Countdown to tipoff: Clemson at Wake Forest
By: will-vandervort December 31, 2016

Clemson enters ACC play at Wake Forest on an eight-game winning streak, matching the longest for the program since 2010-11, Brad Brownell’s first season.

The Tigers are in search of their first undefeated month since December 2008. Clemson is currently 6-0 in the month.

CLEMSON (10-2, 0-0) vs. WAKE FOREST (9-4, 0-1)

Date: Saturday, Dec. 31

Tipoff: 12 p.m. ET

Arena: Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665)

Radio: CTSN (Tony Castricone-pbp; Philip Sikes-color)

TV: RSN (Wes Durham-pbp; Dan Bonner-color)

PROJECTED CLEMSON STARTERS

G              Shelton Mitchell

G              Avry Holmes

F              Donte Grantham

F              Jaron Blossomgame

C              Sidy Djitte

PROJECTED WAKE FOREST STARTERS

G              Bryant Crawford

G              Keyshawn Woods

F              Austin Arians

F              Dinos Mitoglou

F              John Collins

  • The Tigers are in search of a road win to open ACC play for the first time since 2013-14, and for only the eighth time in program history.
  • Clemson won at Wake Forest last season, but the Tigers have never won consecutive games in Lawrence Joel Coliseum, opened in 1989.

SERIES HISTORY

CU Series W-L record: Wake Forest leads 99-59

Streak: Clemson has won two straight and seven of eight

TIGER TRACKS

  • Clemson is 5-0 all time when playing on New Year’s Eve. The most recent game was in 2006, when the Tigers beat Georgia State 67-57 at home.
  • The Tigers have scored 80 or more points in four straight home games, a first since the final game of 1991-92 and the first three contests of 1992-93.
  • Jaron Blossomgame needs just six points to pass both Stan Rome and Demontez Stitt for 14th place on Clemson’s career scoring list.
  • Blossomgame is slated to make his 105th start in a Clemson uniform Saturday. Only nine players have started more games in program history.
  • Shelton Mitchell signed his original National Letter of Intent with Wake Forest, but was granted a scholarship release when the Demon Deacons went through a coaching change. Mitchell then spent a season at Vanderbilt, before transferring to Clemson, where he is 8-0 as the Tigers’ starting point guard.
  • Clemson’s two centers, Sidy Djitte and Elijah Thomas, have combined to make 45 of 76 field goal attempts (.592) this season. Thomas has scored double figures in two of his three games, both off the bench.

–Staff Reports