It has not been easy, but the Clemson Tigers have started the 2026-27 college basketball season out at 2-0. Clemson was able to create just enough separation to defeat the American Eagles at home on Friday night, 82-73. While the Tigers obviously did not cover the sizable 16.5-point spread, they got a tremendous showing out of forward Liutauras Lelevicius. He had a double-double in this home win.
Although guard Ace Buckner had a game-high 26 points and six assists, Lelevicius' 17 points and 10 rebounds made all the difference. Lelevicius shot 5-of-8 from the floor and 5-of-7 from distance to keep the Eagles at bay. American shot just as well from the floor and from distance as Clemson did in this game, but left more points at the charity stripe. In the end, it truly did come back to rebounding.
Lelevicius' game-high 10 boards helped propel Clemson to a decisive 40-29 rebounding advantage. Where Clemson really won this game was on the offensive glass. The Tigers have eight more boards on offense than did the Eagles. You cannot give the better team coming in more shots around the basket. American made the most of its offensive possessions, but was not as locked in on defense.
Liutauras Lelevicius' breakout makes Clemson offense more dangerous
In the first two games of the season, we have seen Buckner get his offense going by averaging 23.0 points per game. We have also seen forward Dylan Faulkner be an all-around impactful player by averaging 14.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game for the Tigers since transferring from Samford. As of Friday night, help is on the way out on the wing by way of the TCU transfer Lelevicius.
With Cole Certa really struggling to find his shot with a dreadful 21.1 field-goal percentage over two games, Lelevicius has provided the Tigers the lift they need in a crucial spot. We know that Clemson will be strong in the frontcourt this season, especially once Carter Welling returns from his injury. With Buckner answering the bell, the point guard role is not too bad. The concern now is out on the wing.
The fact that Lelevicius can shoot the basketball efficiently and hold his own on the glass should help Clemson stay in as many games as possible. As the Tigers round into form in the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see how cohesive this team can get heading into conference play. While the Maui Invitational will be eye-opening --one way or another-- Lelevicius has been a great addition thus far.
With Clemson hosting North Dakota on Monday night, we can only hope that Buckner, Faulkner, and now Lelevicius continue their winning ways heading into the Georgetown game next Friday night. By establishing three go-to scorers at different spots on the floor, it will make things so much harder for the opposition to defend. Clemson does have some work to do defensively, but this is a big positive.
Right now, Clemson has shown it has the right mental makeup to eke out those hard-fought victories.
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