ACC Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2019-20 season

By Brian Rauf | Sep 25, 2019

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 05: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils drives past Jordan Chatman #25 of the Boston College Eagles during the second half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 05, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 80-55. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 05: Head coach Brad Brownell of the Clemson Tigers watches on against the Duke Blue Devils during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 05, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

432. . Last Year: 20-14 (9-9). . Tigers . 13. team

Remember when Clemson was a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made the Sweet 16 just two short years ago? Things have gone downhill quickly for the Tigers.

Clemson missed the tournament altogether in what was a disappointing 2018-19 campaign and appear ready to take another step backwards. Only two players – Aamir Simms and Clyde Trapp – return from last season’s rotation, meaning there’s a lot of youth, inexperience, and general lack of top-end talent head coach Brad Brownell has to work with.

The Tigers will lean heavily on Simms and a pair of grad transfers in Curran Scott (Tulsa) and Tevin Mack (Texas/Alabama), but they don’t have much outside of that. Freshman guard Al-Amir Dawes is one player to watch for the future.

Brownell was on the hot seat prior to that 2018 Sweet 16 run, and that earned him a six-year extension. However, their inability to live up to expectations last year brought about the return of hot seat rumors. Clemson has more than enough money to pay his buyout (a national championship-caliber football program can do that for you) and, if they struggle as much as expected this season, that conversation could come to fruition.