Clemson comes to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech on the heels of a 61-36 road loss to Virginia Tuesday night. The 17th-ranked Tigers have lost three of five games since opening conference play with victories over NC State, Boston College and Louisville.
Clemson has also lost its No. 2 scorer and rebounder in senior Donte Grantham for the season with a knee injury. The Tigers entered the weekend tied for fourth in the ACC standings.
GAMEDAY SETUP
CLEMSON (16-4, 5-3 ACC) vs. GEORGIA TECH (10-10, 3-4 ACC)
Date: Today
Tipoff: 6:05 p.m. ET
Arena: McCamish Pavilion (8,600)
Radio: CTN (Don Munson-pbp; Tim Bourret-color)
TV: ESPNU (Anish Shroff-pbp; Corey Alexander-color)
- Clemson carries a nice lead in the all-time series with Georgia Tech. As it stands, the Tigers hold a 69-63 edge.
- The Tigers are 24-43 all-time on the road in the series.
- The last time the Tigers were a ranked team on the road at Georgia Tech, the Tigers won 81-73 on Feb. 22, 2009.
- With Grantham’s injury, Aamir Simms has entered the starting lineup. His last start at Virginia was the first by a Tiger freshman since Grantham in 2014.
SERIES HISTORY
CU Series W-L record: Clemson is 69-63 all-time against Georgia Tech.
Streak: Both teams split the season series last year.
TIGER TRACKS
- Clemson has won 13-of-the-last-17 matchups against Georgia Tech.
- Head coach Brad Brownell is 12-4 against Georgia Tech, including 4-3 in Atlanta.
- Marcquise Reed has now put together the longest free throw streak of the season for the Tigers. Reed has now connected on 14 in a row from the Miami game through the Virginia game. (Jan. 13-Jan. 23).
- In the latest KenPom rankings, the Tigers are ranked Nos. 17, 11 and 46 in overall, adjusted defensive efficiency (92.0) and adjusted offensive efficiency (112.9).
- Clemson’s resume features five Top 35 KenPom wins.
- Elijah Thomas is one of five players nationally to average at least 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and shoot at least 60.0 percent from the field.
- Clemson moved up two spots in the AP Top 25 poll this week (No. 18) – its highest mark in the AP Poll since Jan. 18, 2010 (17th). Clemson is also ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll at No. 17. Clemson’s RPI checks in at sixth nationally.
- With a win tonight, the Tigers can improve to 6-3 in league play.
- It could be the ninth time in Clemson history (in 64 ACC seasons) that a Tiger team started league play with at least a 6-3 record through nine games.
- Two teams (1976-77, 86-87) started 7-2 through nine games, while six (74-75, 89-90, 96-97, 08-09, 13-14 and 15-16) have owned a 6-3 record to start league play.
SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
- The Yellow Jackets (10-10, 3-4 ACC) look to their home court to help them stem a three-game losing streak that includes a 64-48 home loss to No. 2 Virginia and road defeats to No. 15 North Carolina (80-66) and Florida State (88-77).
- Tech started the ACC 3-1 for the first time since the 2003-04 season, including home victories against No. 15 Miami and No. 25 Notre Dame. The Jackets entered the weekend tied for seventh place in the ACC standings.
- In the last two seasons (since Pastner arrived), no team has more wins at home over AP Top 15 teams as an unranked opponent than Georgia Tech (Tech and Colorado with four each, Syracuse with three).
- Alvarado and Lammers have started every game this season. Lammers has started Tech’s last 57 consecutive games.
- Georgia Tech’s playing rotation this season features four freshmen and a first-year graduate transfer who have combined to start 46 games and log 47 percent of the Yellow Jackets’ total minutes.
- Tech has committed 49 turnovers in its last three games (18 vs. Virginia, 15 at North Carolina, 16 at Florida State) after averaging just 10.8 turnovers per game in its first four ACC games. For the season, Tech has committed 13.1 turnovers per game this season, and 13.1 vs. ACC teams.
—Staff Reports