Where Clemson Basketball Ranks In ESPN’s Bilas Index

Clemson kicked off its basketball season with an 85-72 win over Stetson on Monday night.

The Tigers were led by Ace Buckner’s 20 points, while Dylan Faulkner (16), Cole Certa (13), Liutauras Lelevicius (13) and David Fuchs (12) also reached the double-digit mark in scoring.

With one game in the books, ESPN’s Jay Bilas ranks Clemson No. 53 in The Bilas Index, which is sixth among ACC teams.

“Brad Brownell’s hopes this season rest on two key players: Dillon Hunter (7.1 PPG), who is awaiting eligibility via the legal courts, and Carter Welling (10.2 PPG), who is recovering from an ACL tear suffered in March,” Bilas wrote. “The Tigers have made the past three NCAA tournaments, and last season were…