Clemson (21-10)
COACH: Oliver Purnell, seven years at Clemson, three years in NCAA Tournament
HOW THEY GOT IN: At-large bid
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN: Clemson and Missouri had short stays in their respective conference tournaments, and both have had recent shooting problems. Missouri is shooting only 36.4 percent over its last four games, Clemson only 38.9 percent in its last two. Missouri's top two scorers are guards Kim English (13.9) and Marcus Denmon (10.8). F Trevor Booker, who has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games, could make a big difference inside for Clemson.
GO-TO GUYS: Despite his lack of height, senior F Trevor Booker is one of the most effective low-post players in the ACC, using his strength and quickness to overcome taller opponents. He was one of three players to finish in the top 10 in scoring (15.7 points, seventh) and rebounding (7.8) in conference play and was a first-team All-ACC selection. Junior G Demontez Stitt missed two games with injuries but finished strong. He shot 36.4 percent on 3-pointers in the regular season and was one of the league's top free-throw shooters (79.3 percent) in the regular season. Junior F/C Jerai Grant (6-8, 220) isn't a big scorer but is strong defensively inside. Sophomore G Andre Young can be instant offense off the bench, especially from 3-point range. He scored in double figures in seven of the last nine games of the regular season, including a season-high 19 in a win over Florida State.
THEY'LL KEEP WINNING IF: The Tigers were only 2-7 in the regular season in games in which they shot under 40 percent from the field, the only wins coming in games in which their opponents also shot in the 30s. Clemson is hungry after losing its opener in its last three NCAA appearances, a streak that goes back to 1997, when the Tigers reached the Sweet 16 under former coach Rick Barnes. They are 0-2 under Purnell, losing an 18-point lead against Villanova last season.
STRENGTHS: Going into the ACC tournament, Clemson ranked eighth in the nation in steals with an average of 9.6 per game. Five players had at least 36 for the season, with Young, a backup, leading the way with an average of 1.7 a game, fifth best in the ACC. Booker not only has to be accounted for at the offensive end of the court, but he was tied for seventh in blocked shots (1.5 per game) in the conference. The Tigers also were third in the conference in 3-point field goals per game (6.6).
WEAKNESSES: Clemson improved some in conference play (69.9 percent) but shot only 66.2 percent from the free-throw line for the season. The Tigers struggled on the boards in their last two regular-season games, getting outrebounded by 12 in a win over Georgia Tech and by 11 in a loss to Wake Forest. Their 3-point shooting can spotty, and if they're not on, that allows defenses to gang up on Booker and Grant inside.
