Just barely a little over a month ago Clemson had a 20 and 4 record, but finished their last ten games with a 4 and 6 record. They also lost big man depth with Carter Welling sustaining a season ending injury late in the season. Look for Iowa to possibly shoot a lower percentage overall then Clemson, but to make up ground with three point shots from Bennett Stirtz and one of the top percentage sharp shooters in Tavion Banks who shoots it at 47 percent. Take Iowa.
Iowa has no questions about who gets the ball in clutch situations, because the first, second and third options begin with Bennett Stirtz. Clemson’s usually stout defense has gotten picked apart on the interior in the last month and that’s where Stirtz and the pick-and-roll game provide not just a consistent way to generate offense but an answer for crunch time possessions. Clemson’s by-committee approach, stressed even more by the injury to second-leading scorer Carter Welling, might not be enough to keep up with Stirtz at the other end.
Clemson lost starting forward Carter Welling (10.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) to a torn ACL in the ACC Tournament. The 6-10 junior led the team in rebounding and blocks (0.8). The Tigers will still be a very tough out thanks to a balanced attack and their great defense, but I like Iowa coach Ben McCollum to do what he did last year with Drake: win a first-round game and seriously threaten a run to the Sweet 16. Look for senior guard Bennett Stirtz (20.0 ppg, 4.5 apg) to play all 40 minutes in an Iowa win.
