Previewing NC State’s Opponent: Clemson

The NC State Men’s Basketball team (9-11, 2-7) is looking to snap a five-game losing streak today, but that will be a challenge as the Clemson Tigers (17-4, 9-1) enter the Lenovo Center riding a five-game winning streak.

Clemson currently sits in third place in the ACC, behind Duke and Louisville. They have the same record as Louisville but lost to the Cardinals, 64-74. Clemson was picked to finish fourth in the 2024-25 ACC Preseason Poll. For perspective, NC State was picked to finish eighth and is currently sitting in 16th place.

The Tigers are just outside the AP Top 25, sitting at 29th, and they rank 30th in the NET Rankings.

Clemson is 2-2 in Quad 1 games, 4-2 in Quad 2 games, 5-0 in Quad 3 games, and 6-0 in Quad 4 games. Their two Quad 1 wins came against Kentucky and Pittsburgh, while their two Quad 1 losses were against Boise State and Louisville.

The Tigers are a balanced team, ranking 6th in the ACC in total offense and 4th in total defense. They are one of the better shooting teams in the conference, hitting 46.8% from the field as a team. Clemson also leads the ACC in three-point shooting, hitting a blistering 38.9% from beyond the arc.

They rank 5th in rebounding margin, 2nd in turnover margin, and 4th in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Senior guard Chase Hunter leads Clemson in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per game, which ranks 9th in the ACC. He is shooting 49.6% from the field and 45% from three-point range, which ranks 1st in the ACC.

Senior forward Ian Schieffelin (6’8”) is averaging 12.6 points per game, leads the Tigers in rebounding with 9.7 rebounds per game, and is tied for the team lead in assists with 3.2 per game. Schieffelin ranks 2nd in the ACC in rebounding.

Senior guard Jaeden Zackery averages 11.0 points per game and 3.2 assists, tying him for the team lead in assists.

Senior center Viktor Lakhin (6’11”) rounds out the Tigers’ double-figure scorers, averaging 10.2 points per game. He also contributes 6.0 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and shoots 36% from three-point range.