UNC coach on Clemson: "They’re one of the better teams in the country" |
The No. 3-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels host a Clemson team that's been reeling of late, but those Tigers have UNC head coach Hubert Davis' full attention.
“They’re a very good basketball team. They’re one of the better teams in the country. Just plain and simple, period, the end," Davis said during the ACC coaches' news conference Monday. "We’ve already played them. They’re always great defensively. They’re physical. They’re fundamentally sound on the offensive end. They can shoot from three, and they can also dominate points in the paint. Great offensive rebounding team." The Tigers and Tar Heels tip at 7 p.m. in Chapel Hill Tuesday night (ESPN), with Clemson desperately seeking a jolt of momentum. Clemson has lost three of its last five by three or fewer points and six of the nine matchups overall, going from an NCAA Tournament lock to inching toward the bubble. The Tigers have slipped from as high as a 2-seed in NCAA Tourney projections to an 8-seed for ESPN now. The Tigers are 3-4 versus NET Quadrant 1 opponents against a No. 9-ranked strength of schedule overall. The drop lately isn't fazing Davis, however, when it comes to the Tigers. "Coach Brownell is one of the better coaches in the country," Davis said. "I just have so much respect for him and his program. Every year, the things that they do consistently is just amazing, and our full attention is on Clemson because it’s deserving. They are one of the better teams in the country and we're looking forward to a really hard challenge against Clemson Tuesday night." UNC won the first matchup between the two, 65-55, in Littlejohn Coliseum on January 6. The Tar Heels are currently ranked No. 9 in the NET rankings. Clemson's best win in the NET is an 85-77 victory at No. 5 Alabama in November. The Tar Heels are a 6.5-point favorite currently. UNC is coming off of a 93-84 home win over rival Duke.
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