Clemson-New Mexico Named Most Anticipated Matchup, Most Likely Upset
By: Staff Report March 20, 2024

This national analyst is excited to see Clemson’s matchup in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA.com’s Andy Katz ranked his 10 most anticipated games in the first round, and No. 1 on his list is the sixth-seeded Tigers’ contest against No. 11 seed New Mexico in Memphis, Tenn. on Friday in the West Regional.

The Tigers and Lobos are set to tip at 3:10 p.m. ET Friday on TruTV.

The game was also pegged as the No. 1 most likely first-round upset by ESPN (subscription required).

John Gasaway and Keith Lipscomb came up with the list using the help of Giant Killers, ESPN’s forecast for March Madness upsets that looks at a base probability of an upset from ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index and also considers the strengths, weaknesses and styles of teams in a given matchup.

“Yes, we heartily agree with other laptops, Vegas, social media and that know-it-all relative. This looks like a game where the Lobos are straight-up favorites,” ESPN wrote. “UNM’s Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Jaelen House form arguably one of the better backcourts in the entire field. The committee might view this bid as having been “stolen” by New Mexico, but Richard Pitino’s group is quite capable of advancing.”

Clemson enters the tournament with a 21-11 record, including an 11-9 mark in regular-season ACC games, while New Mexico is 26-9 this season and earned its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in a decade after winning the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas.

Clemson heads into the tournament hoping to bounce back after a 76-55 loss to Boston College in the second round of the ACC Tournament, which came after the Tigers dropped two of their final three regular season contests.

This marks the fourth time under head coach Brad Brownell that Clemson has advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will be making their 14th tournament appearance overall, all of which have taken place since 1980.

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