February is here, and that means March Madness is beginning to take shape. The Clemson basketball team finds itself right in the thick of the NCAA Tournament picture. Through the end of the season, TCI will have a daily update of the Tigers’ body of work complete with RPI ranking, KenPom.com ranking, and a percentage chance the Tigers are included in the field courtesy of TeamRankings.com, along with the differentials since the last update.
Record: 14-8 (7-3 ACC)
RPI: 75th (+11, 6-4 Top 50, 7-6 Top 100)
KenPom.com: 48th (+10)
Chances: 33.9% (+12.2%)
Qualk’s Take: Clemson’s win at Wake Forest was much better from an NCAA Tournament resume perspective than it was in terms of the ACC standings. That rare win in Winston-Salem gave the Tigers a top 100 victory on the road, not an insignificant thing as we come down the stretch of the season. Clemson’s in-conference resume outweighs the weakness of its pre-conference slate, in my opinion, so I would still have the Tigers in at this point, with the potential to become a solid member of the field of 68 with a few more victories.
Here are some games to watch tonight that could impact Clemson’s NCAA Tournament hopes…
Texas A&M at Vanderbilt (-1), 7:00 PM, ESPN2: Vandy is a slight favorite in this game as a charter member of the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Commodores are right at .500 in SEC play and have a weak record against upper echelon teams, meaning they seem destined for the NIT. However, the perception that this is a tournament roster is tough for some to overcome, so a road win by an elite Aggies squad that is a no-doubt March Madness selection would only serve to weaken the bubble around Clemson.
Tulsa at Temple (-1.5), 7:00 PM, ESPNU: This is the bubble game of the day. Both of these teams sit at 6-3 in the American Athletic Conference, and both have RPI numbers right around Clemson’s at the present time. I hate Tulsa because of Frank Haith, but I think the Golden Hurricane have a less exciting body of work than the Owls do. If they can win on the road, it probably benefits the Tigers, even though Tulsa does sit a few spots above Clemson in the RPI. Frankly, I don’t think either of these squads are threatening to Clemson at this time, but knocking one or both off would be helpful.
Ohio State at Wisconsin (-5.5), 7:00 PM, ESPN: The perception is that Wisconsin is having a down year, but just looking at the body of work, the Badgers are right in the thick of the tournament picture. They have four RPI top 50 wins and boast a winning mark against the top 100, and they are playing much better basketball. A young Ohio State team isn’t even on the fringe at this point, but the Buckeyes are good enough to play spoiler. If that happens, it dings up what has become a solid Wisconsin resume and makes the path a bit clearer for Clemson.
St. Mary’s at BYU (-3), 9:00 PM: Normally, Gonzaga is the no-doubt-about-it class of the WCC. That’s not the case this season, as the Gaels and the Cougars have acquitted themselves well. St. Mary’s is currently in first place in that conference with a top 50 RPI, while BYU sits just outside the top 50. Neither team has a win over a top 50 team, but the Gaels have a winning mark against the top 100. In all actuality, this is probably destined to be a one-bid league regardless, but the more St. Mary’s wins, the more certain that possibility becomes. Removing that program from the at-large list benefits Clemson.
Connecticut (-2) at Memphis, 9:00 PM, ESPN2: A decade ago, this would be a legitimate primetime slugfest. Now, Memphis is a shell of itself and may be heading toward a parting of ways with head coach Josh Pastner. Still, you’d like to think the Tigers still have some pride, and the Huskies sit right on the edge of the RPI top 50 with a couple of quality wins under their belt. Kevin Ollie’s team can’t really afford to drop any games like this moving forward.
UCLA at USC (-5.5), 10:30 PM, PAC12N: What Andy Enfield has done at USC in a short time is remarkable. The former Florida Gulf Coast coach has turned the program around, and the Trojans are easily in the tournament field. The same cannot be said for Steve Alford at UCLA. The Bruins have some elements of a tourney team and they have played a tough schedule, but a lack of quality wins has UCLA out at the present time. UCLA has the cache to get in over a team like Clemson, so Tiger fans should root for the Trojans to protect their home floor in a rivalry game tonight.
If you haven’t already order your copy today of Guts & Glory – Tales of Clemson’s Historic 2015 Football Season to help you celebrate and remember this special season.
