the opposition became more rigorous when the Tigers returned home, starting with a visit from Virginia Tech just three days after the red-eye back from Northern California.

The Stanford game was uplifting but could’ve gone either way. It’s also worth noting that the Tigers’ final four points in a tight game came from the free throw line (Nick Davidson and Buckner) after fouls 90 feet from the basket.

Point being: The Tigers didn’t have to draw up a play and crisply execute offense for a clutch basket in the final moments for a win that night the way they did a few nights ago in Chapel Hill.

Clemson has been let down by its guards recently, save for Jestin Porter’s huge second half last weekend against Louisville.

Foster’s loss to a knee injury has been a big deal. The lack of a weapon who can break down defenses off the dribble, combined with inconsistent shooting from long range, has caught up to this team in some ways.

“It’s harder to disguise 25 or 30 games in,” a source told us.

Indeed, opposing teams have a lot more film on which to devote their defensive game plans. And of late that involves allocating more attention to RJ Godfrey in the post and taking their chances on leaving guys open from the perimeter.

Godfrey showed against North Carolina he’s good enough to still be the best all-around player on the floor despite the extra attention.

Clemson’s overall defense in the past two games has been mostly elite, and it’s possible that’ll travel to Charlotte next and beyond.

You do wonder if all the effort and energy expended on the defensive end might be costing some on the offensive side, and the narrow defeat to the Tar Heels seemed to be a microcosm of that.

The defensive plan was to fight through screens and go over the top of them. All that work and energy consumed gets into your legs, particularly late in the season. And maybe that helps explain why the Tigers missed so many shots from close range that you have to make to win a game like that, and why the final sequence by Hunter seemed to be in slow motion.

Every season has ebbs and flows, though. Two years ago this program was about to go on the ride of a lifetime thanks to sensational guard play and excellent defense.

Last year’s team had differential guards but their shooting faded over the last six games.

DISCUSSION: Join Tigerillustrated.com subscribers on The West Zone Forum

This year’s group has some weaknesses that are clear at this point, but also some strengths — namely defense — that can sustain and enable survival.

And advancement.

DISCUSSION: Join Tigerillustrated.com subscribers on our off-topics forum 

Hard to know how the rest of this ride will unfold, but we do know the standard cliches seem to contain real truth.

Not a Tiger Illustrated member, Clemson fans? Join Today!

Tigerillustrated.com, established in 1999, is the No. 1 Authority On Clemson Football & Recruiting. A subscription, just $1 (promo), is a must-have for hardcore Clemson Football fans. You won’t find more exclusive, detailed, info on Clemson football and recruiting anywhere else. We guarantee it! CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OUR $1 SUBSCRIPTION PROMO!