#18 Clemson Tigers prepare for the Gamecocks

Coming off KC Rivers' saving of the team from certain defeat against Purdue, the Tigers are now looking to improve to 7-0 against SC. OP is trying to improve his record against SC to 4-1, while South Carolina's is attempting to move to 5-3 on the season.

SC is led by their two transfers: Devan Downey and Zam Fredrick, who are averaging 18 and 15.3 ppg, respectively.

Clemson, on the other hand, will be without senior leader James Mays, who will be on the bench again this game and at least the next two, as it stands now. (Watch him discuss the Purdue performance and OP discuss Stitt and Powell.) His presence will be missed as SC likes to shoot threes. SC plays a half-court style offense, but end up moving to one-on-one situations if they cannot get a decent shot.

Defense will be imperative in this game, just as it is in every game. SC wants to beat the Tigers even more now, as we are ranked.

South Carolina's previous games don't, I think, reflect their potential. They have lost a few close ones, won a close one, and blew out some smaller schools.

	S. Carolina St.	W 92-67
	Citadel	W 103-42
	USC	L 75-85
	at Penn St.	W 74-67
	N.C. State	L 61-63
	George Mason	L 68-69
	Campbell	W 92-52

The close loss to NCSU didn't seem to bad until the recent play of the Wolfpack.

But just as in every sport or other competition between Clemson and SC, records, rankings, and momentum are immaterial. This is a rivalry game the Tigers should win, but SC is a wild-card team.

Go Tigers.