Clemson Tigers
Outside of North Carolina, no one had a better non-conference resume than Clemson, who got wins over South Carolina, Boise State, TCU, and Alabama. However, they haven’t done much at all in ACC play, having a road win over Pittsburgh but also a Quad 3 defeat at home to Georgia Tech, who just lost to Louisville on Saturday.
After a heartbreaking loss to Virginia in the weekend prior, Clemson had a pair of road games, including the biggest opportunity in league play, a road game at UNC. After a big early lead, the Tigers were able to pull off the upset, 80-76. PJ Hall led the team with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Joe Girard went for 21 points on 5/10 shooting from deep.
To help matters, the Tigers got another road win in league play, beating a reeling Syracuse squad. The final score is 77-68, with Girard scoring 18 points to reach over 2,000 points. Hall had a double-double, while Chase Hunter went for 14 points and seven assists. It’s a Quad 2 victory to help the resume and get them back to .500 in ACC play.
Clemson will be a key player this week in the league, having a pair of “bubble” games at home against NC State and Miami. A sweep by the Tigers would likely guarantee them a spot in the Big Dance, though it would hurt the conference’s hopes for as many bids as possible.