Clemson basketball vs Florida State score prediction, scouting report for key ACC game
Life in the ACC doesn’t get any easier for a struggling Clemson basketball team, which is set to hit the road for back-to-back games against Florida State and Duke.
The fun begins against the Seminoles on Saturday (4 p.m., ACC Network) with the Tigers (12-5, 2-4 ACC) attempting to snap out of a slump that has seen them lose four of their last five games and slip into a tie for ninth place in the ACC standings.
Florida State (11-6, 5-1) has been moving in the opposite direction. The Seminoles have won five in a row and seven of their last eight and are tied for second place in the ACC standings with NC State.
“We’ve got to hang in there,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “We got off to a great start this year. We’ve stumbled here a little bit, but there’s still room to get it figured out.
“As a competitor, you’ve got to recharge your battery and get ready to go again. I’ve just got to keep reminding our team that we are a good team and we can put together another win streak. But we’ve got to fix a few things.”
Here are a few things to look for on Saturday:
Clemson basketball looks to regain its long-range touch
3-point shooting – or the lack thereof – has defined Clemson’s efforts of late.
The Tigers made a meager 1 of 18 shots from beyond the arc in a 10-point loss against North Carolina on Jan. 6, then turned in a 3-for-21 effort in a double-overtime loss Tuesday night against Georgia Tech, which made 15 3-pointers.
Clemson, which a couple of weeks ago was the league’s second-best 3-point team, is shooting 23.5% over its last four games. The good news for the Tigers? Perhaps they won’t get burned by Florida State’s long-range touch – the Seminoles are 13th in the ACC, making only 6.6 3-pointers per game.
Tigers need another big game from Chase Hunter
Guard Chase Hunter has been a catalyst in Clemson’s three consecutive victories against Florida State over the past two seasons.
Hunter, a redshirt senior, has averaged 18.7 points and shot 67% from the field and 80% from the free-throw line versus the Seminoles in those games.
Hunter has struggled in 3-point shooting recently, making just 3 of his last 21 attempts (14.3%), but he is coming off an 18-point effort against Georgia Tech.
Ball protection will be at a premium for Clemson
Clemson committed 10 turnovers vs Georgia Tech, including five via steals, and the Tigers have turned the ball over 37 times in their four most recent losses, with 22 of those coming via steals.
That doesn’t bode well for Clemson against Florida State, which is known for its length and athleticism and leads the ACC with an average of 9.35 steals per game. The Seminoles' Jamir Watkins and Darin Green Jr., both rank in the top 10 in steals in the league.
Clemson basketball score prediction vs Florida State
Florida State 75, Clemson 72: The Tigers’ psyche seems a bit fragile while the Seminoles appear to be playing their best ball of the season. That’s not a favorable combination, particularly at Florida State’s Tucker Center, where Brownell’s teams are 3-10 all-time.
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson basketball vs FSU score prediction, scouting report
