CLEMSON, S.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team returns on the road heading south of the border to face off against nationally ranked Clemson University on Friday night. The Tigers clocked in at #18 in the latest AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll.
 
GAMEDAY GUIDE
Dates: December 22, 2023
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Littlejohn Coliseum (Clemson, S.C.)
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THE MATCHUP
Friday night marks the first regular season meeting between Queens and Clemson. The two programs met back on November 5, 2011, for an exhibition affair and the Tigers took down the Royals 68-35. Current Royals assistant coach Dan Bailey was a member of that Royals squad and poured in nine points and grabbed six boards against the Tigers.
 
SCOUTING THE ROYALS (6-7 overall, 0-0 ASUN)

• Queens is coming off an 84-65 loss at Mercer on Tuesday night. First-half shooting woes plagued the Royals as an eight-minute scoring drought from the field was countered by a Mercer 27-4 run. The 25 percent shooting mark in the first half was a season-low in a single half for the Royals.
• The Royals enter Friday night still searching for their first true road win of the season. The Royals only victory away from Curry Arena came against Fairfield University in the Market Street Challenge hosted by Drexel University.
• The last time the Royals started a season 0-6 on the road was 2008-09 when Queens dropped their first seven road contests.
• Friday night will mark the second power five opponent that the Royals have squared off against since transitioning to Division 1. Last season, Queens battled Nebraska on the road before falling 75-65.
• The Royals offense is capable of putting up incredible numbers as they sit third in the league in scoring with 80.8 points per game. Queens has reached the 80-point threshold six times this season and holds a 4-2 record in those games. In Division 1, Queens is 38-7 when eclipsing 80 points.
• Queens has put up historic numbers on multiple occasions this season. Against Carolina Christina on December 1^st, the Royals broke the single-game scoring record with 134 points. Just a few games later, the Royals dropped 112 points against Carolina University which tied for sixth all-time.
• Distributing the ball is key for the Royals as they are 5-2 on the year when dishing out 15+ assists as a team. Queens ranks fourth in the ASUN in assists as Deyton Albury leads the way with 4.9 per game, a mark that is also fifth-best in the league.
• The Royals have struggled defensively this season as they are giving up the most points on average in the league at 79.2. However, Queens sports the fifth best perimeter defense in the league as opponents are only shooting 30 percent from behind the arc against them.
• Preseason All-Conference recipient AJ McKee anchors the Royals offense and is averaging 16.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. The Charlotte native sits fourth in the league in scoring and third in steals.
• Junior guard Deyton Albury has put together a solid start to his first campaign in the Queen City. The Nassau, Bahamas native is top 10 in the league in scoring, field goal percentage, steals, and assists. Albury has reached double figures in 10 games this season, including four straight. Against Appalachian State, the junior poured in a career-high 25 points.
• Senior BJ McLaurin has started all 13 games on the block for the Royals. The forward has reached double figures in seven games this year, including three of the last four contests. McLaurin turned in his second double-double of the season after scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Winthrop.
• Winning the battle on the boards is a part of the Royals identity. In Division 1, Queens is 21-7 when outrebounding their opponent and 3-13 when losing the battle on the glass. This season, Queens is fourth in rebounds per game pulling down 38.7 boards per outing.
• The Royals are one of the league's most efficient teams at getting to the free-throw line. Deyton Albury, AJ McKee, and BJ McLaurin sit top 20 in the league in free throw attempts. Queens is 14-7 in non-conference Division 1 games in which they attempt more free throws than their opponent.

 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS (9-1 overall, 1-0 ACC)

• Clemson enters Friday night 9-1 overall and 1-0 in ACC action. The Tigers saw their nine-game winning streak snapped last game at Memphis. The Tigers 9-0 start was their best since 2008-09.
• The Tigers rose to number 18 in the recent AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll.
• Clemson added collegiate experience during the offseason bringing in four transfers who combined to play in 393 college basketball games. Joseph Girard III (Syracuse), Jack Clark (NC State), Jake Heidbreder (Air Force), and Bas Leyte (UNCG) combined to score 3,978 points prior to joining the Tigers.
• The Tigers return a highly effective duo in PJ Hall and Chase Hunter. With the addition of Girard III, Clemson boasts the second-highest points per game from a trio in league play in the ACC and they are tied for 13^th in the country amongst Power 6 conferences.
• Clemson runs an efficient offense that cashes in from behind the arc at a 38 percent clip which is 23^rd best in the nation.
• The Tigers distribute the basketball well averaging 17.3 assists per game which leads the ACC and ranks top 40 in the nation.
• Preseason All-ACC recipient PJ Hall leads the Tigers averaging 20.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. The senior center is the only player in the country averaging these numbers as he was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List.
• Ian Schieffelin is a player to watch as the junior has a pair of double-doubles under his belt this year. The 6-8 forward is averaging 9.1 points and 9.7 per game.
• Head Coach Brad Brownell is in his 14^th season at the helm of the Tigers program. Under his direction, Clemson is 250-178 and has made three NCAA Tournament appearances and three NIT appearances.

 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Royals will break for the holidays before returning to action on Saturday, December 30^th against nationally-ranked Duke. The Blue Devils checked into the latest AP Top 25 at #21 and are coming off an impressive 78-70 victory over #10 Baylor at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on The CW Network.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to follow the Royals on Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media to stay up to date on all the Royals sports in action.