Will Clemson Basketball Have an All-ACC Player this season?

Clemson Tigers head coach Brad Brownwell had no choice but to raise the question after another win

The strong run that Clemson is on should be enough to earn one of their players an All-ACC honor | John Hefti-Imagn Images

With just eight games remaining on the regular season schedule, the No. 20 Clemson Tigers (19-4, 9-1 ACC) sit alone in second place in the ACC.

They’ve achieved that high mark with a bevy of clutch-time wins (their 7-2 record in games decided by five points or fewer stands out), but without a standout star player.

For years, head coach Brad Brownell had program cornerstones to turn to when his team needed a big basket. P.J. Hall, K.J. McDaniels, and Jaron Blossomgame headlined that group.

And although RJ Godfrey has been arguably Clemson’s most important player this year, there hasn’t been a true bucket-getter for the coaching staff to draw plays up for each game. Despite that, the Tigers have continued to be one of college basketball’s steadiest programs in an era of instability.

“I think that’s one of the things about our team that is good,” Brownell said Wednesday night when asked about his team’s depth. “I think we have a mature group that’s managed to be very focused and really humble. I’m really proud of them.”

Brownell also brought up an interesting dilemma: Will Clemson, a near-lock to make the 2026 NCAA Tournament, have any representation on an All-ACC team?

“I don’t even know if we have an all-conference player,” Brownell remarked. “Our guys don’t really worry about it, care about it. We just come to work every day, and we’re a very unselfish, hardworking group. I’m really proud of a great group of kids.”

When considering candidates for the honor, Godfrey (averaging 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game)  and Jestin Porter (10.7 points, 2.0 rebounds) would probably be the most likely to be selected. But both players’ averages don’t jump off the page like their conference counterparts. Godfrey and Porter rank 39th and 50th, respectively, in points per game among ACC players.

Due to Clemson’s reliance on ball movement and riding the ‘hot hand’ during this season, there hasn’t been much room for gaudy averages that standouts on lesser teams have achieved.

“[Tonight] JP had a tough night scoring,” Brownell said. “RJ was in foul trouble, but Nick [Davidson] plays well. Carter [Welling] plays well. The strength of our team is just the team, and it’s kind of been that way.”

The well-balanced Tigers look to earn a 20th win for the fourth straight season when they take on the Cal Golden Bears on Saturday night. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. on the ACC Network.