The Clemson Tigers have officially made The Bilas Index, but the praise from ESPN's Jay Bilas came gift-wrapped with a brutal dose of reality.
In the first iteration of his top 68 teams for the 2025-26 season, Bilas slotted the Tigers in at No. 41, acknowledging their presence but pulling no punches when describing the state of the program.
"The Tigers are looking to erase a bad first-round exit — 13 points in the first half?! — with a full rebuild," Bilas wrote, referencing Clemson's shocking NCAA Tournament loss to McNeese State last March.
After losing all five starters and 13 total players from that record-setting 27-win team, head coach Brad Brownell hit the transfer portal hard. Bilas described the new-look squad in blunt terms.
"It’s not as if they had a choice," Bilas said. "They are now a roster cobbled together with three-star recruits and mostly mid-major transfers."
Bilas then ended his analysis with a scathing, backhanded compliment aimed directly at the Tigers' long-tenured head coach.
"Can they return to the second weekend of the tournament after making an Elite Eight run two seasons ago? It will be tough, but if anyone knows how to pull off a miracle, it’s perennial hot-seat coach Brad Brownell.”
The No. 41 ranking places Clemson fifth among ACC teams, trailing No. 5 Duke, No. 13 Louisville, No. 28 North Carolina, and No. 30 NC State.
While Bilas's words sting, the "cobbled together" group has already fired its first warning shot. On Monday night, the Tigers opened their season by dismantling New Hampshire in an 88-38 rout, a dominant defensive performance that showcased the potential of Brownell's rebuilt roster.
Clemson (1-0) will get its next chance to prove the critics wrong when it hosts Gardner-Webb on Friday night.