Scouting the Clemson Tigers

Syracuse is set to play at Clemson on Saturday. The game tips at 2:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on the ACC Network. Here is what to know about the Tigers and how they match up with the Orange.

THREE POINT SHOOTING

Clemson is 13th in the ACC in three point shooting at 30.9%. Their best outside shooter is guard Nick Honor, who is hitting over 38% from beyond the arc. On the other hand, Syracuse has the ACC's best three point shooting defense at 29.7%. This seems to be a good matchup for the Orange from that perspective, but Syracuse must identify the Tigers' shooters. That includes the aforementioned Honor as well as guard Al-Amir Dawes, guard Clyde Tapp and forward Hunter Tyson. Clemson's best player, Aamir Simms, can only hit from deep if left wide open. Outside of Honor, none of the Clemson players are elite outside shooters, but all are capable of getting hot and will attempt their share of threes.

BIGS

Clemson is not a big, physical team on the interior overall. They do have one player who fits the bill of the types that have given Syracuse a lot of trouble this season. That would be Clemson forward Aamir Simms. Simms is 6-8, 245 pounds, averages 12 points and six rebounds per game, both of which lead Clemson. Their biggest player other than Simms in the starting lineup is 6-8, 215 pound Hunter Tyson who is not a low post player. Off the bench, there are two players to watch. Freshman center PJ Hall is 6-10, 235 pounds while senior center Jonathan Baehre is 6-10, 214 pounds.

Both play around 10-15 minutes per game depending on the matchup. Both are long and take up space, and are solid rebounders. Each only played four minutes in their last game against North Carolina. In the previous four games, however, Baehre had played at least 14 minutes in each. Clemson is not as physically imposing as other teams Syracuse has played. However, Simms has the potential to do a lot of damage inside. If Syracuse has Bourama Sidibe back, even for 10-15 minutes, it would make a huge difference.

REBOUNDING

Clemson is 11th in the ACC in rebounding margin (Syracuse is 10th), 10th in defensive rebounding percentage (Syracuse is 15th), and 11th in offensive rebounding percentage (Syracuse is 8th). The Tigers are not a great rebounding team, but they still find ways to win games. In their most recent outing against North Carolina, Clemson was outrebounded by 10 but still won by 13. If Syracuse is putting effort on the glass, they should be able to hang with Clemson on that front. The key will be boxing out Aamir Simms. He is a big body and leads to team in rebounding. The only other consistent rebounder for Clemson is guard Clyde Trapp, who averages over five per game. He stands just 6-4, but attacks the glass with energy, effort and positioning. Syracuse needs to know where is as well.

DEFENSE

Clemson is one of the better teams in the ACC in forcing turnovers at over 15 per game. That is one of the ways they make up for the lack of rebounding. Junior Nick Honor is only 5-10, but he is quick and relentless as an on ball defender. He will challenge Joe Girard, and this may be a game where Kadary Richmond is a better matchup in terms of athleticism and length. The Tigers play predominantly man defense and rely on pressure from the guards. They do not have a rim protector without a single player averaging over 0.6 blocks per game. In fact, Clemson is 13th in the ACC in blocked shots per game. This should give Syracuse the opportunity to attack the basket, if they can handle the physicality from the guards. Using Alan Griffin to drive or getting it inside to Quincy Guerrier should give the Orange an advantage.

ATTACKING THE ZONE

Clemson uses a lot of screens at the top of the key to free up their guards to drive and dish. However, that is usually against man defenses. Against the zone, Clemson could use Aamir Simms in the middle as he leads the team in assists at 2.8 per game. Simms sees the floor well, is a willing passer and can hit the mid-range jumper. He seems to be the perfect fit for playing the middle and either attacking or finding teammates. When Simms has the ball in the middle, expect Clemson to attack along the baseline. Back door passing is a normal part of their offense anyway, and they had a lot of success with that against North Carolina. It all starts with getting into the lane. Syracuse's guards will need to be better at preventing penetration, and the Orange forwards must be aware of cutters.

That said, Simms has not had great success against Syracuse in the past. He has failed to score in double figures in the previous four matchups during his career, and has shot above 50% in a game just once. Clemson is 2-2 against the Orange during those four games.

ANALYTICS

Clemson is 106th in offensive efficiency per KenPom.com. The Tigers are 14th in defensive efficiency thanks to their ability to force turnovers.