Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Clemson Tigers Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

After two consecutive defeats, the 25th ranked Clemson Tigers will play host to Wake Forest in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon.

Despite their recent losses, Clemson managed to hold onto their spot in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll. However, with back-to-back overtime losses to Memphis and in-state rival South Carolina, it is unlikely that the Tigers will remain among the top teams.

In both of their recent losses, Clemson struggled defensively, allowing their opponents to shoot over 51 percent from the field. This season, the Tigers have a record of 1-3 when their opponents shoot better than 45 percent.

Head coach Brad Brownell expressed his disappointment in the team's performance, stating, "Playing hard isn't going to be enough. I have to do a better job."

In their upcoming game against Wake Forest, Clemson will need to step up their defensive game. The Demon Deacons have struggled offensively this season, shooting just 42.3 percent from the field and averaging only 68 points per game.

However, Wake Forest makes up for their lack of offensive firepower with their strong defensive play. They currently rank 20th nationally in opponent field goal percentage, allowing their opponents to shoot just 38.4 percent.

The Demon Deacons have also been successful in forcing turnovers, with double-digit turnovers in all but one game this season. In their most recent win against James Madison, they forced eight turnovers.

Head coach Steve Forbes praised his team's defensive efforts, stating, "We took them out of their sets. We guarded the ball without fouling."

One area where Wake Forest has excelled offensively is in their ability to take efficient shots inside. They currently have a 54 percent shooting percentage on 2-pointers.

Leading the way for Wake Forest is Hunter Sallis, who was named to the All-ACC team last season. He is averaging 17.2 points per game and is coming off a 27-point performance against James Madison. Last season, he had 22 points in a win over Clemson.

For Clemson, their leading scorer is Chase Hunter, who is averaging 16.9 points per game. In their last game against South Carolina, he scored 27 points and had three assists.

Head coach Brownell spoke highly of Hunter, saying, "He's a terrific player. I'm super proud of him because he's grown, as a young man and player, in our program for a long time."

Another key player for Clemson is Ian Schieffelin, who is averaging a double-double with 13.8 points and 12 rebounds per game.

PREDICTION

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Clemson Tigers

Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Clemson Tigers

Sophomore Hunter Tyson scored a career-high 21 points as host Clemson held off Wake Forest 71-68 Tuesday night in an Atlantic Coast Conference game.

The Tigers (10-8, 4-4 ACC) posted its fourth victory in five games while the Demon Deacons (9-9, 2-6) lost for the fourth time in five games.

Clemson won its seventh consecutive meeting with Wake Forest.

Tyson made 9 of 13 shots from the floor, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range.

Clemson won despite making only 7 of 18 free throws. The Tigers have made only 16 of their last 41 free throws (39 percent) over their past two games.

Andrien White led Wake Forest with 22 points while Olivier Sarr added 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Demon Deacons, who haven't won at Littlejohn Coliseum since 2009.

Brandon Childress added 14 points for Wake Forest.

Neither team led by more than three points over the first 10 minutes, but Wake Forest went on a 9-0 run to take a 10-point lead before settling for a 37-31 halftime edge.

Aamir Simms, Clemson's leading scorer and rebounder, was held scoreless until the 14:31 mark of the second half and finished with seven points on 2-of-6 shooting. Simms entered the game averaging 20.2 points over the Tigers' past five games.

Clemson's Tevin Mack tied the game at 49-49 on a 3-pointer with 11:50 remaining. Wake Forest led 56-51 before Tyson sparked a 9-0 run that gave the Tigers the lead for good with 5:47 left.

Clemson made just 6 of 11 free throws over the final three-plus minutes, but Wake Forest was unable to capitalize, making only two of its last 13 shots from the floor.

Tyson was the only player in double figures for Clemson, but Clyde Trapp, John Newman III and Curran Scott all scored nine apiece.

Clemson shot 50 percent from the floor -- 11.1 percentage points higher than from the free-throw line -- and committed only seven turnovers. The Demon Deacons outrebounded Clemson 38-32 but shot 43.9 percent from the floor.