Preview: Clemson Tigers at California Golden Bears

BERKELEY, Calif. (Interstat) — Two of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s hottest teams will meet Saturday when the Clemson Tigers visit the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion.

Clemson (19-4), riding a five-game winning streak, will face a California squad (17-6) that has won three straight and four of its last five. The non-conference matchup, organized by the ACC, pits teams with combined records of 36-10.

The Tigers are coming off a gritty 66-64 road win at Stanford on Wednesday. Guard Nick Davidson led the way with 16 points and has been a consistent offensive threat, averaging 12.9 points over his last seven games. His season-high 25-point performance against Boston College on Jan. 13 highlights his scoring potential.

California counters with its own dynamic guard in Dai Dai Ames, who is averaging 16.1 points per game in conference play. Ames is fresh off a career-high 29 points in the Golden Bears’ 90-85 victory over Georgia Tech on Wednesday. His backcourt duel with Davidson will be a focal point.

Clemson’s success has been built on defense, holding opponents to an average of 62.1 points during its current win streak. The Tigers’ only loss since Dec. 21 came in overtime to North Carolina State.

California has shown resilience, with its last three wins coming by a combined 10 points, including an 86-85 nail-biter at Miami. The Golden Bears are 11-2 at home this season.

This game serves as a critical resume-builder for both teams ahead of the postseason. Clemson seeks a marquee road win to bolster its top-10 standing, while California looks to add a signature victory to its NCAA tournament portfolio.

The Tigers lead the all-time series 2-1, but the teams have not met since 2008.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST Saturday at Haas Pavilion (10,301 capacity).