Wake up, folks, it's Selection Sunday. For the second year in a row, Clemson basketball will be dancing thanks to a masterful coaching job by Brad Brownell that's gotten his name mentioned as a candidate for the Indiana head coaching job.
While we hope he doesn't head to Bloomington after the NCAA Tournament run is over, he's currently not focused on that, nor should fans be.
The Tigers are on the verge of earning a top-five seed in the NCAA Tournament after finishing tied for second in the ACC this regular season, coming just one game shy of tying Duke atop the standings for the first conference title in a few decades. But there's business to take care of in the NCAA Tournament as we will soon know who Clemson's first-round opponent is.
After looking at the bracketologists' projections, I've compiled a list of three most likely first-round matchups for the Tigers.
1. Colorado State
This is a team that I've seen a lot when talking about bracket projections for Clemson. The Tigers could earn a 5-seed and in the event that they do, they would likely play a team like Colorado State that made some noise in the Mountain West this season and won the conference tournament title, earning an auto-bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Honestly, I wouldn't love this matchup for Clemson because Colorado State is one of the hottest teams in the country right now, winning 10 straight games, including the MWC Tournament.
2. VCU
Another scary mid-major that Clemson could end up getting matched with, VCU went 17-2 in its last 19 games and is playing for the Atlantic 10 Tournament title on Sunday afternoon against George Mason.
The Rams have been playing some really good basketball lately and I don't think any potential 5-seed would want to see them but this is March and you have to play who's in front of you. If it's the Rams for Clemson, it'll be getting a team that plays elite defense and rebounds the ball at a high rate. This might be a tough matchup for the Tigers.
3. Liberty
Yet another tough matchup (there aren't any easy 5 vs. 12 matchups this year), Liberty finished the season 28-6 with a C-USA Tournament title which gave the Flames an auto bid.
Liberty has played well all season, even beating the likes of Kansas State and McNeese in non-conference play before winning the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles. They defend really well and are one of the best passing teams in the country, ranking in the top 20 nationally in assists. Oh, and they shoot nearly 40 percent from three.