GAME NOTES: The 24th-ranked Clemson Tigers figure to get plenty of support from the home crowd tonight as they take on the NC State Wolfpack in an ACC contest. NC State carried a seven-game win streak and plenty of confidence into Saturday's league opener against North Carolina, but the result of that clash against the nation's top-ranked team was a lopsided 93-62 defeat. The Wolfpack are 11-4 overall this season, but they are 1-3 in true road games. As for Clemson, it carried a two-game skid into Saturday's game against Florida State, but that contest resulted in a thrilling 97-85 double-overtime win. The Tigers are now 13-3 overall, and they lost in overtime to the same North Carolina team that beat NC State by 31 points. The Wolfpack hold a 95-42 series lead over Clemson.

NC State averages a modest 66.9 ppg, but the club is limiting opponents to 63.4 ppg on 38.5 percent shooting from the field. The most remarkable stat of all for the team is that it has attempted 385 foul shots compared to just 186 attempts for the opposition. The leading scorer for the Wolfpack is J.J. Hickson who is posting 16.3 ppg on 65.4 percent shooting from the field. Hickson is pulling down 7.7 rpg and has blocked 26 shots as well. Gavin Grant is scoring 13.2 ppg, and Brandon Costner checks in with 10.5 ppg. NC State got off to a horrendous start against North Carolina on Saturday, as the club shot 6-of-34 from the floor in the first half and trailed 43-13 at intermission. Despite a much better effort in the second half, the game was simply out of reach. Courtney Fells led the way in defeat with 16 points, and Hickson scored 14 points.

Clemson is racking up 82.7 ppg this season while limiting the opposition to 68.7 ppg. Five players reached double figures in scoring for the Tigers in the win over Florida State last time out. Trevor Booker was simply sensational from his center position, as he poured in 29 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the floor. Terrence Oglesby tallied 19 points off the bench, and James Mays came through with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Cliff Hammonds scored 14 points in the win, and K.C. Rivers rounded out the group with 12 points. Rivers is averaging a team-high 15.6 ppg this season, and he is pulling down 7.1 rpg as well. Booker, who leads the team with 9.1 rpg, is second with his 12.5 ppg, and Oglesby checks in with 11.9 ppg. Mays (11.7 ppg) and Hammonds (10.5 ppg) have been consistent contributors as well for Clemson, which is outrebounding opponents by 7.1 rpg.

In front of what figures to be a highly-energetic home crowd, expect the nationally-ranked Tigers to knock off the unranked Wolfpack. Still, don't expect a blowout, as NC State will put up a fight.