NCAA Basketball: Ranking final 18 unbeaten teams for 2023-24 season

10. Clemson

When we think about Clemson, their football program certainly gets much more attention than basketball, though Brad Brownell has done decent with these Tigers in recent years. Clemson won 23 games and were just outside of the Big Dance last season but have exhibited early that they have the talent to make another run at the NCAA Tournament this year.

There haven’t been a ton of gimme’s among their initial six wins, which include close victories against UAB and Davidson during the Asheville Championship. The Tigers have actually played much better ball the last two weeks, especially on offense, including big wins over Boise State and Alcorn State and a stunning 8-point victory at Alabama this past Tuesday. That win, clearly their best of the young season, was also their first true road game on the year.

PJ Hall is averaging more than 21 points a game, Chase Hunter looks special again, and Syracuse transfer Joe Girard III is settling in nicely with the Tigers. They’ve certainly survived a tougher schedule than some of the other power conference programs on this list and they’re playing better basketball than in the initial week of the season. Another tough road game at Pittsburgh awaits with unbeaten South Carolina, unbeaten TCU, and a road date at Memphis awaiting later in the month.