Complete Game Notes (pdf)
This week’s game
Wofford will continue the season opening road trip with a visit to Clemson University on Wednesday night. The game will be played at Littlejohn Coliseum (10,000). The game will mark the 64th time the two teams have played each other. Clemson enters the game at 3-0, with wins over Hofstra, TCU and Temple to win the Charleston Classic last weekend. Wofford is coming off a 52-49 loss at the University of Dayton Sunday night. The game will be the second of four straight on the road for Wofford to open the season. In the 2008-09 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, Wofford was selected to finish fourth in the South Division. Wofford freshman guard Matt Steelman played at Central High School and his father is an assistant coach for the Clemson women’s basketball team. Wofford coach Mike Young spent one season as an assistant for Clemson head coach Oliver Purnell at Radford.
About Wofford
The Terriers return three starters from last year’s team that posted a 16-16 overall record and an 8-12 mark in the Southern Conference. Returning starters include junior guards Junior Salters and Corey Godzinksi, along with sophomore forward Noah Dahlman. Seniors on the squad are guards Matt Estep and Marcus Jackson. Returning forwards include sophomores Tim Johnson, Drew Crowell and Terry Martin. The Terriers welcome seven newcomers this season. Guards Jason Dawson and Brad Loesing will compete for time at point guard. Additional guards are Kevin Giltner and Matt Steelman, while Joseph Tecklenburg will be at forward. In addition, guards Jamar Diggs and Cameron Rundles have joined the team as transfers and will be eligible next fall.
About Clemson
The Tigers return three starters from last year’s squad that posted a 24-10 overall record. They were 10-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference for third place. They were a #5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked #22 by the Associated Press. Head Coach Oliver Purnell is in his sixth season on the bench with a 94-68 career record. Overall he has a 350-259 record in twenty seasons as a head coach. This season the Tigers were picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Overall, the team returns eleven players from last season, including K.C. Rivers who had 14.7 ppg and Trevor Booker with 7.3 rpg in 2007-08. Trevor Booker earned ACC Co-Player of the Week honors on November 17 as he leads the team with 13.7 rpg and has 13.0 ppg in the Charleston Classic.
The Wofford-Clemson Series
Wofford and Clemson have played a total of 63 times, with Clemson holding a 48-15 lead in the series. Clemson won the first meeting in 1912. Since the teams resumed the series in 1992 after a 44-year hiatus, the Tigers have won nine of the ten games. The only Wofford win in the last ten games came in 1999, a 79-74 victory at Littlejohn Coliseum. Wofford players Matt Estep, Marcus Jackson, Junior Salters and Corey Godzinski are the only four current Terriers that have faced the Tigers.
