Clemson is off to a 9-5 overall start, but 1-2 in the ACC with playing at NC State at 12 p.m. Saturday on RSN.

The Tigers return two starting players from last year — shooting guard Al-Amir Dawes and forward Hunter Tyson. The Tigers went 16-7 overall and 10-6 in the ACC.

Clemson is also leaning more on prep players, with just three transfers on the roster. However, starting guards Nick Honor (Fordham) and David Collins (South Florida) are both transfers.

Clemson has lost at Miami and home vs. Virginia in ACC action this season. The Tigers did defeat the Cavaliers in the first meeting.

Clemson has also lost in non-conference action against St. Bonaventure, West Virginia and at Rutgers.

Rankings

Clemson is No. 57 in the NET rankings this season, and NC State is No. 143.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Tigers currently ranked No. 39 overall, and NC State is No. 115.

KenPom.com has Clemson at No. 43, and NCSU checks in at No. 109.

RealtimeRPI.com has NC State ranked No. 156 in the country, and Clemson is No. 74.

Shooting

Clemson is shooting 47.3 percent from the field, 41.3 percent from three-point land and 71.5 percent from the free-throw line. The three-point shooting leads the ACC and is fifth nationally.

Five different players have made at least 15 three-pointers this season. Shooting guard Al-Amir Dawes has gone 34 of 83 from beyond the arc and for 41.0 percent. Fellow guard David Collins is shooting 45.0 percent from three-point land, and Nick Honor is shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Rebounding

Clemson is averaging 35.8 rebounds per game, with three players over 6.1 boards a game — P.J. Hall, Hunter Tyson and David Collins. Opponents are averaging 31.1 rebounds per game.

Hall has a team-high 23 offensive rebounds, with Tyson and Collins with 19 offensive boards.

Defense

Clemson has held opponents to 40.6 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three-point land.

Hall has a team-high 15 blocks, and the Tigers have 34 blocks. Four players have at least 10 steals with Collins leading the way with 22.

Depth

Clemson had four players come off the bench in its last game against Virginia. Senior power forward Naz Bohannon, junior wing Alex Hemenway, sophomore guard Chase Hunter and freshman post player Ian Schieffelin are part of the rotation.

Hemenway is averaging 5.4 points in 14.2 minutes per game, and is shooting 17 of 28 on three-pointers for 60.7 percent. Bohannon is adding 4.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 18.8 points a contest.

Clemson senior guard David Collins does a little bit of everything for the Tigers.

The 6-foot-4, 217-pounder was a Rivals.com three-star prospect in the class of 2017. He collected seven offers out of Pittsburgh (Pa.) First Love Academy and picked South Florida.

Collins went on to average double figures in all four years at South Florida, including averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 2020-21 for the Bulls.

Collins made the move to Clemson this past offseason and he is shooting a career-best 53.6 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from three-point land. Collins is also averaging 6.9 rebounds per game, to go along with 11.8 points and 2.1 assists a contest.

Collins has three double-double’s for the season — at Virginia, vs. Drake in overtime and at Rutgers in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Collins had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the 74-64 loss at the Scarlet Knights.

Collins had 30 points in the AAC Tournament his freshman year against Memphis on March 8, 2018, and he had a career-high 31 points in an overtime win vs. Stony Brook on March 20, 2019.

NC State

PG — 5 Thomas Allen (6-1, 175, R-Sr., 3.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.2 apg)

SG — 0 Terquavion Smith (6-4, 160, Fr., 14.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.2 spg)

SF — 1 Dereon Seabron (6-7, 180, R-Soph., 19.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.5 spg)

PF — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 200, Sr., 14.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.5 spg)

C — 21 Ebenezer Dowuona (6-11, 225, Soph., 3.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 0.0 apg, 2.5 bpg)

Clemson

PG — 4 Nick Honor (5-10, 205, Jr., 9.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.1 spg)

SG — 2 Al-Amir Dawes (6-2, 182, Jr., 11.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.1 apg)

G — 13 David Collins (6-4, 217 Sr., 11.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.6 spg)

F — 5 Hunter Tyson (6-8, 215, Sr., 12.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.4 apg)

C — PJ Hall (6-10, 235, Soph., 14.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.1 bpg)

8: Years out of 11 where Clemson has exceeded preseason ACC voting under coach Brad Brownell.

21 Points last year for guard Nick Honor in Clemson’s 74-70 overtime win over NC State. He went 5 of 6 from three-point land.

22.6: Player Efficiency Rating for sophomore center P.J. Hall, which ranks second among ACC sophomores.

The race was slow and steady, but senior forward Hunter Tyson is saving some of his best basketball for the end of his Clemson career.

Tyson was a year younger than his grade when the Tigers signed him out of Monroe (N.C.) Piedmont High in the class of 2018. The former Rivals.com three-star prospect is averaging a career-high 12.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and is shooting an impressive 50 percent from the field and 39.6 percent on three-pointers.

Tyson averaging 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last year, and he made 43.1 percent of his three-pointers. He didn’t play against NC State last year, which was a 74-70 Tigers’ overtime victory.

Tyson has cracked at least 10 points in 10 games, including a season-high 20 points vs. Bryant on Nov. 15. He also had 18 points and 13 rebounds for his lone double-double of the season in a 70-56 win over South Carolina on Dec. 18.

Tyson had a combined 32 points, 12 rebounds and four three-pointers in the season split against Virginia.

Hellems is second on NC State with 14.7 points per game, plus 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He is shooting 40.1 percent from the field and 39.0 percent from three-point land. He had 15 points in the 68-63 win at Virginia Tech on Jan. 4.

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