Surprising Clemson hoops on top with best ACC start

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach BradBrownell’s had a landmark ACC start at exactly the right time.

The Tigers (14-3) lead the Atlantic Coast Conference at 6-0, theonly undefeated team in league play. And it follows anunderachieving 2021-22 season when athletic director Graham Neffput the program on notice that making the NCAA Tournament was aprime directive.

Message received: The Tigers are off to their best ACC marksince joining the league in 1953.

“Our kids have gotten better and their approach has beenfantastic,” Brownell said. “There’s a belief in what we’re doingand we’re reaping that.”

Clemson faces its first ranked ACC team this season against No.24 Duke on Saturday.

Picked 11th in the ACC in the preseason, fifth-year forwardHunter Tyson has averaged a double-double with 16.2 points and 10.1rebounds a game. The 6-foot-8 graduate student has gottendouble-doubles in Clemson’s past five contests, including road winsat Virginia Tech and Pitt.

Clemson took a dip last season (17-16 and out of the postseason)when Tyson broke his collarbone in February and missed eightgames.

Now, Tyson is healthy and confident in what he canaccomplish.

“I do whatever it takes to help my team win,” Tyson said. “Ifthat’s me really hitting the glass hard and getting a lot ofrebounds, that’s what I’ll do. That’s happened a lotlately.”

Brownell is in his 13th season — only Florida State’s LeonardHamilton and Virginia’s Tony Bennett have been in the ACC longer —with just three NCAA appearances, the last coming in 2021.

He readily acknowledges many think his Tigers should’ve won morethan they have over the years. Yet, Brownell’s had four seasons ofdouble-digit wins in ACC play after only three in Clemson’s first57 league seasons.

Brownell is also the only Clemson coach with a win at NorthCarolina, breaking the Tigers’ embarrassing 0-59 mark at ChapelHill in January 2020.

So Brownell won’t get ahead of himself with the Tigers hotstart. “We’re not going to get too high or too low at this point,”he said.

The February schedule includes games against No. 16 Miami andNo. 13 Virginia. And there’s a return to North Carolina, theexpected ACC champion that’s had an up-and-down season so far.

Clemson point guard Chase Hunter won’t concede any let downs,the way his team is playing at the moment.

“We definitely had big goals, big dreams for the season,” hesaid.

Brownell has tapped the portal in the past to bolster hisroster, but this year’s squad has only one transfer in the rotationin former College of Charleston and Boston College guard BrevinGalloway. The rest of the starters are experienced players who’vestuck with the Tigers and developed their talent, such as Tyson,Hunter and forward PJ Hall.

Hall, a 6-10 junior, had surgery to repair a bone fracture inhis left foot. As he recovered in July, Hall suffered a partialdislocation of a kneecap that also required an operation.

Yet, Hall has played in all but one of the games, averaging 12.4points and leading the team with 16 blocks.

Brownell said there were plenty of days in the offseason whenHall wondered if it was all worth it. But Hall worked “because hewants to be with our team,” the coach said. “That’s why we have agood team, because of the character of our team.”

Win or lose to Duke, the season doesn’t stop, Brownell said. Buthe believes the team’s shared experience through the years cansustain them even during the grind of the ACC season.

“Our guys have been here,” he said. “We’re a rare group. We’rehappy to watch kids get better and experience success.”