The 12th-seeded McNeese Cowboys are set to take on the fifth-seeded Clemson Tigers Thursday afternoon in what should be among the more intriguing, headline-heavy 5/12 matchups in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Addressing the elephant in the room, McNeese State’s head coach Will Wade -- a Clemson alum -- reached an agreement with North Carolina State on Wednesday afternoon according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
McNeese's Will Wade has reached an agreement to become the next head coach at NC State, sources confirmed to ESPN. First reported by @giglio_OG. Wade has won 57 games over the last two seasons at McNeese, went to five NCAA tournaments at LSU and VCU.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 19, 2025
Will Wade’s impressive track record of success speaks for itself, winning at Chattanooga, VCU and LSU. But what he has done in Lake Charles, Louisiana may be his most impressive work on the sidelines. In Wade’s two short years leading the Cowboys, Wade has amassed a 49-8 overall record, including a 36-2 mark in the Southland Conference. Put simply, it was never a matter of if, it was a matter of when Wade was going to catapult back into the P5 circles.
But even amidst the noise of a new job on the horizon, the Cowboys have a daunting challenge ahead with Clemson.
The Tigers have somewhat fallen under-the-radar given the tumultuous nature of the ACC this season. But Brad Brownell continues to turn heads with this group, rattling off 18 conference wins amidst their best season (win percentage wise) in the Brownell era.
How to watch McNeese vs Clemson
Date: Thursday, March 19
Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
Venue: Amica Mutual Pavillion
How to Watch (TV): truTV
Streaming: March Madness Live
McNeese record: 27-6 (19-1)
Clemson record: 27-6 (18-2)
McNeese vs. Clemson odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
McNeese +250
Clemson -315
Spread
McNeese +7.5 (-110)
Clemson -7.5 (-110)
Total
133.5 (over -114 5/under -106)
McNeese injury report
Alyn Breed, G: OUT
Clemson injury report
Dillon Hunter, G: OUT
Clemson and McNeese series history
McNeese all-time record vs Clemson: 0-0
McNeese vs Clemson Prediction
The 12/5 matchup is always the most daunting matchup because it usually means the high-major is playing among the top mid-majors in the country.
And that will be the case Thursday afternoon.
It’s hard to pin-point any sure-fire weakness with the Cowboys. After all, they have lost just one game since Dec. 14. McNeese boasts an incredibly deep roster, they are shooting nearly 48% from the field as a team and rank inside the top 20 on defensive turnover percentage, according to BartTorvik.
The Cowboys’ don’t have a ton of size on their roster. No active player stands taller than 6-foot-7. And that’s where Clemson can look to exploit McNeese behind Ian Schieffelin and Viktor Lakhin.
Schieffelin is among the more under-appreciated stretch forwards in the country, averaging 12.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG and 2.7 APG for the Tigers. Lakhin has fit seamlessly into Brownell’s system after spending three seasons at Cincinnati, averaging 11.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG. Add in 6-foot-11 big man Chauncey Wiggins and it's clear that the Tigers have the size and physicality to overwhelm McNeese.
While the loss of Dillon Hunter (injury) hurts from a depth perspective in the backcourt, Clemson’s veteran two-guard duo in Chase Hunter and Jaeden Zackery can hold their own against McNeese’s electrifying army of guards.
When Clemson (and Brad Brownell) backs' are against the wall, that’s when they tend to shine. Just take a look at last year’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight run. Plus, it’s increasingly hard to ignore whether Will Wade’s announcement to NC State will play a role in Thursday’s matchup. We’ll take the Tigers on this one.
Prediction: Clemson 84, McNeese 71