The Clemson Tigers remained on the fringe of the national polls Monday, checking in at No. 28 in the Coaches Poll vote count and No. 31 in the Associated Press tally after climbing to 12–3 overall.
Clemson has won five straight games, including four against Power 4 competition, highlighted by back-to-back ACC road wins at Syracuse and Pittsburgh — a first in program history to open league play with two road games.
Still, the Tigers are waiting for the breakthrough ranking.
How Clemson Stacks Up
Analytics paint a clearer picture of why Clemson is hovering just outside the Top 25.
The Tigers rank No. 35 nationally in KenPom (No. 63 offense, No. 26 defense) and No. 34 in the NCAA NET, metrics often favored by the selection committee as March approaches.
Clemson is 1–2 in NET Quad 1 games and 4–1 in Quad 2 matchups, with a major opportunity looming Wednesday night against SMU Mustangs, currently No. 25 in the Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the NET.
Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET at Littlejohn Coliseum on ESPNU.
Balanced Production Driving the Run
Clemson’s success hasn’t hinged on one scorer. Returning transfer RJ Godfrey leads the Tigers at 11.7 points per game, followed closely by guard Jestin Porter at 11.1 and forward Carter Welling at 10.1.
Six Tigers average at least 20 minutes per game, underscoring the depth head coach Brad Brownell has leaned on during the current stretch. Senior guard Dillon Hunter is the lone player logging more than 25 minutes per night, averaging 27 minutes to go with nine points and a strong assist-to-turnover ratio.
ACC Context
Within the league, Duke Blue Devils remains the ACC’s highest-ranked program at No. 6 in both polls. Nationally, Michigan Wolverines leads the Coaches Poll, while Arizona Wildcats tops the AP.
Clemson was last ranked in the final AP and Coaches polls of the 2024–25 season and is positioning itself to return to that territory if the current run continues.
For now, the Tigers remain just outside the door — knocking louder with each win.