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Everything Brad Brownell said after Clemson’s win over Florida State

Clemson won for the fifth time in its last six games when the Tigers downed Florida State, 74-63, Saturday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Clemson won for the fifth time in its past six games when the Tigers got past Florida State, 74-63, in ACC play Saturday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.

With the win, the Tigers (19-8 overall, 9-7 ACC) moved to a season-high 11 games games over .500. It was also the team’s fourth consecutive victory over their nemesis from Tallahassee, a first in Clemson basketball history.

Joe Girard finished with a game-high 24 points in the win, including four 3-pointers. Girard was also a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Chase Hunter had 16 points in 36 minutes to go with four assists. Hunter connected on six of 12 shots from the floor.

RJ Godfrey added 12 clutch points and six rebounds off the bench and played 22 minutes after PJ Hall found himself in foul trouble for much of the night.

Afterwards, Tigers coach Brad Brownell said that it was likely Godfrey’s best game in his two seasons at Clemson.

Here’s everything Brownell said after the Tigers’ victory over Florida State.

Clemson closes out Florida State, 74-63

Clemson got 24 points from Joe Girard and withstood a late rally by Florida State for a 74-63 victory in ACC play Saturday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Girard made four 3-pointers as the Tigers (19-8 overall, 9-7 conference) built a 16-point lead in the second half following a layup from Dillon Hunter with 13:20 to play.

With PJ Hall on the bench with three fouls for much of the second half, Florida State (14-13, 8-8) was able to whittle the lead down to five after Baba Miller sank a 3-pointer with 6:05 left.

When Hall returned to the game, he drove to the basket, got off a tough shot against Seminoles forward Jaylan Gainey, and drew a foul for a three-point play to re-up the Clemson lead to 63-55 with 4:31 to play.

The Tigers held on from there despite a Seminoles team that refused to go away — and got a little testy on the court in the final minute of play.

A dust-up between Jamir Watkins and PJ Hall ended in a double technical foul assessed to both players. That led to Hall fouling out for Clemson and Girard sinking two foul shots on the opposite end to add to his game-high points total.

Watkins had 18 points for Florida State and Primo Spears added 16.

The win was a big step forward for a Clemson team that’s still hoping to receive a double-bye in next month’s ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C. The Tigers are now 5-1 in their last six games after dropping six of their first nine contests to start the year.

Chase Hunter had 16 points and RJ Godfrey scored 12 off the bench in Saturday’s performance.

Hunter closed the first half with a bang when he drained a step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave Clemson a 38-28 lead at intermission — its largest of the half.

The Tigers return to the court Tuesday when they host Pitt (18-9, 9-7) at Littlejohn Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The game will be televised by ACC Network.

Clemson vs. Florida State: Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

Here’s a look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Saturday’s game against Florida State.

Clemson enters the weekend having won four of its last five games after a rough start to the ACC schedule. The Tigers are hoping to continue their march toward March when they host Florida State Saturday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Clemson (18-8 overall, 8-7 ACC) is coming off its most lopsided conference victory of the season after routing Georgia Tech, 81-57, on Wednesday night in Atlanta. In that game, the Tigers made a season-high 14 3-pointers and converted over 50 percent of their shots from the field. Ian Schieffelin had 19 points, Chase Hunter added 18, and Clemson finished with four players in double figures.

Saturday’s contest will mark the second meeting between the Tigers and Seminoles (14-12, 8-7) this season. In their first matchup back on Jan. 20, Clemson used a second-half surge to down Florida State, 78-67, in Tallahassee.

FSU defeated Boston College, 84-76, earlier this week to snap a three-game losing stream that had seen the team fall to just a game over .500. Jamir Watkins scored 22 points and finished with 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Watkins leads the Seminoles with 15 points per game and almost six rebounds per game, both team highs.

Series Notes and Recent History

According to the statistical website sports-reference.com, Florida State leads the all-time head to head series, 46-36. The Tigers have won the last three meetings between the schools dating back to last season.

Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

Here’s a look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Saturday’s game against Florida State.

Date: Saturday, Feb. 24

Time: 7:45 p.m. EST

Where: Littlejohn Coliseum

TV Channel: CW Network

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App | SiriusXM (Channel 193)

Broadcast Teams

CW Network: Tom Werme, Brian Oliver

Clemson Radio: Don Munson, Tim Bourret

What Brad Brownell, Chase Hunter said after Clemson beat Georgia Tech

Clemson had one of its best shooting nights of the season in Wednesday’s 81-57 blowout victory over Georgia Tech at McCamith Pavilion in Atlanta.

Clemson had one of its best shooting nights of the season in Wednesday’s 81-57 blowout victory over Georgia Tech at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.

The Tigers (18-8 overall, 8-7 ACC) made a season-high 14 3-pointers on 29 attempts from behind the arc and shot 53 percent from the field in their most lopsided victory in ACC play this season.

Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin had big nights in their respective returns to their home state. Schieffelin edged out Hunter for a game-high 19 points, 13 of which came in the first half. Hunter, an Atlanta native who was a prep standout at Westlake High School before committing to Clemson, had 18 points — including 11 in the final 11 minutes of the game.

Joe Girard added 14 points and PJ Hall, who celebrated his 22nd birthday Wednesday, added 11 to give Clemson four players in double figures.

The Tigers led by as many as 26 points in the second half.

Here’s everything Hunter and Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after Wednesday’s victory over Georgia Tech.

Clemson gets season-high 14 3-pointers to drop Georgia Tech, 81-57

Clemson built a big lead in the first half over Georgia Tech by way of an array of 3-pointers and cruised to an 81-57 victory over the Yellow Jackets in ACC play Wednesday at the McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.

Clemson built a big lead in the first half over Georgia Tech by using an array of 3-pointers and cruised to an 81-57 victory over the Yellow Jackets in ACC play Wednesday at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.

The Tigers (18-8 overall, 8-7 ACC) finished with a season-high 14 3-pointers and were 14-of-29 from behind the arc in Wednesday’s contest.

A pair of Peach State natives led the Tigers in scoring. Clemson got 19 points from Ian Schieffelin and 18 from Atlanta native Chase Hunter.

The Tigers used a 14-0 run in the first half to race out to a 23-9 lead after PJ Hall and Joe Girard nailed 3-pointers. Clemson made nine of its first 10 shots from the field, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range.

When Georgia Tech (11-16, 4-12) cut the lead to six at 28-22 with 7:04 remaining in the half, it would be the closet the Yellow Jackets would get the rest of the night.

By halftime, Hall and Schieffelin had combined for 24 points and Clemson led, 43-31.

In the second half, Clemson held Georgia Tech to just 26 points. The Tigers’ biggest lead of the night came with 3:06 left when Hunter made a layup to stretch the Clemson advantage to 26 at 77-51.

Hunter, who attended Atlanta’s Westlake High School before beginning his Clemson career, finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Girard added 14 points. Hall, who celebrated his 22nd birthday Wednesday, had 11.

The 19 points from Schieffelin, who grew up in the Atlanta metro area in nearby Loganville, Ga., were the most he’d scored in regulation this season.

The win was also the largest of the ACC schedule for a Tigers team that suffered an embarrassing home loss to Georgia Tech in the schools’ previous meeting at Littlejohn Coliseum just over a month earlier.

In Wednesday’s contest, the Yellow Jackets made only 16-of-53 shots including 6-of-25 from the floor in the second half. Kyle Sturdivant led Georgia Tech with 14 points.

UP NEXT: Clemson will host Florida State Saturday night at Littlejohn Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. EST. The game will be the second meeting between the two schools this season after the Tigers defeated the Seminoles, 78-67, in Tallahassee last month. Saturday’s game will be televised regionally by the CW Network.

Clemson vs. Georgia Tech: Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

A look at where Clemson fans can watch, stream and listen to Wednesday’s basketball game against Georgia Tech.

A win over Georgia Tech in Atlanta Wednesday night would help Clemson keep its footing in the ACC, as well as go a long way toward easing the sting felt by the Tigers the last time the two teams met.

Back on January 16, Clemson squandered a nine-point lead with just over a minute and a half remaining in regulation. The Tigers would fall in double overtime to the Yellow Jackets in what remains their worst loss of the 2023-24 season.

The good news for Clemson (17-8 overall, 7-7 ACC) is that this close to March, they’re considered a lock for the NCAA tournament. The Tigers were already 11-1 when ACC play resumed on January 3, and they have strong wins over North Carolina, Alabama, and others on their résumé.

When the NCAA tournament selection committee released its in-season top 16 tournament teams over the weekend, committee chair Charles McClelland stated that Clemson was one of the schools considered as the 16th team.

Coach Brad Brownell wants more from his team, though, and therein lies the bad news for Clemson — the Tigers have have yet to show any real consistency since January.

The team did win three straight, including its 80-76 upset over North Carolina in Chapel Hill, but fell last Saturday at home to NC State, 78-77. It was the third straight defeat in which Clemson lost by only one point.

The Tigers got 23 points from Joe Girard and 18 from PJ Hall in the loss. DJ Horne scored 27 for NC State, including the game-winner with 9.8 seconds remaining.

Georgia Tech (11-15 overall, 4-11 ACC) is coming off a 65-60 win over Syracuse last Saturday that snapped a four-game losing streak. Kyle Sturdivant had 17 points for the Yellow Jackets, and leading scorer Miles Kelly and Baye Ndongo (16 points) each had double-doubles.

Damon Stoudamire has had a rough go of things overall in his first year as Georgia Tech coach, but the team has a pair of strong victories on their schedule. In addition to winning at Clemson, Georgia Tech has upset both North Carolina and Duke on its home floor this season.

Series Notes and Recent History

Clemson leads the all-time head to head series, 66-47.

Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

Here’s a look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Wednesday’s game against Georgia Tech.

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 21

Time: 7 p.m. EST

Where: McCamish Pavilion

TV Channel: ACC Network

Live Stream: ESPN+

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App | SiriusXM (Channel 383)

Broadcast Teams

ACC Network: Wes Durham, Cory Alexander, Jim Boeheim

Clemson Radio: Don Munson, Tim Bourret

Bracketology: Clemson up to 5 seed in Joe Lunardi’s new projection

The Clemson Tigers are a No. 5 seed in the latest bracketology projections from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

Clemson has consistently been slotted in the Nos. 6-8 seeds of NCAA tournament projections by bracketologists in recent weeks.

The team’s recent three-game win streak before last weekend’s loss to NC State has bumped the Tigers up to a 5 seed in the latest bracketology projections from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

Lunardi’s new predictions have Clemson (17-8 overall, 7-7 ACC) facing projected Southern Conference champion Samford. The Bulldogs are 23-4 overall and 12-2 in conference play.

The projected 5 vs. 12 matchup would be held in Spokane, Washington, Lunardi forecasts. In the same Spokane region of the bracket with Clemson and Samford are projected No. 4 seed Creighton from the Big East and projected 13 seed UC Irvine of the Big West conference.

Similar to last week, Lunardi predicts that Clemson will be one of just four ACC schools that will make the NCAA tournament on Selection Sunday. ACC leader North Carolina (20-6, 12-3), Duke (20-5, 11-3), and Virginia (20-7, 11-5) are the other three projected ACC members who will make the field of 68 in Lunardi’s latest update.

The longtime bracketologist awards the SEC and Big 12 with the most bids by conference with nine apiece.

Clemson will look to improve its seeding when it returns to the court Wednesday night in Atlanta against Georgia Tech. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. EST tipoff and will be televised by ACC Network.

UConn stays at No. 1 in latest AP Top 25 poll; Clemson receives votes

Defending national champion UConn remained No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll for the sixth consecutive week Monday.

The Huskies are 24-2 overall and have won 14 straight games entering the week. They haven’t lost in almost two full months since December 20. UConn received 62 first-place votes in Monday’s updated poll.

Houston (22-3) moved up a spot to No. 2 after Purdue (23-3) lost Sunday to unranked Ohio State. The Boilermakers, ranked as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament selection committee’s rankings over the weekend, fell to No. 3.

Arizona (20-5) and Tennessee (19-6) rounded out the top five.

As for Clemson (17-8 overall), the Tigers remained outside the top 25 for the sixth consecutive week after losing 78-77 to NC State on Saturday night.

The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 13 at one point earlier this season before ACC play began in full. Clemson received three votes for top 25 consideration from the various sportswriters and broadcasters who make up the AP poll. The Tigers will return to action Wednesday at 7 p.m. EST when they travel to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech.

Tony Bennett’s Virginia team received the most votes for any school that just missed the top 25. The Cavaliers (20-6) garnered 103 votes for consideration.

Elsewhere in the ACC, Duke moved past North Carolina to become the league’s highest ranked team. The Blue Devils (20-5) moved up one spot to No. 8 while Carolina (20-6) fell three more spots to No. 10.

The Tar Heels were ranked No. 3 only two weeks ago but are just 3-3 over their last six contests. By contrast, Duke has won four straight and seven of its last eight.

Iowa State (20-5) climbed four spots to move to No. 6 while Marquette (19-6) fell three spots to land at No. 7. Kansas (20-6) fell three spots in this week’s poll but still cracked the top 10 at No. 9.

South Carolina (21-5) fell nine spots to No. 20 after suffering a 40-point blowout loss on the road to Auburn on Wednesday night.

The SEC and Big 12 tied for the most ranked teams of any conference in Monday’s poll with six apiece.

Everything Brad Brownell said after Clemson’s loss to NC State

Clemson squandered a 12-point lead in the second half of Saturday night’s game against NC State and fell 78-77 to end a three-game winning streak in ACC play.

Clemson squandered a 12-point lead in the second half of Saturday night’s game against NC State and lost another heartbreaker at home, 78-77, in ACC play at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The Tigers’ last three losses have all been by one point. This one ended a three-game Clemson winning streak.

DJ Horne scored a game-high 27 points and hit the game-winner for NC State with 9.8 seconds left.

The Tigers (17-8 overall, 7-7 ACC) had a chance on their last possession, but Chase Hunter missed a layup on the other end of the floor. When the buzzer sounded, the Wolfpack (16-9, 8-6) had earned their first win at Littlejohn Coliseum since 2015.

Joe Girard had another strong shooting night for Clemson, finishing with a team-best 23 points in the loss. PJ Hall added 18, and Hunter and RJ Godfrey had 10 to give the Tigers four players in double figures.

Clemson will travel to Atlanta for a rematch with Georgia Tech (11-15, 4-11) Wednesday at 7 p.m. EST at McCamish Pavilion. The Tigers fell to the Yellow Jackets in double overtime back on January 16 at Littlejohn. Wednesday’s game will be televised by ACC Network.

Here’s everything Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after Saturday’s loss to NC State.

Clemson basketball gets good news from NCAA selection committee

The NCAA’s men’s basketball selection committee revealed its bracket preview of the top 16 teams for the 2024 NCAA tournament Saturday.

The rankings provide insight into the selection committee’s thought process on which schools have done the most to earn consideration for top seeding.

This year, they also provided good news for Clemson. The Tigers’ résumé and recent winning streak appear to have propelled the team from “likely in” status to that of a lock.

That seems to be the consensus, anyway, after committee chair Charles McClelland said Saturday that Clemson was one of the schools in the conversation for the committee’s 16th team. Being included in that conversation is a good measuring stick for determining how likely a school is to make the tournament.

The Tigers (17-7 overall) join North Carolina and Duke as the only ACC schools considered to be a lock for the tournament at this point. North Carolina was ranked fifth overall by the selection committee while Duke placed 12th.

Purdue was ranked the committee’s overall No. 1 seed. The Boilermakers entered the weekend 23-2 overall and have seven first quadrant (or Quad 1) victories.

Purdue edged out defending national champion UConn in the committee’s rankings. Houston and Arizona were ranked No. 3 and 4, respectively, meaning that the committee sees those schools as the four No. 1 seeds if the tournament were to begin today.

Selection Sunday is March 17, one day after the ACC Tournament Championship Game in Washington, DC.