Quick Picks with Coach Rick Bowe, CBB Picks, CBB Free Picks, CBB Predictions 12/9/25

Quick Picks with Coach Rick Bowe, CBB Picks, CBB Free Picks, CBB Predictions 12/9/25

CLEMSON vs. BYU (BYU -5.5, 150.5)

When the Tigers and the No. 10 Cougars play at Madison Square Garden in New York tonight, Clemson will be the most recent team to be tasked with trying to slow down BYU's dominating starting lineup.

BYU has had trouble getting its bench to produce. But up until now, a lack of depth hasn't really mattered because the starting five are so potent on offense and pretty damn good on defense too. Four of BYU's (7-1) starters average 10 points or more per game through eight games.

The most recent starter to demonstrate offensive ability was Keba Keita. He finished Wednesday's 91-60 victory over California Baptist with 22 points, his most since moving from Utah to BYU. He also had 14 rebounds, and three blocks. Keita led the assault as all five of starters scored in double figures against the Lancers.

After the game, BYU coach Kevin Young told KSL.com, "It was good to see him get rewarded, because he does so much dirty work for everyone else."

All five of the starting players have been performing at their best thanks to Robert Wright III. Against Cal Baptist, Wright contributed 11 assists, which was one more than the Lancers' team total of 10.

The Baylor transfer accomplished the same feat in a 98-70 win over Wisconsin 98-70. In that game, Wright also contributed 11 assists, which was three more than the Badgers' team total of eight assists.

Forward AJ Dybantsa of BYU told KSL.com, "It's like I've said previously, I think he's the best point guard in the country." "When he's playing like that, we're blowing teams out."

Compared to many of those earlier opponents, Clemson can present the Cougars with a more difficult test. The ACC/SEC Challenge saw the Tigers (7-2) give Alabama a scare before losing 90-84 last Thursday. RJ Godfrey's three-pointer with 2:41 remaining gave Clemson an 83-81 lead after they had fallen behind by as many as 19 points in the first half.

Alabama pulled away in the closing minutes after holding the Tigers without a basket for the last 2:40. All of Clemson's last seven field goal tries were unsuccessful.

According to Tigers coach Brad Brownell, "I thought our guys were a little bit on their heels," The State said. "I'm not entirely sure why. I'm not sure if we were apprehensive or nervous. We were aware that the game would be challenging. We anticipated a challenging climate.

Overall, Clemson has performed admirably against other elite conference teams, going 2-2 with victories over West Virginia and Georgia. The team's success has been largely attributed to quality depth. The only player on Clemson's roster that plays at least 25 minutes per game is Dillon Hunter. The Tigers get fresh legs late in games thanks to Brownell's 10-man rotation.

Additionally, it has resulted in a balanced offense. There are eight Tigers that score at least 7.7 points per game. Godfrey leads the Tigers with 12.1 points per game.

The two teams are meeting for the first time during the regular season. After defeating the Cougars in the NCAA Tournament in 1980 and 1990, Clemson has a 2-0 record against BYU overall.

FREE PICK: UNDER 151.5

Clemson is 294th in the nation in Adjusted Tempo. BYU relies heavily on the 3PT shot. Clemson is a top-30 defense vs. the 3PT shot (27.9%) and the Tigers don’t themselves don't shoot well from 3 (32.8%). Games played in larger arenas like Madison Square Garden usually have deeper backdrops and unique lighting that, for some reason, affects shooting efficiency. Games played in these arenas since the 2020-21 season have seen the Under cash in 67 percent of games. 

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