UNC Basketball: Clemson Game Thread

There are few certainties in life. We all have to pay taxes, at some point we’ll die, and Clemson can’t win in Chapel Hill. That last one has been the case for, well, ever. Tonight represents their best chance to get in the win column in the Dean Smith Center that they’ve had in a while, but Roy’s Boys will be hoping to hand them yet another L in the Carolina blue confines.

Coming into this game, the Tigers are ranked #20 in the poll after beating #18 Miami at home in their last game. Clemson was on a hot streak up until last week when they ran into NC State on the road and couldn’t sink a crucial free throw to send the game into overtime after staging a late-game comeback. Still, it was just their second loss of the season. They won at Ohio State and Boston College, and picked up a win against Florida at home.

UNC is, of course, coming in after beating Bonzie Colson-less Notre Dame in South Bend on Saturday. That is, the Heels managed to survive after being outworked on the boards all game. The final shot came off, yes, an offensive rebound before hanging on the rim for what felt like an eternity to fans of both teams before fortuitously falling off to the side to send the Heels home happy.

For Carolina to extend the streak against Clemson they’ll need to do a much better job of rebounding. Adding Cameron Johnson to the starting lineup doesn’t cost the Heels much size at all, so there is really no excuse.

As always, we’ll be back after the game with a complete roundup. Until then...

Go Heels!