Brad Brownell molded solid defense to his new personnel

Adjusting defensive style pregame, in-game

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CLEMSON — Mirror images? Not quite, but it is close.

When Clemson visits Virginia Tuesday night, it’ll match two of the nation’s best defensive teams. Virginia allows 50.6 points per game, best in the ACC and second-best nationally. Clemson yields 59.9 points per game, second in the ACC and 26th nationally.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell said he actually used to play a style much like Virginia coach Tony Bennett, but he changed when he replaced Oliver Purnell two years ago, bending his style to his personnel.

“We didn’t pressure as much, we weren’t as much full-court, picking up the ball pressure,” he said of his teams at Wright State and UNC-Wilmington. “We were more pack-lineish, like Virginia. Not exactly the same, but similar.

“Taking over from Oliver, one of the things I didn’t want to do was be so drastic in the change that the guys fought it. I made the decision to pressure, do things they were used to doing, playing aggressive defense. We needed to knock the ball loose, get turnovers for points.”

That philosophy worked Saturday, when Clemson forced 16 Wake Forest turnovers and converted them into 19 points in a 71-60 victory.

The Tigers are very efficient; they average 12.8 turnovers per game (fourth in the ACC and 78th nationally). Virginia is even better, averaging 11.2 turnovers per game (best in the ACC, 18th nationally).

Clemson has the second-best turnover margin in the ACC (66th nationally); Virginia is right ahead, best in the ACC and 64th nationally.

“We play more extended defense, we gamble a bit,” Brownell said. “It creates more space for the offense to drive. If you’re trying to help, the gaps in the help are bigger. It’s harder to stop the ball and get back to the guy who’s shooting. You might have to take a step, and step half back to stunt the ball, then get the ball to the shooter. There are times when you’re driving and you can get inside our defense a little more.”

That, again, is adapting to personnel.

“I decided when I came to Clemson and had more athletic players, saw my team and knew what we were doing, it’d be much better for me to adjust to their way,” Brownell said, “then make them adjust all the way back to my way.”

Clemson’s defense is on pace to be even better than it was a year ago, when the Tigers allowed 61.4 points per game, 24th nationally. However, Brownell said this defense isn’t as good as it was a year ago. It does contribute more points off turnovers, which is necessary because the offense is more inconsistent.

“A couple times, we’ve backed off pressure at times and said, ‘Hey, this may not be helping as much as we’d like,” he said. “Not so much every game, but at times as the game has progressed we’ve backed it up a little bit to get some more solid positioning. It’s really good to have both. You’d like more space to try and guard, but the more openings you create for an offense, it gets a little more risky.”