Sam Navarro
Clemson, South Carolina Set to Renew Rivalry On Hardwood
After not facing one another last season, Clemson (7-4, 0-1) is set to renew its in-state rivalry with South Carolina (8-2, 0-0) on Saturday inside Littlejohn Coliseum.
The Gamecocks come in playing some of their best basketball of the young season. After getting blown out at Coastal Carolina 80-56 on December 1, Frank Martin's team has won three straight, including a win at home over Georgetown and a big win over Florida State at a neutral site.
"Frank's done a really good job with their team," Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. "You know, big win against Florida State. We know how difficult it is to beat those guys, they were playing very well lately."
"Just a typical Frank Martin team. Very aggressive defensively, aggressive offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding team, very good in transition. And, you know, they have good depth, they play a lot of players."
Due to injuries and COVID issues, South Carolina comes into the contest down six players, according to Martin, something Brownell said makes a good team even harder to prepare for.
"That changes it a little bit," Brownell said. "Certainly, again we'd like to be prepared, we'd like to know what's going on. You know, it makes it a little more challenging not knowing exactly who you're preparing for because that may dictate how they play, the changes they may make. So, you just do the best you can and try and get your team ready."
The two teams have split the last ten matchups, and after not getting to play last year, the Tigers are very much looking forward to the opportunity of getting to play their in-state rivals again.
"Guys are always excited about this game," Brownell said. "It's a competitive game two very physical teams that go at each other every year. I've played ten of these now and last year would have been my eleventh and I don't even know exactly how many we've won, how many we've lost, but I know it's really close. You know, might be 5-5, might be 6-4 way but it's very close and they've been very competitive games."
How to Watch: 6 p.m. ACCN (Mike Monaco; PxP and Jordan Cornette; Analyst)
How to Listen: Clemson Athletic Network (Don Munson/Tim Bourret)
Series History: Clemson trails 79-91
Player to Watch: Coming off a 14 point, 8 rebound effort in the win over Miami (OH), David Collins is really starting to find his footing with the Tigers. The graduate transfer from USF has two double-double's over his past four games and is now third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.6 points per game. He also leads the team with 18 steals this season.
Key Things to Know:
Before you Leave your Home:
- If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, Clemson urges you to transfer your tickets to someone else or stay home.
- All ticketing is mobile for 2021-22 for regular-season men’s basketball games. Fans should download tickets before leaving home and add them to their mobile wallet to present at the entrance.
Betting Line: Clemson -8.5, Over/Under 110, Clemson's odds to win ACC +5000, according to FanDuel.
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