UNC closes home slate vs. Clemson

UNC closes home slate vs. Clemson

/by Sharon Thorsland

It’s the final home game of the season for North Carolina, as the Tar Heels welcome Clemson to the Dean Dome on Tuesday night. Both teams are fighting for a top-four finish in the ACC and the coveted double-bye that comes with it. The 17th-ranked Tar Heels are coming off a hard-fought win over Viriginia Tech that improved them to 24-6 (11-5 ACC), while the Tigers snapped a four-game losing skid with a win over Louisville. They’re also sitting at 11-5 in league play and 21-8 overall. Tip-off is set for 7:00 on WBT.

After an impressive 2024-25 season and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, Clemson started out this year with lofty expectations. They lived up to them for quite a while, winning 16 of their first 19 games. The four-game losing streak had people second-guessing the Tigers, but the win over Louisville has them back in the tournament conversation. They’d like nothing more than a win over UNC to back that up.

Clemson is one of the best defensive teams in the ACC. The Tigers allow just 31% shooting from behind the arc, and are second best in the league at forcing turnovers. Defensive rebounding is another strength, the Tigers rank third in the league on the defensive glass. Forwards RJ Godfrey and Carter Welling lead the way, combining for 9.5 rebounds a game. Of course, UNC’s Henri Veesaar is averaging that many by himself. The Tigers aren’t a particularly high-scoring team, they average 74.7 points a game. Godfrey and Welling are the only Tigers averaging in double figures; senior guard Jestin Porter is right behind them at 9.9 a contest. The Tigers spread the ball around, with five other players averaging at least six points a game. One weakness is three-point shooting; the Tigers shoot 34% from behind the arc.

This is a key game for both teams because of the ACC seeding implications. It’s also a huge game for Clemson every time they play in Chapel Hill, where they infamously went 0-59 over a 94-year span before getting their first-ever road win against the Tar Heels in 2020. They’ve won once since, last season’s 80-76 victory. UNC would no doubt like a little revenge for that game, plus it’s Seth Trimble’s senior night and former star guard R.J. Davis is having his jersey honored at halftime. Most importantly, a win over the Tigers gives Carolina a one game lead over them in the conference with one game left for both. UNC will be ready to play and should come out on top. Go Tar Heels!