CLEMSON — Usually when Miami and Clemson get together for a big-time game, it is on the football field.
The Tigers are the last ACC team to win a national championship on the gridiron, while the Hurricanes are playing for the national championship on Monday.
However, Saturday’s matchup is not about football – it’s about basketball.
Clemson’s eight-game winning streak will be on the line when the 22nd-ranked Tigers take on Miami at Littlejohn Coliseum.
The Hurricanes come to Clemson with a 15-2 overall record, including a 4-0 mark in the ACC. The Tigers are also undefeated in conference play (5-0), as the two are two of three ACC teams that remain unbeaten in league play.
The other is No. 6 Duke (15-1, 5-0 ACC), who is at Stanford on Saturday.
“They have a really talented roster,” Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said about Miami earlier this week.
Miami is led by Tre Donaldson at guard, who has led the Hurricanes on a 10-game winning streak. Their last loss was on Nov. 27 against BYU, the same team that handed Clemson (15-3) its last loss.
Donaldson is averaging 16.9 points and 6.8 assists per game.
“He is one of the best guards in the league, and is playing as well as anybody,” Brownell said. “They also have tremendous size.”
Malik Reneau is the big guy in the middle for Miami. He leads the Hurricanes with 20.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
“He is uber talented,” Brownell said. “Then they have (Ernest) Udeh inside and he is huge and is a shot blocker. The freshman wing is a five-star — big, physical, strong and is playing great.
“Jai (Lucas) has done a great job. They have come together as a group. Like us, they have a whole new team and they play really hard.”
Clemson enters Saturday’s game with a 13-game home winning streak, one of the top 15 active home streaks in the country. Dating back to last year, the Tigers have also won 13 consecutive ACC regular-season games, the longest in Clemson history.
The Tigers’ 5-0 start in the ACC is tied for the second-best league start in school history. They started 7-0 in 2022-23. Clemson also started 5-0 in 1986-87 and 1996-97.
However, keeping those streaks alive will be a challenge against Miami.
“They have multiple guys that can score, and they rebound the basketball as well as anybody in the league,” Brownell said. “So, it is going to be a big-time game, and I am looking forward to it.
“We certainly hope we get a sellout at Littlejohn.”
Clemson and Miami will tip off at 2:15 p.m., on the CW.