Clemson @ NC State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 4, 2020 ) NC State 70, Clemson 81

North Carolina State will try to bring visiting Clemson back down to earth when the teams meet Saturday in an ACC game. The Tigers followed up a win over the Wolfpack on Jan. 4 by slaying ACC giants North Carolina and No. 3 Duke with Aamir Sims providing the heroics.

Simms led the Tigers in scoring and assists in each game during the winning streak and was the team's top rebounder in two of the contests, averaging 20.6 points, seven rebounds and 5.3 assists in that span. The junior recorded 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four blocks as Clemson won for the first time in 60 tries at North Carolina while securing wins over the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils in the same season for the first time since 1995-96. "He's getting better and more confident as we move throughout the season," coach Brad Brownell, who became Clemson's all-time leader in wins (178), told the media of Simms, who has five 20-point games this season after having one in his first two campaigns. "He didn't have the best start to the season, but the last few games he has really come on for us." Markell Johnson and DJ Funderburk were the main difference-makers as the Wolfpack won two of three games, including an 80-63 triumph over Miami, since falling to the Tigers 81-70 on the road two weeks ago.

TIME: 2 p.m. ET. TV: RSN

ABOUT CLEMSON (9-7, 3-3 ACC): Tevin Mack got off to a slow start in December, cracking double figures once in six games, but the 6-6 guard seems to have put that behind him. The senior, who is 109 points shy of reaching 1,000 for his career, which has been comprised of two seasons at Texas and one each at Alabama and Clemson, has averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in the last three games, including 22 points and nine boards against Duke. After a 10-of-14 shooting performance against the Blue Devils, Mack is hitting 47 percent overall and 48.6 percent in league games, good for second on the team to Simms (47.9).

ABOUT NC STATE (12-5, 3-3): The return of C.J. Bryce may cut into his production a bit, but Funderburk continues to play like a man possessed. The junior, who has led the Wolfpack in scoring in four of the last five games, has produced seven straight games in double figures - the longest streak of his career - and is averaging 17.8 points and eight rebounds in the last five games. The 6-10 forward is second in the ACC in shooting (62.3 percent) and has grabbed 20 offensive rebounds in the last five contests to bring his average to 3.8 in league games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Johnson, who had 27 points in a victory over Notre Dame on Jan. 8, has six or more assists in eight of the last nine games for the Wolfpack and leads the ACC with 6.81 assists per game.

2. The Wolfpack have won three straight games over the Tigers in Raleigh and are 9-5 overall at PNC Arena in the series.

3. Bryce, who leads the Wolfpack in scoring and rebounding, returned from a four-game absence due to a concussion and had six points and five assists in 21 minutes against Miami.

PREDICTION: Clemson 82, NC State 79