It’s an ACC heavyweight clash in Littlejohn Coliseum this weekend.
The No. 16 Clemson Tigers (11-2, 1-1 ACC) will continue their tough week of in-conference opponents this weekend as they will come back home to Littlejohn Coliseum to face the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday in a battle of the top-2 ranked squads in the ACC.
The Tigers have their toughest season test so far, facing a battle-tested Tar Heel squad that has faced five Top-25 opponents within two months of college play. The team is also looking to avoid two straight losses for the first time this season, losing in a high-scoring affair with the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday night.
“We just didn’t have a lot of grit, toughness and staying power in the game,” head coach Brad Brownell said after Wednesday’s loss. “We did not get the game grinding enough, probably at times.
Clemson does have the Tar Heels in interesting territory, however. North Carolina has only played in one home game: their most recent victory against Pittsburgh. The Tigers are undefeated in Littlejohn so far this season, holding a 6-0 record at home. Playing in an enemy territory disadvantages the opponent, which favors the Tigers in this case.
What is interesting about the matchup is the similar comparisons that both squads have, which makes the game an entertaining one.
Perhaps one of the biggest matchups of the season is featured in the frontcourt in this contest in a battle of big men. The Heels bring in center Armando Bacot, a sixth-year senior who leads the ACC in rebounds, bringing in 10.8 per game as well as adding 14.9 points on average. For the Tigers? PJ Hall, who is second in the ACC in points per game, scoring 20.2 a night. The senior center also leads the conference in blocks, swatting 2.2 shots a game.
Another interesting matchup? Look no further than at the forward position: Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin against North Carolina’s Harrison Ingram. Schieffelin is second in the conference in rebounds behind Bacot, grabbing 9.8 boards per game. Ingram, a transfer from Stanford, averages 13.4 points and seven rebounds a night, most recently picking up 15 boards in the Heels’ win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. The forward matchup could be an interesting one that could determine the result if one of the two has an incredible night.
In the backcourt, North Carolina’s RJ Davis and Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan will face Clemson’s Chase Hunter and Joe Girard III. Davis leads the conference in scoring, pouring in 21.1 points per game across his first 13 games. The senior guard is a fantastic shooter, shooting just under 40% from three and 94.9% from the free throw line. On the other side, Girard leads the conference in three-point percentage, also shooting over 90% from the charity stripe. This matchup has plenty of close comparisons, which should make it a fun one.
If the Tigers can pull out a win this weekend at home, a victory over the Tar Heels would be crucial for not only building momentum going into conference play, but it would be vital for Clemson’s resume come March, when seeding for the NCAA Tournament comes into the picture.
Tip-off is set for noon on Saturday and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
