Staff score predictions for Clemson's March Madness matchup against McNeese State
Staff score predictions for Clemson's March Madness matchup against McNeese State
Clemson will open the NCAA Tournament against McNeese State on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. ET in Providence, Rhode Island, with the game airing on TruTV. The Tigers, a No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region, enter with a 27-6 record after setting program marks for total wins, ACC victories (18), and ACC road wins (9).
This is Clemson's fifth NCAA Tournament appearance under Brad Brownell and its second straight. Last season, the Tigers reached the Elite Eight for the second time in school history, defeating New Mexico, Baylor, and Arizona before falling to Alabama.
McNeese (27-6) earned an automatic bid by winning the Southland Conference tournament. The Cowboys, led by former LSU coach and Clemson graduate assistant Will Wade, enter the tournament on an 11-game win streak.
If Clemson advances, it will face the winner of No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 High Point in the round of 32. The Midwest Region's top seed is Houston, with Auburn, Duke, and Florida also earning No. 1 seeds in their respective regions. The Tigers are coming off a 76-73 loss to Louisville in the ACC Tournament semifinals but will look to make another deep postseason run.
As game time approaches, here are our staff score predictions for Clemson's matchup against McNeese State.
Turri: Clemson 76, McNeese State 69
Will Wade's decision to join the ACC and become NC State's new head coach makes this game a lot more interesting. It's safe to assume this will be, in some way, a distraction for the Cowboys, which should benefit Brad Brownell and the Tigers. Clemson has things to worry about on their end, too, with the loss of Dillon Hunter still fresh for the team.
This is one of the games marked for an upset alert, but so was the Tigers Round of 64 game last season against New Mexico where Clemson dominated. Brownell is one of the best coaches in the game, leading the Tigers to a historic season for the program and Clemson has won 14 of their last 16. Brownell's squad control's the tempo of the game and Clemson wins outright.
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