Clemson @ Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2019 ) Virginia 63, Clemson 43

Defending national champion Virginia is starting to put things together with three wins in four games and looks to continue moving forward when it hosts Clemson on Wednesday night in a battle of two of the lowest scoring teams in the ACC. The Cavaliers won in overtime at Wake Forest and knocked off eighth-ranked Florida State 61-56 at home last week to move into fourth place in the league.

Virginia is last in the ACC in scoring (56.3) - four spots below Clemson (67.2) - but leads the nation in points allowed per game (50.7) as usual and limited Florida State to 38.9 percent from the field for its biggest victory of the season. “We don’t always play beautiful (basketball),” Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett told reporters. “. … At times it can be painful, but it’s who we are. So embrace it. Just play the heck out of the defense and keep trying to get better, but don’t worry about trying to be something you’re not. I think we’ve established how we have to play. Just move the needle in all areas a little bit.” Clemson has lost three of five games since sweeping North Carolina and Duke over a four-day period in mid-January, and were held to a season low in points Saturday in a 56-44 loss to Wake Forest. “There are still offensive woes with this team,” Tigers coach Brad Brownell told reporters after Saturday’s setback. “Nobody could get a hot hand for us. Our defense was good enough. … Sometimes, it’s just a make-or-miss game. You’ve got to make shots.”

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: RSN

ABOUT CLEMSON (11-10, 5-6 ACC): Junior forward Aaamir Simms leads the team in scoring (13.3) along with rebounding (7.6) and shoots 38.1 percent from 3-point range after scoring 14 in the loss to Wake Forest. Senior guard Tevin Mack is the only other player averaging in double figures scoring (12.1) and tops the Tigers with 30 made 3-pointers, but the Alabama transfer is just 2-for-25 from behind the arc in the past five games despite a 32-point effort in last Tuesday’s win over Syracuse. Sophomore guard John Newman III averages 9.6 points, but has not scored in double figures since posting 14 at Duke on Jan. 14.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (14-6, 6-4): Senior forward Mamadi Diakite leads the team in scoring (13.5) and has registered at least 16 points in four of the last five contests after pouring in 19 to go along with nine rebounds against Florida State. Sophomore guard Kihei Clark added 15 points in the win over the Seminoles to boost his season mark to 10.3 and entered Tuesday fourth in the ACC in assists per game (5.9). Senior swingman Braxton Key also averages in double figures scoring (10.2) and leads the way in rebounds (7.4) - 8.3 boards in the past three contests while shooting 25 percent from the field in the same span.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Cavaliers have won the last nine meetings, including a 63-43 triumph last season.

2. Virginia junior C Jay Huff (8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds) scored just three in each of the last two contests.

3. Clemson sophomore F Hunter Tyson has nine points on 2-of-9 shooting in three games since scoring 21 on Jan. 21.

PREDICTION: Virginia 60, Clemson 50