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Bracketology 2023: Clemson, Illinois, and NC State among biggest winners

By Tristan Freeman

BLACKSBURG, VA - JANUARY 4: Members of the Clemson Tigers mens basketball team react following a win against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum on January 4, 2023 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)
BLACKSBURG, VA - JANUARY 4: Members of the Clemson Tigers mens basketball team react following a win against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum on January 4, 2023 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images) /
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Bracketology Florida Gators forward Colin Castleton Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Bracketology Florida Gators forward Colin Castleton Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports /

Florida Gators

When the Gators lost four of five games to move to 7-7 overall, they were effectively left for dead. But credit to Coach Golden and the team for making a run, and winning three straight games. This week, they got a nice road win at LSU, followed by a win over a ranked Missouri squad.

Florida also benefits from Florida Atlantic, who beat them in the non-conference, currently dominating in Conference USA and surprisingly being a top-20 team in the NET. This team is still 0-6 against Quad 1 opponents but picking up a pair of Quad 2 victories this week gets them back into the conversation for now.

Illinois Fighting Illini

When freshman guard Skyy Clark left the team after a loss to Northwestern, things were potentially falling apart for the Illini. But they’ve recovered nicely, winning three straight. That included avoiding a Quad 3 defeat to Nebraska and winning at home against Michigan State.

Illinois has a top-30 NET ranking and two signature wins over UCLA and Texas. So they weren’t truly in danger of being on the wrong side of the bubble. But they certainly were in a position to have a big downslide to an unfavorable seeding in March that doesn’t represent how good they are. With a new three-game winning streak, they look to be back on track.

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