Louisville, KY – The University of Louisville is set to play the Clemson Tigers at the KFC Yum! Center Tuesday, January 7, at 7 PM. This contest comes just a few days after the Cards win on Saturday, which was their first win against Virginia since the 2019/2020 season, and their 1st win in Charlottesville since the 1989/1990 season. The Cards are riding hot on a 4-game winning streak heading into Tuesday night’s conference matchup against the Tigers. If they can pull off a home win versus Clemson, the Cards will look to jump into the top 3 in the ACC standings. Let’s break it down.
The Clemson Tigers come to Louisville led by head coach Brad Brownell. This is Brownell’s 15th season with the Tigers, and he is coming off a 2023/2024 campaign where he led the Tigers to an Elite Eight. Clemson comes into Tuesday’s game with a 12-3 record on the season, and a perfect 4-0 in ACC play. The Tigers are tied with Duke for 1st place in the conference standings. Clemson is on a 3-game winning streak, with their most recent win being over Cal 80-68 on Saturday. Senior forward Ian Schieffelin led the Tigers with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Schieffelin averages 13.1ppg, which is 2nd on the team, and a staggering 11.1rpg, which leads the team and is ranked 7th in the nation. Schieffelin has 6 double-doubles on the season and 8 games where he has posted 12 or more rebounds, with one of those games coming against Kentucky, where Schieffelin grabbed 20 rebounds in their win at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Schieffelin is not the only player on Clemson’s team that can light it up. Senior guard Chase Hunter comes into Tuesday night’s contest leading the Tigers in points per game with 17.2ppg on 48% shooting. Hunter is also a very talented 3-point shooter, averaging 42.5% from behind the arc. While Hunter and Schieffelin lead the team in points, senior center Victor Lakhin is a huge presence in the paint, no pun intended. Clocking in at 6’11 245 pounds, Lakhin in the middle often causes issues for opposing teams. Lakhin is a solid rebounder, averaging 6.2 rebounds per contest, and can defend the rim very well, averaging almost 2 blocks per game. Clemson’s 3 headed monster of Hunter, Schieffelin and Lakhin is a huge reason why they are at the top of the ACC standings and why they are expected to make a deep run in March.
Now about our Cards. Louisville has been playing very well since the start of the new year. This team seems to have found their chemistry and groove. The Cards had a huge boost coming off the bench Saturday, as Smith and Traore both led the team with 15 points. Traore’s play has continued to improve each game since his debut on 12/28 vs EKU. With Traore coming back, it not only gives PK another man in the rotation, but it also adds a very valuable defensive piece to the team. Traore played only 16 minutes versus UVA, but made a huge impact on both ends of the floor, shooting 60% from the field and grabbing 8 rebounds. If the Cards want to extend their winning streak to 5 on Tuesday night, PK and company will need another big showing from the bench.
Both Waterman and Scott will have a tall task on Tuesday with Schieffelin and Lakhin. Containing Schieffelin will be a main priority on defense for PK, as he is a mismatch defensively against a majority of teams. Scott has been playing very well and will need that to continue that play Tuesday. If Waterman and Scott can contain Schieffelin and Lakhin, I like the Cards’ chances of pulling out a win.
Clemson and Louisville are also some of the more balanced teams in the nation. According to KenPom, the Tigers rank 35th in offensive efficiency and 32nd in defensive efficiency. The Cards are not too far behind them, ranking 42nd in offensive efficiency, and 46nd in defensive efficiency. The winner of Tuesday night’s matchup will also add a Quad 1 win to their resume. Louisville and Clemson both rank in the top 50 of the KenPom, as Clemson comes in at 32nd and Louisville comes in at 43rd. Expect a big matchup at the Yum! Center!
You can catch PK and the Cards against the Tigers tomorrow night at 7 PM on ESPNU. Go Cards!
