Clemson Set to Host Notre Dame, With Tigers Badly In Need of a Win

Clemson is set to return to the hardwood for the third time in six days as the Tigers welcome Notre Dame to Littlejohn Coliseum.

Dawson Powers-USA TODAY Sports

Clemson welcomes Notre Dame to Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday, with Brad Brownell's team in dire need of a win.

After Thursday night's 82-64 home loss to Duke, the Tigers (12-12, 4-9) have now dropped three consecutive games, and four of their past five. The Fighting Irish (17-7, 10-3) come in fresh off a 63-57 home win over Louisville on Wednesday and have victories in seven of the last eight games.

After being one of the nation's best 3-point shooting teams over the first half of the season, the Tigers have cooled off from the perimeter of late, having shot just 5 of 18 from behind the arc in the loss to Duke.

"I hope it's just a slump you know what I mean," Brownell said. "I think we have situations where guys are struggling at times. You just go through periods where you're making some and missing some. And some of it's a product of the defense."

TV: 7 p.m. ACCN (Jay Alter; PxP, Paul Biancardi; Analyst)  

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network (Don Munson/Tim Bourret) 

Series History: Clemson trails 2-7 

In Clemson: Clemson trails 1-3  

Not having Hunter Tyson on the floor has also had an impact, and according to Brownell, the team is still adjusting to his absence.

"I think there are some things that change within a scouting report when you lose a good player," Brownell said. "There's a little more emphasis on other guys and obviously that that could be happening as well. But we got a lot of confidence in our players there. They put time in the gym and work really hard at it, so we'll be fine."

Clemson will also be without starting guard, David Collins, who was suspended for one game by the ACC for his horrific foul on Wendell Moore Jr. late in the first half against Duke.

“Obviously, we take a lot of pride in how we do things in our program, from how we play to who we are on and off the court," Brownell said. "He’s a very competitive player. And I think he thought he got fouled on the play down there. And so he’s fighting like crazy to get back into play and then he makes the wrong play.”

Saturday's contest against Notre Dame will be Clemson's third in the last six days, meaning Brownell is having to be cautious about not only his team being physically tired, but also mentally drained. Having Littlejohn close to full in Thursday's loss to Duke really helped with the mental aspect, but Brownell said the Tigers just couldn't sustain it.

"You're always worried about that, the energy" Brownell said. "The energy level was great in the building, an unbelievable turnout. And that helped tremendously. We just couldn't sustain it. You got to play well, to sustain it. And you know, when you're missing shots, it's a natural letdown."

Key Stat: The Tigers are at their best when they are hitting shots from the perimeter. Despite the poor shooting night against Duke, Clemson is still is fourth in the ACC and is 25th nationally in 3-point shooting at 37.8 percent (194-for-513).

Betting Line: Clemson -2 with an Over/Under of 134.5, according to Fanduel Sportsbook.

Player to Watch: Ian Schefflin made his first career start against the Blue Devils after scoring a career-high 12 points on 4 of 6 shooting off the bench in the close loss to UNC earlier in the week. The freshman grabbed 10 rebounds against Duke and Brownell is looking for his young big man to continue to progress on the offensive end of the floor.

"He has good hands," Brownell said. "He's a strong kid. This is a benefit of Hunter's injury as he's getting more time and we need him to continue to play with confidence offensively. He's better than he played offensively (against Duke). He needed to be a little more aggressive and go make some plays. We gotta coach him and encourage him to believe in himself and his game."

Injury Report: The Tigers are still without starting forward Hunter Tyson due to a broken clavicle, and will be for the foreseeable future. Starting forward P.J. Hall is also still dealing with an aggravating foot injury but has managed to play through the discomfort.

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