This matchup between the Virginia Cavaliers and Clemson Tigers will take place at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 1 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Tigers lost a winnable game to Georgia Tech 75-73 in their last game. Jaron Blossomgame was the team’s high scorer with 22 points. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-74 win against North Carolina in their last outing. Malcolm Brogdon was the game’s top scorer, accumulating 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting.
Blossomgame has taken his game to another level as of late for the Tigers, averaging 25.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 block, and 1.8 three-pointers over the last five games.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. Clemson ranks 346th in possessions per game (63.5), while Virginia is 351st (61.1). Moreover, foul-shooting opportunities could prove to be quite rare for the Cavaliers. They are 295th in the nation in FTA rate (32.1), while the Tigers are among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 28.2, ranking 28th in the country).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Cavaliers won the first game 69-62. Blossomgame had a standout performance with 23 points, six rebounds, one assist, and four three-pointers in the loss.
The Tigers have gone 16-12 Straight Up (SU) and 14-10 Against The Spread (ATS). Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Clemson, which ranks 44th at 1.33. As for the Clemson defense, teams routinely struggle to score points against the Tigers, who allow only 64.2 points per game.
Across the court, the Cavaliers have 22-6 SU and 13-13 ATS records. The Cavaliers are shooting very well so far with a .403 three-point field goal percentage that ranks 11th in Division I. The Cavaliers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking seventh in Division I at 1.57. Moving on to the Virginia defense, the Cavaliers allow just 60.2 points per game, ranking them fourth in the nation.
Virginia won the last meeting this season between these two teams, moving its SU record against Clemson to 6-4 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. With a 6-4 record, the Tigers have the advantage ATS. Virginia held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time, while Clemson was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Clem, ATS Winner – Clem
Notes
Clemson scores an average of just 69.7 points per game (ranked 198th). Virginia ranks fourth in points allowed, giving up 60.2 points per game.
Clemson scores just 70.6 points per home game (ranked 220th). Virginia ranks sixth in points allowed on the road, giving up 62.7 points.
The Clemson Tigers rank 92nd for their offensive rating of 109.7. The Virginia Cavaliers have a defensive rating of 98.5 (ranked 59th).
Clemson averages 63.5 possessions per game, scoring 1.097 points on each possession. While Virginia averages fewer possessions per game with 61.1, they score more points per possession with 1.161.
Virginia has an average effective field goal percentage of 54.7% (ranked 24th in the nation). Clemson is an abysmal 1-6 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Clemson Tigers attempt 21.0 three point field goals per game and the Virginia Cavaliers attempt 14.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Clemson is 7-10, while Virginia has a losing record of 1-2.
The seventh-ranked team in the category, Virginia has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.57 this season. Clemson ranks 44th with an A/TO of 1.33.
The Clemson Tigers make an average of 5.8 steals per game. When the Virginia Cavaliers allow 5 or more steals, they are a stellar 14-4.
