UL Lafayette @ Clemson preview

The ACC is on the verge of having yet another team in the top 25 - but Clemson will first need to take care of business Friday night as it hosts Louisiana Lafayette. The Tigers extended their winning streak to six games with a 64-48 victory over South Carolina last time out and have built an impressive early resume with conference play about to start.

Wins over Oklahoma State, South Carolina and nationally ranked Florida have Clemson flying high as the Tigers look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011. The triumph over the Gamecocks was the most impressive of the season from a defensive standpoint, as the Tigers limited the visitors to their lowest scoring output in more than 3 1/2 years while holding them to 12.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Clemson will look to preserve its unblemished record at Littlejohn Coliseum against a Louisiana team that is on its own impressive run, having won seven consecutive games. JaKeenan Grant had 14 points and a career-best 12 rebounds in an 82-74 win over Southeast Louisiana last time out, giving the Ragin' Cajuns their best start in 24 years.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, RSN

ABOUT LOUISIANA (10-2): The Ragin' Cajuns average 88.6 points per game, good for 13th nationally - and they spread that scoring around, with seven players averaging at least 7.5 points entering Friday's action. Gant paces the offensive attack with a team-best 17.0 ppg; he saw his streak of 20-point performances halted at four against Southeast Louisana but ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference in shooting percentage (63.4). Bryce Washington contributes 10.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and already has five double-doubles on the season, but those figures lag behind his 2016-17 averages (13.5 ppg,11.2 rpg).

ABOUT CLEMSON (10-1): That potent Louisiana offense will be in tough against a Tigers defense surrendering just 62.9 points per game, ranking just outside the top 25 in the country. Clemson has been particularly stingy when it comes to keeping FBS opponents off the free-throw line - they surrender just 8.6 made free throws per contest on 13.2 attempts, with both numbers ranking within the top 10 in Division I. Junior guard Marcquise Reed (15.5 ppg) leads five Tigers players averaging at least 11 points, and is coming off a sensational 25-point effort in the victory over South Carolina.

TIP-INS

1. Clemson ranks 29th in the country in field-goal success rate at 49.7 percent.

2. Tigers F Elijah Thomas ranks third in the ACC in field-goal percentage (65.8) and seventh in rebounding (8.6).

3. Louisiana averages 19.1 assists per game, good for eighth in Division I.

PREDICTION: Clemson 75, Louisiana 67