The “second season” is officially here at least for Brad Brownell and the Clemson Tigers (22-9). After a regular-season wrap-up win over Georgia Tech that helped keep the ship afloat, the Tigers are embarking on the Spectrum Center in Charlotte with a giant chip on their shoulder and a history-making mission.
Clemson joins the 2026 ACC tournament as No. 5 seed, facing a menacing Wake Forest (17-15) team in the second round. The Demon Deacons are not any opponents — they are the team that took Clemson out of the game halfway through February, and they are following their thrilling overtime triumph over Virginia Tech on Tuesday night in a 95-89 win.
An infamously depressing fact hangs over every Clemson basketball fan: of the seven charter members of the ACC, Clemson is the only one never to have won the conference tournament. It's been their 73rd attempt yet to erase that "infamy" this week.
"I think that sometimes we can get overlooked," says Brownell, who spoke earlier this week.
To stop being ignored, they’ll need to contend with a Wake Forest team that has won six in the past 10 games and includes a real scoring threat in Juke Harris, now averaging more than 22 points in his last 10 games.
Game Details:
When & Where. Matchup: (5) Clemson vs. (13) Wake Forest.
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
Time: Approx. 9:30 PM ET.
Location: Spectrum Center — Charlotte, NC.
How to Watch & Listen.
TV Channel: ESPN2.
Live Stream: ESPN+ or Fubo.
Radio: Clemson Athletic Network (105.5 FM The ROAR)
Even after the late-season skid in which Clemson dropped five of its final 7 teams, the oddsmakers still see the Tigers as the better team on a neutral floor.
Spread: Clemson -5.5. Over/Under: 141.5.
Moneyline: Clemson (-225) | Wake Forest (+185).
Key Players to Watch.
Clemson: Watch Nick Davidson and Butta Johnson. Both had come alive in the regular-season final against Georgia Tech, each going down 15 points. And if Clemson hopes to survive the late-night slot, it needs its veteran guards to throw clean, mistake-free basketball.
Wake Forest: The hot hand: Myles Colvin. He scored 18 points in the overtime win over Virginia Tech the previous Tuesday. If Harris and Colvin get its groove right early, the Tigers could be on its way to a dogfight.
The winner of this matchup heads to the quarterfinals on Thursday for the number four seed North Carolina Tar Heels at 9:30 PM ET.