After Penn State took down Fordham in an 85-66 win, it advanced to take on the Clemson Tigers in the Sunshine Slam Championship. In the sixth matchup between the programs (Clemson owns a 4-1 advantage), Penn State could achieve multiple firsts with a win:
- first 7-0 start in 29 years
- first in-season tournament title in 24 years (the last being the ECAC Holiday Classic in 2000-01)
- first win against Clemson in 25 years (PSU lost the last matchup 101-94 in a double-overtime thriller back in 2022)
Here is everything you need to know heading into Tuesday night’s championship round.
PENN STATE’S OUTLOOK
Monday night’s win against Fordham was a collaborative effort.
Five players scored double-digit points, led by Nick Kern Jr.’s first career double-double (20 points, 13 rebounds).
When asked about his role coming off the bench postgame, Kern said “It helps me a lot, I get to see everything on offense and defense. [It helps me see] what’s open, what’s not…”
Overall, Kern and the bench unit have accounted for 34 percent of Penn State’s point production (195 total points, 32.5 a night) this season. And against Fordham, Kern’s offensive rebounding and rim attacks provided the juice the Nittany Lions needed to pull away.
The depth of this team and the energy they bring on a play-to-play basis is something they’ll lean on against a tough Clemson team.
CLEMSON (5-1, 0-0)
HEAD COACH
Brad Brownell (15th season, 270-190)
Brownell is the all-time wins leader (270) in Clemson history. He guided the Tigers to the NCAA Elite Eight last year, the first time in 44 years, after compiling a 24-12 record. Their journey to that point included wins over nine tournament teams, three of which came in the tournament itself as underdogs. Clemson’s lone loss this year was against Boise State.
KEY PLAYERS/STATS
Chase Hunter, 6-foot-4, Guard
Hunter enters his sixth season with Clemson after becoming the most recent 1,000-point scorer in the program’s history last year. A preseason All-ACC Second Team selection, Hunter leads the team in scoring at 16.3 a game on an efficient 55.4 percent from the field (seventh in the ACC) and 48.4 percent from 3 (third in the ACC). Against San Francisco on Monday, he had nine points and three rebounds.
Ian Schieffelin, 6-foot-8, Forward
Schieffelin was the ACC’s most-improved player last year. He joined Hunter on the preseason All-ACC Second Team and was named to the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watchlist. His averages of 12.8 points, and 10.8 rebounds (second in the ACC, eighth in the country) are both career highs. He is coming off his best game of the season against San Francisco where he dropped 18 points, snagged 13 rebounds and dished out five assists.
Efficient Offense Meets Efficient Defense
While Penn State’s 96.0 points per game are ranked fourth nationally, Clemson is only giving up 63 points a night (41st in the nation). On a per 40-minute basis, the Nittany Lions’ 23rd ranked offense clashes with the 31st most efficient defense, according to kenpom.com. Additionally, the Tigers are holding their opponents to a 46.3 effective field goal percentage, ranking them in the 73rd percentile in the nation.
METRICS
Penn State enters Tuesday’s bout ranked 32nd in KenPom’s net rating, while Clemson is one spot ahead at 31.
GAMETIME
Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Orange Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. Penn Stateโs full schedule can be found here.
SPREAD
This is the first game of the season Penn State is an underdog. Per DraftKings Sportsbook, Clemson is favored by two points. The over/under is set at 153, while the Penn State Moneyline is +110.
TV
This game will be aired on the CBS Sports Network.
