Clemson @ Wake Forest preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 21, 2020 ) Wake Forest 68, Clemson 71

Three conferences and more than 100 games later, Tevin Mack finally has his first 30-point game and it came with Clemson, which faces two big ACC road contests beginning with Saturday's tilt at Wake Forest. Mack recorded his first double-double this season including 32 points, the most for the Tigers in a conference home game in 18 years, and will look to keep it going against the Demon Deacons.

The well-traveled Mack, who played two seasons in the Big 12 for Texas and one in the SEC for Alabama, has had big games before, most notably 22-point, nine-rebound efforts this season in a victory over No. 8 Duke and a loss to TCU, but he took over the game against Syracuse by attacking the basket. The graduate transfer scored 21 of Clemson's final 30 points, including nine straight midway through the second half that trimmed a nine-point deficit to one and allowed the Tigers to eek out a 71-70 victory and remain on the right side of .500. "We worked on that a lot in practice, getting the ball in the high post and low post to get some easy baskets against the zone," Mack, whose previous career high was 27 points for Texas, told the media. "That was the focal point. When I got hot, I kept going with it." Brandon Childress returned from a one-game absence to score 24 points, but the Demon Deacons couldn't contain Notre Dame in the second half, allowing 54 points in a 90-80 loss.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: ACC Network

ABOUT CLEMSON (11-9, 5-5 ACC): Mack kept the Tigers in it, but it was Clyde Trapp who finished it off in what was without question his best college game. The junior hit the winning layup with two seconds remaining to finish with a stat line of 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists - all career highs. The 6-4 guard got a late start to the season, taking part in his first game Dec. 20, but has come on of late by averaging 12.3 points, six rebounds and 4.3 assists while going 7-of-15 from the 3-point line in the last three contests for the Tigers, who defeated Wake Forest 71-68 on Jan. 21 behind 21 points from sophomore Hunter Tyson.

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (9-11, 2-8): Olivier Sarr continues to make his case as the Most Improved Player in the ACC by scoring in double figures in seven straight games and 14 of the last 15 contests for the Demon Deacons. The 7-footer from France has more than doubled his scoring average from last season while improving his rebounding average by nearly four per game. Sarr ranks second in Division I among centers in free throw shooting (78.4 percent), tied for ninth in rebounds per game (9.4) and is one of 12 with eight or more double-doubles.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Childress (1,246 points) moved in 32nd on the all-time scoring list for Wake Forest, passing Paul Long and Jackie Murdock.

2. Clemson has taken seven straight meetings and 12 of the last 13 encounters against Wake Forest, which still holds a commanding lead in the series overall (99-64) and at home (55-18).

3. The last player to score 32 or more points in a conference home game for Clemson was Ed Scott, who had 36 points in 2002.

PREDICTION: Clemson 77, Wake Forest 70