Three Things To Watch For Men's Basketball against Clemson

Published 1 week ago• 2 minute read

Virginia Tech currently sits 10th in the ACC with an 8-11 record in ACC play, including a 5-5 stretch over the last 10 games.

Meanwhile, the Clemson Tigers are 9-1 over their last 10, a 10-game stretch that started with a 72-57 win over the Hokies at Cassell Coliseum. The Tigers are also looking upward at the ACC table and see a Duke team that is forced to travel to Chapel Hill tonight.

If Duke loses and Clemson wins, the Tigers could claim the top spot in the tournament.

First, the Tigers will have to take down a struggling Virginia Tech team. Here are the keys to look out for:

Clemson is in an interesting position. Head coach Brad Brownell has already tallied his highest number of wins in a single season (25). The Tigers are a near guarantee to make the NCAA Tournament. Clemson is also at its highest ranking since the 2008-09 season, when it reached 10th. Yet with one loss, a minimal step is taken back.

Duke takes on UNC after the Clemson-Tech game is over, so the Tigers are in a weird place of trying not to look too far ahead past this Tech team. Brownell must hammer this into his players today: It is in their hands to get the top seed in the tournament, not Duke’s—at least not right now.

As of writing, Tobi Lawal's availability for Clemson has yet to be determined. After missing recent games against Syracuse and North Carolina with a lower-leg injury, he has proven to be a big miss. Without Lawal, Tech loses its best athlete and top scorer—something the Hokies will need if they want a chance of stopping this red-hot Clemson team.

The Hokies have often been a victim of giving up large runs in games this year. Look at their recent matchup against UNC, when Tech gave up a 19-2 run to the Tar Heels after being down by two with five minutes to go in the first period.

Tech's inexperience in this squad has been a key reason why these types of runs occur. This is not a quick fix—experience will stop these runs in the future, and coach Mike Young's squad lacks that valuable experience.