Tag: Clemson Tigers

Clemson basketball moves back into Top 25 in new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Clemson jumps back into the Top 25 of the Coaches Poll after five straight wins.

The Clemson Tigers moved back into the Top 25 of the new USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, released Monday.

Clemson (17-4 overall, 9-1 ACC) was ranked No. 25 in the Coaches Poll following their fifth straight win in conference play, 72-57 at Virginia Tech on Saturday. The Tigers got 16 points from Chauncey Wiggins, who made four of the team’s seven 3-pointers in the win in Blacksburg.

Freshman Del Jones added a season-high 13 points. Clemson also defeated Syracuse last week, 76-62, at Littlejohn Coliseum.

It’s the second time this season that Brad Brownell’s team was ranked in the Top 25; the Tigers were No. 16 in the Coaches Poll back on Dec. 9 after their 9-1 start to the season.

RELATED: Best photos of Clemson basketball’s 72-57 win at Virginia Tech

Clemson joined Louisville (15-5, 8-1) as the second ACC team to enter the rankings this week. The Cardinals were ranked No. 22 in Monday’s poll and handed the Tigers their only loss in ACC play, 74-64 back on Jan. 7. Louisville has won nine straight games entering the week.

The Auburn Tigers (18-1) were ranked No. 1 for the third straight week, followed by the Duke Blue Devils (17-2) at No. 2, and Iowa State (17-2) at No. 3. The Alabama Crimson Tide (17-3) were ranked No. 4, and the Houston Cougars (16-3) rounded out the top five.

Clemson will meet NC State (9-10, 2-6) Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. The game will be televised on The CW Network.

Full Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll Week 13

Rank School Record Points
1 Auburn 18-1 775 (31)
2 Duke 17-2 741
3 Iowa State 17-2 689
4 Alabama 17-3 676
5 Houston 16-3 635
6 Florida 18-2 634
7 Michigan State 17-2 583
8 Tennessee 17-3 564
9 Marquette 17-3 536
10 Purdue 16-5 476
11 Kansas 14-5 429
12 Kentucky 14-5 399
13 Mississippi State 16-4 324
14 St. John’s 17-3 318
15 Texas A&M 15-5 310
16 Memphis 16-4 242
17 Wisconsin 16-4 214
18 Oregon 16-4 201
19 Texas Tech 15-4 169
20 Illinois 14-6 166
21 Missouri 14-6 163
22 Louisville 15-5 162
23 Ole Miss 15-5 104
24 UConn 14-6 100
25 Clemson 17-4 96

Schools Dropped Out

No. 20 Michigan; No. 23 West Virginia

Others Receiving Votes

Michigan 67; Gonzaga 55; Maryland 50; Vanderbilt 44; Saint Mary’s 41; Arizona 41; Utah State 22; Creighton 18; West Virginia 17; Georgia 6; Baylor 4; New Mexico 3; UC Irvine 1

Best photos of Clemson basketball’s 72-57 win at Virginia Tech

17 of the best game photos from the Tigers’ 72-57 win at Virginia Tech on Saturday.

The Clemson Tigers got a career-high 13 points from freshman Del Jones, and Chauncey Wiggins tied a season-high with 16 in a 72-57 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum Saturday night.

With the win, Clemson (17-4 overall) improved to 9-1 in conference play, just a half-game behind the ACC-leading Duke Blue Devils, the No. 2 team in the country. Curiously, the Tigers have remained unranked all season — save for a brief week at No. 16 after a 9-1 start in nonconference play.

Clemson led by as many as 19 in the second half and played most of the night without star Chase Hunter, who didn’t check in to the game until 12 minutes left in the second half. Hunter had two points on 1-of-4 attempts, including three from behind the arc.

With Hunter absent for much of the game, the Tigers got 11 points apiece from Jaeden Zackery and Viktor Lakhin. Zackery, the senior transfer from Boston College, recorded his sixth straight double-digit game.

For their parts, Lakhin connected on five of his six shots from the field, and Wiggins made four of the team’s seven 3-pointers.

RELATED: Clemson takes down Virginia Tech for fifth straight ACC win

Clemson returns to action Saturday at NC State (9-10 overall, 2-6 ACC) at 1:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on The CW Network.

Here’s a look at the best photos from the Tigers’ 72-57 win in Blacksburg.

Where the 2018 Clemson Tigers rank among all-time greatest College Football Playoff teams

See where Clemson’s 15-0 2018 national championship team was ranked among the best of the CFP era.

The Clemson Tigers were fortunate enough to put together one of the most dominant runs in college history from 2015-2020.

In that span, the Tigers won six straight ACC titles under coach Dabo Swinney. More importantly, they won two national championships while playing in two more national title games.

With Ohio State’s 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in the first 12-team College Football Playoff national title game this week, the Buckeyes joined Clemson and Georgia for the second most championships of the playoff era (Alabama leads the way with three).

Following Ohio State’s win over the Fighting Irish, USA TODAY Sports reranked all 11 national champions of the CFP era dating back to the 2014 season. The 2018 Clemson Tigers were ranked No. 4 on the list, one spot behind Georgia’s 15-0 national championship team in 2022 and one spot ahead of the Buckeyes’ 2024 team that finished 14-2.

Here’s what Myerberg said of his ranking for the Tigers’ perfect 15-0 national championship team in 2018:

“Until LSU matched or even exceeded the feat a year later, the 2018 Tigers put together the most dominant two-game run of the four-team playoff era, beating Notre Dame 30-3 and Alabama 44-16. Freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence put himself on the map with an epic game against the Crimson Tide, throwing for 347 yards and three touchdowns. The Christian Wilkins-led defensive line is one of the most memorable in history. Overall, Clemson beat 12 bowl teams but didn’t have to deal with the same strength of schedule as the other undefeated teams on this list.”

As for Clemson’s first championship team of the playoff era, the 2016 Tigers were ranked eighth overall — one spot behind the Michigan Wolverines’ 2023 team that went 15-0, and one spot ahead of Alabama’s 2015 team, which won a 45-40 classic over the Tigers in Glendale, Ariz.

Myerberg said of the 2016 Tigers:

“Clemson faced a run of solid-to-very-good teams, with 13 of 15 opponents advancing to the postseason. The Tigers played single-possession games against Auburn, Troy, Louisville, North Carolina State, Florida State and Virginia Tech while losing to Pittsburgh, so it wasn’t always pretty. But the Tigers are boosted by winning a classic championship game against Alabama with a memorable last-second touchdown.”

The 2016 Clemson team was also ahead of 2014 Ohio State and 2017 Alabama in USA TODAY’s rankings.

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Colorado offers four-star Clemson quarterback commit

The Buffs have expressed interest in a fascinating dual-threat quarterback prospect

The Colorado Buffaloes have flipped the commitment of a top-flight quarterback before in Julian “JuJu” Lewis and may be looking to do so again.

On Wednesday, Queen Creek High School (Queen Creek, AZ) announced that class of 2026 Clemson Tigers QB commit Tait Reynolds received an offer from the Buffaloes.

Reynolds, billed as a four-star talent and Arizona’s top overall class of 2026 prospect by the 247Sports composite, has received offers from the Tennessee Volunteers, Miami Hurricanes, Oregon Ducks and many other marquee programs.

He initially committed to the Arizona State Sun Devils as one of the region’s top baseball recruits before flipping his intentions to Clemson in July for the gridiron and the diamond.

With a 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame, Reynolds’ physical traits allow him to use his legs and seek out contact. He rushed for 1,426 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior in 2024, often being hailed for his dual-threat ability. As a passer, he completed 62% of his throws for 2,238 yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions, per MaxPreps.

CU’s quarterback room looks to be in solid shape for the foreseeable future, but it’s not surprising to see head coach Deion Sanders and his recruiting staff show their interest in Reynolds.

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Where Clemson Tigers rank in new D1Baseball Preseason Top 25

The Tigers rank lower in D1Baseball’s rankings than in Perfect Game’s preseason Top 25 college baseball poll.

There’s less than a month remaining before the Clemson baseball team officially takes the field for the first time in 2025.

The Tigers will open the season in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 14 against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at noon ET.

On Monday, D1Baseball unveiled its preseason Top 25 rankings. Clemson was ranked No. 15, one spot behind ACC rival Wake Forest and one spot ahead of Tim Corbin’s Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Texas A&M Aggies were the preseason No. 1 team in D1Baseball’s rankings, followed by the Virginia Cavaliers at No. 2. The LSU Tigers were No. 3, with the defending College World Series champion Tennessee Volunteers No. 4. The Arkansas Razorbacks rounded out the top five.

Clemson ranked No. 8 in the Perfect Game Baseball Preseason Poll, released last week.

A season ago, coach Erik Bakich’s Tigers entered the season ranked No. 9 in the USA TODAY Sports Baseball Coaches Poll. The Tigers had a memorable season in 2024, winning 44 games and advancing to a Super Regional for the first time in 14 years.

The Tigers were ranked No. 8 in the final Coaches Poll after losing to a Florida Gators team that got hot in the NCAA Tournament.

Clemson returns several players from their 2024 roster, namely outfielder Cam Cannarella and last year’s freshman sensation, right-hander Aidan Knaak. Cannarella hit .337 with 11 home runs and 16 doubles while going all out in 58 games.

RELATED: Clemson star Cam Cannarella lands in the Top 10 of this 2025 MLB draft projection

Knaak was the surprise of the Tigers’ pitching staff, going 5-1 with a 3.31 ERA in a team-high 15 starts. He totaled 108 strikeouts in 83 1/3 innings while holding opponents to a .221 average.

The Tigers’ home opener at Doug Kingsmore Stadium is scheduled for Feb. 19 against Presbyterian.

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Clemson basketball tops Georgia Tech on the road for latest ACC win

Boston College transfer Jaeden Zackery has his best performance in a Clemson uniform.

The Clemson Tigers continued their roll through ACC play with a 70-59 win over Georgia Tech Tuesday night at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta. Four of the Tigers’ five starters, including Atlanta native Chase Hunter, finished in double figures.

Jaeden Zackery scored a season-high 21 points, the highest the Boston College transfer had in a game since his 22-point showing in the Eagles’ 76-55 rout of the Tigers in the ACC Tournament a season ago. Ian Schieffelin added 16 and Hunter had 14 of his own.

Clemson (14-4 overall) improved to 6-1 in ACC play and never trailed in the game, getting out to an 8-0 lead in the opening six minutes and holding Georgia Tech (8-10) scoreless for over seven minutes to begin play. The Tigers led 36-25 at halftime, with Zackery scoring 12 points in the first half and Viktor Lakhin adding 10.

Hunter drained a 3-pointer in the first five minutes of the second half, part of five points in a span of 45 seconds. Schieffelin hit a layup to put Clemson up by 13 as the Tigers began to pull safely away.

After Chauncey Wiggins hit his only 3-point attempt of the night and then threw down a dunk with 7:38 to play, the Tigers had their biggest lead of the night at 18, 59-41.

Georgia Tech would cut the lead to single digits at 59-50 with 2:30 to play on a 3-pointer from Duncan Powell, but Schieffelin responded with a tray on the Tigers’ next trip down the floor.

Zackery made three of Clemson’s eight shots from behind the arc and finished 7-of-12 from the field.

The Tigers head to Pitt (12-4) for a noon ET tipoff Saturday. The game will be televised on The CW.

Chiefs scouting report: Clemson Tigers TE Jake Briningstool

Clemson #Tigers tight end Jake Briningstool could be a target for the Kansas City #Chiefs in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs took most of the season to get stable production from pass catchers. The team’s tight end and wide receiver rooms rallied in recent weeks, but many of the top contributors become free agents after the season. Kansas City needs to add depth through the 2025 NFL draft.

Clemson Tigers standout Jake Briningstool is a tall, lean tight end who does most of his damage deploying from the slot. He accelerates off the line to stretch defenses up the seam. Briningstool stacks linebackers and uses his size to tower over defensive backs when facing man coverage.

Briningstool stems his vertical routes outside before breaking across the defender’s face with a swim move. Despite his tall frame, Briningstool sinks his hips enough at the top of the stem to snap off routes and create separation at the intermediate level.

He quickly finds holes between the defense’s second and third levels and lingers in open windows to provide his quarterback an option late in the play.

Briningstool uses his size and long arms to box out defenders on red zone targets and slants. He doesn’t have the density to dominate at the catch point but still makes some impressive contested catches. Briningstool tracks the ball well and is comfortable making catches with defenders in his air space.

Briningstool creates yards after the catch with his speed but lacks the mass and twitch to break many tackles. His lean frame also creates issues as a blocker. Defensive linemen displace Briningstool, and he struggles to sustain blocks against more powerful players. NFL teams shouldn’t expect much from him as an in-line blocker.

Alabama linebacker, former 5-star prospect transferring to ACC program

The former Alabama linebacker is heading to the ACC.

An official transfer decision for Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Jeremiah Alexander was made Wednesday morning, as the former highly-touted high school prospect announced his commitment to the Clemson Tigers.

Alexander had previously entered the transfer portal earlier this month, and joins a list of others to make a decision so far this week alongside the likes of Elijah Pritchett, Ty Lockwood, Amari Jefferson, and more.

RELATED: Where have Alabama transfers committed since entering the portal?

A former five-star prospect, as well as the nation’s top edge rusher, out of the Crimson Tide’s 2022 recruiting class, Alexander has primarily played inside linebacker across the past three seasons at Alabama in which he has a total of nine tackles.

This past season, Alexander posted a career-high of five tackles across 10 games played as a backup at inside linebacker, sitting behind the trio of Deontae Lawson, Jihaad Campbell, and Justin Jefferson on the depth chart.

Can Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils actually go undefeated against the ACC?

After back-to-back blowouts over SMU and Pittsburgh, it’s time to ask the question: Will Duke lose an ACC game this season?

The Duke men’s basketball team understandably entered the 2024-25 season as heavy favorites in the ACC. The Blue Devils lost most of the players who helped them reach the Elite Eight last April, but they gained [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag], three other five-star freshmen, and a trio of experienced transfers in the complete rehaul.

Through the first five games of conference play, the results look better than any reasonable expectations. In fact, after Tuesday’s 29-point win over the Pittsburgh Panthers, the whispers are starting to get louder about a potentially preposterous feat: Can Flagg and the Blue Devils go 20-0 through the ACC?

It sounds incredulous on paper. After all, two other conference teams reached the Elite Eight last season, and the North Carolina Tar Heels brought back Preseason Player of the Year RJ Davis after a 29-8 campaign.

The Tar Heels and NC State Wolfpack both lost more than half of their starting lineups, however, and the impact on both programs has been pretty immediate. UNC lost six of its first 14 games in 2024-25, only 3-1 in ACC play thanks to a 74-73 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and a 68-65 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

NC State took an even larger step back, off to an 8-6 start with two losses in its first three conference games to resemble last year’s regular season more than the Cinderella run. Wake Forest has lost four different games by double-digits, and the Clemson Tigers have dropped three of their past six after a 9-1 start.

If the Blue Devils were going to lose an ACC game on paper, theoretically, it would have been one of their last two. They traveled to Texas without head coach Jon Scheyer (illness) to play an SMU team riding a seven-game win streak, and they needed to play six minutes of Tuesday’s first half against a 12-2 Pittsburgh team without Flagg because of some early fouls.

Duke won those games by a combined 56 points.

The Blue Devils became the No. 1 overall team in the KenPom rankings on Wednesday, and the popular analytics site gives them at least a 77% chance to win each remaining ACC game.

That still only adds up to a 35.7% chance of a 20-0 conference record as of Wednesday morning, and the margins for perfection are slim. Duke’s offense has looked more efficient than ever over its last four games, but the first 10 were littered with slow starts because of poor shooting.

Realistically, the Blue Devils need to make it through January before this becomes a genuine possibility, and road games against Clemson and North Carolina remain big hurdles. But it’s not ridiculous to talk about this, which is a staggering sentiment for the first week of January.

Where Clemson ranks in 2025 Perfect Game Baseball Preseason Poll

There are big expectations from the Tigers in 2025!

The Clemson Tigers are coming off a strong 2024 college baseball season that saw them reach the Super Regionals for the first time in 14 years.

Clemson won its on-site regional by going 3-0 and defeating Coastal Carolina in an elimination game at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in June. The Tigers fell short in the Super Regional against a red-hot Florida Gators team in a game that became an instant classic.

Erik Bakich’s Tigers finished the year 44-16 overall and were ranked No. 8 in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

On Monday, Perfect Game Baseball released its preseason Top 25 poll ahead of the 2025 season. Clemson was ranked No. 8, one spot behind the Texas Longhorns and one spot ahead of the Duke Blue Devils.

RELATED: Clemson star Cam Cannarella lands in the Top 10 of this 2025 MLB draft projection

Two ACC teams ranked ahead of the Tigers: the Virginia Cavaliers at No. 3, and the Florida State Seminoles at No. 6. Both teams advanced to the College World Series in Omaha last season.

The Texas A&M Aggies were preseason No. 1 by Perfect Game, followed by the LSU Tigers at No. 2. After Virginia at No. 3, the Georgia Bulldogs and second-year coach Wes Johnson were ranked No. 4, with the defending national champion Tennessee Volunteers No. 5.

Clemson opens its 2025 regular season in the annual Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. The Tigers are scheduled to face Oklahoma State on Friday, Feb. 14 at noon ET, followed by the Arizona Wildcats on Feb. 15 (noon ET) and the Ole Miss Rebels on Feb. 16 (3:30 ET).

The Tigers’ home opener at Doug Kingsmore Stadium is scheduled for Feb. 19 against Presbyterian.

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