Where Does Clemson Stand in the Latest Bracketology Reports?
By: Sam Walters January 31, 2025

CLEMSON — It’s that time of the year.

March is coming faster than you can spell the word ‘bracketology’ correctly on the first try, and that means rankings and polls are beginning to mean a lot more.

Today, we’re looking into the future. The not-so-far-away future, as the NCAA Tournament begins in March. Games are becoming very important, and the implications are high.

In honor of the upcoming madness, it would only be right to see where Clemson currently stands in the NET Rankings and the NCAA Tournament Field heading into the second half of the ACC regular season.

Rest of Season

Clemson (17-4, 9-1 ACC) has a rough stretch ahead, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The Tigers host No. 2 Duke on Feb. 8 at Littlejohn Coliseum. This game could go a long way in deciding the ACC Regular Season Championship and who earns the top seed in the ACC Tournament.

Trying to beat Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils will be a tall task for the Tigers.

The key for the Tigers to remain in the thick of things and stay off the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble is to hold serve at home against everyone else in the ACC and win road games against NC State, Florida State, Virginia and Boston College, all potential landmines in the NCAA’s NET Rankings.

Besides Duke, Clemson has home ACC games against Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. The Tigers also got a road game at SMU.

ACC Tournament

After having the program’s best month of January since 1935, the Tigers are in position to finish in the top 4 of the ACC standings. Clemson now has an opportunity at a double bye in the ACC Tournament, which puts them automatically in the quarterfinals of the tournament and two wins from the championship game.

What the Tigers do in the ACC Tournament could help their chances of moving up as a higher seed and maybe earn a No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

NET Rankings

Heading into the weekend, Clemson is currently ranked No. 30 in the NET. The Tigers are 2-2 vs. Quad 1 teams, 4-2 vs. Quad 2, 5-0 vs. Quad 3 and 6-0 vs. Quad 4.

The Tigers worst loss is to South Carolina, who is currently No. 90 in the NET rankings. That was an overtime loss on the road. Clemson’s best win is to No. 10 Kentucky.

Duke is ranked No. 3 in the NET, while Louisville is No. 26, Clemson at 30, Pitt at 33, UNC at No. 41, SMU at No. 42, Stanford is No. 68 and Wake Forest is No. 70.

The Blue Devils rank No. 3 nationally in Friday’s KenPom ratings. Louisville (26), Clemson (29), Pitt (33), UNC (39) and SMU (47) also are among the top 50 teams.

Next up

NC State, who the Tigers visit on Saturday, ranks 110 in the NET, while Georgia Tech, Clemson’s opponent on Tuesday at Littlejohn Coliseum, is No. 143.

Bracketology

If the NCAA Tournament was starting today, Clemson likely would be a No. 7 seed and firmly in the field of 68.

Heading into this weekend, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Clemson listed as a No. 7 seed, playing No. 10 Ohio State in Raleigh, North Carolina as part of the East Regional. Lunardi has five ACC teams in the field, with Duke being the No. 1 seed in the East.

Louisville is currently the No. 5 seed in the South Regional, while Pittsburgh is the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Regional. North Carolina is also listed as a No. 10 seed as one of the last four in.

CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm also has Duke as the top seed in the East Regional. Palm has Wake Forest as a No. 11 seed and one of the last four in the tournament.

Clemson is listed as a No. 6 seed by Palm in the West Regional and playing in Providence in a first-round game, while Pittsburgh is the No. 11 seed in the East. He has Louisville as a No. 5 seed in the West and will go to Seattle, Washington.

Palm has five ACC teams in the field, with UNC listed as a first-four out.

USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg has Clemson as a No. 7 seed in the South Region and playing No. 10 Oklahoma in the first round in Wichita, Kansas. He also has Duke as the No. 1 seed in the East Regional, with Pitt joining the Blue Devils in Raleigh as a No. 7 seed in the East Regional.

Louisville is also a No. 5 seed in the West Regional, according to Myerberg, while UNC is a No. 11 seed, as one of the last four in. Myerberg also has five ACC teams in the field.