Clemson Men's Basketball's Road Success Enters Uncharted Territory in Cal Win

No. 20 Clemson men’s basketball has been elite on the road this season, and its successes have found the Tigers in history never been done before.

The Tigers defeated the Cal Golden Bears on the West Coast on Saturday night, picking up their 14th consecutive away win in conference play. That is tied for second in the ACC’s entire history.

This active streak is also the longest in the country, dating all the way back to last season. Originally, the Houston Cougars were the road warriors, but a loss to Texas Tech on Jan. 24 has allowed the Tigers to be the sole leader in the streak. Clemson is a perfect 6-0 in ACC play after the win.

Clemson (20-4, 10-1 ACC) is now tied for first in the ACC standings as well. This comes after North Carolina upset Duke on a game-winning three-pointer.

Saturday’s victory brought plenty of accolades, being No. 20 on the season. Head coach Brad Brownell has now had four consecutive seasons of reaching this win total, finding consistent success in the ACC and nonconference schedule.

Brownell’s results aren’t coming by chance; it’s by his defense. In the win over the Golden Bears, Clemson went on a 23-1 run for over ten minutes of the game, making it lopsided early. The Tigers are second in points allowed at only 64.5 per contest in the conference.

Confidence also continues to rise for this Clemson team. After this week, the No. 20-ranked team was victorious three time zones away from home, winning two games in the state of California to win its third and fourth-straight games.

The results make this upcoming week even more important. Wednesday, Clemson returns home to play Virginia Tech. Earlier in the week, Brownell spoke about how the adjustments in time could benefit the opposing side.

“Everybody says that coming back is the one that is really hard, is when you come back,” Brownell said. “That’s where I think maybe sometimes the advantage is, for the team that ets to play the teams that are coming back.”

Then, next Saturday is the clash with Duke inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. If both teams win during the week, it would be a battle for the top spot in the conference. This means that Clemson is in control of its own destiny in the ACC with seven games remaining to play.

The AP Poll should benefit the Tigers as well, who picked up a Quad 1 win over Cal and a borderline Quad 2 win over the Stanford Cardinal. Especially with a high-stakes game next weekend, Brownell’s group should see a higher number come Monday.

Clemson leaving the Golden State with two wins was already enough, but a thumping over the Golden Bears, forcing 14 turnovers and shooting 46% from three, has the college basketball world turning their heads to an underrated ACC team.