Score at least one victory for the ACC over the SEC. On Tuesday night in Littlejohn Coliseum, the unranked Clemson Tigers basketball team took down No. 4 Kentucky to give the ACC its only win thus far through ten games of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
In the 70-66 triumph, Clemson's grit was on display throughout the night. The Tigers's trademark defense stifled a Wildcat team that came into the game averaging 96 points per game.
Meanwhile, the home team got just enough offense to pull out the victory. On a night when senior guard Jaeden Zackery led the team with just 13 points, it was depth that played a key role. Four of Clemson's starters scored in double figures and the one who didn't, center Viktor Lakhin, had nine.
It was forward Ian Schieffelin who was the heart and soul of the Tigers once again, though. That should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched this team play in 2024-25. The 6-foot-8 senior was not efficient shooting the ball as he went 4-20 from the floor. However, he pulled down a career-high 20 rebounds to go along with 11 points as he became just the second player in program history to have 20 or more boards in a game.
This was a monumental win for the Tigers not just because it gave the home crowd an opportunity to celebrate a victory over the bluest of blue-blood programs but also because it will have positive ramifications come Selection Sunday in March.
To be honest, the ACC isn't chalked full of good teams this year. That means that opportunities for Quad-1 wins in conference play will be more scarce than usual.
Picture Perfect Ending. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/lkyxJ8aoK8
— Clemson Basketball (@ClemsonMBB) December 4, 2024
Therefore, picking up huge wins in the non-conference portion of the season is a must and this was Clemson's second opportunity to do so after faltering last month on the road against a sneaky-good Boise State team that will likely be the best the Mountain West Conference has to offer this year.
The Tigers also announced to the nation with this win that they are still to be reckoned with despite having to rebuild this season's roster on the heels of March's run to the Elite 8. Now, sitting at 8-1 on the season, there's an opportunity for Clemson to make some serious noise.
Up next is a road trip to face ACC foe Miami on Saturday. Then, the Tigers face No. 16 Memphis at home on December 14. Three days later is a Palmetto State showdown with South Carolina on the road. If the Tigers can sweep those three games on top of Tuesday's huge win over Kentucky, then head coach Brad Brownell's team will be one of the hottest in the nation as it heads into the teeth of ACC play.
But to really start this critical four-game stretch off on the right note, the Tigers had to take down the previously unbeaten Wildcats. And thanks to their defense, that's what they did.
The offensive-oriented Wildcats shot just 38.1% overall and 25.9% from 3-point range. What's more, the Tigers forced Kentucky into 12 turnovers while holding them to only 11 assists.
"I'm just proud of the way our guys competed," Brownell said on ESPN's SportsCenter following the win. "We're a tough-minded, physical team that really guarded a terrific talented Kentucky team and found a way to make a couple more buckets."
For most of this season, Clemson has worked out the kinks against mid and low-major opponents. However, starting with last week's win over Penn State, the Tigers are now into the meat of their schedule.
And on Tuesday night, they showed America that they can play with any team in the country. Clemson fans should be excited to see where this team can go from here.