Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Clemson Tigers

The Cardinals host the Tigers in a game where both teams have lost a combined 12 straight games.

Clemson Tigers (12-14, 4-11 ACC) at Louisville Cardinals (11-14, 5-10 ACC)

- Tipoff: Saturday, February 19th at 3:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: Bally Sports South
- How To Listen: WKRD 790 AM
- Betting Favorite: Clemson -1.0 (KenPom)
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 7-4
- Last Meeting: Clemson won 54-50 on Jan. 27, 2021 (Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• F Dre Davis (6-6, 210, So.)
• F Jae'Lyn Withers (6-8, 225, R-So.)
• C J.J. Traynor (6-8, 200, So.)
• G El Ellis (6-3, 180, Jr.)
• G Jarrod West (5-11, 185, Gr.)

Clemson

• F Ian Schieffelin (6-7, 225, Fr.)
• F P.J. Hall (6-10, 240, Sr.)
• G Chase Hunter (6-3.5, 204, R-So.)
• G Nick Honor (5-10, 195, R-Jr.)
• G David Collins (6-4.5, 217, Gr.)

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Tigers, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of The Tape & Prediction: Louisville vs. Clemson

Game Notes

Louisville

• Louisville dropped its seventh straight in falling 70-63 to Miami on Wednesday in the KFC Yum! Center as Dre Davis matched a season-high with 18 points to lead the Cardinals. Louisville trailed by 12 points in the first half and closed to within three with 1:10 remaining before Miami pulled away. It was the first career start for JJ Traynor, who scored two points and grabbed a career-best seven rebounds.
• Jae’Lyn Withers has averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds over the last eight games while shooting 48 percent from the field (31- 65), scoring nine or more points in six of those eight (last four straight; averaging 13.5 ppg in the last four). He tied his career scoring high of 20 points against Notre Dame. He averaged 4.2 points in the first 17 games of the season.
• El Ellis has scored in double figures in the last five games, including a career-high 25 vs. North Carolina. He is averaging 11.8 points per game over the last 12 games -- top for the Cardinals in that stretch while hitting 21-of-55 threes (.382), including 16.6 ppg in the last five.
• Jarrod West‘s next assist will be the 500th in his career. West is fourth in the ACC in assistturnover ratio (2.34) and is third in the nation in career steals among active players with 287.
• Louisville has averaged just 9.9 turnovers over its last eight games. The Cardinals have committed single-digit turnovers in four of its last seven games, and five of the last nine, including nine turnovers at Notre Dame.
• Louisville has averaged 28.1 points per game from its bench this season. The Cardinals have had 30 double-figure scoring efforts off the bench. Louisville’s bench has contributed 30 or more bench points on 12 occasions this season (last: 36-14 bench scoring advantage at Syracuse). The Cards are 14th in the nation in bench minutes (42.5 percent).
• Sydney Curry has scored 70 points in his last nine games after combining for 33 points over his first 12 games this season. He is averaging 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds over his last nine games.

Clemson

• PJ Hall is one of the most improved players in the ACC this season. Hall is +12.5 in PPG, +4.0 in RPG, +1.5 in APG and +1.0 blocks per game. Hall has increased his 3-point shooting by nearly 20.0 percent and despite the increased work load is shooting 48.8 percent this season, including a 52.1 effective field goal percentage.
• Hall netted a career-high 28 points at Florida State (Feb. 15). He has three double-doubles, six 20-point games. He has grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds against Drake (Dec. 11) and has three double-digit rebounding games.
• In conference play, Hall is averaging 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 48.3 percent from the field.
• Hall is on pace to become the highest scoring post player at Clemson since Trevor Booker (2009-10; 15.2 ppg).
• Al-Amir Dawes netted 18 points at Florida State (Feb. 15), his 20th game scoring at least 15 points in his career and his 35th double-digit scoring game.
• Hunter Tyson suffered a broken clavicle in the first half against Florida State (Feb. 2) and currently does not have a timetable for a return.
• Nick Honor scored a season-high 19 points vs. Temple. Honor finished 7-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from three.
• Clemson made 35 field goals in a win over Bryant (Nov. 15) – which ties for the most made field goals for the Tigers during the Brad Brownell Era (35 vs. The Citadel on 1/1/13). The Tigers finished the game with 20 assists, which gave Clemson its fifth 20-assist game since the 2017-18 season.
• Clemson finished the first half against Bryant with 52 points – its most in a half since scoring 54 against Alabama A&M on Nov. 21, 2019. Clemson tied this with 52 points in the second half against North Carolina (Feb. 8).
• Clemson added three signees to its program on NSD 2021: Chauncey Wiggins, Chauncey Gibson and RJ Godfrey Jr.
• Head Coach Brad Brownell won his 200th game as Clemson’s coach last season and stands at 213 wins all-time in charge of the Tigers.

(Photo of El Ellis: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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