Arizona Basketball looks to stay alive against 6-seeded Clemson

LOS ANGELES, CA - Arizona Basketball (27-8, 15-5) looks to advance against 6th-seeded Clemson (23-11, 11-9) in the Sweet 16.

The stakes are higher for the Wildcats as the field narrows! Fresh off of a 10-point win over Dayton just last weekend, 2nd-seeded Arizona Basketball stays West Coast as they take on 6th-seeded Clemson.

Returning to action on Thursday evening, the Wildcats travel to Arizona-friendly Southern California where they play the visiting Tigers.

Coming in, the Tigers are having quite the miraculous run, winning nine of their last 13 games, including an upset over No. 3 Baylor. Overall, Clemson is a skilled and well-coached team, laddened with veteran experience.

As Arizona takes on Clemson, hopefully, we will see our Wildcats be ready to go as they face the Tigers in Wildcat-friendly territory!

Getting to know the details about Arizona Basketball’s opponent, Clemson Tigers

Team: Clemson Tigers

Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference

Current Record: 23-11 (11-9)

Head Coach: Brad Brownell. Now in his 22nd season as a head coach (14th with Clemson), Coach Brownell is currently 264–188 (128–126) with the Tigers with four NCAA Tournament appearances, a Sweet 16 finish in 2017-18, and four NIT appearances.

Before arriving at Clemson, Brad made stints as head coach with UNC Wilmington (2002-06) and Wright State (2006-10). Overall, he is 431–273 as a head coach with seven NCAA Tournament appearances, multiple Conference Championships, and multiple NIT appearances.

2022-23 Record: Finishing the 2022-23 season with a 23–11 (14–6) record, Clemson ended their year with a first-round loss to Morehead State in the NIT Tournament.

So, as Arizona Basketball takes on Clemson, here is how you can watch and follow our Wildcats!

Arizona Basketball vs Clemson Information and Details:

Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024

Time: 4:09 PM Arizona Time

Television: CBS

Location: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA (20,000)

Spread: -7.5 Arizona (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)

Overall Series Record: 2-0 Arizona. This is a head-to-head series that dates back to 1988-89 when these two teams first met. Overall, this is a matchup that the Wildcats lead in, winning its only two matchups.

Last Meeting: Last squaring off during the 2011-12 season, the Wildcats beat the visiting Tigers in Tucson by a 63-47 final. Nick Johnson led all Arizona scorers with 14 points on 7-9 shooting.

Arizona Basketball Game Preview:

And just like that, we are onto the Sweet 16! Just days after knocking off Dayton in the Round of 32, Arizona now travels to Los Angeles to take on the Clemson Tigers.

Coming in, the Wildcats are the favorites here; however, this is going to be another interesting matchup as they take on an experienced and skilled Clemson team.

Playing at a bit of a slower tempo, they are an efficient offensive team that averages 77.2 points on 46.8 percent shooting from the field. Largely relying on senior big man PJ Hall, the South Carolina native should pose an interesting defensive challenge to Oumar Ballo as Hall is averaging 18.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

He is a dynamic big man with a great inside/outside game, hitting 32.1 percent on threes. He is long and skilled, and he poses a matchup issue for Ballo. Adversely, Hall should have a challenge in guarding Ballo.  

In addition to Hall, Clemson has a pair of skilled guards in Joseph Girard and Chase Hunter. The two are averaging 15.3 points and 12.7 points per game and should pose an interesting challenge for the Cats. Girard is a talented scorer and can get hot from three, averaging 41.4 percent from three.

Beyond them, Ian Schieffelin is a skilled forward! While not super athletic, Ian; however, is one of the better rebounders in the country and is skilled around the rim, averaging 9.8 points per game.

Overall, the Wildcats should have the advantage in this one; however, it all depends on how Arizona comes out and executes. If the Cats are focused and stick to their strengths, they should be able to win this one. But if Clemson continues to play well like they have been, and Arizona struggles, it could be a long night.

Hopefully, Arizona will be ready to go in this one and move on to the Elite Eight. Tip-off for Thursday's game against Clemson is set for 4:09 P.M. Tucson time, and the game will be broadcast on CBS.

Don’t forget to follow us at @ZonaZealots on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of Arizona news, opinions, and recruiting updates!