The Tigers are going dancing.
Clemson basketball, who felt like they were snubbed for last year’s tournament despite a solid season, were not passed over this time. Clemson, with their 21-11 record, was placed in the West region as the 6th seed and will play 11-seed New Mexico (26-9) in their first-round game on Friday March 22 in Memphis with the winner facing the 3-seed Baylor vs 14-seed Colgate winner.
Even though Clemson struggled at times down the stretch, the Tigers had a penchant for winning big games throughout the regular season and ACC slate and came within seconds of winning even more. Their ability to play touch against the best teams in the league warranted their tournament in inclusion in the committee’s eyes.
Clemson basketball finished ranked 35th in the NCAA NET rankings, with five quad one wins, including a victory at North Carolina. Coincidentally, the Tigers could have a possible rematch with the Tar Heels, who are the number one seed in the west region. Other quad one wins include defeated Alabama on the road as well as a victory over Pitt. Last season, Clemson did not win a quad one game which kept them out of the tournament.
Also helping the Tigers’ cause was a strength of schedule rated at 23rd, considerably higher than last season’s 123rd-ranked SOS.
This will mark the first NCAA tournament appearance for Clemson since the COVID-marred 2020-21 season. The Tigers’ All-ACC first team selection, P.J. Hall, was a freshman that season and played sparingly. Now the Clemson star, who is among the leaders in the ACC averaging 18.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Hall and the Tigers are certainly excited for the chance to show the rest of the country what Clemson can do.
As for Clemson basketball coach Brad Brownell, he is 3-6 in NCAA Tournament games, including his time at UNC-Wilmington and Wright State. At Clemson, Brownell is 3-3 in the Big Dance.
Other notable teams in Clemson’s west region are number two seed Arizona and number four seed Alabama who the Tigers have already defeated this season. The Tigers climbed as high as #13 in the AP poll during the season, and now have a chance to prove the doubters wrong on the game’s biggest stage.
