Bracketology 2023: Clemson, Illinois among teams moving up seed list

January 21, 2023; Clemson, SC; Clemson sophomore forward PJ Hall (24) hugs forward Hunter Tyson (5) near freshman forward Chauncey Wiggins (21) after the Tigers beat Virginia Tech at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, January 21, 2023. Hunter made the go-ahead three-point shot and rebound in the end helping the Tigers win 51-50. Hall led the Tigers with 20 points. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY NETWORK /

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Bracketology Clemson Tigers forward PJ Hall Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports /

Clemson Tigers (16-4, 8-1 in ACC)

If you look at the top of the ACC standings you might be surprised to see Brad Brownell’s Clemson Tigers at 16-4 and 8-1 in conference. Even though they have been piling up the wins, their non-conference slate wasn’t daunting, with an overtime win over Penn State as their best win. But, since the start of league play the Tigers have been on a roll, suffering just one loss to Wake Forest thus far. They’ve already bested Duke and split the season series with Wake Forest and swept Virginia Tech on their way to a 59 NET ranking and three quad 1 wins.

The Tigers’ predictive metrics are slightly trailing their results-based ones so far. They are the 48th-best team in the Sagarin rankings and have an average rank of 33 in KPI and SOR. With Miami, North Carolina, NC State, and Virginia still on the schedule and all of them except Miami being road games, the Tigers have a big chance to show they are a real threat to win the ACC and get a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers are finally getting some respect in the polls, as much as that matters, but Clemson has been playing tournament-worthy basketball for a while. Yes, North Carolina has tumbled since the season started but the Tigers have vaulted over Virginia, Miami, Duke, and the rest to lead the conference. Hunter Tyson, Chase Hunter, and PJ Hall have been phenomenal this season putting up 43.7 points, 17.6 rebounds, and are shooting 47% for a team picked to finish 11th in the ACC.

There is a lot of basketball left to be played, but Clemson may be the conference’s best team and highest-seeded one in March.

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