Clemson Basketball: Tigers defeat Louisville in OT for win No. 14

The Clemson Tigers were able to tough out a win in overtime over the Louisville Cardinals, but what does this mean for the Tigers moving forward?

Behind 24 points from Marcquise Reed and a double-double from Elijah Thomas, the Clemson Tigers were able to hold off an upset bid from the Louisville Cardinals in overtime.

Recently ranked inside the top 25 after winning nine straight, their tenth straight win should keep them firmly in the top 25 and currently in the NCAA Tournament with an impressive 14-1 record.

Unfortunately, this team boasts no resume-boosting wins on the season thanks to the collapse of the Florida Gators, and, if they lose a few bad games, they could find themselves on the outside looking in once March swings around.

The good news is that every game in the ACC has the potential to become a good win, and five of the Tigers’ next seven games are against ranked opponents. Throw in solid-but-not-marquee wins over Florida, Ohio State, Louisville, and Boston College (yes, that Boston College) and the lone loss to a Temple Owls’ squad whose record is not indicative of their talent due to the toughest SOS in the country, and Clemson should be extremely confident moving forward.

Next: How does this team look in our current bracketology?

For the first time in a long time, Clemson is doing something that it rarely does – winning close games. If they can keep doing that, this team will be dancing in March, and, as of now, I do not see a scenario in which they fail to find a way into the tournament.