What We Learned From Clemson's Tight Loss to Alabama

The Clemson Tigers lost a high-scoring bout, but they still showed much of their true potential in the game

Even in a loss, Clemson is showing their potential | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers (7-2) mounted a valiant comeback effort, but fell short 90-84 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Wednesday night in the ACC-SEC Challenge against No. 12 Alabama. Brad Brownell was denied win No. 300 at Clemson, as the Tigers battled back in a true contender’s home arena.

After Clemson’s six-point loss at Coleman Coliseum, here’s what we learned from the game.

Clemson is an NCAA Tournament-Caliber Team

Despite the loss, there were plenty of positives for Clemson to take away from the game. Make no mistake, Alabama is one of the best offensive attacks in the nation. Head coach Nate Oats runs an NBA-style system, which creates three-point shots and a fast pace throughout games. On the road against preseason Big East favorite (and defensive-minded) St. John’s, the Crimson Tide scored 105 points. At last week’s Players Era Festival, Alabama scored at least 85 points in each game, including games of 105 and 115 points scored.

The Tigers struggled out of the gate, falling behind 45-30 at halftime, but mounted a major comeback. That comeback was fueled by Clemson’s defensive prowess and perseverance. A 24-9 run in the first 8:04 of the second half tied the game at 54, leaving the Tigers in an excellent position to steal the game.

As Clemson inches closer to ACC play, showing perseverance when facing quality opponents will be asked of the group again. Even with the loss, the Tigers showed that in a rowdy environment, they possess NCAA Tournament quality.

Zac Foster’s Breakout Performance

The true freshman from Atlanta has been hit-or-miss throughout the first eight games of non-conference play. Against Alabama, he was mostly a hit.

Twelve points, five rebounds, three assists, and a pair of rim-rattling dunks were clear highlights of his 26 minutes of play, but some under-the-radar positive plays might go unnoticed. It feels like the game slows down for the uber-talented Foster each outing. 

There were also some situational mistakes in key moments down the stretch from Foster, including a missed putback with 1:03 left and the Tigers trailing by five points.

In the remainder of non-conference play, it will be interesting to see how Brownell deploys the freshman. The aforementioned 26 minutes played against Alabama were a season-high for Foster.

Nick Davidson Emerges

Wednesday night’s second half might be exactly what Nick Davidson needs to regain his best form. After all, that version tore up Mountain West competition for a 15.8 point, 6.5 rebound average a season ago. After the game, Brownell felt that Davidson’s performance may have unlocked some things.

“I was upset with him in the first half,” Brownell said. “The second half was the guy that we recruited. We believe in him and went to him a bunch. That was where we had a mismatch. I’m proud of him. He’s a tremendous young man. Hopefully, that will give him a lot of confidence moving forward.”

The senior from Mission Viejo, California, finished the night with an efficient 11 points in 14 minutes, shooting 4-for-6 from the field. In the midst of the Tigers’ second-half comeback effort, multiple paint touches from the big man kept Clemson crawling back.

Next up

Clemson hits the road for another marquee matchup with a Final Four contender. The Tigers take on No. 9 BYU (7-1) on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. inside Madison Square Garden for the Jimmy V Classic. Clemson is 2-0 all-time against the Cougars, with the most recent matchup taking place in the 1990 NCAA Tournament’s First Round.