Booker Not Enough as the Clemson Tigers Drop One at Home

Even in a loss, you can’t help but love Trevor Booker.

When he gets the ball in transition, he makes you look slow.  When he gets the ball on the post, he makes you look scared.  Actually, they're probably scared.

Booker had another good stat line last night at Littlejohn Coliseum.  10-of-14 for 22 points?  Not too shabby.  There’s only one problem.  The rest of the team could only score 25.  Clemson lost to a disciplined Duke team.

Demontez Stitt was hobbled by his ankle injury and was the second most important player on the court for the Tigers.  Tanner Smith looked anything but aggressive.  Jerai Grant seemed lost.

Credit Mike Krzyzewski and Duke for their defense of Booker and the Tigers.  The Devils were able to deny on the perimeter.  Clemson loves to kick out when zones collapse to handle Booker.  That simply wasn’t there all night.  Duke refused to double-team Booker and let him do his damage, keeping the game from turning into the back-and-forth melee that Clemson is so successful in.

Duke also was able to find a way to handle the Clemson press in the second half.  That led to far too many buckets when they got instant mismatches from smart passing.  Quick buckets were the key to neutralizing a raucous home crowd wearing orange.

In the near-future, counting on Booker’s continued production; the next most important factor for the Tigers will be to get Stitt healthy again.  Even if he has to miss three or four games, a full-strength point guard will be vital down the stretch in this year’s free-for-all that the ACC has turned into.  Reference Ty Lawson’s foot from a year ago, and how crucial he was to North Carolina’s tournament success.

For the long term, the Tigers will be okay.  Devin Booker is only a freshman. The youngest Booker brother is currently in eighth grade.  Assuming that Jared stays healthy and decides to play in the Upstate in college as well, there should only be a two or three year period without one of them on the floor.