Clemson Basketball Entering Historic Territory With Hot ACC Start

In an ACC that has had historic teams define the conference, the Clemson Tigers are beginning to find their own historic within it.

Clemson stormed to a hot start in ACC play, moving to 4-0 following a double-digit win over Notre Dame on Saturday night. It’s the first time in program history that the Tigers have started 4-0 in back-to-back seasons.

Perhaps the most impressive takeaway from the win is that head coach Brad Brownell has now won his last 11 away games in ACC play. There is only one other team that has a larger road winning streak in conference play: No. 7 Houston (15).

Brownell says that not only are his players prepared for the moments in hostile environments, they’re having fun doing it also.

“I think our guys really like each other,” he said after the game. “I think they’re enjoying time together. I think when we’re on the road, we’ve got a good routine that we follow in terms of getting our guys prepared, both mentally and physically.”

There are plenty of other impressive takeaways from the start that has the Tigers at the top of the ACC, tied with Duke. Three of the four conference wins have been away from home. One of those opponents was ranked No. 24 SMU. It is also important to note that Brownell, who typically brings in plenty of retention from his teams each season, only had one active player return this season, Dillon Hunter.

Yet, his squad is playing with great confidence. It’s a testament to his leadership and resilience.

“I think our guys are playing with good confidence,” Brownell said, “and then I think we have some depth and so, when it’s not one or two guys’ night, it’s a good chance that somebody else has got a chance to play well, and I think that’s what happened with our team.”

So, how are the Tigers doing it?

Simply, defense and depth. Clemson is first in the ACC in points allowed per game (65.6) and second in the conference in opposing three-point percentage (29.1%). On the flip side, the Tigers aren’t shooting the ball well from deep, 15th in the conference at 32.3%

Brownell’s bench, which is spoken about after the Notre Dame win, is 35th in the country in points per game (32.9). With so many different players that can get a basket, it makes Clemson very versatile.

“We found ways to have three or more play well on the same night and because we have seven, eight, nine guys that can all contribute,” he said.

This past week was an important one for Clemson basketball. It picked up its first-ranked win of the season, won two Quad 1 games and will continue momentum going into some pivotal conference matchups towards the end of January.

With how the schedule has gone for the Tigers thus far, from plenty of travel to late-night tip-offs, Brownell believes his team could be ready for anything.

“I’m just proud of our guys,” he said. “I thought, quick turnaround for us with the 9 p.m. start on Wednesday, and I thought our guys were very focused and really executed some good things on offense, too.”