Brad Brownell after Duke, North Carolina wins: 'Great 48 hours for us'

The last couple of days have been incredible for Brad Brownell‘s team, as Clemson took down both Duke and North Carolina over the course of about 48 hours.

It’s a sign that the Tigers are beginning to establish themselves as a force in the ACC. You can even go back to their nonconference slate, when Clemson beat Kentucky earlier in the season. Stacking up that trio of victories is quite impressive.

At 20-5 on the season at the moment, Brownell reflected on Clemson’s latest stretch, including their 20-point victory over the Tar Heels. He’s not taking anything for granted, believing the signs that are telling him the Tigers can be a great team.

“Obviously, a great win for us. You know, proud of the way our guys have bounced back these last two games. We played very well,” the Clemson leader proclaimed. “Obviously, a little different. Tonight, we made a bunch of threes, and that’s why we have a chance to have a good team. We can beat you in different ways. I thought defensively, we were solid. Got better in the middle stretch of the game.

“When you shoot the ball like we did, it can be hard for the opponent. So, really just happy [about] the way our guys adjusted. Two different types of teams. Duke’s bigger, and obviously North Carolina [has] great speed. So, this was obviously a great 48 hours for us.”

All told, Brownell isn’t the only one riding high after Clemson’s victory on Monday. Star big-man Viktor Lakhin wants the Tigers’ status in the college basketball world to be elevated, and he jokingly suggested they’re now a blue-blood program after beating Duke, UK, and UNC this season: “We are blue bloods too now.”

If Lakhin keeps playing the way he has, Clemson might be a blue blood before we know it. On Monday against North Carolina, he finished with 22 points on 9-16 shooting (4-5 from three) while snagging six rebounds and blocking five shots.

A great follow-up from the Duke performance where Lakhin also had 22 points but was a little more efficient from the field at 9-2. Given his size at 6’11 and ability to play anywhere on the court, the Tobacco Road teams have had a miserable time attempting to defend Lakhin.

Moving forward, Brad Brownell will have to keep Clemson’s focus on their main goals, but the Tigers will enjoy a nice break before facing off against Florida State on Saturday. Just six more regular season games remain before hitting the postseason, and this is a team to keep an eye on throughout February and March.

— On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this article.