Clemson Tigers vs. Boston College Eagles Pick & Prediction JANUARY 13th 2024

At the end of the 2023 calendar year, a matchup between No. 21 Clemson and visiting Boston College would have featured two of the hotter teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Instead, Saturday’s meeting between the Tigers and the Eagles will be one that drops the loser closer to the conference basement.

Clemson (11-4, 1-3 ACC) is 0-3 in the new year, with its most recent loss coming at Virginia Tech on Wednesday.

Clemson led early in Blacksburg before watching the Hokies rack up 53 first-half points and shoot 54.4 percent from the field and 54.2 percent from 3-point range.

“Clearly we were not ready,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “(Virginia Tech) played with great pace and intensity. When you make shots like they did, that energizes you. We were basically uphill the whole game.”

Prior to Wednesday’s loss, the Tigers dropped a 10-point decision to No. 8 North Carolina in which Clemson shot just 1-for-18 (5.6 percent) from 3-point range. The Tigers managed to shoot better against Virginia Tech from long range (9-for-26, 34.6 percent), however they have seen production fall off from their two top scorers.

PJ Hall, who averages 18.9 points per game, is a combined 8-for-26 from the field and 3-for-13 on 3-pointers in the past two games. Joseph Girard III went 4-for-20 from the floor and 1-for-9 from beyond the arc in that span.

If there has been any team in the ACC that Brownell has relied on to help his Clemson teams get back on track, it’s Boston College.

Since Brownell’s first season at Clemson in 2010-11, the Tigers are 13-5 against the Eagles. On Saturday, Brownell faces off against Boston College’s Earl Grant — a former assistant under Brownell from 2010-14.

Grant will be looking to guide Boston College (10-5, 1-3) to a bounce-back performance following its 69-59 loss at Syracuse on Wednesday.

Boston College’s offense sputtered through the first half against the Orange, connecting on just four field goals through 16 minutes of game time, resulting in an early 28-9 deficit.

The Eagles rallied in the second half, taking a brief 50-49 lead. Boston College scored just five points in the final 4:58 of the second half.

The turnover margin was the story of the game for Grant and the Eagles, as they gave the ball away 22 times to just eight for Syracuse.

“(Syracuse) had a good plan,” Grant said. “They disrupted us and made us look like a team that couldn’t take care of the ball. We have got to give Syracuse credit. Their athleticism bothered us, but it was disappointing because it was so uncharacteristic.”

Quinten Post, who averages a team-best 16.9 points per game, was held scoreless versus Syracuse.

Claudell Harris Jr. is averaging 15.6 points per game and Jaeden Zackery 11.3 for the Eagles.

–Field Level Media