Clemson @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 13, 2018 ) Miami-Florida 63, Clemson 72

Clemson's resurgence continued Saturday as the Tigers showed their grit and determination in upsetting then-No. 10 Virginia Tech 59-51 for their fourth straight ACC victory. The win evened their conference mark at 5-5 as they gear up for Wednesday's visit to a Miami team that showed its own tenacity in pushing No. 8 North Carolina to the brink Saturday before falling 88-85 in overtime.

"It doesn't surprise me that with their backs against the wall in terms of basketball that they're going to fight," Clemson head coach Brad Brownell told the media after the upset win over the Hokies, his team's first against a ranked opponent all year. The Tigers are relying heavily on their veteran leadership and senior starters Shelton Mitchell, Marcquise Reed, Elijah Thomas and David Skara have rewarded Brownell for his trust, combining for 46 of the team's 59 points against Virginia Tech, while helping limit the usually efficient Hokies to just one field goal over the final eight minutes. The Hurricanes are still looking to put their own pieces back together after a dismal start to the ACC season, but a 62-47 win over Notre Dame followed by their gutsy effort against the Tar Heels has Miami feeling a bit better about itself. "We came ever-so-close to accomplishing what we hoped to do today," Miami head coach Jim Larranaga said after his team refused to fold in the second half against North Carolina.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT CLEMSON (15-8, 5-5 ACC): Led by Skara's defense against Nickeil Alexander-Walker (3-of-14, 13 points), the Tigers throttled Virginia Tech's shooters, limiting the conference's top field-goal percentage team to a paltry 28.3 percent shooting, way below the Hokies' percentage (49.5) entering the game. Thomas created havoc in the middle with a career-high seven blocked shots, giving him 19 in the last three games, and Clemson as a team had 12, tied for the most in Brownell's nine seasons. Mitchell hit a personal best with five 3-pointers en route to tying his season high of 22 points and has now scored in double digits in two of the last four outings after opening ACC play with just one double-digit effort in the first six.

ABOUT MIAMI (10-13, 2-9): The Hurricanes had much to be proud of against the Tar Heels, matching their season high of 14 3-pointers while becoming only the third team this season to outrebound North Carolina (39-32). Center Ebuka Izundu had 10 of the rebounds, hitting double digits for the 10th time this season, while guard Anthony Lawrence had nine, giving him 21 boards in the last two games. Sophomore guard Chris Lykes totaled 27 points (five 3-pointers) to come one-point shy of his season high, but he missed the game-winning trey just before the buzzer in regulation.

TIP-INS

1. Clemson owns a 14-11 lead in the series after winning 72-63 last season, but the Tigers haven't won in Coral Gables since 2011.

2. Miami G Zach Johnson remains hobbled by an ankle injury but still scored 13 points against North Carolina.

3. Reed totaled four steals against Virginia Tech to move him up to 13th on the all-time list at Clemson (145).

PREDICTION: Clemson 73, Miami 69