Tonight’s ACC basketball game is between Clemson and Miami at 8 pm on ESPN, with both teams evenly matched in their historical encounters. As they prepare to face off for the 33rd time, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The two Titans are tied at 16-16 in the all-time series, making this game a potential tie-breaker and a must-watch for all basketball enthusiasts.
The Key Players: PJ Hall and Joseph Girard III
Two players have been making headlines this season: PJ Hall and Joseph Girard III. Their performances have not only electrified the court but also set new records, making them the players to watch in the upcoming match.
PJ Hall: A Force to Reckon With
Hall, a senior center for Clemson, has made quite a name for himself, earning Preseason First Team All-ACC honors and a spot on the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List. This list, chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, features 50 student-athletes who are early front-runners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball.
Hall’s record speaks for itself. He has scored 20 points in 22 games throughout his career and has maintained a streak of 22 straight double-digit scoring games. He is one of only two players in America averaging 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game, the other being Zach Edey from Purdue.
Hall’s outstanding performance earned him the title of ACC Player of the Week on Dec. 4, following his performances at Alabama and Pittsburgh. His second double-double of the season came in a win at Pittsburgh, where he scored 22 points and claimed 11 rebounds.
Joseph Girard III: A Three-Point Dynamo
Girard, on the other hand, has cemented his place in ACC history, ranking fifth in all-time 3-pointers made (335). He recently surpassed Duke’s Jay Williams’s record of 313 while Williams himself was on call for ESPN.
This season, Girard has scored a season-high 25 points on 7-for-10 shooting and 6-for-9 from three at Pittsburgh. With just 12 more assists, Girard could become the seventh player since 1992-93 to achieve 1,800 points, 400 rebounds, 500 assists, and 325 threes in a career.
Ian Schieffelin: The Rebounding Machine
Another player who has been making waves is Ian Schieffelin. His 17 rebounds in Clemson’s victory at Pittsburgh were the most by any Clemson player under Brad Brownell and the highest in any game since Trevor Booker’s 17 against East Carolina in 2007.
Schieffelin’s 31 rebounds over two games are the most by a Tiger since the 1998-99 season. He also achieved his second and third career double-doubles this season, proving that he is a force to be reckoned with on the court.
Looking Ahead
As the Clemson vs. Miami game approaches, all eyes will be on these star players as they vie for victory. Their impressive records and consistent performances have set the stage for a thrilling match.
This upcoming game is not just another match in the series, but a chance for these teams to break the tie and assert their dominance. With such talented players on both sides, it promises to be a nail-biting encounter that basketball fans won’t want to miss.
CLEMSON VS. MIAMI (FLA.)
- Watsco Center • Coral Gables, Fla.
- 8 p.m.: Tipoff
- ESPN (Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas)
- Live Stats
- Clemson Athletic Network (Don Munson, Tim Bourret and Ben Milstead)
- 📝 2023-24 Basketball Media Guide • Game Notes (PDF)
