A relatively smooth Clemson season has entered a sudden freefall.
After the Tigers (20-7, 10-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) lost just four of their first 24 games this season, they’ve lost their last three entering Saturday’s home game against a resurgent Florida State squad.
This skid shouldn’t cost Clemson a third straight NCAA Tournament bid. Even with this losing streak, the team is a No. 8 seed in ESPN’s latest bracketology update.
Still, it’s time for the Tigers to discover some of that lost form if they’re going to make noise in March Madness.
“(My players) are getting a taste of reality,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after Wednesday’s 85-77 loss at Wake Forest. “It’s hard. I think sometimes when you’re winning like that, you don’t maybe understand how hard it is to win.”
While the Tigers rank second in the ACC in scoring defense (65.4 points per game), a lapse at that end has been the biggest reason for their recent struggles.
Clemson allowed a season-worst 54.9% field-goal percentage in the loss to Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons’ 85 points were the most the Tigers had allowed since Dec. 3.
A drop in production from leading scorer RJ Godfrey also hasn’t helped the Tigers. He has scored just 24 points in the last three games and has scored in single figures in four of his last seven contests.
The Seminoles (13-13, 6-7) have won five of their last six games and are eyeing the .500 mark in conference play after starting 0-5 in the ACC.
Florida State has won its last two road games and three of its last four.
On Tuesday, the Seminoles rallied for an 80-72 home win over Boston College after trailing by 14 in the second half.
This trip is meaningful for Florida State’s Chauncey Wiggins. He joined the Seminoles this offseason after appearing in 97 games (44 starts) over the last three seasons at Clemson.
Wiggins has been hot and cold for Florida State — he has 12 games with 15-plus points but also five with five or fewer — and admitted he’ll be carrying extra motivation into this game.
“It means everything,” Wiggins said. “I was there for three years, won a lot of games, created a lot of great relationships. It’s going to be an emotional roller coaster.”
