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<\/p>\nThere’s a lot to like about this Clemson men’s basketball team. <\/p>\n
Kenny Payne had a list Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
Immediately after the Tigers beat the Louisville team 83-70 at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina, Payne praised their experience, execution and unity.<\/p>\n
“Obviously they play for each other. They love each other,” Payne said. \u201cAs a coach, when you sit there and watch them play, you hear them talking to each other. We can…that’s why they’re #1 at this conference.”<\/p>\n
The Tigers united Wednesday as Louisville led 16-7. They didn’t fall apart when the Cardinals (2-15, 0-6 ACC) cut a 17-point deficit in the second half to 6 in the final minutes.<\/p>\n\n
When Card’s assistant Josh Jamison beat Clemson Tuesday (14-3, 6-0), he said the Tigers “don’t panic.” , could not prove him wrong.<\/p>\n
This is a big reason why Clemson remains the only undefeated ACC team in conference play.<\/p>\n
And that’s in contrast to the Cards, who are the only team in the conference not to win.<\/p>\n\n
Numbers never lie:<\/strong>Kenny Payne sees growth, improvement. What do the numbers tell us?<\/p>\n Tigers manager Brad Brownell spoke Wednesday about “Clemson grit.” It’s the team’s motto and philosophy. Coaches talk about adversity on and off the court and about being “tough and passionate enough” to overcome it, Brownell said.<\/p>\n Hunter Tyson embodies it.<\/p>\n The 6.8-foot forward had 28 points and 11 rebounds against Louisville to lead four Clemson players in double digits \u2014 “great,” said Payne. Target defensively.<\/p>\n\n Fifth grade Tyson scored 1.6 points per game in freshman year. He averaged 15.6 per game in Louisville this season. And he led the Tigers to their latest with a string of good performances.<\/p>\n He provided a remarkable turnaround so far this season for a team that went 8-12 in ACC play last season.<\/p>\n Clemson and Louisville are one of seven ACC teams, along with Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina State University. These teams won a total of 31.4% of the conference games. <\/p>\n Classes recruited for 2023:<\/strong>These players signed with Louisville Basketball<\/p>\n They entered with a combined win percentage of 48.6% for the ACC on Tuesday night, highlighted by Clemson’s hot start. Louisville and Georgia Tech are just two of his seven teams without at least two wins in the ACC this season coming into play this week. <\/p>\n There’s a lot of season left, and there’s no guarantee that any of last season’s sub-.500 conference teams will complete the turnaround they started. <\/p>\n What is clear is that they were all more competitive than the cards from the start. <\/p>\n Louisville has yet to win against a powerhouse team this season, never within single digits of the KFC Yum Center. ACC Road he has lost in games by an average of 15.7 points over three games.<\/p>\n Hiring impact:<\/strong>On-court struggles aren’t deterring Louisville basketball recruits, says Nolan Smith<\/p>\n On Wednesday, like many recent matches, the cards showed signs of life. <\/p>\n\n After recording nine turnovers in the first half, Louisville recorded six turnovers in the second half. <\/p>\n That cut Clemson’s 17-point second-half lead to just 6 multiple times, the most recent coming into the game with 1:12. <\/p>\n He scored 17 points from Mike James, who set two career highs (19, 24) in last week’s game. From forward Jerin Withers, who scored 11 goals, off the bench he scored in his double figures for the third straight game. Elle scored 12 points from Ellis, but a 16-for-4 shooting gave him 10 points from Sydney Curry. <\/p>\n Ultimately, however, they were unable to return to a tougher, better team and needed another defeat.<\/p>\n Load management:<\/strong>How Louisville Basketball Is Managing Elle Ellis’ Heavy Workload And We Want More From Him<\/p>\n Louisville declined as Clemson climbed. <\/p>\n And while there are encouraging signs that the cards haven’t given up yet, there are also sobering stats. <\/p>\n This way: Going back to last season, Louisville has lost 20 of its last 22 regular-season ACC games. <\/p>\n Payne would like a team as connected as Clemson’s, but it’s a work in progress.<\/p>\n As he hinted at the postgame press conference, according to analytics site KenPom.com, Louisville ranks 340th in DI experience with 353 Division I men’s basketball teams.<\/p>\n “That’s why they often don’t know,” Payne said. “They’re learning a lot about winning basketball. We’re learning while we’re learning, and we’re playing against good teams while learning.<\/p>\n Clemson is one of those great teams, and the cards can learn a thing or two from the movies.<\/p>\n All coaches yell for movement for the ball, but when Brownell does, the ball bounces around the court, Payne said. Tigers is a hard screen. They cut hard. Their run and pace combination meant that Payne said, “They will burn you,” once you let your guard down.<\/p>\n\n Tigers know how to play. And after struggling last season, they found a way to win.<\/p>\n “We’re learning what it’s like to be a team,” Payne said. “And we’ve got a great example. The problem is they’re your opponents. This isn’t very fun.”<\/p>\n![\"January](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2023\/01\/12\/PLOU\/4a162eba-c779-4b05-8fb5-24e69bd38ea2-USATSI_19771359.jpg?width=300&height=325&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
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