Clemson basketball vs. Miami score prediction, scouting report
Fresh off road victories against North Carolina and Syracuse, a rejuvenated Clemson basketball team will look to keep the positive vibes flowing this week with home league games against Miami and NC State.
The Tigers (16-7, 6-6 ACC) will tip the home stand off against Miami (15-9, 6-7) on Wednesday (7 p.m., ESPN2) at Littlejohn Coliseum.
“They’re on a roll right now,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. “Obviously playing at home is a tremendous advantage for them. They’ve got great fan support.”
That may be true, but all the fan support in the world can’t coax the ball into the basket, as Clemson coach Brad Brownell will attest.
The Tigers have shot the ball considerably better in ACC games on the road than games at Littlejohn Coliseum. In five conference home games, Clemson is shooting 42.2% from the floor and a meager 22.8% from 3-point range; on the road, those are 46% and 36.3%, respectively.
Miami defeated Clemson 95-82 on Jan. 3 at Watsco Center by shooting 75% from the floor in the second half to erase a six-point halftime deficit.
Here are three things to know about Wednesday’s game:
Clemson guard Joseph Girard III is on a hot streak
Girard, the Tigers’ transfer guard from Syracuse, has been filling it up of late. In Clemson’s past three games, Girard is shooting 56.7% from the floor and 62% (13 of 21) from 3-point range. He leads the ACC and ranks fourth nationally in free-throw percentage at 93.4% and has made all of his past 28 attempts from the line.
Girard scored 21 points in Clemson’s victory against North Carolina on Tuesday, then scored 18 points in a win against his former team on Saturday at Syracuse. On Monday, he was named ACC Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
Jack Clark coming on strong for Tigers
After playing sparingly early in the season due to injury, Clark, an NC State transfer, has seen his playing time increase in the Tigers’ past seven games. He has averaged 8.3 rebounds in the past three games, and at Syracuse, he posted 10 rebounds in a game for the first time with Clemson.
“Seven defensive rebounds, three offensive rebounds, one tip-in, did a good job on (defending) Chris Bell,” Brownell said. “His presence with rebounding and just the little things, extra passes against the press and little things like that that you don’t think much about that he does well. He certainly has helped our team tremendously.”
Clark, who at 6-foot-10 provides Brownell with another tall rebounder, has earned starts in the past two games and may be a fixture in the Tigers’ lineup the rest of the way.
ROAD VICTORY: Clemson basketball’s Joseph Girard III shines in return to Syracuse as Tigers win key ACC game
Clemson’s mission: Slow down Pack and Omier
Clemson’s key to victory against the Hurricanes likely will come down to how it handles Nijel Pack and Norchad Omier.
Pack, who was slowed by a sore knee in the second half of Saturday’s three-point loss to North Carolina, is questionable for the Clemson game. He scored 25 points in the Hurricanes’ win in January, making all six of his shots in the second half.
A junior forward, Omier is a relentless rebounder who plays much taller than his listed 6-7 height. He scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds in the earlier win against Clemson and ranks second in the ACC in rebounding (9.9) and field goal percentage (61%), and sixth in scoring (17.7).
Prediction
Clemson 84, Miami 76: The Tigers appear to be playing with a greater sense of urgency as they strive to secure an NCAA Tournament bid for the fourth time in 14 seasons under Brownell. With five of their final eight league games slated for Littlejohn Coliseum, a win here would be a good start to what could be an impressive finish.
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ScottKeepfer
