A pair of longtime Atlantic Coast Conference foes trending in opposite directions will meet in Atlanta on Tuesday when Georgia Tech hosts Clemson.
The Yellow Jackets (8-9, 2-4 ACC) had built some momentum with a three-game winning streak, but they lost 62-55 at Syracuse on Jan. 7 before they were routed at SMU on Saturday, 93-71. The final deficit against the Mustangs proved to be deceiving as the Yellow Jackets trailed 50-19 at halftime and were down by as many as 37 in the second half.
For a team trying to build continuity under second-year coach Damon Stoudamire, the showing in Dallas was a setback.
“We have a theme. When we share the ball, we’re pretty good. When we don’t share the ball, that’s how we look,” Stoudamire said. “We put ourselves in an insurmountable hole and we couldn’t get it back. … What we did on Tuesday in Syracuse offensively and what we did against SMU is unacceptable if we want to win games.”
Georgia Tech’s lone bright spot on Saturday was Javian McCollum, who scored 20 points off the bench. McCollum’s average of 12.5 points per game ranks second on the team behind Lance Terry’s 15.4.
Clemson (13-4, 5-1) appears to be on track for a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance but can’t afford what would be a bad loss on Tuesday. The Tigers’ NET ranking was No. 38 through the weekend, and the team holds quality wins over Kentucky, Wake Forest and Penn State.
Clemson enters play winners in four of five games, including a 77-57 home victory over Florida State on Saturday. Chase Hunter, who led the Tigers with 25 points, played in his 150th game with the program.
At 17.6 points per game, Hunter ranks seventh in the ACC, while his 44.8 percent 3-point shooting mark is the highest among qualified players in the conference. A hero in last year’s Elite Eight run for the Tigers, he will continue to be relied on through the heart of league play.
“(Chase) has been unbelievable in terms of his versatility and playing multiple positions,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “He’s always been a great team guy and has done whatever we need. I’m extremely proud of him and I’ve been very fortunate that he’s played so long for us.”
Following Hunter, Ian Schieffelin chips in 12.7 points and a team-high 10.2 rebounds per game. Viktor Lakhin adds 10.3 ppg.
