Tiger Men’s Basketball Team to Face South Carolina on the Road Tuesday Night

Dec. 29, 2008

Game Setup Site: Colonial Life Arena (18,000) Date: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 City: Columbia, SC Time: 7:00 PM TV: FSN South/FSN Florida (Dave Neal, Eddie Fogler) Internet: ESPN360.com Radio: Clemson Tiger Radio Network (Pete Yanity, Philip Sikes) Rankings: CU: #20 AP/#16 in ESPN/USA Today

Series History Overall: South Carolina leads 86-72 at Clemson: Clemson leads 44-30 at Littlejohn: Clemson leads 19-7 at South Carolina: South Carolina leads 53-25 at Neutral: Tied 3-3 First Meeting: South Carolina, 39-18, in 1912-13 Last Meeting: Clemson, 85-74, in 2007-08

Quick Facts Tuesday’s game will be the 159th meeting on the hardwood between Clemson and South Carolina. The Gamecocks own an 86-72 advantage in the series, but the Tigers have won four straight current Head Coach Oliver Purnell.

Clemson has won two straight in Columbia and five out of the last seven in the state capital against the Gamecocks.

The Tigers moved up to #16 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll on Dec. 29 and #20 in the Associated Press rankings.

Clemson has won its last eight road games against non-conference opponents, which is a school record streak. The Tigers won earlier this year at Charlotte and at Illinois in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

The Tigers are 12-0 for the second time in the last three seasons. In 2006-07, Clemson was the nation’s last remaining unbeaten team at 17-0. This year, nine undefeated teams remain in Division I.

Clemson won at Miami (FL) in its ACC opener last time out by a score of 91-72. The 19-point margin of victory was the sixth-largest in an ACC road game in school history.

The Tigers rank in the top 25 in the NCAA in six important statistical categories: blocks per game (7.1 – 7th), scoring margin (+20.4 – 8th), field goal percentage (.501 – 11th), steals per game (9.9 – 16th), scoring offense (81.8 – 21st), and turnover margin (+4.3 – 25th).

K.C. Rivers was named ACC Player-of-the-Week on Dec. 22 after scoring 28 points in the win over Miami. It was the second weekly honor earned by the senior captain in his career.

Rivers surpassed 1,400 points, 600 rebounds, and 200 assists in his career in the contest with Miami. He is one of only three players in school history to meet those standards, joining Vincent Hamilton (1980-85) and Horace Grant (1983-87).

Trevor Booker needs just four rebounds to reach 600 for his career. He currently ranks third in the ACC with 9.6 rebounds per game and is coming off a 16-board performance versus Miami.

Terrence Oglesby is the ACC’s active leader with at least one three-point goal in 20 straight games. His streak ranks in a tie for the seventh-longest in school history.

Jerai Grant had nine points in the Miami win and has now made 26-32 field goals on the season. His total is one more than he had his entire freshman year, in 22 less attempts.

Demontez Stitt ranks in the top 10 of the ACC in assists per game (3.8) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4).