Clemson Coach Shawn Poppie Reflects on Loss to South Carolina, Praises Gamecocks’ Dominance and Looks Ahead with Optimism
Following Clemson’s 65–37 loss to No. 2 South Carolina on Tuesday night, head coach Shawn Poppie met with the media to share his thoughts on the game, his team’s performance, and what the matchup revealed about the Tigers’ growth.
Opening Thoughts
Poppie acknowledged the significance of the rivalry and credited the Gamecocks for living up to their national reputation.
“Obviously, a big matchup here, Clemson–South Carolina,” he said. “I thought we gave them a run there for three quarters and ran out of gas. They’ve got a really good basketball team over there. Seeing it up close and personal, you don’t realize how big they are until you’re sitting on the sideline watching. They’re so long.”
Despite the loss, Poppie viewed the game as a learning experience for his young roster.
“It’s a good opportunity to go back and watch film,” he said. “I thought we competed. We just didn’t make shots. Going 5-for-33 from three isn’t going to beat anybody. But the 33 attempts — that’s who we are. We just need to find ways to hit more of them and finish games.”
On Clemson’s Three-Point Strategy
The Tigers attempted 33 three-pointers, something Poppie says will likely continue throughout the season.
“That’s just kind of how we’re built,” he explained. “Our fours are stretch players. It becomes a tough matchup when you play teams with size, but the flip side is spacing the floor. We’ve been a team that’s shot it well all preseason — obviously not against a team with South Carolina’s length.”
Poppie added that Clemson will continue working toward more offensive balance.
“We’ve got to find ways to drive, to attack off the dribble,” he said. “I didn’t think we had a good balance early on, and foul trouble didn’t help. But we’ll keep shooting; that’s our identity.”
On Fatigue and the Fourth Quarter Struggles
Poppie admitted his players showed signs of fatigue as the game wore on.
“Even at the end of the third quarter, both teams were gassed,” he said. “We had four open threes that just didn’t go down. Sometimes, you just need one to fall to open the lid. But their length and physicality play a big part — it wears on you.”
He praised his team’s fight early but admitted the energy faded late.
“We were battling for three quarters,” Poppie said. “I didn’t like our body language the last 10 minutes. We’ll use this film to learn and grow from it.”
On Facing a National Power
When asked what facing a powerhouse like South Carolina revealed about his program, Poppie was honest but optimistic.
“When I took this job, I knew the powerhouse right up the road with what Dawn Staley’s built,” he said. “You see it and hear it every day — it’s the standard in women’s basketball. But that excites me. We’re trying to build something similar.”
Poppie emphasized that Clemson is still in the building phase but trending upward.
“We’re only in year two,” he noted. “We’re way more talented than we were a year ago. If we want to be elite, we’ve got to recruit bigger, faster, stronger players — and we’ve done that. We’ve signed a top-five recruiting class in the country. That’s part of our process.”
On Defensive Strategy and Early Success
For the second straight year, Clemson’s defense managed to frustrate South Carolina early. Poppie credited his team’s defensive execution and pace control.
“They’re unbelievable in transition,” he said. “We tried to tag their wings and make them play in the half court. That’s not where they’ve had to play much this season. We slowed them down, and for three quarters, it worked.”
Clemson trailed by just 10 heading into the fourth quarter before fatigue and missed shots allowed South Carolina to pull away.
“It wasn’t their offense that beat us — we just got tired and went cold,” Poppie said. “We made it a half-court game, which gave us our best chance.”
On What He Learned About His Team
Poppie said the matchup was an important measuring stick for his players and himself as a coach.
“Through three quarters, we were fighting and clawing,” he said. “We didn’t play great, but we fought. This is a wonderful opportunity to go back and evaluate ourselves. Sometimes you need a game like this to see where you really are.”
He also took personal responsibility for the late-game breakdowns.
“I don’t think I prepared them well enough to stretch South Carolina out,” Poppie admitted. “It’s good for me too. We won’t see many teams like that the rest of the season, but it shows us what it takes to reach that level.”
As Clemson looks ahead to upcoming games against American and Louisville, Poppie remains confident in his team’s direction.
“If this team buys in, executes, and keeps fighting,” he said, “we have a chance to be really darn good.”
