Clemson basketball vs. Duke: Here's our score prediction
Duke basketball will roll into Clemson's Littlejohn Coliseum for a Saturday afternoon game that features an undefeated team with candidates for player of the year and coach of the year.
That team is Clemson.
In the surprise of the early ACC season, Clemson (14-3, 6-0) is out in front with the best league start in program history. Tigers graduate student forward Hunter Tyson is averaging double figures in points (16.2) and rebounds (10.1). He's done it in five straight games. Coach Brad Brownell has led the Tigers to six straight victories and 9 of 10. They were picked to finish in 11th place.
Clemson is coming off an 83-70 win Wednesday at home against Louisville. Tyson had 28 points and 11 rebounds. The Tigers returned to Littlejohn after back-to-back road victories at defending ACC champion Virginia Tech and previously undefeated Pitt.
Duke (12-3, 4-2) rallied Wednesday to beat Pitt with a strong second half, plus 19 in a 77-69 victory. Th Blue Devils lost, 84-60, last week at N.C. State and then barely beat Boston College, 65-64.
Duke is ranked No. 24 by both USA Today and the Associated Press. The Blue Devils are No. 15 in the Ratings Percentage Index, No. 22 in NET rankings and No. 26 in KenPom. Clemson is No. 43 in RPI, No. 39 in NET and No. 56 in KenPom.
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What time, channel is Clemson basketball vs. Duke?
What: Duke at Clemson
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum
Tickets: Sold out
TV: ACC Network
Radio: Clemson Athletic Network (WCCP)
Duke's Jeremy Roach seems no-go with toe
Duke junior guard Jeremy Roach, the team's leader in assists and second-best in scoring, has a toe injury and isn't expected to play. Roach suffered the injury in November and was able to come back and play for a while but couldn't go against Pitt. In his place, freshman Tyrese Proctor returned to the lineup and had 14 points, five assists and no turnovers. Proctor started Duke's first 13 games, averaging 8.0 points, before being moved to the bench for a couple of games.
Clemson has shooting advantage against Duke
Duke has just not been a good outside shooting team. The Blue Devils shoot 32% on 3-pointers, second-worst in the ACC. Even in a 77-69 win Wednesday against Pitt at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils were 6-for-27 (22.2%) on threes. And that's not the worst effort of the season. Or the second or the third. The low was 2-for-19 (10.5 percent) against Purdue, one of Duke's three road games since Thanksgiving. Clemson, meanwhile, is the ACC's best 3-point shooting team at 38.9%.
Players to watch for Clemson basketball vs. Duke
Clemson – Hunter Tyson (16.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 44.2% on 3-pointers) has averaged 21.8 points in the past four games. Chase Hunter (14.5 points, 76 assists, 42.0 percent on 3-pointers) added a season-high seven rebounds against Louisville. PJ Hall (12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 16 blocks) got in some foul trouble against Louisville but scored all 10 of his points in the final seven minutes to help the Tigers hold on.
Duke – Kyle Filipowski (14.7 points, 8.9 rebounds). The 7-footer had 28 points and 15 rebounds against Pitt.
Clemson basketball vs. Duke: Score prediction
Clemson 68, Duke 66 – The Tigers might feel some nerves early. This is a big one. Somebody, likely Tyson or Hall, will do something to get the crowd charged-up in the first half and it will be electric down the stretch. Clemson, with its depth and talent and communication, just seems like the better team.
Todd Shanesy covers Clemson athletics for the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson basketball vs. Duke: Here's our score prediction
