Clemson’s basketball team did something no one thought was possible when the season began – it finished in the top four of the ACC standings.
The Tigers are officially slotted in as the No. 4 seed at next week’s ACC Tournament in Brooklyn, N.Y., and will receive a double-bye into the quarterfinals of the tournament. They will play on Thursday at 2 p.m.
Clemson’s opponent on will be either NC State or the winner of the first round matchup between Georgia Tech and Boston College.
After being selected by the ACC media to finish 13th in the conference’s preseason poll, the Tigers finished the regular season with an overall record of 22-8 and 11-7 in conference play. The 22 wins were the most in a regular season since the 2008-09 campaign when that team won 23 games.
Clemson’s tie for third place in the ACC standings is the biggest improvement from the preseason ranking to the postseason in ACC history. The Tigers broke their own record when Brad Brownell’s 2013-’14 team was predicted to finish 14th that year and finished sixth.
With 11 wins in ACC play, Clemson set a new program best for wins in the conference as well. The 11 wins also ties a program record for most wins in any conference in program history (11 – Southern Conference in 1951-52).
Appearing as a No. 4 seed in the tournament ties the best seeding the Tigers have earned under Brownell. Coincidently, his 2010-’11 Clemson team also finished fourth in the ACC, and before this season was the only Clemson team he coached to an NCAA Tournament bid.
–Staff Reports
—Photo Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
