Three Up, Three Down: Notre Dame vs. Clemson
Notre Dame found itself in somewhat of unfamiliar territory Saturday afternoon falling behind 10-0 to Clemson in the first four minutes of action. The Irish hung around and ultimately closed the game out strong to win 75-70 and move to 3-0 in ACC play and 14-2 overall.
Three Up
VJ Beachem — After being a complete non-factor on the offensive side against Louisville, the senior forward exploded against Clemson scoring 11 points in each half to tie the game-high at 22 total. Beachem only attempted three shots against the Cardinals and did not seem to look for his shot. Different story against Clemson. He finished the game 8-of-14 from the field including 6-of-10 from deep. While the Irish did not need his offense against Louisville, it was needed against the Tigers. Beachem kept the Irish somewhat close in the first half allowing for a comeback in the second half to pull out the victory.
Second Half Play — So far this season it seems the Irish start off hot and then have to find a way to hold on while not playing as well in the second half. The trend was reversed against Clemson. In the first half Notre Dame shot pretty well going 11-of-25 from the field and 8-of-18 from deep and did not make a field goal from inside the arc until 6:03 remaining in the half. Notre Dame played a bit better in the second half going 17-of-35 from the field including 7-of-14 from deep. The Irish held Clemson to only 30 points continuing its solid defensive play early in conference play.
Matt Farrell —The junior guard continues to hit big shots for the Irish. With the shot clock winding down late in the game and Notre Dame only up two, Farrell pulled up from well beyond the three-point line and knocked down a dagger to give the Irish the game with around nine seconds remaining. He made great play after great play against Louisville and did so against Clemson. Farrell scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half. He also had seven assists. He was a question mark at the beginning of the season. Not any longer.
Three Down
Inside defense — Clemson outscored Notre Dame 32-18 in the paint. Senior Clemson forward Jaron Blossomgame made a few easy baskets which is pretty much the trend for Notre Dame this season. But, the Irish always find a way to combat that weakness. Notre Dame needs to find another consistent inside presence outside of junior forward Bonzie Colson, who is a double-double machine (13 points, 12 rebounds tonight). Eventually Colson will get into foul trouble and Mike Brey will need to find someone who can fill his shoes if that does happen.
Martinas Geben —The junior big man is hot and cold at times. Sometimes you notice him during the game and sometimes you don’t. Geben certainly puts in effort, but the production isn’t always there. He recorded two points and three rebounds in 10 minutes of action. As mentioned above, Notre Dame needs another consistent big body along with Colson. If Geben can provide that every game or at least more often than he is, the Irish would sit in a very good spot. ACC foes such as North Carolina and Duke have waves of size and it will be extremely tough for Notre Dame to combat it. If the Irish want to beat both programs it will need to rely on its shooting or find a way to get more from guys like Geben and the other big men on a consistent basis.
Opening Start —This last one is very nitpicky because in games like this it is hard to find three things Notre Dame didn’t do well (or players). The Irish typically start well and have to dig in during the second half to pull out a tough victory. Not tonight. Clemson was up 10-0 quickly in the first four minutes which was very different for Brey’s team. As mentioned, this selection is very nitpicky and it goes without saying better starts are preferred by Brey and the staff.
Bottom Line
Notre Dame just finds ways to win. They can start hot and hold on. Or they can start slow and comeback and win. They can do it with offense, defense or a combination of both. Notre Dame presents problems for teams in the ACC, but has its own problems. The Irish combat those deficiencies very well and recorded another tough ACC victory.
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