The Clemson basketball team is preparing for the ACC Tournament as the number five seed in the field, securing a first-round bye as the Tigers look to solidify their place in the field of 68 when the NCAA Tournament brackets are released on Sunday.
Had the Tigers defeated North Carolina on March 3, Clemson would have secured a double bye as the fourth seed. However, there is still a road to the tournament championship for Clemson basketball.
Clemson will play 13-seed Wake Forest, who defeated the Tigers during conference play. Clemson will have a prime chance at revenge during their first tournament game.
Should the Tigers advance to the quarterfinals, there they would take on the Tar Heels in a rematch from a week ago on Thursday. Clemson gave North Carolina a healthy scare in Chapel Hill, and without the Tar Heels’ freshman star Caleb Wilson on the court, and at a neutral site, perhaps the Tigers may hold a slight edge in such a potential rematch.
For Clemson basketball, advancing to at least the quarterfinals is a must. While the Tigers have a solid case to make the NCAA Tournament, Clemson has also suffered several damaging losses along the way to the aforementioned Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and N.C. State.
In that regard, the ACC Tournament is a good, and final, opportunity to impress the selection committee.
Clemson’s first game is slated for a 9:30 p.m. tip-off on ESPN2 on Wednesday night.
