The 9th-ranked Cougars of BYU are a force on the hardwood this season. Legitimate top-10 talent in AJ Dybantsa, Richie Saunders, and Rob Wright have been a pestulence against each of BYU's opponents, including then-23rd Wisconsin, Miami, Dayton, and even top-5 UConn through the non-conference slate.
BYU approaches this meeting with the 7-2 Clemson Tigers with just one loss to their name, a 2-loss stumble against Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies, and have only otherwise tasted their own blood in a narrow ESPN Events Invitational final against Dayton, a game where Saunders' 29 points earned him tournament MVP honors and his team the first place trophy.