11th-Ranked Clemson Men’s Basketball Team to Play Host to N.C. State Saturday

Jan. 9, 2009

Game Setup Site: Littlejohn Coliseum (10,000) Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009 City: Clemson, SC Time: 12:00 Noon Television: Raycom (Bob Rathbun, Mike Gminski) Radio: Clemson Tiger Radio Network (Pete Yanity, Tim Bourret) Rankings: Clemson – #11 in ESPN/USA Today, #12 by Associated Press

Series History Overall: NC State leads 95-44 at Clemson: NC State leads 31-27 at Littlejohn: Clemson leads 20-17 at NC State: NC State leads 45-12 at Neutral: NC State leads 19-5 First Meeting: NC State, 22-15 at Clemson in 1923-24 Last Year: Clemson 71-64 at Raleigh, Clemson 70-54 in Clemson Streak: Clemson won 3 in row

Quick Facts The Tigers moved up to #11 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll and #12 by AP on January 5. It is Clemson’s highest ranking in either poll since Nov. 16, 1997 when Clemson was ranked fifth in the AP poll and seventh in USA Today.

Clemson has won 15 consecutive home games, its longest home winning streak since the Tigers won a school record 29 in a row in the Elden Campbell and Dale Davis era (1989-90).

Clemson has gone over a year without a loss at home. The last home loss was to Charlotte on Jan. 9, 2008, an 82-72 49ers win.

Clemson’s home winning streak ranks fifth best in the nation entering this weekend. Notre Dame has the longest with 44 in a row, while Kansas is at 33, Davidson 24, and Arkansas 17. Notre Dame and Arkansas have home games on Saturday.

Clemson is the only school in the nation with a home winning streak and a road winning that ranks in the top 10 among active streaks. Clemson has won four straight on opponent’s home courts, tied for sixth best in the nation. Clemson’s next road game is January 21 at North Carolina.

Clemson is coming off a 66-59 win over Alabama. That was a season low in points for Clemson, but it was still enough to get the victory, Clemson’s ninth in the last 10 meetings with an SEC school

K.C. Rivers needs just seven points to move into 10th place on Clemson’s career scoring list. He has 1457 career points, just six short of the 1463 by Tree Rollins.

Rivers can tie the Clemson record for victories played in if the Tigers beat N.C. State. He has played in 83 wins, one behind the total by Elden Campbell (1986-90).

Clemson forwards Jerai Grant and David Potter will both celebrate birthdays on Saturday. Grant will turn 20, while Potter will turn 22.

When Grant scores his first two points against N.C. State it will give him 144 career points, the exact same total his father had for the Tigers during the 1984-85 season. He is already far ahead of his father’s blocked shot total. Harvey had just 13 and Jerai already has 43.

The Tigers are 15-0 for the second time in the last three seasons. In 2006-07, Clemson was the nation’s last remaining unbeaten team at 17-0. The Tigers are one of only three undefeated teams remaining in Division I. The others are Wake Forest and #1 ranked Pittsburgh.

Cliff Hammonds.