Clemson head coach Brad Brownell after the Tigers 67-58 win over Notre Dame. BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff
Last week was a roller coaster for Clemson athletics, one that started high before plunging back to Earth faster than the Fury 325 coaster.
In order, here's a look back at an eventful seven-day stretch for the Tigers:
Monday, January 15 - Christian Wilkins returns to school
Could last week have started on a higher note for Clemson? Two days after Austin Bryan, Clelin Ferrell, Kendall Joseph, and Mark Fields announced their plans to return to school, the school announced Tigers' leader Christian Wilkins would also forego the 2018 NFL Draft. Wilkins' return gives Clemson eight returning starters on defense and four returning All-Americans from a team that went 12-2 in 2017.
More: Clemson football: Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to return to Tigers for 1 more year
Tuesday, January 16 - Tigers' drought in Chapel Hill continues
It was a quick momentum drop for Clemson from Wilkins' announcement when its men's basketball team extended its losing streak in Chapel Hill to 59 games. The Tigers hit 15 shots in a row at the start of the second half to cut their deficit from 18 points to two, but North Carolina's poise in crunch time was too much to overcome in the 87-79 Tar Heel victory.
More: 'Always in my heart': Clemson backup QB Zerrick Cooper announces decision to transfer
Saturday, January 20 - Zion Williamson commits to Duke
The optimism from Clemson's football recruiting class carried over to basketball for a few weeks in 2018, when the consensus No. 2 high school player in the country, Zion Williamson, was projected to commit to the Tigers. Instead, the Spartanburg product chose to play his college hoops at Duke, deflating a Tiger fanbase that was ready to see him throw down his signature high-flying dunks inside Littlejohn Coliseum.
As disappointing as it was, Williamson's decision still wasn't the lowest point Clemson basketball reached last week.
Sunday, January 21 - Tigers announce Donte Grantham tore his ACL
The news of forward Donte Grantham tearing his ACL is arguably one of, if not the worst sports story to come out of Clemson this school year. The senior's career in the Upstate effectively comes to a close, throwing a wrench into his NBA future. He was in the midst of a career season, averaging 14.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists — all career-highs.
Those numbers, plus his improved shooting efficiency, should put him on NBA teams' radars when he's healthy.