Opponent Preview: What to know about Clemson

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Syracuse picked up a much-needed win versus Louisville Wednesday. It wasn’t a resume-building win, but rather a victory that got the Orange back on track following a two-game losing streak and the dismissal of Benny Williams.

Chris Bell’s career-high 30 points behind eight 3-pointers carried SU to a 94-92 win, its sixth Atlantic Coast Conference victory. Judah Mintz and J.J. Starling added 21 and 19, respectively.

“It wasn’t perfect but this is more about these guys not giving up and just pulling out a win,” said Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry.

Saturday, SU welcomes Clemson, led by PJ Hall and Joe Girard III, who makes his return to Syracuse for the first time since joining the Tigers as a graduate transfer.

Here’s everything to know about Clemson (15-7, 5-6 ACC) before it takes on Syracuse (15-8, 6-6 ACC):

All-time series

Clemson leads 7-6.

Last time they played…

On Feb. 22, 2023, Clemson picked up a 91-73 resume-building win over Syracuse as it sat on the NCAA Tournament bubble. All five of the Tigers’ starters scored double-digit points, led by Hunter Tyson’s 29. Chase Hunter, who remains on the team this season, had a double-double.

It was Clemson’s game from the start as Syracuse trailed by 10 after four minutes, and in the second half, the Orange never got closer than 11. It was the most points Syracuse had given up in a game at that point in the season, and Clemson became the fifth team to make at least 13 3s against SU, finishing with 14.

“They were just much better than us,” former head coach Jim Boeheim said postgame. “We just didn’t react well defensively tonight.”

KenPom odds

Clemson has 60% of winning, with a projected score of 76-74.

The Tigers report

The Tigers enter Saturday’s matchup off a massive 80-76 upset over then-No. 3 North Carolina, where Hall dropped 25 points and Girard had 21 with five 3-pointers, including one to give Clemson a 75-70 lead with two minutes left.

Clemson has a very strong offense, ranking 18th in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Girard said Clemson’s offense revolves around off-ball movement, screening and quick passing. Hall provides the bulk of the scoring for the Tigers with over 20 points per game. Girard has also scored in double digits in eight consecutive games.

Aside from the win at UNC, Clemson has been on the wrong end of down to the wire games, losing to Georgia Tech, Duke and Virginia by three points or less, which has dropped them to the bottom-half of the conference standings.

How Syracuse beats Clemson

As the season has progressed, Syracuse’s depth has been getting thinner and thinner and versus Louisville, Autry preferred to play a seven-man rotation for most of the time. That won’t work against a much better Clemson team, which has an adjusted defensive efficiency that’s in the top-fourth of Division I.

Hall is the go-to option for Clemson underneath, and the front court is the area where the Orange are the most vulnerable. It wouldn’t be surprising for Clemson to attack that weakness. Maliq Brown will likely match up with Hall, and he’ll need to stay out of foul trouble, which at times has been a struggle.

In last season’s matchup, the Tigers torched Syracuse with the 3-ball and Clemson has weapons such as Girard and Hunter who can provide outside scoring. Syracuse’s back court will need to limit 3s. This game comes down to SU’s defense as it’s evident the Orange can score the ball well, especially at home.

Stat to know: 78.1%

Versus Wake Forest in a 29-point defeat, four different Syracuse players finished the game with four fouls. Knowing Clemson will attack the basket with SU’s limited front court, Syracuse might give up plenty of free throws. Clemson makes 78.1% of its free throws, 13th best nationally per KenPom. The Tigers don’t take too many free throws — 18.5 per game — compared to the rest of the conference, but they make them count.

Player to watch: PJ Hall, center, No. 24

Many fans in the Dome will be familiar with Girard, but Hall will be the best option for Clemson tomorrow. As the league’s second-highest scorer, Hall has scored at least 19 points in six of the last seven games, including a season-high 31 versus Georgia Tech last month. He’s also the second-leading rebounder on the team with 7.1 per game, complementing forward Ian Schieffelin on the glass.