Clemson (11-10, 5-6) at Virginia (14-6, 6-4)

7 p.m., RSN

Virginia returns to the hardwood after a de facto bye week, getting the rest of last week and then the weekend off after upsetting then-No. 5 FSU last Tuesday.

Tonight the Wahoos host ACC rival Clemson, which wasn’t scheduled to be off last weekend but still no-showed a game against lowly Wake Forest.

The Tigers dropped that one 56-44 in Winston-Salem on the heels of a big home win over a comparable Syracuse team. Heading into Wednesday’s contest, the Tigers are hovering right in the middle of the league standings.

Clemson began ACC play 0-3 with losses to Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Miami before seemingly turning a corner, winning three straight. Victories over NC State and UNC followed by a major upset of Duke had the Tigers back at .500 in league play, and since then they’ve treaded water. Following the win over the Blue Devils, Clemson has managed a pair of narrow home victories over Wake Forest and Syracuse but lost its three three road tilts by an average of 10 points.

Clemson ranks 94th overall in KenPom, ahead of just four other ACC teams. Like Virginia, the Tigers have struggled on offense this season, particularly when it comes to outside shooting. Clemson ranks 192nd nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, ahead of just Georgia Tech, Boston College, and Virginia among ACC teams. The Tigers shoot just 31.6 percent from deep, 257th-best nationally. Against ACC opponents they fare even worse, making just 30.6 percent of their looks from beyond the arc. They also struggle at the charity stripe, ranking near the bottom in free-throw percentage at 66.5 percent. Like Virginia, Clemson doesn’t really crash the offensive glass and as a result doesn’t get many second-chance opportunities.

On defense the outlook is much better. Clemson ranks 43rd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, but has dropped off considerably when looking at how the Tigers have performed in conference games. And since they don’t crash the offensive glass that much, they also allow very few second-chance points on the defensive end, and cleaning up the glass is one of the team’s strengths.

Another area where UVa and Clemson are similar on the defensive end is in the type of shots they typically see from opponents. Both the Cavaliers and Tigers are near the top nationally in 3-point attempts from opponents, as 44.6 percent of shots from Clemson opponents come from behind the line, just more than the 44.0 percent that UVa has defended.

Clemson’s backcourt has been boosted this year by a transfer and the improvement of one of its younger players. Tevin Mack joined the program after beginning his career at Texas and then eventually moving on to Alabama. Mack has had an immediate impact for the Tigers, leading all guards in points per contest with 12.1. They need him to be a bit more consistent, however. After scoring a season-high 32 points in the win over Syracuse, Mack scored just two in 28 minutes at Wake in the next game, going 1-for-9 from the floor and 0-for-4 from deep.

He is joined in the backcourt by sophomore guard John Newman III, who was a role player last year as a freshman but has taken a big leap this season. The former UVa recruiting target is averaging 9.6 points per game this season, and has led the team in minutes per game with 31.6.

Clemson’s most improved and likely most dangerous player is in the frontcourt and will be returning home to Central Virginia on Wednesday night. Junior forward Aamir Simms, a native of Fluvanna County, has blossomed into the top scoring threat for the Tigers, averaging a club-best 13.3 points per game. Simms is a classic stretch forward who can score around the basket but also knock down outside shots. The 6-foot-8 junior takes an average of three 3s a game and his 38.1 percent average from beyond the arc is a team-high for regular contributors. Virginia will need to contain Simms tonight and force other players around him to beat them.