Clemson hosts Maryland for ACC/Big 10 challenge Wednesday

Simms looks to guide Clemson to a 4-0 start. (ACC photo)

by CU Athletic Communications - Tue Dec 08 14:01:38 GMT-04:00 2020

Clemson takes aim at a 4-0 start in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at home versus Maryland (4-0) Wednesday.

Tipoff at Littlejohn Coliseum is set for 5:01 p.m. ET. Doug Sherman and Cory Alexander will call the television broadcast for ESPN2. Don Munson and Terrence Oglesby will broadcast the game on the Clemson Tigers Network.

Notes

• The Clemson Tigers have opened the season with three-straight wins, including two against Power 5 opponents. Clemson will play Maryland for the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Terrapins' last as an ACC member school.

• Clemson (KenPom: 27) received seven votes in the newest AP Top-25 Poll on Monday, Dec. 7. The last time the Tigers found themselves ranked in the AP Poll was Nov. 19, 2018 (Ranked No. 16). Clemson also receiving 10 votes in Coaches Poll.

• Aamir Simms earned Tournament MVP honors after scoring a game-high 24 points (8-13 FG) in the championship game against Purdue (11/26). Nick Honor also received All-Tournament Team recognition.

• Simms was named to the All-ACC Preseason First-Team, becoming Clemson’s first since 2016 and second since 2018 to earn preseason league honors.

• Simms was previously named to the Karl Malone Watch List (Top 20 PF in the country) and became the first Tiger to earn recognition from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s preseason award watch lists.

• Simms was named Third-Team All-ACC on March 9. It’s Simms’ first career ACC postseason accolade.

• Clemson boasted a Top-20 recruiting class in the country for 2020 with the additions of PJ Hall, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Lynn Kidd. It marked the program’s highest recruiting ranking since 2009, according to 247Sports.

• Clemson was been bitten by the injury bug in 2019-20, having many key players miss time due to injuries, which included three starting players. For much of the season, Clemson had as few as eight scholarship players active. Clemson had players miss 75 games last season.

• Jonathan Baehre and Clyde Trapp are both healthy after overcoming torn ACL’s last year. Baehre re-tore his ACL in December 2019. Chase Hunter has overcome a foot injury that held him to just nine contests his freshman season.

• Nick Honor is eligible for the Tigers’ in the backcourt after previously sitting out the 2019-20 season due to NCAA transfer rules. Honor has three seasons of eligibility left after playing his freshman year at Fordham. Honor spent last season on Clemson’s scout team.

Maryland Starting 5 and Clemson rotation

(RV/RV) Clemson Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown GP/GS PPG RPG APG MPG

G 0 Clyde Trapp 6-4 203 Sr. Eastover, S.C. 3/3 7.0 4.3 2.3 22.4

F 1 Jonathan Baehre 6-10 214 Sr. Wiesbaden, Germany 3/0 4.3 0.7 1.3 14.9

G 2 Al-Amir Dawes 6-2 180 So. Newark, N.J. 3/2 8.3 2.3 2.7 25.1

G 3 Chase Hunter 6-3.5 204 So. Atlanta, Ga. 3/2 2.7 2.7 1.0 14.6

G 4 Nick Honor 5-10 205 RSo. Orlando, Fla. 3/1 10.0 0.7 2.3 21.9

F 5 Hunter Tyson 6-8 215 Jr. Monroe, N.C. 3/2 7.0 6.0 0.3 17.6

F 10 Olivier-Maxence Prosper 6-8 218 Fr. Montreal, Quebec, Canada 3/1 3.7 2.3 0.3 10.6

G 11 Parker Fox 6-7 212 Jr. Reno, Nev. 1/0 4.0 1.0 0.0 2.4

G 12 Alex Hemenway 6-3.5 185 So. Newburgh, Ind. 3/0 3.0 2.3 0.3 15.7

G 15 John Newman III 6-5 207 Jr. Greensboro, N.C. 3/1 3.3 1.7 1.7 19.2