The Clemson men’s basketball team will face the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum in an ACC matchup.
The Tigers (16-7, 6-6 ACC) return home following success on a two-game road trip, taking down No. 3 North Carolina and Syracuse away from home, marking only their second win over their respective opponents in front of their home crowd. Similar to the North Carolina game, Clemson is looking for another win over an opponent that has beaten them already this season.
Clemson has almost cemented their spot in the NCAA Tournament with those two huge wins. With a win against another conference opponent, not to mention one that would avenge a loss earlier in the season, the Tigers would have an incredible possibility of having a ticket to the Big Dance cemented.
Before the game tips off, all eyes continue to point to the Jan. 3 matchup, when a 60-point second half propelled the Canes over head coach Brad Brownell and his squad, winning 95-82. After shooting 45% from three-point range, defending the arc is going to be a huge factor if Clemson wants to make it three straight wins.
Perhaps the best group that is playing for Clemson basketball at the moment is the guard room. Guards Joe Girard III and Chase Hunter have been hot as of late, showing so in their win over Syracuse on Saturday. In his first game back to New York since his transfer, Girard led the team in points, scoring 18 while shooting four threes. Hunter followed with 14 points of his own and adding seven assists. Seven assists is tied for a season-high this season.
But if one had to pick a squad that is either flaming hot or ice cold on any given day in the conference, it’s Miami, and last week supports it. The Hurricanes only scored 38 points at Virginia last Monday night, and they came within one possession of the Tar Heels, losing by three points at home to the top team in the ACC by a score fo 75-72.
Head coach Jim Larranaga continues to use the experience of his standout players that helped drive Miami to a Final Four berth last season. Forward Norchad Omier is the player to watch in the post and will be the guy who will defend Clemson’s PJ Hall on Wednesday night. Omier scored 23 in the last contest between the two teams and leads the Hurricanes in points per game on the season.
It’s going to be about containing the Miami guards if Brownell wants to make it three straight. With players like Nijel Pack and Matthew Cleveland, who scored 25 and 23 points, respectively, in the January matchup, guarding the perimeter with players like Hunter and Girard will be necessary for Clemson to have success.
Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN2.
