Clemson coach Brad Brownell had plenty to dissect after his team’s 69-62 road loss to Notre Dame at Joyce Center on Saturday night.
The Tigers (20-9 overall, 10-8 ACC) made just five of 28 shots from 3-point range in a disappointing effort that came on the heels of wins in six of Clemson’s last seven games.
The loss also cost Clemson in the crucial race for conference seeding. The Tigers entered the weekend fourth in a crowded field of teams in the mid to upper tier range of standings.
A win over a Notre Dame team that was six games below .500 entering the weekend would have helped Clemson go a long way toward accomplishing a double bye in the upcoming ACC Tournament, which begins next week at Washington’s Capital One Arena.
Instead, the Tigers now face must-win games against Syracuse and Wake Forest in final week of regular-season action. With four straight wins, the Orange (20-10, 11-8) have pulled one game ahead of Clemson for fourth place in conference standings. The Tigers are tied with Pitt and Wake Forest for fifth.
Clemson hosts Syracuse Tuesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum in a 7 p.m. (EST) tipoff. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Here’s everything Brownell said after Clemson’s loss to Notre Dame.