Community Picks: Pittsburgh 0% vs Clemson 0%

In what's been a roller-coaster season for Syracuse, an alteration to the schedule feels like par for the course. The resurgent Orange will fly out Sunday morning for that night's game at No. 13 Virginia, pushed back one day by the blizzard that's rocked the East Coast. Adjusting on the fly has been nothing new for Syracuse, which went a month without Jim Boeheim when the NCAA moved up the Hall of Fame coach's nine-game suspension for multiple program infractions two days before a Dec. 5 game at Georgetown. Continue to Article

January 24, 2016 12:21:am EST

Clemson coach Brad Brownell watched his team struggle through the first month and a half wondering what it was going to take for the Tigers to realize their potential. Clemson now is on the verge of its longest win streak in five years and can topple a fourth straight ranked opponent Tuesday night when it visits struggling No. 13 Virginia. The Tigers (12-6, 5-1 ACC) were one game over .500 after falling 80-69 at then-No. 7 North Carolina on Dec. 30 but came away pleased with the effort. Continue to Article

January 18, 2016 5:25:pm EST

At the end of Clemson's Dec. 30 loss at North Carolina, the Tigers appeared to be on track for yet another forgettable season. They were 7-6, they had zero notable victories and they had suffered dismal losses at the hands of middling UMass and rebuilding Minnesota. What has transpired since then might be the most surprising turnaround of the season in college basketball. Clemson has reeled off five straight victories against marquee opponents culminating with Saturday's 76-65 win over eighth-ranked Miami. Clemson's latest victory is its third straight against a Top 25 opponent, the first time in school history that the Tigers have ever accomplished that. After starting the win streak with wins over Florida State and Syracuse, the Tigers have continued their momentum by toppling No. 21 Louisville, No. 9 Duke and now the Hurricanes. There are no guarantees Clemson can continue this surge with four out of its next five games on the road, but for now the Tigers have at least vaulted themselves into NCAA tournament contention. All five teams that Clemson has beaten this month appear in the KenPom top 50. What has been the key to Clemson's turnaround? Believe it or not, efficient half-court offense. In a departure from previous seasons when the Tigers have been a stingy defensive team prone to extended scoring droughts, this year's team is much tougher to stop. They still are one of the slowest-paced teams in the country, but they're among the ACC's best in points per possession thanks to the development of star forward Jaron Blossomgame and the emergence of a stronger-than-expected supporting cast. Blossomgame, a versatile 6-foot-7 forward, averages 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks, sometimes doing his damage from the post and other times from behind the 3-point arc. Point guard Jordan Roper has excelled as the team's primary distributor and guard Avry Holmes and forward Donte Grantham are both capable 3-point shooters. Clemson's defense isn't the elite unit that it has been previously, but the Tigers have gotten stops at key junctures during their win streak. They held Miami to one field goal in the final seven minutes on Saturday, enabling Blossomgame and Roper to spearhead a rally from a six-point second-half deficit. The lone knock on Clemson the past few weeks has been that four of its five wins have come in Greenville, where the Tigers are playing their home games this season. They'll have a chance to show they're dangerous away from home too when they visit Virginia next week. - - - - - - - Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @JeffEisenberg Continue to Article

January 16, 2016 5:24:pm EST

What took place on the court Saturday at No. 9 Duke when the Blue Devils hosted Notre Dame is what they had in mind in the offseason when rules changes were instituted with hopes of increasing scoring in men's college basketball. The teams combined for nearly 100 points in the first half and played an up-and-down game about as entertaining as any contest to this point in the season.Notre Dame ultimately prevailed 95-91 behind a monster game from forward Bonzie Colson, who came off the bench to deliver 31 points and 11 rebounds. Continue to Article

January 16, 2016 4:44:pm EST

Its first three ACC games seemingly helped Duke build confidence, though the latest might have reminded the Blue Devils of just what they are: young and shorthanded. While a return to Cameron Indoor Stadium should help, Saturday's game comes against a Notre Dame team that's had No. 9 Duke's number since joining the league two years ago. Duke (14-3, 3-1) blew out the Fighting Irish by 30 points in Durham last season, but Notre Dame (11-5, 2-2) won the other two meetings and has taken three of four overall. Continue to Article

January 15, 2016 2:14:pm EST