Yale at Clemson
Sunday, Dec. 22, 4 p.m.
Clemson, S.C.
TV: ACC Network
WatchESPN Video ($) | Live Stats
 
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After a 10-day break for exams, the Yale men's basketball team returns to action on Sunday. The Bulldogs travel to South Carolina to face Clemson. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Network. Video is available on WatchESPN. Yale then takes another break for the holiday before returning south to face North Carolina on Dec. 30.
 
It's been a very strong start to the season for the Bulldogs, who have won six straight games and sit at 9-3 overall. Yale is ranked No. 11 in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major top 25 poll and was No. 60 in the NCAA's first NET ranking released earlier this week, the highest ranking of any New England school. Yale is the defending Ivy League champion, although four starters from last year's team have moved on. The four – Alex Copeland, Miye Oni, Trey Phills and Blake Reynolds – combined for 4,154 career points, 1,545 rebounds, 897 assists and 310 starts in their careers.
 
James Jones, The Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of the Bulldogs, though, has built a program where there is talent waiting in the wings. In the last 5+ seasons, the Bulldogs, have won 110 games, the most of any Ivy League school, posted a 52-18 record in Ivy games, captured three Ivy League championships, won the first NCAA Tournament game in school history, knocking off Baylor in the first round in 2016, and earned victories over schools from the ACC (Miami), Big 12 (Baylor) and Pac 12 (Washington, California).
 
Yale is coming off an 83-80 overtime victory over UMass on Dec. 11. It was the Bulldogs' fourth OT game of the season, one shy of the school record set in 1997-98. Yale has won three of the four, including a triple overtime thriller over Siena on Nov. 20.
 
The Bulldogs have played only three of their 12 games in the friendly confines of the John J. Lee Amphitheater. Yale is 6-3 away from home, including 4-3 in true road games. The Bulldogs are one of only four schools in the nation with four road victories through games of Dec. 19. DePaul, East Tennessee State and William & Mary are the others.
 
Yale leads the Ivy League in field goal percentage (.468) and field goal percentage defense (.369). The Bulldogs have been among the national leaders in defense for much of the season. They currently sit at No. 14 in field goal percentage defense. Yale also is fourth nationally in defensive rebounds per game (31.0).
 
The game at Clemson is a homecoming for senior Jordan Bruner, a Columbia, South Carolina, native where he was a three-time all-state and all-region selection at Spring Valley High School. His sister Ashley played for the University of South Carolina and professionally in Portugal.

HISTORY LESSONS
 
Yale and Clemson are playing for the first time since the 2001-02 season, a 68-65 Yale victory. The Bulldogs went on to earn a share of the Ivy League championship that season, their first under James Jones, and beat Rutgers in the first round of the NIT, the first postseason victory in school history. The only other meeting between the teams came in the 1976 IPTAY Classic at Clemson, a Tiger victory. Yale's last win over an Atlantic Coast Conference team came last year, 77-73 over Miami in the Hoophall Miami Invitational at American Airlines Arena.
 
SCOUTING CLEMSON
 
The Tigers (5-5) host Jacksonville on Friday night trying to snap a four-game losing streak. Four of Clemson's five losses have come by seven points or less. Three Tigers average double figures in scoring, led by Tevin Mack (12.7 ppg.). Aamir Simms (12.3 ppg.) and Al-Amir Dawes (10.1 ppg.) are the others. Clemson averages nearly eight steals per game. Brad Brownell is in his 11^th season as the head coach of the Tigers. He guided Clemson to the Sweet 16 in 2017-18.