By Will Cheney | Contributor For the second year in a row, the Augusta University men’s basketball team will carry out an exhibition against a notable Division I opponent. The 2016 opener featured a trip to Kansas to battle Wichita State University, a game in which the Jaguars fell by six. This season, however, they will stay closer to home. On Thurs., Nov. 2, the Jags will hop across the Savannah River and head north to take on Clemson University. The Jags are coming off a twenty-four to eight season that ended with the Southeast Regional semifinal appearance. While the glaring absence of former star Keshun Sherrill will be felt, Dip Metress’ club still returns a helping of veteran experience. Senior forward Kyle Doyle led the Peach Belt Conference in shooting percentage (58.9) last season while averaging over five rebounds per game. Right behind Doyle in shooting percentage was Tamyrik Fields (56.3), also a senior forward. Fields was top five on the team in scoring, field goals made, blocks and steals. The Jags feature seven freshmen this season, including highly touted center Jack Foley. The 6’11” Virginia native could have a major impact as the only true center on the roster. Clemson Tigers finished the 2016-17 season at a 17-16 clip, which was good enough for twelfth in the final ACC standings. Redshirt junior guard Shelton Mitchell battled a few injuries last season, but still averaged over ten points per game and led the Tigers in assists and threes, shooting over forty-five percent from beyond the arc. Junior forward Elijah Thomas tops returning players in blocks, despite seeing limited minutes last season. The important thing to keep in mind about this exhibition is the ultimate goal of both teams. Preseason exhibitions are valuable assets to college basketball programs. The opportunity for a coach to gauge the chemistry their players share in a live setting can go a long way toward avoiding a shaky start to the season. Expect a competitive atmosphere, but know both teams have larger goals in mind beyond this game. Tipoff for the Nov. 2 showdown is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Littlejohn Coliseum at Clemson. Admission is free, and the university has arranged for a bus to take students to the game. For more information, contact Leza Witherington, Assistant to the Dean of Student Life, at lwitherington@augusta.edu. Contact Will Cheney at wcheney@augusta.edu.