NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Duke, fall in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
22. Clemson (6-0)
It hasn’t always been pretty; there have been some ugly wins, but Clemson has gotten this season off to a perfect start. Brad Brownell’s squad is leaning on PJ Hall and a few other names like newcomer Joe Girard III, the transfer from Syracuse. There were things to like in their first five wins before this week, but last Tuesday’s performance really took the cake.
Though they had already won the Asheville Championship a few weeks earlier, Clemson got their first big opportunity on the road and really delivered, getting an 85-77 win at Alabama. The Tigers shot the ball very well, playing solid defense, and did enough to get a road win over a previously ranked Crimson Tide squad. Hall’s 21 points led the Tigers while Girard III had 16 and Chase Hunter added 15 points in the win.
The number of unbeaten teams in the nation is rapidly decreasing but these Tigers still find themselves among that number. It’s been a lot of solid offensive play in recent weeks getting them on track and looking perhaps like a sleeper pick in an ACC full of talent. They’ll get their first test against that talent right away on Sunday with a steep road test at Pittsburgh, with TCU waiting just a few days later.