Where: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Virginia
Off to its second-best start ever in ACC play, Clemson might be tempted to look ahead two weeks when the Tigers host conference blue bloods Duke and North Carolina in a span of three days.
But first, Clemson (16-4, 8-1) must take care of business against three teams with losing records in the conference, including Virginia Tech (8-11, 3-5) on Saturday in Blacksburg, Va.
Since back-to-back overtime losses in December to Memphis and South Carolina, Clemson has won seven of eight games to establish itself as a contender for the ACC regular-season title.
In his sixth season in a Clemson uniform, Chase Hunter has been the constant for the Tigers, averaging a team-high 17.9 points per game.
"His shooting has improved over the course of his career dramatically," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after Hunter scored 23 points in an 86-72 win Wednesday at home over Syracuse.
In increasing his scoring average by 5.0 points per game, Hunter has jacked up his overall marksmanship from 42.4 percent a season ago to 50 percent. He's also vastly improved from 3-point range, hitting an ACC-best 46.2 percent, up from 31.1 percent in 2023-24.
Clemson's top inside threat, Ian Schieffelin, is putting up 12.9 points, while his 9.9 rebounds per game ranks second in the league.
Unlike Clemson, Virginia Tech has struggled to find a go-to threat. In seven of the Hokies' last eight games, they've had a different high scorer.
After opening the calendar year with three wins in four games, the Hokies have dropped their last two, including a 71-64 loss Wednesday at Georgia Tech.
The defeat was particularly discouraging because the Yellow Jackets entered on a four-game losing streak and were without four rotation players, including top scorer Lance Terry.
"Certainly their (lack of) depth, I thought that would work to our advantage down the stretch. It was the polar opposite," Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said of his team, which was outscored 10-4 over the final 4:04.
The Hokies are led by frontcourt players Tobi Lawal (12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds) and Mylyjael Poteat (10.4 points).
--Field Level Media
| W/L | Strk | Home | Away | Neutral | Day | Night | Conf | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | 16-4 | W4 | 11-1 | 3-3 | 2-0 | 6-2 | 10-2 | 8-1 |
| Virginia Tech | 8-11 | L2 | 7-4 | 1-3 | 0-4 | 3-4 | 5-7 | 3-5 |
| Clemson | Virginia Tech | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Away | Home | Pts | Reb | FG% | Pts | Reb | FG% |
| 1/10/24 | CLEM 72 | VT 87 | 72 | 25 | 44.4 | 87 | 32 | 54.4 |
| Previous Matchup |
|---|
| Points | Player | Total | FG% | FTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | I. Schieffelin | 15 | 70.0 | 0 |
| Virginia Tech | S. Pedulla | 32 | 56.2 | 8 |
| Rebounds | Player | Total | Off | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | I. Schieffelin | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Virginia Tech | R. Beran | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| Assists | Player | |
|---|---|---|
| Clemson | J. Girard III | 4 |
| Virginia Tech | M. Collins Jr. | 7 |
| Season |
|---|
| Points | Player | Total | FG% | FTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | C. Hunter | 357 | 50.0 | 63 |
| Virginia Tech | T. Lawal | 237 | 60.0 | 58 |
| Rebounds | Player | Total | Off | Def |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | I. Schieffelin | 197 | 61 | 136 |
| Virginia Tech | T. Lawal | 123 | 45 | 78 |
| Assists | Player | |
|---|---|---|
| Clemson | I. Schieffelin | 64 |
| Virginia Tech | B. Rechsteiner | 62 |
 Clemson Off vs
 Virginia Tech Defense |
|---|
|
77.7 Points For
72.9 Points Against
46.7 FG%
45.4 FG%
32.2 Reb
27.6 Reb |
|
Virginia Tech Off vs
Clemson Defense |
|---|
|
70.1 Points For
67.0 Points Against
44.3 FG%
43.5 FG%
30.8 Reb
28.8 Reb |