Louisville-Clemson preview

Louisville Cardinals (3-23, 1-14) vs. Clemson Tigers (19-7, 11-4)

Game Time: 7 p.m.

Location: KFC Yum Center: Louisville, Ky.

Television: ACC Network

Announcers: Joel Godett (play-by-play) and Malcolm Huckaby (analyst)

Favorite: Clemson by 11

Series: Louisville leads, 8-5

Last Meeting: Clemson won 83-70 on Jan. 11 in Clemson

Series History:

Projected Starting Lineups:

Louisville

• G El Ellis (6-3, 180, Sr.)
• G/F Mike James (6-5, 215, R-Fr.)
• F J.J. Traynor (6-8, 190, Jr.)
• F Jae’Lyn Withers (6-9, 220, R-Jr.)
• F Sydney Curry (6-8, 270, Sr.)

Clemson

• G Chase Hunter (6-3, 204, Jr.)
• G Brevin Galloway (6-3, 210, Gr.)
• F Ian Schieffelin (6-7, 230, So.)
• F Hunter Tyson (6-8, 217, Gr.)
• C P.J. Hall (6-10, 245, Jr.)

Statistics:

Relevant Videos:

About Clemson:

Entering Saturday night as Joe Lunardi’s last team in the field of 68, Clemson can ill-afford what would be a Quadrant 4 loss at Louisville. The Tigers have lost three of their last four, but their most recent outing was a 40-point walloping of Florida State on Wednesday night.

Picked to finish 11th in the preseason ACC media poll, Brad Brownell’s team has overachieved this season thanks primarily to its scorching shooting (gotta make shots). Clemson is 42nd in Division I in three-point shooting (36.8 percent), and second nationally and first in the ACC in free-throw shooting (80.3 percent).

The Tigers are led by senior forward Hunter Tyson, who might wind up being a First Team All-ACC performer. Tyson is 14th in the nation in double-doubles (12) and second in the ACC. He’s first in defensive rebounding per game in the ACC (8.19) and third nationally. He’s also 25th nationally in total rebounds (249) and fourth in the ACC.

Chase Hunter, who is in his fourth season under Brownell, has been playing easily the best basketball of his college career to date. He’s more than doubled his previous bests in nearly every statistical category, including points (14.3 ppg).

There was concern that junior center PJ Hall might miss the entirety of this season after suffering a knee injury over the summer. Instead, Hall missed just three games and has worked his back towards the all-conference production he was responsible for last season. Hall is a terrific finisher in the paint, an effective shot blocker on the other end, and a guy who can kill you on the offensive glass if you let him. He’s scored 17 or more points in eight of Clemson’s last nine games.

Clemson’s torrid shooting has regressed a bit from the first couple of months of the season, but this is still a team that can kill you if you leave them wide open on the perimeter, something Louisville has struggled with this season. If the Cards are more aware of where guys like Hunter and Tyson are than they were in the first meeting, this is another game where they can be right there in the closing moments.

Notable:

—Louisville will be honoring the 10th anniversary of its 2012-13 national championship team during Saturday night’s game. All but two players from the team (Russ Smith and Chane Behanan) are expected to be in attendance.

—Louisville is 7-0 all-time in home games versus Clemson.

—Louisville’s 23 losses this season have already broken the school record for most losses in a season. The previous high was 20 in 1997-98.

—Clemson coach Brad Brownell is 5-5 against Louisville.

—Louisville has lost four games by 1-point this season. That’s the most in U of L history and tied for the most ever by an ACC team. The Cardinals are 0-6 in one possession games.

—Louisville has already lost nine games by 20 points or more this season, the 20-point losses in one season in the history of Cardinal basketball.

—Clemson’s Brevin Galloway is one of just nine players who are at least 25 years old playing in Division I this season.

—Louisville is 6-38 over its last 44 games dating back to last season.

—According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Louisville is an 11-point underdog. The Cardinals have covered the spread in four of their last five contests.

—Louisville’s 93-85 loss to Miami last Saturday snapped a 157-game winning streak for the Cards in games in which they had scored at least 85 points in regulation.

—Louisville is 218-14 over the last 20 seasons and 15-2 over the last three when scoring 80 points or more. The Cards have eclipsed the 80-point mark just twice this season.

—Louisville is 14-0 over the past 10 seasons when limiting opponents to no more than one three-point field goal.

—Since 2004, Louisville is 128-0 when leading by more than 10 points at halftime.

—Louisville has won 162 consecutive games when holding an opponent under 50 points.

Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Clemson 76, Louisville 65