Clemson Men’s Basketball: Tigers return to action against NC State

Clemson Men’s Basketball had an extended break during the holidays, but no vacation lasts forever. The Tigers get back to work today in ACC play against the NC State Wolfpack.

Clemson is 2-0 so far against ACC opponents. They defeated Wake Forest 77-57 at Littlejohn and Georgia Tech 79-66 in Atlanta.

The Tigers are 10-3 overall. They are ranked 71st in the KenPom rankings, one spot ahead of Virginia.

Chase Hunter leads Clemson in points (14.8) and assists (4.8) per game. Hunter Tyson leads the team in rebounds with 9.3 per game. PJ Walker has played well of late with a double-double against Georgia Tech. Walker scored 25 points and 10 rebounds against the Yellow Jackets.

NC State is 1-2 in ACC play, and 11-3 overall. They are on a three-game winning streak and are ranked 128th in the KenPom rankings.

The Wolfpack are led in scoring (17.9) and assists (5.4) per game by sophomore Terquavion Smith, a guard from Greenville, South Carolina. Senior Jack Clark leads the team in rebounding with 7.0 per game. Clark hails from Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. He is listed as a guard, but at 6’-8” he is a factor on the glass.

Clemson Men’s Basketball is a 2.5-point favorite against the Wolfpack, with an over/under total of 149.5 points.

The spread is Clemson -2.5, with an over/under of 149.5, which suggests a 76-73.5 victory for the Tigers.

Marty Coleman (10-3, 5-8 ATS):

This is a tough call, but ultimately I think the home court advantage, which KenPom.com shows as 3.9 points and in the top 10% in the country allows the Tigers to escape.  That said, I’m dubious of the home crowd on a Friday afternoon on the day of the Orange Bowl. If Hemenway is unable to go someone is going to have to step up on the offensive end for Clemson to replace his 9.8 points.  That wasn’t an issue against Georgia Tech, but it could be a huge one moving forward.

John Chancey (10-3, 5-8 ATS):

Clemson has the pieces to be a very good team. With Walker returning to form, they are a tough out for any opponent in the league. Last season the Tigers were uneven when coming back after some time off. We aren’t sure of Alex Heminway’s status. I’m going to predict a slim margin, but the Tigers will cover.