Clemson Returns from Break to Host VMI in Men’s Basketball

GAME SETUP CLEMSON (8-3, 0-0 ACC) vs. VMI (6-5, 0-0 Big South)Tipoff: 7 p.m.Tickets: 1-800-CLEMSONRadio: CTSN (Pete Yanity-pbp; Philip Sikes-color)Web: ESPN3 (Mike Morgan-pbp; Nate Ross-color)

• Clemson closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule Monday against VMI; it is the first meeting between the two schools since the the 1963-64 season.
• The two have played in Clemson on two occasions, both at Fike Fieldhouse. This will be the first meeting at Littlejohn Coliseum.
• A win would give Clemson its best non-conference record since the 2010-11 team went 11-3, Brad Brownell‘s first season.

SERIES HISTORYCU Series W-L record: Clemson leads 6-1Streak: Clemson has won the last five meetings

QUICK HITS

• Monday’s game features two contrasting styles. VMI is third in the NCAA in scoring at 89.5 points per game, while Clemson’s defense allows a national-best 53.0 per contest.
• Like Clemson, VMI is 6-0 at home. The Keydets are 0-5 on the road, which includes losses against ACC teams Wake Forest and Virginia Tech.
• Clemson has produced three of the four best scoring defense performances in the ACC in 2013-14. The Tigers held Furman (35), Delaware State (37) and Coastal Carolina (40) all to 40 points or less. Only Virginia (40 vs. Hampton) has held an opponent to 40 or less this season.
• Despite losing two multi-year starters in the post, Clemson is fourth among ACC teams with a +7.9 rebound margin. The Tigers have enjoyed a double digit rebounding edge six times this season, and are 5-1 in those games.
• K.J. McDaniels and Rod Hall are both among the ACC’s top 10 in free throw accuracy. McDaniels is shooting 89.8 percent on the season and Hall is at 84.4 percent.

GAME PROMOTIONS

• Clemson is proud to offer a “Take a Kid to the Game” promotion for Monday’s game against VMI. Anyone who purchases a regular price ticket and asks for the special will receive one youth ticket (12 and under) for each regularly priced ticket purchased.
• Tickets are available at the Littlejohn Coliseum box office (east gate) beginning one hour prior to tipoff.