Painter’s Preview: Tiger Basketball Week 12

The Clemson Tigers were able to put together yet another undefeated week to extend their win streak to five games while improving their record to 17-4 (9-1) halfway through the season. Clemson currently ranks as second place team in the ACC with a crash course against the Duke Blue Devils to potentially decide first place on February, 8th. This past week, the Tigers over looked adversity and obstacles to still strive and they are given a needed midweek break for this week.

Key Tiger Takeaways from this Past Week:

Staying Clean: This Tiger squad had two Quad 3 contests this week, and as mentioned above, they were able to keep their resume clean. Coach Brownell has his team 10-0 against Quad 3 and 4 competition this year, and it has helped round out Clemson’s resume that does not have huge, big time wins. The Tigers currently sit at 30th in the NET Rankings which projects them as an eight seed in the NCAA Tournament. As Clemson continues playing their ACC schedule, their will be a multitude of Quad 3 and 4 games remaining because of the down year the ACC is having. While the Tigers may not beat the Duke Blue Devils or even North Carolina, but if they are able to keep their resume clean, they will be guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Two years ago, Coach Brownell had a terrific start to their ACC schedule, but those bad losses to Quad 3 and 4 teams kept them out of the Dance. Brownell needs to ensure his guys are ready to make sure that does not happen again.

All-Around Tiger Squad: The illness bug floated around the Clemson roster this week which held out sixth man Dillon Hunter against Syracuse and limited Chase Hunter to just 10 second half minutes against Virginia Tech. Despite these uncontrollable circumstances, Clemson still handled business with a 14 and 15 point win. Against the Orange, Del Jones and Jake Heidbreder took advantage of their opportunity in place of Dillon Hunter as they combined for 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 38 minutes. This showcase of added talent on Clemson’s roster provides fans with hope that this team can compete in any situation. Against the Hokies, Chase Hunter did not start due to illness and Dillon Hunter was given the starting role. As the Tigers lost Hunter’s scoring, their was a need for someone to step up and led the Tigers. Chauncey Wiggins led the Tigers with 16 points while three other Tigers got into double digits including a 13 point performance from Freshman Del Jones. Chase Hunter has been the heartbeat of this roster so far this season, but it is always good to see others step up in needed situations. This Tiger squad is truly all-around and anyone can have a great day against any opponent.

Looking Ahead: Because of some uncontrollable circumstances, Coach Brownell was able to showcase the future of his roster. As mentioned, Del Jones put together two great performances this past week to help Clemson put down two inferior opponents. The Freshman Guard has had a weird first year with inconsistent opportunities; however, he continues to get better and better on the court. With Chase Hunter leaving after this season, Clemson will have to replace his scoring on the court. Chauncey Wiggins is the most obvious Tiger to fill that role, and he proved his ability to score on the road against the Hokies. Wiggins scored 16 points while shooting 4-6 from behind the arc which totaled for over half of Clemson’s three-pointers. Along with Wiggins, Dillon Hunter showcased his ability to play make from the Point Guard position, and the Tigers look to have a solid foundation next season.

Clemson’s Upcoming Game this Week

At N.C. State on Saturday, February 1st, 2025

Clemson returns to play after a week break on the road at the N.C. State Wolfpack. The Wolfpack are coming off one of their best seasons in their basketball history as they won the ACC Tournament and made the Final Four even after an underwhelming season. This year, Wolfpack Fans are hoping for another turn around like last season as they are currently 9-10 (2-6) which ranks 15th in the ACC. It is likely that N.C. State will add one more loss to both categories before playing the Tigers as they have to travel to Duke on Monday, January 27th. Head Coach Kevin Keatts is in a position he did not want to find himself in after being on the hot seat all of last season until their cinderella run. Leading the Wolfpack in scoring this season is Senior Transfer Guard Marcus Hill. Hill is a former Bowling Green Falcon where he averaged over 20 points per game; however, this season he is averaging just 13.2 pts/g and 3.9 rbs/g while shooting 25% from behind the arc. Hill has been a consistent scorer all season for Coach Keatts and as of late, he has been attacking from inside the arc more because of his inconsistencies from deep. Behind Hill and fellow Guard is Jayden Taylor. Taylor is a returner from last seasons’ Wolfpack team, and he has improved his numbers in his Senior season. Taylor is averaging almost two more points per game (12.7) while improving his shooting percentage from the field. He is however turning the ball over at an increased rate which has inhibited his potential breakout season. He is one of Coach Keatts most consistent shooters from behind the arc at 34% which says a lot about N.C. State’s ability to score from downtown. Rebounding for this team is a combination of Forwards Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Ben Middlebrooks and Guard Dontrez Styles. These three guys are the only on the Wolfpack roster to average over four rebounds per game in an area that they have struggled in this season after losing Senior Forward Mohamed Diarra. Hatfield leads the team with 5.1 rbs/g while putting up 8 pts/g, but the 6’10 Senior is not having as much success on the boards as he did last season at Louisville. He averaged 8.4 rbs/g with the Cardinals, and Coach Keatts is hoping for that side of Hatfield to show up down the stretch. Middlebrooks is a former Clemson Tiger who is getting his first ever opportunity to start this season, and he has averaged 9.2 points/g with 4.6 rbs/g. Middlebrooks has been a solid role player for the Wolfpack these past couple of seasons, but has not broke out into the superstar that former starting Forward D.J. Burns was. The last key contributor on the glass is Transfer Guard Dontrez Styles. Styles averages 9.1 pts/g with 4.4 rbs/g, but his inconsistencies from deep has limited his scoring ability at N.C. State. Styles shot 37% from deep last season at Georgetown, but so far this year he is shooting just 30%. The final key contributor to this roster is Point Guard Michael O’Connell. O’Connell became a well known player after his overtime forcing shot against Virginia to save their season in the ACC Tournament. His numbers and play does not light up the stat sheet, but he averages 3.5 asts/g while providing needed leadership. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers come into this contest after losing at home to the underperforming roster last season. Clemson has the ability to dominant every aspect of this game because of the production gap between both of these squads. N.C. State will presumably be on a five game losing streak compared to Clemson’s five game win streak when they play, but it will come down to how the Tigers handle the road environment. Coach Brownell and his squad will be a lot of teams super bowl moving forward in ACC play, and Clemson will still have to perform. I do not see a way for victory for N.C. State especially with how Clemson has proved they can play on the road as of late. The Tigers will win because of the talent gap, and the final score will be 76-61.