92.9 FM ESPN's Jason & John previewed Memphis' upcoming challenge on Saturday (12/14) against Clemson basketball. AUDIO:
Tigers Gear Up for Saturday Showdown at No. 16 Clemson
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis men's basketball team hits the road for the first time in December as thTie program heads to the state of South Carolina for an all-Tiger showdown with No. 16 Clemson. Tip-off inside Littlejohn Coliseum is set for 10 a.m. CT Saturday on ESPN2 as Memphis looks to get back in the win column.
The matchup with the purple and orange Tigers (9-1) will be Memphis’ (7-2) third ranked opponent of the season and their fourth outing in 10 games against a power conference opponent. Memphis already has wins over Missouri, Michigan State and No. 2 UConn.
Memphis is returning a home game in 2024 after Clemson visited the Bluff City last December. In that game, the blue and gray Tigers erased a 10-point deficit to hand No. 13/11 Clemson a 79-77 loss in the first-ever matchup between the programs. It was Clemson’s first defeat of the season at that point.
GAME DETAILS
RV/RV Memphis Tigers (7-2) at No. 16/16 Clemson (9-1)
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 | 10 a.m. CT
Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000); Clemson, South Carolina
Television: ESPN2 (Mike Monaco pxp; Cory Alexander color)
BY THE NUMBERS
1: Guard PJ Haggerty is the only player in Division I averaging at least 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He is on pace to becoming the first player to record that stat line in a season since 2008-09.2nd: The Tigers are tied with Houston at No. 2 in the nation entering the weekend in 3-point percentage with a 43.7% clip (73-of-167). Only Bradley (45.3%) ranks higher.4-0: Memphis is 4-0 against the ACC under head coach Penny Hardaway. It marks his second-most wins versus a power conference behind only his 13-9 mark against the SEC.11-10: Over the last two games, Dain Dainja has been a force for the Tigers, averaging 11.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. Nine of his 20 rebounds in that span have come on the offensive end. He recorded his first double-double as a Tiger Sunday against Arkansas State with 16 points and 12 boards.13.6: Points per game from Colby Rogers over the last five contests, all in double figures. Over that span, he’s shooting 42.8% from deep (12-28) and has made a 3-pointer in 17-straight games dating back to last season. He’s also connected from deep in 47 of his last 48.
SERIES HISTORY VS. CLEMSON
Saturday’s game will be just the second-ever matchup between the programs after meeting in Memphis last season.Penny Hardaway’s Tigers trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half, and seven at the break, but with 39 combined points from David Jones and Jahvon Quinerly, Memphis erased the deficit to take down No. 13/11 Clemson, 79-77, in front of 15,052 fans at FedExForum.The win was the first against a ranked nonconference opponent since taking down No. 6 Alabama on Dec. 14, 2021. Memphis scored 17 points off 15 Clemson turnovers, while coughing up the rock just six times itself – the fewest in a game since March 19, 2022 against Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament.
THE LAST TIME OUT
The then No. 16 Tigers came out flat on Sunday at home and dropped an 85-72 decision to Arkansas State.PJ Haggerty matched a season-high 29 points on 8-of-15 shooting while going 11-for-13 at the line with three rebounds and a pair of assists.Redshirt senior Dain Dainja recorded a double-double off the bench with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Redshirt senior guard Colby Rogers added 11 points.Arkansas State used a 14-2 run in the first half to gain control of the Tigers, who shot just 28% from the floor in the first half.The Tigers finished the day with season-lows across the board - 35.6% overall from the field (21-59), 31.8% from three-point range (7-22) and 67.6% from the stripe (23-34).Memphis also turned the ball over a season high 20 times, resulting in 17 Arkansas State points.
SCOUTING CLEMSON
Clemson enters Saturday ranked No. 16 in both the AP and Coaches polls with wins over No. 4 Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), Penn State and San Francisco. The Tigers are 14th in the NET rankings.They bring a 9-1 record into the matchup after opening ACC action last weekend with a 65-55 road win at Miami. Their only defeat came Nov. 17 at Boise State (84-71).Clemson is one of the better defensive teams in the country, ranking No. 20 nationally in scoring defense while allowing 62.4 points per game. On the offensive side of the ball, the Tigers are second in the ACC in three-point percentage (38.2), three pointers made per game (8.9) and turnover margin (3.9).Clemson puts three Tigers in double figures, led by preseason ACC second teamer Chase Hunter (15.9). He also leads the squad with 21 made triples in 32.1 minutes per game.Fellow preseason ACC second teamer Ian Schieffelin is averaging a double-double for Clemson with 12.6 points and a nation-leading 12.6 rebounds each time out. He was the conference player of the week and an Oscar Robertson national player of the week on Tuesday after averaging 13.0 points, 16.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in wins over Kentucky and Miami last week.Former Cincinnati Bearcat big man Victor Lakhin transferred to Clemson this season and is pouring in 11.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He also leads the league with 1.7 blocks per game.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will stay on the road next week with another trip to ACC country, as Memphis visits Virginia at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18 on ESPN2.