The Clemson Tigers shocked a lot of people when they made a run to the Elite Eight in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Coming into the 2024-25 season, they were unranked again and many people had them squarely on the bubble. Looking to prove their doubters wrong again, they got off to a stellar start.

They were 7-1, with their only loss being a true road game against the Boise State Broncos. Clemson even won one of the holiday tournaments during Feast Week, beating the San Francisco Dons and Penn State Nittany Lions in the Sunshine Slam.

But, tougher tests lay ahead.

Brad Brownell knew that his group would be tested, as they had one of the hardest remaining strengths of schedules among perceived bubble teams. The first obstacle would be the Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC/ACC Challenge.

Hosting the No. 4 ranked team in the country at Littlejohn Coliseum, this was a chance to cement themselves as not only legitimate contenders in the conference but move further off the bubble with a signature win.

That is exactly what they did with a 70-66 victory that will almost assuredly have them move into the top 25 when the new set of rankings is released next week. When Selection Sunday rolls around in March, this is a game the committee will view very highly as it could be what separates them from being in the field or not.

Also, the victory had historical significance, as shared by Jeff Borzello of ESPN.

“The Tigers have now won each of their past four games against AP top-five opponents; according to ESPN Research, they’re only the third team ever to do so and the first since UTEP from 1985 to 1992.”

It was a complete team effort from Clemson, as seven players scored at least six points and four of them were in double-figures. Leading the way was Jaeden Zackery with 13 points and some big shots in the second half.

Ian Schieffelin was a vacuum on the glass, pulling down 20 rebounds, eight of which were of the offensive variety. He didn’t shoot the ball well, going 4-of-20 from the field, but had 11 points and added four assists.

It was a true defensive struggle, as both teams couldn’t find a rhythm shooting the ball, especially from 3-point range. That proved to be the difference, as Kentucky’s inability to make shots from the perimeter enabled the Tigers to pack it in defensively and bog things down.

Clemson won’t have much time to celebrate this win as they are heading on the road to Coral Gables to face the Miami Hurricanes over the weekend. After that, they are hosting the No. 16 ranked Memphis Tigers, as their schedule won’t provide them many opportunities to catch their breath.