Clemson coach Brad Brownell admits NET rankings 'a little frustrating'

Clemson is off to its best start in ACC play in school history following Tuesday’s 21-point win over Georgia Tech.

The Tigers improved to 17-4 (9-1) and are alone atop the ACC standings halfway through conference play.

Clemson is 7-2 in Quad 1-2 games and on paper has a pretty impressive resume. The Tigers have home victories against Penn State, Wake Forest, NC State, Duke and Virginia Tech and have won at Virginia Tech and Pitt.

Still, Clemson is No. 56 in the latest NET Rankings.

Despite being in sole possession of first place in the ACC, Clemson is the No. 7 ACC team in the NET.

The Tigers have four wins over ACC teams currently in front of them. That includes a Virginia Tech team that is 12-8 (2-7), lost both games against Clemson and is 5-7 against Quad 1-2 teams.

Clemson has more Quad 1 (2-1) and Quad 2 (5-4) wins than Virginia Tech does, despite playing fewer such games.

The Tigers did suffer losses to South Carolina and Loyola Chicago early in the season, and that seems to be bringing the Tigers’ resume down, despite Clemson being a much different team now.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell was asked about the NET rankings following Tuesday’s win over Georgia Tech. Here was his full response:

“It can be a little frustrating. I don’t think it’s the be all end all. Obviously the year that we were 35 and NC State was 33 and neither one of us made it was shocking. And there’s teams 20 spaces below us [getting in].

I hate to say it like this, but if they don’t want you in the tournament, they’re going to find a reason why. ‘Your NET ranking is good, but you don’t have enough Quad 1 wins. … You’ve got Quad 4 losses.’ Whatever it is. You don’t have enough this, that. There’s so many factors,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said.

“And it’s a hard job. It is incredibly hard. I don’t know how you do it. But we as coaches, everybody, we all look at the NET rankings and think ‘well, that’s the tool.’ But you go and look at that… Somebody was a 70 or high 60s and got in the tournament. Because they must have had a bunch of really good wins.

I don’t really know. I don’t think anybody really knows. It’s a tool in the toolbox is what I’ve been told. Glance at it but don’t really talk about it that much.”