CLEMSON -- It's put-up or shut-up time for Clemson, and the most opportune way to accomplish the former is by getting some put-backs.
Wednesday night, it was fairly obvious early that the Tigers were not just on board after last weekend's humbling loss at Louisville, but on the boards.
This has been a problem for them at points this season. When post players are leaving the lane to get back on defense as shots are still sailing to the rim, it invites questions as to why crashing the boards hasn't been more ingrained.
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As Clemson once again tried to regroup in the midst of four losses in five games, Brad Brownell had two themes in mind Monday morning:
Get up as many shots as possible in practice to get back in rhythm following 20 missed 3-pointers on 24 attempts at Louisville, and once again reinforce the importance of collecting offensive rebounds to provide more scoring opportunities.
"I think Coach Brownell has emphasized we need some extra possessions," Ian Schieffelin said last night.
In recent weeks, opponents have displayed the value of those extra possessions at Clemson's expense. Louisville delivered some excruciating second-chance points, and Miami did the same in delivering the Tigers what remains their only home loss of the season.
Last night against Syracuse's patented zone, Clemson missed its first three shots and two of them were 3-pointers.
But they were all on the same trip down the floor, courtesy of two offensive rebounds from Schieffelin and one from PJ Hall.
Forty-eight seconds into the game, Chase Hunter hit a 3-pointer off an assist from Schieffelin and then Syracuse touched the ball for the first time.
Yeah, life can be a lot easier when you give yourself extra opportunities to shoot it.
Hunter's 3-pointer began a stretch of eight made shots from long range on 18 attempts in the first half, and the Tigers collected five more offensive rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
"Off the rip, to get those rebounds, that set the tone for what the game was going to be like," Schieffelin said.
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Brownell had been saying that his team really wasn't playing that poorly, and while there has been some panic on the outside as Clemson's NCAA chances become more tenuous, within the program it feels like staying the course and not freaking out is the correct approach.
The ingredients in the Tigers' 20th overall win, and 12th in ACC play, seemed to back up Brownell's broad assessment: The 28 assists were the most by any ACC team in league play this season, and the most ever at Clemson under Brownell.
Hunter Tyson got back to being transcendent with 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting, and the entire starting five was really good as the Tigers totaled just seven turnovers and finished 14-of-36 from 3.
Recent weeks have been a bit of a roller-coaster for this team, which has looked excellent in throttlings of Syracuse and Florida State but has been smacked on the road by Louisville and North Carolina.
But then, life on the road is hard for just about everyone in the conference and that's a point both Brownell and Jim Boeheim emphasized after last night's game.
The reality is also that Syracuse (16-12, 9-8) isn't really good, and the Tigers are going to need some more decorated victims if they want to close this season in the field of 68.
They'll of course get two of those opportunities Saturday at N.C. State and then three days later at Virginia before Notre Dame visits Littlejohn to close the regular season.
Brownell had a balanced take on this victory over the Orange -- certainly happy that the emphasis on shooting Monday and Tuesday produced the desired results, but also allowing that this was a favorable matchup for the Tigers.
Hunter, who had 11 of the assists and 13 points in 21 minutes, noted that shooting over the zone was easier than usual because Syracuse doesn't have its typical long guys on the wings obstructing those long-distance attempts.
Brownell agreed.
"It helps a little bit. Personnel with different guys -- there have been times I've played them obviously when they're 6-8, 6-8, 7 feet, and the guards are 6-4 and the arms are longer and it's harder to move the ball and get it around places.
"Syracuse is a young team. They have some young players. They have some good young players, but they are young."
They've also struggled to control the defensive glass, as Brownell pointed out. Part of it is just the nature of playing zone defense, making it harder to find guys to box out amid all that space, but this team in particular has been vulnerable to allowing extra possessions.
"This was a game where we sent three" to the glass, Brownel said, "knowing that we could get some.
"And I think Ian set a great tone at the beginning by getting a couple."
Now they hit the road -- and, they hope, continue hitting the glass and shots.
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