No. 22 Clemson tests newly ranked status vs. Boston College

Clemson, new to the AP Top 25 at No. 22 this week, will aim to extend its seven-game winning streak on Tuesday when it hosts Boston College.

The Tigers (14-3, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) haven't lost in more than a month, last falling on Dec. 9 to then-No. 10 BYU in a neutral-site game. They are coming off a road victory on Saturday at Notre Dame, where Clemson defeated the Fighting Irish by double figures behind a season-high 26 points from Jestin Porter.

A transfer from Middle Tennessee State, where he was a two-time All-Conference USA selection, Porter has emerged as a leader for the Tigers this season and ranks second on the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game. The 6-foot-1 guard from Texas has scored 20 points or more in two of his past three games.

In addition to his scoring, Porter has been a master in thievery. He leads Clemson in steals at 1.3 per game and has nabbed nine over his last two games.

"He's got really good speed," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said of Porter. "I think sometimes guys like that who are small are harder to screen. They can maneuver through some screens sometimes. I also think a little bit that they're not seen as easily and so crosscourt passes, you don't maybe notice them quite as much, and then he's jumping out and knocked a couple (shots) down. Those were big plays certainly to get us some easy baskets. In a game where it's hard to score, those were important."

Clemson broke into the Top 25 for the first time in 2025-26 following wins over then-No. 24 SMU and the Fighting Irish last week. The Tigers take care of the ball, turning it over just 9.5 times per game, which ranked 13th in the nation through the weekend. They also are disruptive, allowing their opponents to dish out just 9.7 assists per game, which was sixth nationally through Sunday.

The Tigers face a struggling Boston College team that has lost three games in a row, most recently falling by double figures at No. 20 Louisville on Saturday. The Eagles (7-9, 0-3) have statistically one of the worst offenses in the country, with the 12th-lowest field goal percentage (39.7%). Only Maryland (39.6%) is lower among major-conference teams.

Boston College is also the lowest-scoring team in the ACC this season, posting just 69.0 points per game, and ranks last in the league in 3-point shooting (29.1%).

"I think that offensively, we're a group that's got to do it by committee," Eagles coach Earl Grant said. "We got to do everything for each other. We're not that juggernaut team that can depend on somebody to go get 25 (points) every night. ... We're fighting for consistency."

Junior guard Donald Hand Jr. leads Boston College in scoring this season at 15.3 points per game. He has had a hard time finding the basket lately though, shooting just 9 of 38 (23.7%) from the floor over his past three games.

--Field Level Media