Game Preview: Virginia Basketball vs. Clemson
In their first action in nearly two weeks, the Cavaliers did exactly what they needed to do against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday afternoon, blowing out the winless Knights 82-49. Jayden Gardner feasted on the inside and scored a season-high 29 points on a hyper-efficient 14/18 shooting. The more intriguing takeaway was Virginia’s bench. Expectedly, Tony Bennett was able to give the entire UVA roster some playing time in the game and the bench unit performed very well, especially in terms of perimeter shooting. Eight of Virginia’s nine threes came off of the bench, including three three-pointers each from Igor Milicic Jr. and Carson McCorkle. As always, offensive output alone will not be enough to earn extra playing time for these players, and Tony Bennett will demand defensive improvement from them in order for that to happen. However, for a team still struggling to find long-range production, it will be interesting to see how these bench shooters are utilized in Virginia’s lineups as the Hoos enter the full ACC slate. UVA hosts Clemson on Wednesday night looking to start 2-0 in ACC play.
Game Details
Who: Virginia Cavaliers (7-4, 1-0 ACC) vs. Clemson Tigers (8-4, 0-1 ACC)
When: Wednesday, December 22nd at 7pm
Where: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia
How to watch: ACC Network
All-time series: Virginia leads 79-52
Last meeting: Virginia defeated Clemson 85-50 on January 16th, 2021
| Virginia | By the Numbers | Clemson |
|---|---|---|
62.9 | Points Per Game | 75.9 |
55.2 | Opponent PPG | 66.5 |
45.1% | Field Goal % | 47.3% |
38.7% | Opponent FG % | 40.0% |
32.1% | Three-Point FG % | 41.4% |
32.6% | Opponent 3PT FG % | 32.2% |
-2 | Rebounding Margin | +61 |
+21 | Turnover Margin | -5 |
84th | NET Ranking | 63rd |
155th | RPI | 67th |
Opponent Breakdown: Clemson
Notable Results: Temple (75-49 W), St. Bonaventure (68-65 L), West Virginia (66-59 L), Rutgers (74-64 L), Miami (80-75 L), South Carolina (70-56 W)
Clemson began the season on a four-game winning streak, capped off by a 75-48 victory over Temple in the opening game of the Charleston Classic. The Tigers then dropped back-to-back contests by single digits against St. Bonaventure and West Virginia. After picking up a win over Charleston Southern, Clemson lost two straight again to Rutgers and Miami, with both losses coming by 10 points or less on the road. The Tigers then escaped with an overtime win against Drake and have turned that into a three-game winning streak with home wins over Miami (Ohio) and their most impressive victory yet, a 70-56 victory over in-state rival South Carolina.
Clemson has five players averaging in double figures: PJ Hall (14.7 ppg), David Collins (11.7 ppg), Al-Amir Dawes (11.7 ppg), Hunter Tyson (11.3 ppg), and Nick Honor (10.2 ppg). Three of those five players (Collins, Dawes, and Honor) shoot above 40% from three on the season and the Tigers shoot a very impressive 41.4% from three as a team, the fifth-best mark in the country and tops in the ACC.
What to Watch For
Clemson’s Shooters
In two of Virginia’s four losses this season, the Cavaliers allowed their opponents (Houston and Iowa) to shoot over 47% from three. UVA has improved its three-point defense significantly since then, but the Hoos will be faced with a very tough challenge in guarding Clemson’s many dangerous shooters on the perimeter. The Tigers have five players on the roster who have made at least 10 threes this season and four players who have made at least 15 triples. Al-Amir Dawes attempts the most threes on the team and he makes them at a 43.5% clip. Virginia will need to be very sound in its perimeter defense and limit Clemson’s open looks in order to prevent the Tigers from getting hot from long range.
Jayden Gardner and…?
Jayden Gardner has been by far the No. 1 scoring option for the Cavaliers this season and UVA can rely on him to deliver at least 15 points every game. As ACC play begins, however, Virginia will need other scorers to step up and become more consistent. Armaan Franklin, another transfer who is UVA’s only other double-digit scorer (11.4 ppg), has been a streaky shooter and his 21.1% three-point average is well below what Virginia was hoping to get from him this season. Scoring by committee is a fine strategy, but one or two other primary scorers must emerge to support Gardner, especially as he is faced with large and physical forwards and centers on opposing ACC squads for the remainder of the season.
Win Streak vs. Clemson
Virginia has a 17-game advantage over Clemson in the all-time series, which dates back to 1935. The Cavaliers have won 11-straight games against the Tigers and have won 13 of the last 15 meetings. UVA also has an eight-game winning streak going against Clemson in games played in Charlottesville. The Hoos will look to remain perfect in ACC play by continuing their recent success against Clemson.
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