Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Clemson Tigers

The Cardinals head back on the road and will try and snap a season-long losing streak against the Tigers.

Louisville Cardinals (6-14, 1-8 ACC) at Clemson Tigers (13-6, 3-5 ACC)

- Tipoff: Tuesday, January 30 at 9:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C.
- How To Watch: ACC Network
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Clemson -18.0
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 9-4
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 83-73 on Feb. 18, 2023 (KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, Ky.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• G Skyy Clark (6-3, 205, So.)
• G Tre Whte (6-7, 205, So.)
• G/F Mike James (6-5, 200, R-So.)
• G/F Curtis Williams (6-5, 205, Fr.)
• F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 240, Jr.)

Clemson

• G Joseph Girard III (6-2, 189, Gr.)
• G Chase Hunter (6-5, 200, Sr.)
• F Ian Schieffelin (6-8, 238, Jr.)
• F Chauncey Wiggins (6-11, 210, So.)
• C P.J. Hall (6-11, 238, Sr.)

Comparison

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

Game Notes

Louisville

• Louisville has used eight different starting lineups and is 3-5 when using a new starting lineup. The Cardinals have started 12 different players this season among an initial roster of 15 players.
• Four of Louisville’s six wins this season have come while trailing at halftime. The Cardinals have been outscored by 142 total points in the first half this season, but have outscored opponents by 26 after halftime.
• The Cardinals are 5-3 this season when they outrebound their opponent, while they are 1-11 when losing the boards. They’re 6-8 when they shoot more free throws than their opponent, and 0-6 when they don’t.
• Over the last seven games, the Cardinals are 46-for-116 (39.7%) from 3-point range. Louisville has had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in six of the last 10 games after only accomplishing the feat in two of the first 10 games. The Cardinals have shot 45% or better from the field in six of the last seven games.
• In the last seven games, redshirt sophomore Mike James is averaging 16.4 points per game, while shooting 46.8% from the field (36 of 77), 54.2% from 3-point range (13 of 24) and 83.3% from the free-throw line (30-36).
• Over the last 11 games, junior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield is averaging 14.4 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 62.0% from the field (62 of 100). After registering two double-doubles in the first 68 games of his career, he has five in his last 11 games.
• Last time out: Louisville dug themselves into a massive early hold against Virginia that they could not overcome, eventually falling 69-52.
• KEY FIRST HALF RUN: The Cavaliers set the tone by beginning the game on an 11-0 run that elapsed 4:56 of game time. Virginia eventually held a 30-point lead just ahead of halftime.
• KEY SECOND HALF RUN: The Cards showed some fight with a 11-0 run starting at 11:54 and covering three minutes and 33 seconds to cut the deficit to 56-37, but Virginia maintained a steady lead the rest of the way.
• UofL shot 15 of 42 (35.7%) from the field, 3 of 11 (27.3%) from 3-point range and 19 of 24 (79.2%) from the free-throw line.
• The Cards made 15+ free throws for the 11th time this season.
• Louisville won the rebound battle, pulling down 31 to Virginia’s 28, with eight coming on the offensive glass.
• The Cavaliers scored 24 points off 18 Cardinal turnovers in the game.

Clemson

• P.J. Hall was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List and was recently upgraded to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List for his play this season. Named to 2023-24 Lute Olson Midseason Watch List. Hall became just the seventh Tiger to amass 1,300+ points, 500+ rebounds and 100+ blocks in a career (Trevor Booker, Elden Campbell, Dale Davis, Larry Nance, Tree Rollins, Sharone Wright).
• Joseph Girard III is tied for third all-time in ACC history for 3-pointers made (351). Passed Duke's Jay Williams at Alabama (11/28), while Jay was on the call for ESPN. Jay is 10th all-time with 313. Posted a season-high 25 points on 7-for-10 shooting and 6-for-9 from three at Pittsburgh (12/3).
• Ian Schieffelin is One of 11 players in America averaging at least 9.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game (Only player in the ACC). Dating back to 1992-93, he would be only the sixth player in ACC history to accomplish this stat line
• Hall and Schieffelin did something that hasn't been done at Clemson since at least the 1996-97 season. Hall posted 31 points and 17 rebounds, while Schieffelin added 20 points and 15 rebounds in a loss to Georgia Tech. It marked the first time a pair of teammates for Clemson have garnered at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a game and just the third time in Division I that it has occurred since the 1996-97 season, per Stats Perform.
• Clemson is ranked No. 28 in the nation in the latest NET rankings. Clemson is the third-highest ranked ACC team in the NET. Clemson is 3-5 in Quad 1 games and is third among ACC teams with three Quad 1 wins (North Carolina - 4).
• Clemson won its first nine games before a loss at Memphis, its best start under Brad Brownell and its best start since beginning 16-0 in 2008-09. Clemson had such a strong start and had played just four of the nine games at home.
• Clemson's win over No. 23 Alabama (11/28) was the program's second non-conference ranked true road win in program history.
• The Tigers are 83-22 (.790) dating back to the beginning of the 2017-18 season on their home floor. Since the inception of the newly renovated Littlejohn Coliseum (2016-17 season), the Tigers are 94-28 overall (.770 percent). In non-conference regular season games, the Tigers are 45-3 during that span (.938 percent).

(Photo of Mike James, P.J. Hall: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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