Clemson just keeps stacking wins-and now they’ve added a milestone to the mix. The No.
20 Tigers (18-4, 8-1 ACC) took care of business at home on Saturday, grinding out a 63-52 victory over Pittsburgh at Littlejohn Coliseum. It wasn’t the prettiest start, but Clemson found its rhythm, built a 17-point cushion, and never looked back.
The win marked head coach Brad Brownell’s 200th at home and his 310th overall with the program-both impressive markers of longevity and consistency in an ever-shifting college basketball landscape.
The Tigers also extended their dominance over Pitt, improving to 15-3 all-time against the Panthers and stretching their head-to-head win streak to 15 straight. That’s not just a trend-it’s full-blown ownership.
Now, Clemson hits the road with momentum and a perfect 6-0 ACC road record in tow. They’ve won 12 straight away from home dating back to last season, and they’ll put that streak to the test with a rare West Coast swing.
First up: Stanford (14-8, 3-6 ACC) on Wednesday night at Maples Pavilion. Then it’s a short hop north to Berkeley for a Saturday showdown with California (16-6, 4-5 ACC).
Tip times are 10 p.m. ET and 8 p.m.
ET respectively, both on ACC Network.
Coach Brownell acknowledged the uniqueness of the trip, including the roughly 40-minute drive between Stanford and Cal-an unusual setup in ACC play. “We’ve tried to talk to some folks and get as much intel as we can,” Brownell said.
“But I think until you kind of do it, you just got to kind of play it by ear. We think we have a decent plan in place to hopefully be ready to play Stanford and Cal on a good trip.
These are two good teams.”
Clemson left campus Monday and got a Tuesday practice in at Santa Clara University, where former NC State coach Herb Sendek now leads the Broncos. That extra prep could come in handy-Stanford and Cal have both shown they can hold their own at home, especially against top-tier ACC opponents.
This West Coast swing isn’t uncharted territory for the conference. Clemson becomes the ninth ACC team to take on the Golden State double.
It’s a travel stretch that’s already tested the likes of Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and others. So far, home teams have held a slight edge, going 6-2 in these matchups.
Road teams? A dead-even 4-4.
Duke is the only squad to sweep both games on the road. Notre Dame and Louisville managed splits.
But North Carolina dropped both contests, underscoring just how tricky this trip can be, even for blueblood programs. On the flip side, Virginia and Florida State defended home court with clean 2-0 sweeps, while Miami and Virginia Tech each split when they hosted the Bay Area duo.
Stanford, in particular, has been a tough out at Maples Pavilion. They’ve notched home wins over North Carolina and Louisville and pushed Notre Dame to the brink. Cal, meanwhile, has also made the most of its home-court advantage, knocking off the Tar Heels and adding a win over the Irish to its résumé.
There’s also a bit of a homecoming angle for the Davidson brothers. Redshirt senior Nick Davidson and true freshman Blake Davidson both hail from Mission Viejo, though that’s still a good 400 miles south of the Bay Area.
Nick has been a steady contributor this season, averaging 9.2 points and 4.1 boards. Blake is expected to redshirt this year, but the trip still gives the family a rare chance to see both brothers in the Clemson orange.
In terms of the ACC standings, this road swing couldn’t come at a more pivotal time. NC State (17-6, 8-2 ACC) tightened the race with a win over SMU and currently holds the tiebreaker over Clemson.
That puts added pressure on the Tigers to keep their foot on the gas. A 2-0 trip would not only extend their road dominance-it would also keep them in control of their ACC fate.
Bottom line: Clemson’s been rolling, but the West Coast will test their depth, focus, and ability to adapt. If they can come back with two more wins, they’ll solidify themselves as a serious contender-not just in the ACC, but nationally.