In the summer of 2025, the national narrative on Clemson basketball was bleak.
Coming off an offseason during which the program lost 14 players to graduation and the portal, major outlets like ESPN, CBS Sports and Bleacher Report each released their early 2026 NBA mock drafts—yet not one Clemson Tiger was projected to be drafted.
Fast forward to February 2026, and those “underdogs” are standing in first place in the ACC with a 20-4 record and a 14-game conference road winning streak that has tied all-time league records. Though the early mocks did not see Clemson's potential, two of the players have gone from being "unranked" to being "undeniable."
Predicted by some local analysts in June as a "sleeper to watch," Davidson has transcended those modest expectations. The 6-foot-9 forward currently leads the Tigers in scoring and was the hero of the Stanford win with 16 points and seven rebounds. In addition to his “pro-ready” frame and 40 percent shooting from deep, scouts keep circling him as a candidate for the second round.
Ace Buckner, a redshirt freshman not even on the draft radar six months ago, has become the team’s closer. His "alpha" mentality and clutch free-throw shooting in late-game situations have made him one of the most intriguing long-term prospects in the conference.
The 2025-26 Tigers are based on "Clemson Grit," his slogan from the coach Brad Brownell. As an unconventional choice, they lack the five-star "one-and-done" flash present elsewhere in Duke or North Carolina. However, their 15th-ranked national defense and combined "basketball IQ" are forcing NBA front offices to reconsider this position. RJ Godfrey or Carter Welling were not on anyone’s board in June. Now? They are the defensive anchors for the best team in the ACC.
And as Clemson gears up for that titanic No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium this Saturday, the “zero-prospect” label has officially been shredded.
Regardless if these voices call their names in June, the Tigers have already won the biggest battle of their lives: showing that the “experts” didn’t see them coming.