Signature win over Kentucky proves Clemson hoops has entered new heights

Ian Schieffelin was all over the floor in the win.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Wednesday, December 04 2024

CLEMSON—As the sun began to set by Littlejohn, Clemson students began camping out over four hours before the Tigers took the court against Kentucky.

It was a sign of growing excitement for a top-five team coming into town and the buzz that has surrounded this program for the last few years.

In many ways, Brad Brownell’s hoops program has spent his tenure in the shadow of his counterpart across the street.

When it comes to this decade, they’ve taken the spotlight.

The fans rushed the court in Littlejohn as the Tigers dramatically defeated No. 4 Kentucky, 70-66, securing their first top-ten victory outside of ACC play since 1997.

Tuesday night’s win was another victory in a long string of positive moments for Brownell’s Tigers.

Fresh off a run that saw Clemson reach the Elite Eight, some wondered if that run in Los Angeles was a flash in the pan or a sign of things to come.

The Wildcats presented the Tigers with an opportunity to provide a solid answer to that question.

Undefeated Kentucky was no ordinary test. Clemson passed it with flying colors.

It isn’t hard to go back and see a Tiger team struggle to put together points against Boise State, despite the career afternoon from Chase Hunter.

So, how would this group perform when its stars begin to struggle? Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin finished a combined 6-28, but the surrounding parts came together at the right time.

It was Clemson’s third game this season with four scorers logging over double figures, providing the balanced attack advertised in the preseason.

The Tigers didn’t have anything close to a perfect night offensively, but the balanced contributions were enough to ride the ups and downs Kentucky provided.

Oh, and then there’s the defense synonymous with a Brownell-led unit. Entering tonight, Kentucky shot well over 50 percent, good enough to enter Tuesday night undefeated, including a signature win over Duke.

Against the Tigers, the Wildcats shot 38% from the field, struggling to put together runs against their opposition. Clemson also recorded a season-high nine blocks, contributing to the Wildcat offense's lack of success.

With such a new-look group, would Brownell’s acquisitions from the portal mesh together as well as last year’s cast of characters?

In the short term, the answer is an easy yes.

Jaeden Zackery has been the defensive sparkplug in the backcourt who consistently keeps Clemson in sync. Viktor Lakhin gives Schieffelin relief in the post, and Myles Foster provided energy in the first half to keep Kentucky at bay.

Once again, Brownell’s offseason efforts have proven to put this program to new heights it truly hasn’t seen.

There was certainly an argument that his team was snubbed in 2022, and there was no doubt that Clemson was a tournament team the following year. Now, the perception of the program has changed, and a win over Kentucky more than solidifies that.

As the fans stormed the court, their patience for camping out in the freezing cold was rewarded.

With wins now come heightened expectations, but moments like Tuesday go a long way in proving why Brownell’s group is more than worthy of meeting that challenge. Brownell even said it on Tuesday night his program has been in the shadow of his counterpart across the street, but maybe that has begun to change.