We are five games into the ACC schedule, and Clemson Men’s Basketball is in first place. They are the only team undefeated in league play so far.
This is rare air for the Tiger program, and this burst of success had some fans hoping head coach Brad Brownell’s program would break into the Top 25 this week.
Unfortunately, the Tigers did not quite break through this week. Clemson has the second most votes among teams that were not in the Top 25.
This is still a big improvement for the Tigers. Last week, Clemson did not receive any votes.
Clemson is presently ranked 54th in the NET rankings, which are a significant factor in determining the NCAA tournament field at the end of the season. They ranked 53rd in the KenPom rankings.
Early season losses dug a hole for Clemson Men’s Basketball, and they are still climbing out
The reason Clemson has not risen far in these rankings is painfully obvious. They have two Quad 4 losses. Quad 4 is a category for the lowest-ranked teams in the country. Clemson’s two Q4 losses came to South Carolina and Loyola Chicago. They are the highest-ranked team in the NET that has two Q4 losses.
The flip side of that is that Clemson has a 3-1 record against Quad 1 teams, which is a very strong point on their resume. Several teams ranked ahead of them in the NET have fewer Q1 wins than the Tigers.
Clemson will have opportunities to enhance their tournament resume. The Tigers have six games remaining against teams currently ranked ahead of them in the NET and KenPom rankings. They will host Duke, Virginia Tech, and Miami. They will travel to North Carolina, Virginia, and NC State. They have defeated two of those teams already this season (NC State and Virginia Tech).
Clemson returns to the hardcourt Wednesday evening against Louisville.