CLEMSON — At the halfway point of conference play, Clemson basketball has been thriving in the 2025-26 season, but tougher games await.
The No. 19 Tigers (18-4, 8-1 ACC) are second in the conference standings behind Duke and have won 10 of their last 11 games after beating Pittsburgh 63-52 on Jan. 31. Their only ACC loss came against NC State in overtime on Jan. 20.
Clemson is in position to land one of the four ACC Tournament quarterfinal byes for the second consecutive year and make the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season but has only faced one ranked team during its first nine ACC games: SMU on Jan. 7.
“The back half, in terms of schedule, is probably more demanding. We’re gonna face a lot of the teams that seem to be in the top half of the league,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said Feb. 2.
Here’s where Clemson has excelled and has concerns at the midway point of ACC play before facing Stanford (14-8, 3-6) on Feb. 4 (10 p.m. ET, ACC Network).
Clemson basketball has one of the best defenses in the nation
Defense has always been a calling card for Brownell’s Clemson teams, and this season has been no different. The Tigers allow 64.5 points per game (15th nationally and second in the ACC).
Clemson ranks 17th in the ACC in blocked shots and 12th in steals, but the Tigers’ communication and physicality on defense allows them to stifle teams.
Despite adding 10 new players (six transfers, four freshmen), those who have played are capable defenders who have helped hold teams to some of their lowest scoring totals of the season, including projected NCAA Tournament teams like No. 14 BYU, Miami, SMU,
Clemson basketball schedule still has Duke, UNC
Clemson was 9-1 in ACC games at the midway point of league play last season with questions about its strength of schedule. The Tigers proceeded to win nine of their last 10 games, including their lone ranked victory against Duke, to finish with a program record of 18 conference wins and tied for second in the ACC standings.
This led to Clemson making March Madness as a No. 5 seed but suffering an upset first-round loss to McNeese State.
This season, Clemson has three ranked opponents remaining on their schedule at No. 4 Duke (Feb. 14) and No. 18 North Carolina (March 3) and home vs No. 23 Louisville (Feb. 28). All of these games will be Quadrant 1 games, and the Tigers are 2-3 in those matchups. Clemson is also 1-2 against ranked competition.
Clemson continues to find scoring everywhere
Entering this season, Brownell said Clemson may not have an All-ACC honoree, which would end the school’s three-year streak of having a player named to one of the three teams.
This has allowed the Tigers scoring to come from any five players on the court consistently. Clemson has had seven different leading scorers, and only two players have scored at least 20 points: Jestin Porter (twice) and Nick Davidson.
Clemson has three players who average double-digit scoring with RJ Godfrey (12 points), Porter (10.8) and Carter Welling (10.3). The Tigers’ depth has given opposing teams fits as it is difficult to pinpoint who to stop.
Late-game scoring still an issue for Clemson
Clemson’s depth is strong, but the Tigers still do not have a go-to scorer. They have held onto leads and gotten back into games in the second half with different scorers, but they don’t have a consistent clutch performer like Chase Hunter, PJ Hall or Hunter Tyson.
Godfrey and Dillon Hunter have shown clutch moments but struggled in Clemson’s toughest conference game to date against NC State, a projected NCAA Tournament team.
The lack of a go-to scoring option has also caused Clemson to endure stretches of scoring no baskets, which is an issue if the Tigers’ defense fails to contain an opponent like in their March Madness loss to McNeese State last year.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson basketball analysis before ACC games vs Duke, UNC, Louisville