Clemson big man RJ Godfrey steps up when called on

Godfrey quickly solidified himself in the paint against Florida State.

by Brooks Thomason - Correspondent - Sun Feb 25 08:08:09 GMT-04:00 2024

In a crucial ACC clash Saturday night versus Florida State, Clemson’s star big man PJ Hall was in foul trouble early. The senior who leads the team in points, steals and blocks picked up a foul in the first three minutes. Clemson head coach Brad Brownell quickly subbed Hall out and put in sophomore RJ Godfrey.

Godfrey is averaging 16 minutes this season. He came in posting just around six points and three rebounds a game. A solid piece off the bench for the Tigers, his best ACC scoring game was at home against Boston College in January, logging 11 points and three rebounds.

Godfrey quickly solidified himself in the paint against Florida State. In the first half, Godfrey had a vicious throwdown after a nice pass by Josh Beadle and notched a good layup halfway through the first half.

Godfrey’s free throw percentage isn't the best this campaign, coming in shooting 50% from the line, but on Saturday, he delivered from the charity stripe by making all four of his free throws in the first half.

Godfrey’s defensive work ethic showed off, too. In the first half, Godfrey had two steals within three minutes of each other and added two blocks within two minutes of each other. A big reason Florida State shot 32% in the first half was his presence in the paint to deter shots away.

It wasn't just a game - it was a BLOCK party! ⛔@ClemsonMBB | #ACCMBB pic.twitter.com/4HBRyjii4k
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) February 25, 2024

Godfrey’s four stocks (steals + blocks) had Brownell praising his work ethic in the postgame presser. He identified his film sessions with assistant coach Dick Bender on defense and how hard Godfrey works in practice.

In the second half, Hall started the second half with a block in the first minute but picked up his third foul in the second minute of the second half.

Godfrey returned and logged another crucial 10 minutes. He went perfect from the field, scoring his two field goals, one being another dunk.

"I thought RJ was terrific. Maybe his best game at Clemson," Brownell said.

Under Godfrey’s help off the bench, Clemson picked up a vital win toward the ACC standings. The Tigers came out on top, 74-63, and moved to 9-7 in the ACC.

Godfrey logged 22 minutes total, as part of a trend recently. Godfrey has played 24, 22, and 22 minutes in the last three games. Before those matchups, Godfrey’s season high for minutes played against an ACC opponent was 19 minutes, but he usually saw around 13-15 minutes per game.

Godfrey looks to keep the momentum going for the Tigers when Pitt comes into town. Both teams are 9-7 in the ACC, and a win for either side will put them in the driver's seat to challenge Wake Forest for the fourth spot and a double bye in the ACC tournament in the final two weeks of the regular season.