How Clemson basketball's win vs SMU in ACC tournament impacts March Madness predictions
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clemson basketball set a program record for wins on Thursday.
The three-seeded Tigers defeated No. 6 SMU 57-54 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, behind their stout defense and guard Chase Hunter scoring 15 points in the second half. They won despite making only four 3-pointers and getting outscored in paint points.
Clemson will face No. 2 seed Louisville on Friday (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The winner faces No. 1 Duke or No. 5 UNC in the ACC championship on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2).
Clemson will make March Madness, too, entering Thursday's game as a NCAA tournament lock, according to projections. It projects as a No. 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA tournament.
There are two days until the March Madness bracket is finalized on Selection Sunday (March 16), so here's a look at how Thursday's win could affect Clemson's seeding.
How Clemson basketball's win vs SMU affects March Madness
Clemson earned its fifth Quadrant 1 win after beating SMU. The neutral-game victory will boost Clemson's résumé, leaning it toward a No. 4 seed rather than a No. 5.
Clemson's last four regular-season games were against Quad 2, 3 and 4 opponents, so it was hard for it to make ground on top-seeded teams. However, Thursday's win plus another Quad 1 opportunity against Louisville on Friday could solidify it as a No. 4 seed.
Clemson has a 5-2 Quad 1 record with wins against Duke, Kentucky, Pittsburgh and SMU twice and losses to Louisville and Boise State. It is also 14-1 in Quad 3 and 4 games.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson basketball: How SMU win in ACC tournament impacts March Madness
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