Georgia will try to keep its momentum going when it takes on No. 16 Clemson in the semifinals of the Cayman Islands Classic on Tuesday afternoon.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a fast start in the 80-68 victory over Illinois State, with Tom Crean’s team leading by as many as 25 points in the game.
As for Clemson, it held on for a 72-69 win over Akron in round one.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this matchup.
Game Details
- Georgia (3-1) vs. No. 16 Clemson (4-0)
- Location: John Gray Gymnasium – George Town, Cayman Islands
- Game Date: Nov. 20
- Game Time: 2:30 p.m. EST
- Watch: Stadium
Players to Watch
Rayshaun Hammonds (Georgia)
The 6-8 sophomore notched a career-high 31 points and shot 11 of 22 from the floor and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line in the win over the Redbirds.
Hammonds showed his breakout potential last season, and he’s clearly developing into versatile playmaker that many thought he would be.
Nic Claxton (Georgia)
Claxton is showing his next-level skills as well, with the 6-11 sophomore earning a double-double by posting 22 points and 11 rebounds against Illinois State.
It was Claxton’s second double-double of the season, and his ability to handle the ball and drive the lane at his size is going to make him a huge asset for Crean and company this season.
Marcquise Reed (Clemson)
The 6-3 senior already has three games of 16 or more points this season, which included a 26-point outing in a recent win over Sam Houston State.
He and fellow senior guard Shelton Mitchell will continue to be the driving force of this Clemson team, so it will be no surprise to see them try to attack Georgia’s guards early on in this one.
Key Stats
The Tigers rank in the top 30 in both offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency through four games while Georgia continues to progress in both of those categories.
One particular area that the Bulldogs are still struggling with is turnovers, as they are 292nd nationally in turnover percentage (22.3 percent).
Clemson is 24th in the country in effective field-goal percentage (59.2 percent), so defending at a high level will be crucial for Georgia.
It’s also worth noting that Clemson is significantly more experienced (54th nationally in experience while Georgia is 230th), but that didn’t play much of a factor for the Bulldogs in a similar situation against a veteran Illinois State team.
Game Outlook
- Spread: Clemson -6
- Over/Under: 143
- KenPom Projection: Clemson, 77 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Clemson, 75.1 percent chance to win
Brad Brownell’s team didn’t play particularly well in the five-point win over Akron, but I’m not sure we should read into that too much.
Sometimes we see teams come out and barely hang on in the opening round of neutral court tournaments only to kick things into high gear from there.
We may see a similar development for the Tigers here, but it won’t be easy against a Georgia group that is playing with a ton of confidence right now.
The Bulldogs were projected to be in a rebuilding phase Crean’s first year, and while there will definitely be frustrating moments throughout the season, the emergence of players like Hammonds and Claxton is very encouraging.
This feels like a game that will be close the entire way, but I’ll lean on the Tigers’ one-two punch in the backcourt to lead them to the narrow win.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 40-9
Game Prediction: Clemson 73, Georgia 71
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