Clemson’s recent stretch has been a reminder of how small the margin can be when facing top-tier competition, even when things appear to be under control.
The Tigers let a commanding halftime advantage slip away at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, falling 67-64 to No. 10 BYU on a last-second shot in the Jimmy V Classic. The loss nudged Clemson down to No. 27 in the updated NET Rankings, though the Tigers remain positioned well ahead of where they debuted earlier this season.
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Brad Brownell’s team has been thrown into the deep end of the nonconference schedule, matching up with Alabama and BYU, two teams firmly entrenched in the national picture. Clemson has been competitive in both games, but the inability to sustain a full 40-minute effort has shown up late, contributing to narrow defeats. As a result, the Tigers currently sit at 1-3 when combined across Quad 1 and Quad 2 matchups.
“My guys keep playing, but we have to play better basketball against elite teams,” Brownell said following the BYU game. “We just haven’t quite played well enough for 40 minutes to beat them.”
Despite the recent setbacks, Clemson has taken care of business at home, remaining unbeaten at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers have also held their own away from home in neutral-site games, even as true road contests have been more challenging.
Clemson will have a chance to reset on Saturday afternoon when Mercer comes to LittleJohn for a 3 p.m. tip on ACCNX.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson basketball drops in the NET rankings after a BYU loss
