Clemson hoops remains unbeaten with dominant performance against Maryland
It wasn’t going to take long to learn what type of team Brad Brownell has in 2020-21 with early games against Mississippi State, Purdue and defending Big Ten champion Maryland.
Two weeks into the season, it’s safe to say the Tigers are pretty dang good.
Clemson pounded the Terrapins 67-51 Wednesday night in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge to improve to 4-0 on the year. The Tigers won by 16 points in a game that wasn’t even that close.
Clemson (4-0) led by as many as 25 points in the first half and led by double digits the final 31:35 of the game. It was one of the more impressive performance’s of Brownell’s tenure, particularly Clemson’s play in the first half.
“An incredible first-half performance by our guys. I thought we really defended at a high level. I thought our energy level was outstanding,” Brownell said. “Our game plan was really good. ... It just kinda all went together.”
All four of Clemson’s victories have come by double digits, with three of the four wins coming against Power 5 opponents.
Clemson played 10 guys at least eight minutes against Maryland (4-1), and no one played more than 31. The Tigers had nine different players score.
Aamir Simms led the way with 16 points, while Al-Amir Dawes (12), John Newman (12) and Nick Honor (10) also finished in double figures.
Clemson held Maryland to 40% shooting from the field. The Terrapins shot only 26% in the first half.
“I think defense is our identity. Our coach is a defensive coach. He’s big on that. If you can’t play defense you’re not gonna play,” Newman said. “Everyone has bought into that defensive mindset and I think it really shows.”
Maryland pulled to within 12 with about eight minutes left in the game, but the Tigers quickly built their lead back up to 20 points. Dawes was the star of the show in the second half, scoring all 12 of his points in the final 20 minutes.
“They made a run in the second, but we were able to withstand it. Al made some big plays. John Newman had a nice game. Just a really good team win,” Brownell said.
Clemson has now held three of its first four opponents to 51 points or less.
Brownell’s teams have always been known for defense, but this group in particular is tough to score against due to its depth.
The Tigers have smaller guards who are tough to bring the ball up against and athletic wings and bigs who gives teams fits down low and on the perimeter. Clemson also doesn’t have to worry about being low on energy because Brownell has 10-plus guys he feels comfortable playing.
Yes, it is early. But this team appears to be one of Brownell’s best after acing its first four tests of the year.
“This is a team, more than the teams that I’ve played for in the past, that we really expect to win every single game,” said Newman, a junior. “We have a deep team. We have a lot of talent. A lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. Our depth gives us a lot of confidence. ... I’ve played on some good teams, but this team has the whole package for me.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Clemson hoops remains unbeaten with dominant performance against Maryland."
