The Kentucky Wildcats are gearing up for a tough stretch as they head to South Carolina for their first true road game of the season, facing off against the Clemson Tigers in the SEC/ACC Challenge.
Clemson is coming off its second Elite Eight appearance and was picked to finish fourth in the ACC this season. However, they’ve lost seven players, including All-ACC standout PJ Hall, who joined the NBA.
The Tigers enter the week with a 7-1 record, suffering a loss to Boise State but securing wins over Penn State and San Francisco, both ranked in the top 50 of KenPom. Despite this, Kentucky will undoubtedly be their toughest challenge to date.
Here’s a closer look at the matchup.
Tempo Control
Kentucky leads the power conferences in pace, ranking 5th in adjusted tempo (73.6), while Clemson plays one of the slowest styles in the nation, ranked 292nd. They’ll be the slowest team the Wildcats face all season. Recent opponents have tried to slow down Kentucky’s high-speed offense with physical play, and Clemson, being stronger defensively than those teams, will likely attempt the same strategy. This, combined with the pressure of a road game, will test Kentucky’s explosive attack.
Turnover Battle
Clemson excels at forcing turnovers, averaging nearly 15 per game. This defensive strength, coupled with their slow pace, helps them control possessions, leading to more opportunities for shots and points. Kentucky has generally been good with ball security, turning it over more than 10 times in only one game (against Bucknell). However, teams have begun targeting Kentucky’s bigs, particularly Amari Williams, who needs to make quicker decisions against Clemson’s defense.
Perimeter Defense
Clemson doesn’t shoot as many 3-pointers as Kentucky but is more efficient, hitting 39.6% of their attempts compared to Kentucky’s 38.2%. The key difference is the number of shooters each team has. Kentucky has seven players shooting 30% or better from deep, while Clemson has only four, often substituting players rather than playing them together. Clemson’s 3-point attack centers on Chase Hunter and Chauncey Wiggins, both shooting over 40% on 30+ attempts this season. Andrew Carr may be tasked with defending Wiggins after a solid performance last year at Wake Forest.
Key Players to Watch
- Chase Hunter (G, 6-4, 202 lbs) – 16.4 PPG, 2.4 APG, 46.5% 3P
- Ian Schieffelin (F, 6-8, 240 lbs) – 12.5 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 3.6 APG
- Jaeden Zackery (G, 6-1, 218 lbs) – 8.0 PPG, 2.9 APG, 1.9 SPG
Game Information
- Time: 9:30 PM ET on December 3rd, 2024
- Location: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, South Carolina
- TV: ESPN (Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes)
- Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app
- Radio: UK Sports Radio Network (Tom Leach and Jack Givens)
- Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings)
Predictions
While FanDuel has not yet released odds, KenPom and ESPN give Clemson the slight edge (44% and 49.4%, respectively). However, Bart Torvik and EvanMiya favor Kentucky, with predictions of a close game, Kentucky winning by one point. I’m predicting a thrilling 82-77 victory for the Wildcats.
Be sure to share your own predictions for the Kentucky vs. Clemson game! Go Cats!