MEn’s Basketball Opens ACC Slate at Duke on National TV Sunday

Jan. 1, 2005

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Clemson will open its ACC schedule at Duke on Sunday in itsonly Sunday night game of the year. The Tigers have a difficultbeginning to the ACC schedule as Clemson is the only school in theconference that must play five of its first seven conference gameson the road. Clemson has not won its ACC opener since Rick Barneswas the head coach (1997-98). Clemson has lost six straight ACCopeners, all by at least double digits. Clemson has had to play atop 20 team in each of those six games, including four against top10 ACC teams. This is the fourth straight year Clemson has had toopen its ACC schedule against a top six Duke team. Clemson is 15-36alltime in ACC openers, the exact opposite of Duke’s 36-15 recordin the first ACC game of the year. Clemson has not beaten Dukesince the 1996-97 season and has lost 17 straight to the BlueDevils. Duke has been ranked in the top 10 in the nation in all 17of those games. It is the second longest losing streak in Clemsonhistory to any team. Sharrod Ford has made 46 of his last 75 shotsfrom the field (.613) and averaged 16.3 points per game over hislast seven games. Ford has 15 career double-doubles, third amongactive ACC players Shelden Williams (24) and Sean May (19). ShawanRobinson has 99 three-point goals and obviously needs just one tobecome the 11th player in Clemson history to score 100 three-pointgoals in a career. Clemson has a +6.3 rebound margin for the yearand has been out-rebounded just once in the first 12 games of theseason. Clemson has won the second chance points statistic in 11 ofthe first 12 games. Clemson had 41 points from its bench in the winover Indiana State in Hawaii. Clemson’s bench has won the scoringbattle in nine of the first 12 games this year. Clemson averages 24points per game off the bench this season. Clemson point guardVernon Hamilton averaged 10 points per game and made 54.5 percentof his field goal attempts in the three games in Hawaii. He hadfive steals against Georgetown and now has 32 for the season, amongthe ACC leaders. Hamilton still has more steals (32) than fouls(26) this year. He had seven assists and just two turnovers in thewin over East Carolina. Cheyenne Moore had 10 points against EastCarolina, his first career double digit scoring games. Clemsonoutscored East Carolina 20-3 in the first half when Olu Babalolawas on the court. Clemson has made at least one three-point goal in411 consecutive games. Duke’s streak is at 525 consecutive gameswith at least one three.