Virginia Tech-Clemson Men's basketball preview

Jackson Didlake

December 15, 2020

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Coming off of a miserable performance against Penn State seven days ago, Virginia Tech faces a tall task to start ACC play with No. 24 Clemson coming to town.

The Hokies sit at 4-1 and dropped out of the AP Top 25 on Monday. Meanwhile, the Tigers (5-0) made their first appearance in the poll, debuting at No. 24. The Hokies were right outside looking into the poll, receiving 115 votes, good for an unofficial ranking of No. 28. The Tigers received 156 votes.

The Tigers have started the season on a roll, rattling off five straight victories, four against Power Five programs. Clemson has three players that are close to double-digit points per game – Aamir Simms (11.6), Nick Honor (9.8) and Al-Amir Dawes (9.4).

Clemson’s Key to the Game: Limit the Three

The Hokies started off the season hot but have looked like a different team on the court during their past two contests. The biggest difference of lack of performance has been the decline of the three. After hitting 11 threes and against Radford and 10 against Villanova, the Hokies haven’t hit more than six in a game.

Clemson has been dominant on defense to start off this season, only giving up 51.4 points per game, good for fifth in the nation. Additionally, the Tigers have held teams to 34.9% from the field and 26.1% from three, the best in the ACC.

Virginia Tech’s Key to the Game: Get Back on Track Offensively

The Hokies have struggled offensively in their last two contests. In their loss to Penn State, they shot 37% from the field and 27.3% from three. The week before in a surprisingly close win over VMI, the Hokies struggled, going 35% from the field and shooting just 14.8% from three.

After starting the season hot offensively, the Hokies have quickly fallen off. Going into ACC play, Mike Young and Co. will have to right the ship or Virginia Tech will find themselves at the bottom of the conference early.

Clemson Player to Watch: Aamir Simms

In the Tigers’ close victory over Alabama on Saturday, Simms had a rough outing, finishing with six turnovers and six points. The performance came after he recorded a season-high 16 points and seven rebounds in a big win over Maryland.

The Clemson offense has run through Simms this season. The senior forward leads the Tigers this season with a team-high 11.6 points and 2.4 assists per game.

Virginia Tech Player to Watch: Keve Aluma

Keve Aluma played one of the biggest roles in the Hokies’ loss to Penn State. The redshirt junior struggled, shooting 36.4% from the field with three turnovers. His poor play led to a lack of playing time later in the contest with Mike Young opting to sit the transfer forward.

Aluma has been the key to the Virginia Tech offense this season. He leads the team in points and rebounds, averaging 15.8 and 7.8. After the worst performance of his brief tenure at Virginia Tech, the Hokies will need Aluma to bounce back against the Tigers.

Predictions:

Jackson: Clemson 62, Virginia Tech 54

Chris Hirons: Clemson 70, Virginia Tech 59

David Cunningham: Clemson 69, Virginia Tech 63

Game Details:

No. 24 Clemson (5-0) at Virginia Tech (4-1)

Tipoff: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

Television: ACC Network