West Virginia needs to see what it can do when stepping out of its comfort zone, while Clemson is anxious for another shot at a fellow power-conference opponent.
The two teams will learn how their efforts pan out when they meet in the Charleston Classic’s Palmetto Bracket on Friday night in Charleston, S.C.
West Virginia (5-0) is leaving home for the first time, so this is a challenge the Mountaineers will embrace.
“Time will tell if we can win the game, but I think we’re ready for that next part,” West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said.
Clemson (4-1) beat North Alabama 81-61 on Monday, two days after a loss at Georgetown.
“We’re going to have very difficult games starting this weekend and we’re going to have to play 40 minutes to win those kind of games,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “… This will be another great two games for us to learn a lot about ourselves and grow.”
Clemson had a season-high 20 offensive rebounds in the North Alabama game, while Tigers reserves accounted for more than 40 points for the third time this season.
West Virginia has relied on balance offensively. The Mountaineers have had five different players as leading scorers in their games, while four players have reached at least the 20-point mark in a game.
“We’ve got good depth and good players,” Hodge said. “That’s the way we are going to be. It’s going to be different players every night.”
The latest player to join those lists is DJ Thomas, who had 25 points when West Virginia dominated Lafayette in Monday night’s 81-59 victory.
“I thought DJ did a great job of just being a recipient of them double-teaming and getting in pockets,” Hodge said.
The Mountaineers have been mostly stout defensively, including earlier this week.
Particularly with West Virginia’s defense, Brownell said the Tigers will be challenged by stronger players than they’ve seen for the most part. Post player Carter Welling leads Clemson in scoring at 11.4 points per game.
Clemson and West Virginia met at the same venue four years ago, with West Virginia winning 66-59.
The two teams will move on to face either Georgia or Xavier based on Friday’s results.
–Field Level Media
