Tiger Men’s Basketball Team to Face Liberty on the Road Tuesday Morning

Nov. 16, 2009

GAME SETUP Site: Vines Center (8,085) Date: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 City: Lynchburg, VA Time: 10:00 AM TV: ESPN (Eric Collins – play-by-play, Adrian Branch – color) Radio: Clemson Tiger Sports Properties (Pete Yanity – play-by-play, Philip Sikes – color) Rankings: Clemson: #24 AP, #24 ESPN/USA Today

SERIES NOTES Overall: Clemson leads 4-0 at Clemson: Clemson leads 4-0 at Littlejohn: Clemson leads 4-0 at Liberty: None played at Neutral: None played First Meeting: Clemson, 96-71, in 1988-89 Last Meeting: Clemson, 80-75, in 2008-09 Streak: Clemson has won four in a row

QUICK FACTS Clemson and Liberty will meet for the fifth time in the series history on Tuesday. The Tigers have claimed each of the previous four meetings, including last season when Clemson pulled out a come-from-behind 80-75 win at home.

Tuesday’s game is part of ESPN’s 24-hour “College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.” Fourteen games will be featured on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. The first game of the day will be Cal State Fullerton at UCLA at 12:05 AM. This will be Clemson’s earliest tipoff time since a 9:00 AM game against Chaminade in the Maui Invitational in 1998.

Last season, the Flames led by as much as 12 points in the second half before a furious comeback by Clemson. Seth Curry, a freshman who has since transferred to Duke, posted 24 points and hit 6-9 three-point baskets to lead Liberty. Clemson got a career-high tying 32 points out of then-senior K.C. Rivers and an 18-point effort out of Trevor Booker.

Point guard Demontez Stitt established his single-game high with 11 assists last season in the win over Liberty. He had just one turnover in the game against the Flames as well.

The Tigers are coming off an 84-41 win over Presbyterian to start the season. Clemson hit 14-30 three-point goals, just two shy of tying the single-game school record. Eight different players hit a three-pointer, tied for most in a single game in school history.

Clemson has an overall record of 95-15 in its history during the month of November. Under Head Coach Oliver Purnell, the Tigers have won 27 consecutive games dating to his second year with the program (2004-05). Clemson was 5-0 in November of 2005, 8-0 in 2006, 6-0 in 2007, and 7-0 last November.

Clemson is ranked No. 24 in the preseason Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches’ polls. It marks the first time since 1997 the Tiger program has been ranked in one of the national preseason polls. The Tigers were ranked among the final top-25 teams by the AP each of the last two seasons.

Clemson has three announced sellouts so far for the 2009-10 season, all conference games. Tilts against Boston College (Jan. 9), North Carolina (Jan. 13) and Duke (Jan. 23) are officially sold out.

Sophomores Tanner Smith and Bryan Narcisse posted career highs with 14 and 10, respectively, in the win over PC. Smith hit 6-9 shots in a starting role, while Narcisse posted 10 and even hit 2-3 from long range.

The Tigers forced 27 turnovers in the season opener and converted into 43 points off them. Clemson had 19 steals, one of the top 10 single-game figures in school history. Andre Young was the top thief with four on the night.

Trevor Booker had eight rebounds in the opener, giving him an even 800 for his career. He needs 200 to become the third player in Clemson history with 1,000 in a career.

David Potter played in his 103rd consecutive game against PC, but it was in his first-ever starting role.