Louisville basketball makes an unexpected trip to Clemson on Wednesday. How the Cards can bring a win back home.
After initially thinking it would have 6 days off, Louisville basketball will make an unexpected trip to Clemson on Wednesday night.
Due to some COVID-related shuffling of the schedule, the Cards face a Tigers team that started great but has looked vulnerable of late.
Clemson started the season 9-1 and notched wins over Florida State, Alabama, and Purdue. However, after a 10-day COVID-related layoff, the Tigers have dropped the last three by a combined 76 points.
Let’s take a look at how Louisville basketball can avoid being a “get right” game on Wednesday.
Limit the effectiveness of Aamir Simms
When we interviewed Louisville basketball head coach Chris Mack over the summer, he compared his starting forward Jae’Lyn Withers to Clemson star Aamir Simms. At the time, that was definitely considered extremely high praise. Now that we have seen what Withers is capable, the comparison checks out.
Like Withers, Simms is a bit undersized, but he is long, freakishly athletic, a mismatch for most teams as a player who can score at every level.
The Clemson offense typically is at its best when Simms is a factor. Against the Cardinals last season, Simms only scored 4 points in a blowout loss. However, Clemson sprung a massive upset in a return game behind 13 points and 6 assists from Simms.
Withers and Simms might be a pointing Spiderman meme, but it will serve as a true Litmus test for Louisville’s blossoming big. If Withers can hold his own on defense and showcase the same skillset against a guy who is very much his match, it could mean great things for the Cards.
Also trending: Who should be Louisville football’s next offensive coordinator/offensive line coach?
Make Clemson pay in the press
Clemson is a team of contradictions. The Tigers began the season as one of the nation’s toughest teams, stifling teams with its experience and gritty defense.
However, is this a paper Tiger situation? If the last three games are any indication, then maybe so.
Clemson is a team that loves to run a man-to-man full court press. Yet the Tigers are one of the few teams that rank behind Louisville in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted tempo ratings.
The reality is that Clemson doesn’t necessarily press to create chaos, but to take teams out of rhythm and not allow them to run their offense.
An ideal way to attack a team that runs a man-to-man press? A team that has a steadying, experienced presence at the guard spots. Anybody know where I can find a team like that?
I think Louisville’s dynamic duo of Carlik Jones and David Johnson are more than capable of not only breaking the press but pushing the pace and turning this game into an uncomfortable uptempo affair for the Tigers.
My concern lies with the Cards’ depth in the backcourt. Jones and Johnson are likely to play 35-40 minutes yet again. Will a pressing defense wear them down late?
Get things going from deep
Clemson has one of the best defenses in the country. Yet, over the last three games, the Tigers have been absolutely atrocious defending the three-point shot.
Luckily for Clemson, Louisville basketball is shooting 32 percent from deep on the season.
Statistically, the Cards struggle from deep, but Louisville has not had the propensity to take a ton of threes this season. Louisville has players that can knock down shots, but has not faced a defense demonstrating this propensity for allowing open shots during conference play.
Clemson is last in the ACC in field goal percentage and three point percentage on offense. The Tigers are allowing opponents to shoot 43 percent from three point range in conference play. That is astonishing given their defensive excellence early in the season.
If Louisville can start knocking down some shots, given Clemson’s offensive deficiencies, the Cards could continue the trend of blowouts.
However, if Louisville is unable to get going from outside, things will tighten up in a hurry on the road.
