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Clemson basketball sees big jump in expert’s latest NCAA Tournament projections

Clemson takes a BIG step forward in this expert’s new NCAA Tournament projections.

At 17-4 overall and 9-1 in conference play, the Clemson Tigers are gaining steam and finally getting the attention of several NCAA Tournament and March Madness experts — including one in particular.

In his latest bracketology update, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm moved Clemson up three spots to a projected No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Palm’s new projections have the Tigers in the Midwest Region bracket along with the No. 1 seed Alabama Crimson Tide. Clemson and Alabama met last season in the Elite Eight in Los Angeles, a 92-89 Crimson Tide victory.

Palm sees the Tigers facing projected Southland Conference champion McNeese State, led by former LSU Tigers coach Will Wade.

Over at USA TODAY Sports, Clemson stayed as a projected No. 7 seed in the new field of 68 forecast from experts Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith and Eddie Timanus. The three-man panel see the Tigers facing an SEC team in the first round — the Oklahoma Sooners in a No. 7/10 game.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi also kept Clemson as a No. 7 seed in his new projections, released Tuesday. In Lunardi’s forecast, the Tigers get a familiar regional rival in the first round in the Georgia Bulldogs.

Clemson picked up its fifth-straight win with a 72-57 victory over Virginia Tech last Saturday at Cassell Coliseum. Chauncey Wiggins had 16 points, including four 3-pointers, to tie a season-high in scoring, and freshman Del Jones added a career-high 13 points against the Hokies.

The Tigers travel to Raleigh to take on rival NC State (9-11, 2-7) Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on The CW Network.

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Clemson basketball moves back into Top 25 in new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Clemson jumps back into the Top 25 of the Coaches Poll after five straight wins.

The Clemson Tigers moved back into the Top 25 of the new USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, released Monday.

Clemson (17-4 overall, 9-1 ACC) was ranked No. 25 in the Coaches Poll following their fifth straight win in conference play, 72-57 at Virginia Tech on Saturday. The Tigers got 16 points from Chauncey Wiggins, who made four of the team’s seven 3-pointers in the win in Blacksburg.

Freshman Del Jones added a season-high 13 points. Clemson also defeated Syracuse last week, 76-62, at Littlejohn Coliseum.

It’s the second time this season that Brad Brownell’s team was ranked in the Top 25; the Tigers were No. 16 in the Coaches Poll back on Dec. 9 after their 9-1 start to the season.

Clemson joined Louisville (15-5, 8-1) as the second ACC team to enter the rankings this week. The Cardinals were ranked No. 22 in Monday’s poll and handed the Tigers their only loss in ACC play, 74-64 back on Jan. 7. Louisville has won nine straight games entering the week.

The Auburn Tigers (18-1) were ranked No. 1 for the third straight week, followed by the Duke Blue Devils (17-2) at No. 2, and Iowa State (17-2) at No. 3. The Alabama Crimson Tide (17-3) were ranked No. 4, and the Houston Cougars (16-3) rounded out the top five.

Clemson will meet NC State (9-10, 2-6) Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. The game will be televised on The CW Network.

Full Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll Week 13

Rank	School	Record	Points
1	Auburn	18-1	775 (31)
2	Duke	17-2	741
3	Iowa State	17-2	689
4	Alabama	17-3	676
5	Houston	16-3	635
6	Florida	18-2	634
7	Michigan State	17-2	583
8	Tennessee	17-3	564
9	Marquette	17-3	536
10	Purdue	16-5	476
11	Kansas	14-5	429
12	Kentucky	14-5	399
13	Mississippi State	16-4	324
14	St. John’s	17-3	318
15	Texas A&M	15-5	310
16	Memphis	16-4	242
17	Wisconsin	16-4	214
18	Oregon	16-4	201
19	Texas Tech	15-4	169
20	Illinois	14-6	166
21	Missouri	14-6	163
22	Louisville	15-5	162
23	Ole Miss	15-5	104
24	UConn	14-6	100
25	Clemson	17-4	96

Schools Dropped Out

No. 20 Michigan; No. 23 West Virginia

Others Receiving Votes

Michigan 67; Gonzaga 55; Maryland 50; Vanderbilt 44; Saint Mary’s 41; Arizona 41; Utah State 22; Creighton 18; West Virginia 17; Georgia 6; Baylor 4; New Mexico 3; UC Irvine 1

Best photos of Clemson basketball’s 72-57 win at Virginia Tech

17 of the best game photos from the Tigers’ 72-57 win at Virginia Tech on Saturday.

The Clemson Tigers got a career-high 13 points from freshman Del Jones, and Chauncey Wiggins tied a season-high with 16 in a 72-57 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum Saturday night.

With the win, Clemson (17-4 overall) improved to 9-1 in conference play, just a half-game behind the ACC-leading Duke Blue Devils, the No. 2 team in the country. Curiously, the Tigers have remained unranked all season — save for a brief week at No. 16 after a 9-1 start in nonconference play.

Clemson led by as many as 19 in the second half and played most of the night without star Chase Hunter, who didn’t check in to the game until 12 minutes left in the second half. Hunter had two points on 1-of-4 attempts, including three from behind the arc.

With Hunter absent for much of the game, the Tigers got 11 points apiece from Jaeden Zackery and Viktor Lakhin. Zackery, the senior transfer from Boston College, recorded his sixth straight double-digit game.

For their parts, Lakhin connected on five of his six shots from the field, and Wiggins made four of the team’s seven 3-pointers.

Clemson returns to action Saturday at NC State (9-10 overall, 2-6 ACC) at 1:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on The CW Network.

Here’s a look at the best photos from the Tigers’ 72-57 win in Blacksburg.

Where Clemson lands in USA TODAY Sports’ first NCAA Tournament bracketology of 2025

Here’s where Clemson is projected in USA TODAY’s first bracketology of the season.

With a four-game winning streak in ACC play and a conference record second only to the Duke Blue Devils and freshman sensation Cooper Flagg, the Clemson Tigers are in a great position to make the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season.

To that end, USA TODAY Sports unveiled its first edition of bracketology for the 2024-25 college basketball season Friday.

Brad Brownell’s Tigers were a projected No. 7 seed according to the panel of Paul Myerberg, Eddie Timanus and Erick Smith, who have Clemson facing the Vanderbilt Commodores in a No. 7 vs. No. 10 seed game in the first round of the Midwest Region in Raleigh, N.C.

Duke joined Auburn, Iowa State and Tennessee as projected No. 1 seeds, with Bruce Pearl’s Tigers the overall No. 1 seed. Only four ACC teams were projected to make the NCAA Tournament in USA TODAY Sports’ first field of 68 projections: Louisville and Pittsburgh joined Duke and Clemson, with Wake Forest and North Carolina listed as bubble teams.

Clemson picked up its fourth-straight win with an 86-72 victory over Syracuse earlier this week at Littlejohn Coliseum. Chase Hunter had 18 points in the first half and finished with 23 on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, including 4-of-7 from behind the arc.

The Tigers travel to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on ACC Network.

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Experts’ latest projections for Clemson basketball in NCAA Tournament

Here are the experts’ latest NCAA Tournament projections for Clemson.

All the Clemson Tigers can do is keep playing the ACC schedule they’ve been given — and keep winning.

Brad Brownell’s team has done that by winning seven of its first eight games in conference play. The Tigers’ 15-4 overall record entering Wednesday is behind only the ACC-leading Duke Blue Devils (16-2 overall, 8-0 ACC) and freshman sensation Cooper Flagg, who are fighting for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Clemson is No. 31 in the NET rankings and is now 6-4 in games against Quad 1 and Quad 2 teams. Only one of their four losses (at South Carolina) is against a team with practically no hope of making the final 68-team field. In the KenPom ratings, the Tigers are up to No. 27.

Ahead of its game against Syracuse Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, ACC Network), here’s a look at where various college basketball experts see the Tigers in their latest NCAA Tournament forecasts.

Clemson moves up in Joe Lunardi, Andy Katz NCAA Tournament outlooks

Starting at ESPN, veteran March Madness prognosticator Joe Lunardi has Clemson up one spot in his latest NCAA Tournament projections. Lunardi moved the Tigers from a No. 8 seed to a No. 7 seed after their 78-75 road win in overtime at Pittsburgh over the weekend.

If the tournament started today, Lunardi has Clemson facing No. 10 seed San Diego State in the East Regional in Raleigh, N.C. That same regional includes projected No. 2 seed Tennessee and No. 1 seed Duke.

Joining the Blue Devils as No. 1 seeds in Lunardi’s outlook are Alabama, Iowa State, and projected No. 1 overall seed Auburn.

Another veteran March Madness forecaster, Andy Katz, also has Clemson up to a No. 7 seed in the tournament. Katz has the Tigers taking on St. Mary’s in a first-round 7 vs. 10 seed game in the West Region.

Clemson basketball on pace for another magical NCAA Tournament run?

Remember all the head-scratching last season when Brownell’s team, which got blown out in their sole ACC Tournament game against Boston College and limped to the finish line in the regular season, got a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Clemson proceeded to take down New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona to get to the Elite Eight.

According to CBS Sports’ veteran bracketologist Jerry Palm, the Tigers might have a similar March Madness run in them this year. In his updated tournament forecast, Palm moved Clemson up to the No. 6 seed in the West Regional. Not only that, he has the Tigers in a first-round rematch with New Mexico.

Auburn, Duke, Alabama and Iowa State were Palm’s projected No. 1 seeds (in that order).

Fox Sports appears skeptical of Clemson’s March Madness hopes

Over at Fox Sports, bracket forecaster Mike DeCourcy sees Clemson in the Midwest Regional as a No. 10 seed against the Utah State Aggies. Utah State has been a surprise contender in the Mountain West this season by getting out to a 16-2 start. The Aggies were ranked No. 22 in the Coaches Poll before their first conference loss to UNLV last week.

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Best photos of Clemson basketball taking down Florida State for impressive ACC win

Here are 17 of the best photos from a happy Saturday at Littlejohn as Clemson beat Florida State for the fifth straight time.

The Clemson Tigers are getting good at beating Florida State.

Led by Chase Hunter’s game-high 25 points, Clemson won its fifth straight over the Seminoles dating back to 2022 with a dominant 77-57 win in ACC play on Saturday at Littlejohn Coliseum.

The Tigers (13-4 overall, 5-1 ACC) bounced back from their first loss of the year in conference play earlier in the week at Louisville by getting five 3-pointers from Hunter, who made 5-of-9 shots from behind the arc and was 8-of-14 from the field overall.

Boston College transfer Jaeden Zackery added 15 points and was 3-of-4 from downtown, and Chauncey Wiggins had 12 points.

The Tigers turned a 36-29 lead at halftime into a rout, using a 13-2 run to open the second half that was capped by Hunter’s third trey of the game. Brad Brownell’s team would lead by 23 in the game’s final minute. Clemson connected on 48 percent of its shots from the field and was just as strong at the 3-point line (13-of-28).

Florida State fell to 11-5 overall and 2-3 in ACC action, while the Tigers’ 5-1 start in conference play is one game behind Duke’s 6-0 mark.

Clemson will take on Georgia Tech (8-9, 2-4) in Hunter’s hometown of Atlanta Tuesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ACC Network.

Here’s a look at the best photos from the Tigers’ impressive win over Florida State.

Clemson recovers with a strong win over Florida State

Clemson gets back in the win column, taking down Florida State.

Clemson bounced back from a midweek setback with a decisive 77-57 win over Florida State at Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday. Chase Hunter led the way with 25 points, including five three-pointers, as the Tigers improved to 13-4 overall and 5-1 in ACC play.

A strong start to the second half proved pivotal for Clemson. A quick 13-2 run, featuring key contributions from Viktor Lakhin, Chauncey Wiggins, and Hunter, gave the Tigers a 49-31 advantage with just over 16 minutes left. From there, Clemson maintained control, never allowing Florida State to seriously threaten.

The Seminoles managed to cut the lead to 11 points midway through the half, but Del Jones halted their momentum with a clutch three-pointer. That shot sparked a late push from the Tigers, with Hunter, Wiggins, and Jaeden Zackery delivering baskets to seal the victory.

Clemson’s three-point shooting was a key factor. Reserve players like Jones and Dillon Hunter joined Zackery to connect on several long-range shots during the first half, helping the Tigers take a 36-29 lead into the break. This shooting spree proved critical in setting the tone for the second half.

Next, Clemson hits the road to face Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Tuesday night, with tipoff scheduled for 9 p.m

Clemson basketball edging closer to USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Top 25

Clemson moves closer to the Top 25.

The Clemson Tigers‘ 4-0 start to ACC play has coach Brad Brownell’s team hoping for something bigger come March.

For now, Clemson (12-3 overall) remained unranked in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released Monday. The Tigers garnered 10 votes for top 25 consideration, which ranked sixth among teams that landed outside the top 25. A week ago, Clemson garnered the 11th most votes for consideration.

The Tigers continued their hot start in conference play with an 80-68 victory over California over the weekend at Littlejohn Coliseum. Ian Schieffelin scored 21 points for the Tigers, who also got 19 from Chase Hunter and 15 from Chauncey Wiggins.

Clemson takes on the Louisville Cardinals (10-5) Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET in Louisville. The game can be seen on ESPNU. Louisville defeated Virginia, 70-50, for their fourth straight win on Saturday.

The top four of the coaches poll remained the same with the Tennessee Volunteers (14-0) at No. 1 for the fifth consecutive week, followed by the Auburn Tigers (13-1) at No. 2, the Iowa State Cyclones (12-1) at No. 3, and the Duke Blue Devils (12-2) at No. 4. The Alabama Crimson Tide (12-2) rounded out the top five at No. 5.

Duke was the ACC’s only ranked team in Monday’s poll.

Full Week 10 USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Rank	Team	Record	Points
1	Tennessee	14-0	765 (21)
2	Auburn	13-1	749 (10)
3	Iowa State	12-1	711
4	Duke	12-2	670
5	Alabama	12-2	651
6	Marquette	13-2	581
7	Kentucky	12-2	560
8	Florida	13-1	529
9	Texas A&M	12-2	488
10	UConn	12-3	461
11	Houston	10-3	454
12	Kansas	10-3	438
13	Mississippi State	13-1	372
14	Michigan State	12-2	350
15	Illinois	11-3	300
16	Oklahoma	13-1	287
17	Oregon	13-2	284
18	Gonzaga	12-4	246
19	Purdue	11-4	228
20	Memphis	12-3	192
21	UCLA	11-3	147
22	Ole Miss	12-2	119
23	West Virginia	11-2	110
24	Michigan	11-3	98
25	Utah State	14-1	73

Schools Dropped Out

No. 17 Cincinnati; No. 21 Baylor; No. 24 Maryland;

Others Receiving Votes

Baylor 49; Cincinnati 38; Pittsburgh 32; San Diego State 25; St. John’s 24; Clemson 10; Maryland 9; Georgia 5; Nebraska 4; Arizona 4; Wisconsin 3; Vanderbilt 3; Indiana 3; UC San Diego 1; Texas Tech 1; Arkansas 1;

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Joe Lunardi bracketology: Clemson would face tough NCAA Tournament draw in new projections

Joe Lunardi updates Clemson’s NCAA Tournament hopes.

The Clemson Tigers have started 3-0 in ACC play and are 11-3 overall as they head into the first weekend of 2025.

Behind a game-high 22 points from Chase Hunter, the Tigers defeated Stanford, 85-71, on Wednesday to open the new year. Brad Brownell’s team will welcome the California Golden Bears to Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday.

The Tigers’ strong start to the season, which saw them ranked No. 16 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll last month, hasn’t gone unnoticed by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

In Lunardi’s updated NCAA Tournament forecast entering 2025, he has Clemson as a No. 8 seed. If March Madness were to begin today, Lunardi has the Tigers facing No. 9 seed Ohio State in the first round of the South Regional at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

The veteran ESPN analyst has Clemson in the same bracket as his projected No. 1 overall seed in the tournament: the Auburn Tigers. If Lunardi’s projections were to hold true, Clemson would meet Auburn (11-1) in the tournament’s second round in Atlanta. Auburn is ranked No. 2 in both the Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.

Lunardi currently awards five NCAA Tournament bids to the ACC. The Duke Blue Devils are Lunardi’s projected No. 3 overall seed. Aside from Clemson, North Carolina, Pitt and SMU were the only other ACC teams projected to reach the 68-team field.

The Tigers will aim for their third straight win Saturday when they face Cal (7-6). Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET at Littlejohn Coliseum. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

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Clemson learns final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll ranking entering 2025

An updated look at the Coaches Poll with Clemson set to face Stanford on New Year’s Day.

Chase Hunter and the Clemson Tigers had the full week off for the Christmas break after defeating ACC rival Wake Forest, 73-62, at Littlejohn Coliseum back on Dec. 21.

With limited action around the country this past week due to the holidays, the Tigers (10-3 overall) remained unranked in the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released Monday, Dec. 30.

Clemson was one of 14 teams that received votes for Top 25 consideration, garnering nine votes in the coaches poll.

The Tigers return to action Wednesday on New Year’s Day when they host the Stanford Cardinal at 4 p.m. ET on ACC Network. After that, Clemson welcomes fellow ACC newcomer California to Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

ESPN’s Matchup Predictor currently gives Clemson an 89 percent chance of beating Stanford.

The top nine spots of the Coaches Poll remained the same from last week. For the fourth consecutive week, Rick Barnes’ Tennessee Volunteers (12-0) were ranked No. 1, with Johni Broome and the Auburn Tigers (11-1) ranked No. 2. Iowa State (10-1) was No. 3 with Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils (10-2) at No. 4.

The Alabama Crimson Tide were ranked No. 6 with the preseason No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks ranked No. 7. Marquette (No. 8), Oregon (No. 9) and Oklahoma rounded out the top 10.

For the third straight week, Duke was the only ACC team ranked in the Coaches Poll Top 25.

Week 9 USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Ranking	Team	Record	Points	Change
1	Tennessee	12-0	764 (20)	–
2	Auburn	11-1	747 (11)	–
3	Iowa State	10-1	707	–
4	Duke	10-2	664	–
5	Florida	13-0	651	–
6	Alabama	11-2	626	–
7	Kansas	9-2	552	–
8	Marquette	11-2	539	–
9	Oregon	12-1	491	–
10	Oklahoma	13-0	476	+1
11	Kentucky	10-2	428	-1
12	Texas A&M	11-2	424	+1
13	UConn	10-3	416	+1
14	Houston	8-3	386	-2
15	Michigan State	10-2	270	+3
16	Mississippi State	11-1	267	+3
17	Cincinnati	10-1	259	–
18	UCLA	11-2	255	+3
19	Gonzaga	9-4	170	-4
20	Illinois	9-3	129	+2
21	Baylor	8-3	113	+2
22	Purdue	8-3	108	+3
23	Ole Miss	7-3	92	-7
24	Maryland	11-2	90	+2
25	Memphis	10-3	87	+8

Schools Dropped Out

No. 20 San Diego State; No. 24 St. John’s;

Others Receiving Votes

St. John’s 70; Arkansas 58; Drake 53; Michigan 49; Utah State 42; Georgia 36; San Diego State 30; Dayton 19; Texas Tech 12; Pittsburgh 10; Clemson 9; West Virginia 8; Missouri 6; North Carolina 1;

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