Bracketology update: Clemson faces NCAA Tourney bubble battle at UNC

Clemson has split its last six ACC games and needs some quality wins down the stretch, getting a opportunity Saturday at UNC (Merrell Mann photo).

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Fri Feb 10 12:13:06 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson men's basketball enters the weekend tied for first place in the ACC, yet it is regarded as nearing an NCAA Tournament bubble popped after splitting the last six ACC games.

ESPN projects Clemson as an 11-seed currently, while CBS Sports pegged Brad Brownell's bunch as one of the last four out the field of 68 now.

After not dropping considerably after the Miami loss last Saturday, Clemson's NCAA NET resume ranking has taken a hit even without a midweek game, falling to 70th, but there are opportunities to move up this month.

That starts Saturday at 2 p.m. (ESPN2) in Chapel Hill facing North Carolina (15-9; 44 NET), which is regarded as a NET Quadrant 1 win despite the Tar Heels losing three in a row. UNC is regarded higher analytics-wise than Clemson (36th in KenPom) but a fourth-straight loss could send them spiraling off the bubble.

Clemson also has chances to up its Q1 record (3-2 currently) in road trips to NC State (43 NET; Feb. 25) and fellow ACC-leader Virginia (14 NET; Feb. 28) later this month.

Shown on the back end of Clemson's remaining ACC slate, the conference slipped to the seventh-rated league in the KenPom metric this week.

Before Greensboro's conference tournament, three of Clemson's other four remaining ACC games will be NET Q4 opponents (FSU at home on Feb. 15; at Louisville on Feb. 18; Notre Dame at home on March 4), with the other only a Q3 game (Syracuse, Feb. 22).

Clemson NCAA Tournament profile

Record: 18-6

KPI: 50

SOR (Strength of record): 53

BPI: 64

KenPom: 72

Sagarin: 62

NET: 70

Record vs. NET Q1: 3-2 (wins over No. 29 Duke, at No. 52 Pitt, at No. 55 Virginia Tech)

Q4 losses: 2 (by two at No. 272 South Carolina, by 18 in neutral site game with No. 276 Loyola-Chicago)

NET SOS: 134

NON-CON SOS: 342