Clemson Basketball Is Rolling-But the Real Test Is Just Beginning
At the halfway point of ACC play, No. 19 Clemson has put itself in prime position for another NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Tigers are 18-4 overall, 8-1 in the conference, and currently sit second in the ACC standings behind Duke. That’s no small feat, especially when you consider this is the biggest roster overhaul of Brad Brownell’s tenure.
Ten new players-six transfers and four freshmen-have come in, and yet, Clemson has managed to win 10 of its last 11 games.
This team has been a model of balance and grit. But with a tougher schedule looming, including matchups against three ranked opponents-Duke, North Carolina, and Louisville-the Tigers are about to find out just how far that balance can take them.
Defense Is Still the Backbone
If you’ve followed Clemson under Brownell, you know defense is always going to be a pillar. That hasn’t changed this season.
The Tigers are allowing just 64.5 points per game, which ranks 15th nationally and second in the ACC. That kind of stinginess has kept them in games even when the offense hasn’t clicked.
Now, they’re not stuffing the stat sheet with blocked shots or steals-Clemson sits 17th in the ACC in blocks and 12th in steals-but don’t let that fool you. This defense is built on communication, physicality, and discipline. It’s not flashy, but it’s suffocating.
The new faces have bought in, and it shows. Despite the roster turnover, Clemson has held several projected NCAA Tournament teams-like BYU, Miami, and SMU-to some of their lowest scoring outputs of the season. That speaks volumes about how quickly this group has gelled on the defensive end.
Balanced Scoring Keeps Opponents Guessing
What Clemson lacks in star power, it makes up for in depth. Brownell said before the season that this might be the first time in a while Clemson doesn’t have an All-ACC player, and so far that’s held true. But it’s also been a strength.
Seven different players have led the team in scoring at least once this season. Only two-Jestin Porter and Nick Davidson-have cracked the 20-point mark in a game, and even they’ve only done it a couple of times. Instead, the Tigers rely on a committee approach that makes them unpredictable and tough to scout.
RJ Godfrey leads the team with 12 points per game, followed by Porter at 10.8 and Carter Welling at 10.3. That trio gives Clemson three double-digit scorers, but on any given night, it could be someone else stepping up.
For opponents, that’s a nightmare. You can’t key in on one guy and expect to shut Clemson down.
But Who’s the Closer?
Here’s where things get tricky. As deep and versatile as Clemson is, the Tigers still don’t have a proven closer-the kind of player who demands the ball in crunch time and delivers.
In the past, that role belonged to guys like Chase Hunter, PJ Hall, or Hunter Tyson. This year, it’s more of a by-committee approach, and that’s led to some shaky moments late in games.
RJ Godfrey and Dillon Hunter have had flashes of clutch play, but in their biggest ACC test so far-a tough overtime loss to NC State-they struggled to deliver down the stretch. That game exposed a potential Achilles’ heel: when the defense can’t completely shut down an opponent, and the game tightens up late, who’s taking the big shot?
That question looms large as Clemson heads into the back half of its ACC schedule.
The Schedule Gets Real-Fast
Clemson’s 8-1 conference mark is impressive, but it’s worth noting that only one of those wins came against a ranked opponent-SMU back on January 7. That changes in a hurry.
The Tigers still have three ranked teams left on their regular season slate: at No. 4 Duke (Feb. 14), at No.
18 North Carolina (March 3), and home against No. 23 Louisville (Feb.
28). All three of those are Quadrant 1 games, and Clemson is currently 2-3 in that category.
They’re also just 1-2 against ranked teams overall.
So while Clemson is in great shape for a top-four ACC Tournament seed and a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the real proving ground is ahead. Last season, they hit a similar point-9-1 in the ACC midway through-and finished with a program-record 18 conference wins. That earned them a No. 5 seed in March Madness… and a shocking first-round exit to McNeese State.
The Tigers are hoping for a better ending this time around. But to get there, they’ll need to answer some key questions: Can the defense keep carrying the load against top-tier competition?
Can someone emerge as a reliable closer? And how will this group respond when the stakes-and the opponents-get tougher?
We’re about to find out.