LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (13-2, 2-0) At CLEMSON TIGERS (9-6, 2-1)
Game Time: 12:05 p.m.
Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena: Greenville, S.C.
Television: Fox Sports South/Regional Sports Networks
Announcers: Bob Rathbun (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (analyst)
Officials: Brian Dorsey, Mike Eades, Brian O'Connell
Favorite: Louisville by 7
All-Time Series: Louisville leads 4-0
Last Meeting: Louisville won 58-52 on Jan. 7, 2015 at the Yum Center
Series History:
Probable Starting Lineups:
Statistics:
Relevant Videos:
About Clemson:
After opening ACC play with an 80-69 loss at then-No. 7 North Carolina on Dec. 30, Clemson has won consecutive games over Florida State and Syracuse behind an offensive surge. The Tigers logged a season high in points in a 84-75 win over the Seminoles on Jan. 2 before edging Syracuse 74-73 in overtime Tuesday. Even with that performance, Clemson ranks 14th out of 15 ACC teams in points per game (69.8).
Junior forward Jaron Blossomgame, who is the 30th player in Clemson history with at least 700 points and 500 rebounds, leads Clemson in scoring (15.3 ppg, 17th in the ACC) and rebounding (6.9 rpg, 14th ACC). Clemson ranks 19th nationally in blocks (5.7 bpg).
Sunday's game starts a string of five straight versus teams currently ranked in the top 25 for Clemson -- Louisville, Duke, Miami, Virginia and Pittsburgh.
Notable
--Clemson is playing its home games in Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. this season while renovations are being made to Littlejohn Coliseum, the Tigers' campus home arena.
--Since 2012-13, Louisville leads the nation in average margin of victory in road games at 9.6 points.
--UofL leads the nation in scoring margin (+24.9), is second in rebounding margin (+12.7), third in scoring defense (58.3), and fifth in field goal percentage defense (.363).
--Louisville ranks atop the ACC by allowing just 58.3 points per game. Clemson is third at 62.2.
--Brad Brownell is one win shy of 100 as Clemson's coach. He would be the fifth coach in school history to achieve 100 wins with the Tigers.
--Louisville is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage (.508). UofL has shot above 50 percent in 10 of its 15 games. The Cards shot 50 percent or above on eight occasions all last season. UofL is 24th nationally in scoring (83.2 ppg).
--Louisville is 13-2 through 15 games for the fifth time in six seasons.
--The Tiger program has posted wins over coaches currently in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame each of the past two seasons. In 2013-14, Clemson beat Mike Krzyzewski and Duke, 72-59, and last season the Tigers downed Jim Boeheim's Syracuse team, 66-53. Rick Pitino was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.
--Chinanu Onuaku has averaged 11.0 rebounds over the last six games, grabbing double-digit boards in four of those games. He has had back-to-back double-doubles, including 12 points and 14 rebounds at NC State on Thursday.
--Rick Pitino has a 2-1 record against Clemson, winning in 2006 and 2015 at UofL and falling 79-71 in the opening game of the 1996-97 season at Kentucky.
--Louisville has a 29-13 record during the month of January over the last five years, including an 13-4 record in the last two years.
--Louisville's 136 victories over the last five years are the second-most wins in the nation in that stretch. Louisville and Wichita State are the only schools in the nation to win 30 games in three of the last four seasons.
Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Louisville 68, Clemson 61