History has come full circle; the last time Clemson basketball boarded a plane for California, history followed. That trip concluded with the Tigers cutting down nets in Los Angeles and reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 1980. Now, as February begins, Clemson is heading west again — only this time into a new ACC reality.
Stanford first. Cal next. Late tipoffs. Long flights. A body clock Clemson hasn’t had to handle.
And Brad Brownell is going into it in exactly the way you’d expect: prepared, measured, grounded.
“We got to figure it out,” Brownell said Monday at the ACC’s weekly teleconference. “Hopefully everything will be fine.”
Clemson enters the week 8–1 in ACC play, firmly entrenched near the top of its conference standings. But this trip isn't about trying to build up memories and romanticize geography, it's about responding to unfamiliar circumstances without making them excuses.
Brownell pointed out that Tigers' eyes haven’t drifted ahead to Cal or the broader implications of their trip. Everything commences with Stanford, a team he already knows will not come easy despite erratic results.
“Kyle Smith’s a terrific coach,” Brownell said. “They change defenses, do different things, so it’ll be a heck of a challenge to go out there and play very well to win.”
That respect isn’t lip service. Stanford’s adeptness at mixing coverages and disrupting rhythm keeps teams disciplined in offense — an element Clemson has done well this season but never should be allowed to lose in a late-night road environment.
The most telling variable, however, is not scheme.
It’s timing.
Clemson tips off on Wednesday at 10 p.m. Eastern, in a scenario that obliges adjustments far and wide. Brownell has tapped into outside voices — especially the thoughts of coaches from the Big Ten — to gain a better grasp of what matters most on trips like this.
Hydration. Shooting the night before. Routine recovery that stretches later than usual. All of it has been discussed. But Brownell is not complicating it too much.
“One guy said everybody makes a big deal about it, but the two or three guys on your team that play 32 minutes or more — those are the guys you actually worry about,” Brownell added.
That advice hits differently for Clemson.
This roster doesn’t rely on one or two players to bear the load. Clemson’s depth has been its defining strength throughout the season, as Brownell has been able to rotate freely without compromising on defense or offense.
No Tiger averages 32 minutes per game.
Still, players like Dillon Hunter, Jestin Porter, and RJ Godfrey will have a huge role in that, especially in terms of maintaining pace and physicality as fatigue might come to bite. Brownell understands that the margins on the road are slim — particularly late at night — and mental lapses can change everything.
The most striking thing is Brownell’s perspective.
He’s not dismissing the challenge, but he’s also not allowing it to overshadow him.
“I don’t want to make more out of it than it is,” he said. “I’m also trying to be respectful of it, having not done it. It’s hard to know.”
That balance has served Clemson well during all the season.
The Tigers have defeated the teams they are meant to beat. They’ve avoided letdowns. They’ve defended regularly, and relied upon depth where games get bogged down.
This trip will test all of that — not because Stanford and Cal are unbeatable, just because circumstances change.
And in the new ACC, it won’t be the last time.
Clemson’s West Coast swing no longer feels out of place. It’s a preview.
So how the Tigers respond — physically and mentally and competitively — will say much about how ready they are for what the conference is going to become.
Tipoff with Stanford is at 10 p.m. Wednesday on ACC Network.
Late night. New time zone. Same expectations.