Wake Forest vs Clemson: Preview and Prediction

The Demon Deacons take on the first place Tigers on Tuesday night

Gameday Info:

Tipoff: 9 p.m. ET

TV: ACCNX

Spread: Wake Forest -2

Moneyline: Wake Forest -130, Clemson +110

Total: 148.5

READ: How to Watch Wake Forest vs Clemson Men's College Basketball

Check out our keys to the game here.

Clemson Team Overview:

Record: 15-3 (7-0)

KenPom: 52nd (44th Offensive, 69th Defensive)

Recent Games: W 72-64 vs Duke, W 83-70 vs Louisville, W 75-74 at Pitt

Leading scorers:

Sr. F Hunter Tyson (15.7 ppg, 9.8 reb, 42.7 3PT%)
Sr. G Chase Hunter (14.0 ppg, 2.7 reb, 4.3 ast)
Sr. C PJ Hall (13.2 ppg, 4.5 reb, 52.8 FG%)

READ: Clemson guard Chase Hunter not expected to play against Wake Forest

The No. 19 Clemson Tigers are the biggest surprise in the ACC this year with a perfect 7-0 start in conference play. This veteran team has won 11 of their last 12 games and is firing on all cylinders. Credit to coach Brad Brownell for building his team through player development. Each of his three leading scorers have improved significantly over the course of their Clemson careers.

The Tigers are coming off a big time home win over No. 24 Duke on Saturday, led by a 26-point effort from PJ Hall, which he scored in just 26 minutes of game action. Hall is Clemson's best player, but Brownell trusts his depth, as the junior hasn't played more than 30 minutes in a game this season. 

The win over Duke is even more impressive considering that both Hunter Tyson and Chase Hunter didn't contribute much offensively, combing for 12 points. Tyson has evolved from a solid starter to an All-ACC caliber player this season, and had produced five straight double doubles (including a 28 point and 11 rebound performance vs Louisville, and 31 and 15 against NC State) before his streak was ended vs Duke.

This is a veteran group that is balanced, tough and physical. They are strong on both ends of the floor, but it's their defense that has shined in ACC play. According to KenPom, Clemson is No. 1 in the league in defensive efficiency and opponent effective field goal percentage during conference play. On the other end of the floor, the Tigers are shooting a league best 39.3% from three-point land on the season. Senior three-point specialist Alex Hemenway has been out with an injury since mid-December, and he will remained shelved for this contest.

Wake Forest Team Overview:

Record: 13-5 (5-2)

KenPom: 73rd (35th Offensive, 144th Defensive)

Recent Games: W 85-63 at Boston College W 90-75 vs Florida State, W 80-72 at Louisville

Leading scorers:

Gr. G Tyree Appleby (17.8 ppg, 6.0 ast, 1.7 stl, 43.7 3PT%)
So. G Cameron Hildreth (12.9 ppg, 6.1 reb, 3.1 ast)
Jr. G Damari Monsanto (11.7 ppg, 3.4 reb, 40.3 3PT%)

READ: Steve Forbes on Wake Forest vs Clemson - “There’s no reason not to come"

Over the easiest three-game stretch the Demon Deacons will have this season during ACC play, they did exactly what they needed to. Wake Forest took care of business against three of the weaker teams in the conference, two of the wins coming on the road.

On Saturday against Boston College, who was 2-1 at home in the league entering the game, Steve Forbes' team put on a clinic. Andrew Carr continued his stellar play with 21 points and 13 rebounds, which in combination with his 22-point effort against Florida State, earned him ACC Player of the Week honors. 

Cam Hildreth is also playing at a very high level as of late, averaging 20.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on an incredibly efficient 67% mark from the field over his last three. Tyree Appleby hasn't had to shoulder as much of the load with the improved play of his teammates, but he's still been fantastic lately. He's scored at least 13 points and dished out at least seven assists in six-straight games.

According to KenPom, Wake is 2nd in the league in offensive efficiency during league play, first in effective field goal percentage and first in three-point percentage. Offensively this team is playing at an elite level, but questions do remain on the defensive end. They held Boston College to 63 points and forced 15 turnovers, but defensive performances like that have been very rare for them this season.

Flashback:  December 2nd, 2022 - Clemson defeats Wake Forest 77-57

When these teams squared off at Clemson back in early December, the Tigers won by 20. However, the final score doesn't tell the full story here. Wake took a 33-26 lead into the break, and with 12 minutes left in the game, Clemson led by one point — 42-41. 

In the second half, Clemson shot 14-20 from the field, including 8-12 from downtown, and 15-15 from the charity stripe. On the other hand, Wake Forest shot 7-29 from the field after halftime. Clemson turned the ball over 19 times in this game, and only grabbed two offensive rebounds, which makes the 20-point winning margin quite impressive. 

It's worth noting that Wake Forest played a 9 p.m. ET game in Madison, Wisc. on the Tuesday night before the game, and had a tough travel turnaround for a Friday evening showdown. Forbes didn't make excuses, but fatigue was likely a factor in the second half troubles.

There are definitely some differences with these teams from where they were six weeks ago. Freshman Zach Keller was starting for Wake Forest — he's out of the rotation now. Hemenway drilled four big threes for Clemson in the second half — he won't be playing in this game. Reigning ACC Player of the Week Andrew Carr scored four points in that game — and just three in the game preceding it and five in the one after. 

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The Pick: Wake Forest -2.5

Tuesday night in Winston-Salem is when the Clemson Tigers lose their first ACC game of the season. Wake Forest is in great rhythm offensively, and fields a much more balanced attack than they had six weeks ago. The Deacs are 9-0 this season playing on their home court, and this will likely be the biggest crowd they've had to date. Clemson is playing awesome basketball right now — and they've won three ACC road games so far. The last two of those, in Pittsburgh and in Blacksburg, were by a combined winning margin of four points. Clemson found a way to eke out a win both those times, but I expect Wake to get enough stops down the stretch to win a tight one. 

Score Prediction: Wake Forest 76 Clemson 73

Season prediction record

9-9 ATS

14-4 Straight up

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