Clemson Men’s Basketball: Tigers have “work to do” to make NCAA Tournament

For a large part of the season it appeared Clemson Men’s Basketball was headed to the NCAA Tournament.

Then the NET reared it’s ugly head and Clemson fans began to wonder.

Then last week happened.

Not so much the loss to Miami, though that was at home in the friendly confines of Littlejohn Coliseum, but the ugly loss to Boston College and winless week.

This week finds Clemson on the proverbial bubble at 18-6 and 10-3 in the ACC.

ESPN lists the Tigers of one of 42 teams vying for 30 spots and says the Tigers have work to do.

With their two ugly losses in December and their loss to Boston College, I’m not quite sure “beating the teams you’re supposed to” will be enough in the NET era.

If you believe in the KenPom.com forecasts doing so would result in a 4-3 record down the stretch, 22-9 overall and 14-6 in the ACC headed into the ACC Tournament.

Most years that would be good enough to get into the tournament, but when those losses are to Loyola-Chicago (No. 267 in NET), South Carolina (No. 276) and Boston College (No. 188) that changes the calculus.

Now Clemson has to win all four games (Florida State, Louisville, Syracuse and Notre Dame) they’re “supposed to” and one or more of the ones they are projected to lose – North Carolina, North Carolina State or Virginia, with those final three being on the road.

Only then will the Tigers feel somewhat comfortable about playing in the “Big Dance” in March.

I’ve done my complaining about the NET and I thought I had a decent argument until last week.

Fact is, I still think Clemson is one of the best 68 teams in the nation, but that isn’t how teams are selected for the tournament.

Clemson Men’s Basketball faces an uphill climb to the NCAA Tournament

We knew the “rules” going in and now have to live with the consequences, though the rules can be massaged, bent and contorted to the whims of the committee.  They’re not bending anything to get Clemson in.

It could just be me, but I seem to recall a time where big wins were celebrated as something that loomed large in the committee’s eyes.

Now avoiding bad losses are what gets you in the tournament.

Unless you’ve already racked up 3 like Clemson.

Now you need to avoid another bad loss AND get a big road win or two.