Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Clemson has to take on impressive shot-makers in ACC play. After falling out of the AP Poll, the Tigers take on Georgia Tech in a second-straight home game.
The largest concern for Clemson in recent weeks has been the perimeter defense, allowing elite performances from Miami and Virginia Tech beyond the arc. It doesn’t get easier with a Yellow Jackets team that saw a breakout in a near-upset of Duke.
Freshman Naithan George went for 17 points at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and he rides that momentum to Littlejohn Coliseum. He made three shots from behind the arc and had no trouble creating his own shots.
The same comes from leading scorer Miles Kelly. He’s a long guard at 6-foot-6 and will likely draw the matchup of Chauncey Wiggins. That’s no easy feat, and the 15.6 points per game speaks for itself. The difference is Kelly is shooting under 40 percent from the field. He’s a more efficient three-point shooter than field goals. If Wiggins can run him off the perimeter, things get a lot easier.
That’s the main focus on the defensive end. Meanwhile, the offensive end showed a lot of promise in the last outing. After clamoring for more producing from the stars, Jospeh Girard III and PJ Hall combined for 52 points, each scoring 26. Both shot at least 50 percent from the field, and that’s an easy formula to win.
There is never an easy game in the ACC and that’s something head coach Brad Brownell has emphasized. If Clemson takes that to heart, it should be a second-straight win Tuesday night. The Tigers tip off against the Yellow Jackets at 9 p.m., televised on ACC Network.