College basketball: Thursday’s area games to watch

THURSDAY’S MATCHUPS

No. 19 CLEMSON (14-1, 3-0 ACC) at N.C. STATE (11-5, 1-2)

PNC Arena, Raleigh, 9 p.m., ESPN

Fresh off its home victory over then-No. 2 Duke, the N.C. State hopes to upend another nationally ranked ACC team. Charlotte native Torin Dorn had 16 points in that game for the Wolfpack. ...Marcquise Reed hit 8 of 17 from the floor for Clemson in its overtime weekend victory over Louisville. The rest of the Tigers were 17 of 51.

MARSHALL (11-5, 2-1 Conference USA) at CHARLOTTE (5-9, 1-2)

Halton Arena, Charlotte, 7 p.m.

The Thundering Herd has the nation’s leading shot-blocker in Ajdin Penava, who averages 4.75 per game. Marshall also leads the conference in scoring. ...Charlotte’s inside game is struggling, as it ranks 326th of 351 Division I teams in rebounding and is 311th in blocks.

GEORGIA STATE (11-6, 2-2 Sun Belt) at APPALACHIAN STATE (8-9, 3-1)

Holmes Convocation Center, Boone, 7:30 p.m.

D’Marcus Simonds leads the visitors and the league in scoring (21.8 points a game). ...The Mountaineers, tied with Texas State and Georgia Southern for second place, counter with Ronshad Shabazz, who is among the Division I leaders in field goals attempted and made.

Steve Lyttle

This story was originally published January 10, 2018 at 5:48 PM with the headline "College basketball: Thursday’s area games to watch."