The Clemson Men’s Basketball team opened their postseason hosting the Morehead State Eagles in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).
It was their opening game, and their last game. The 1-seed Tigers were stunned Wednesday night 68-64 by the 8-seed Eagles.
Morehead State’s leaders on the court showed up when it mattered. Senior guard Mark Freeman scored 19 points and senior forward Alex Gross has 16 points and 9 rebounds.
Clemson had a dreadful shooting night, allowing a large early lead to disappear by halftime. Chase Hunter led the Tigers with 18 points and PJ Hall scored 13 points. First-Team All-ACC forward Hunter Tyson pulled in 11 rebounds.
Clemson Head Coach Brad Brownell pointed at fatigue and anxiety as the problems with his team Wednesday night.
"“Probably a little (fatigue). Monday was really a hard day, and we are not going to use that as an excuse. We got out played tonight and we lost to a team that deserved to win.”“Obviously, we missed free throws,” Brownell said. “This is one of the few games this year you could feel the pressure and they felt it and I could not get them to relax. I tried. But there was a clear struggle offensively.”"
Morehead State now advances to play UAB in the second round of the tournament.
The loss by Clemson Men’s Basketball has many fans frustrated with the state of the program
The home loss, following a 15-1 record in Littlejohn, has heightened the debate regarding the NCAA committee’s decision to not extend an invitation to the Tigers despite a third-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season.
Some see this loss as similar to bowl losses by football teams that aren’t invested in the game, and therefore irrelevant to any other conversation. Others see this loss as proof the Tigers were judged fairly by the selection committee.
It has also increased the debate whether Athletic Director Graham Neff made the right decision when he elected to retain Brownell for 2023-24 season when he had strongly suggested making the NCAA Tournament was a benchmark for returning.
Neff’s assertion that Clemson was a tournament quality team even though they were snubbed by the committee is being scrutinized by many fans who are frustrated with the men’s basketball program.