After an 80-75 win over the Cardinals, Clemson stars Jestin Porter and RJ Godfrey were upbeat as ever during the postgame interviews. The two were full of smiles, jokes, and good insight on the game. They were almost finishing each others sentences, talking in a fast paced back and forth.
When asked about what the ranked win meant for the team, RJ cited their past setbacks; “These last four games, not good. so this last week was kinda a remake of our identity…After the game I was just like thank God. Thank you Jesus” (RJ). “It was a must win game for us for sure (Jestin).” Clemson lost their last four matchups, falling to Virginia Tech, Duke, Wake Forest, and Florida State. The losses doubled the teams total on the season, bringing them to 21-8.
After starting 2/8 from beyond the arc, the Tigers got hot from three in the second half. The effort was headlined by Jestin Porter, who knocked down four in the period. The crowd bought in, and remained chaotic through the end of the game. Godfrey had high praise for the energy, stating ; “That was lowkey the loudest I’ve ever heard Littlejohn. since we beat Duke my freshman year.” Clemson’s had some incredible moments in the last few seasons, for RJ to cite the crowd as that electric was powerful, but not hyperbolic.
When asked if they feel like this game earned the spot in the tournament, the two expressed a lack of concern; “We’re just focused on the next game…. every game is a must win for us right now. That’s how we look at it.” That’s not far from true. Clemson has only two matchups left, against UNC and Georgia Tech. In order to solidify a spot in the National Tournament, Clemson needs to bolster their resume in their last two opportunities.
Personally, I feel like this win helped solidify the Tigers as a tournament team. While their setbacks coming so late in the season are unfortunate, Clemson has the Quad 1 record, the conference record, and the ACC record to qualify as a tournament team, whether we win or lose to UNC or Georgia Tech.
