Last spring, Viktor Lakhin was watching the NCAA Tournament at home. One year later, the redshirt senior center is now set to compete in the Big Dance for the first time.

Following four years at Cincinnati, Lakhin transferred to Clemson ahead of the 2024-25 campaign and is certainly thankful to be getting a taste of March Madness with the Tigers.

The Bearcats didn’t make the NCAA Tournament during Lakhin’s time there, and aren’t in the tournament field again this year.

“Very grateful to be here because realizing a couple of my friends still didn’t make it in their whole college career,” Lakhin told The Clemson Insider prior to Wednesday’s practice from Amica Mutual Pavilion.

“And me getting this chance, my last year – very grateful.”

Lakhin won’t take it for granted when he steps on the court with the fifth-seeded Tigers (27-6) for Thursday’s first-round matchup with No. 12 seed McNeese (27-6) in the Midwest Regional (3:15, truTV).

Playing in the NCAA Tournament will be special for Lakhin, and he doesn’t think the awe of taking part in March Madness will wear off for him – even way down the road.

“I don’t think ever, to be honest,” the 6-foot-11, 245-pound big man from Anapa, Russia said.

“Because Coach (Brad) Brownell talked about it, how you won’t realize how big it is until later – 10 years, 20 years from now – when your kids will ask you, ‘Have you played in this tournament? How did you do in it, Dad?’ or whatever. So, I think it won’t ever wear off. I’m really grateful. This is huge for me.”

An All-ACC Honorable Mention selection, Lakhin has tied his career-high in points per game (11.6) this season while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range. He has totaled a career-best 50 blocked shots and added 34 steals.

Lakhin has been a key figure for the 2024-25 Clemson team that set new school records for wins in a season (27), ACC wins (18) and win percentage (.900) and ACC road wins (9). The Tigers finished the regular season with eight consecutive ACC wins – the previous mark of seven was set in 1966-67 and tied in 2022-23.

In last year’s NCAA Tournament, Clemson defeated New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona en route to the program’s second-ever Elite Eight appearance and first since 1980.

So how far does Lakhin think the Tigers can go in this year’s tournament, if they do what they’re capable of?

“All the way. Play in the national championship. That’s our goal,” Lakhin said. “Why just participate in it? I’ve heard a lot of good things, that once you win one game, it gets even more fun, and every game you advance, it’s like the highs are super high in this tournament. So, all the way.”

Lakhin said some of his teammates who experienced playing in the Elite Eight last season, like Chase Hunter, Ian Schieffelin and Chauncey Wiggins, have talked to him about the momentum that stems from winning a game or multiple games in the tournament.

Lakhin and the Tigers hope to start riding a wave of momentum, with a win over McNeese on Thursday in the opening round.

“Once you win a game, it’s a different feeling. Like, the momentum that gets into the winning, it really pushes you forward,” Lakhin said. “Obviously you’ve got to play hard and it’s going to be more physical and stuff like that. But the biggest thing that they told me is just win one game, and you’ll see how crazy it’ll get after that.”