National outlet ranks Clemson higher than committee, another has Tigers on upset alert

Ian Schieffelin has a national showcase to display what he's shown all season in his final campaign with the Tigers.

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Monday, March 17 2025

CBS Sports' Selection Sunday show tipped off a topsy-turvy look for the national media on this Clemson men's basketball team.

The Tigers were fifth-seeded by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee and matched up with Clemson alum Will Wade and the 12-seed McNeese State Cowboys (27-6), who are one of a few non-traditional basketball powers/Power conference teams in the KenPom Top 60 (59th; No. 63 offense, No. 66 defense).

Within seconds of the pairing's announcement, CBS Sports' Seth Davis picked McNeese State for the upset, but later in the broadcast, CBB analyst staple Clark Kellogg predicted Brad Brownell's team all the way to the San Antonio championship game, falling to Florida there.

Another CBS Sports outlook is slightly higher than the committee on Clemson, slotting them as the 16th-best team in the Big Dance

Brad Brownell's been at Clemson for 15 seasons. This is his fifth time taking the Tigers dancing but the first in back-to-back years. The 2023-24 group made the Elite Eight -- and this team rates slightly better. After going 18-2 in the ACC, Clemson set a school record with 27 wins, the best single-season victory total in the history of the program. One issue: guard Dillon Hunter has a broken left hand, which hurts their backcourt depth. Hunter was the team's sixth man. Another Hunter, Chase, averages 16.4 points and is shooting 41.2% from 3. He gets help by way of some stellar defense from backcourt mate Jaeden Zackery, who's among the best on-ball defenders in the league. I'm also a bit of a sucker for senior F Ian Schieffelin's game. A signature Really Good College Basketball Player.

The Cowboys check in at No. 49 overall, looking to provide a better showing in the 5/12 game than last year's 86-65 loss to Gonzaga:

Will Wade was exiled out of LSU a few years back, found a spot who would take him in McNeese and coached 'em up to back-to-back NCAA tourney appearances with a 57-10 overall record. The Cowboys are champs of the Southland and use a by-committee approach. Four guys average double figures, and this team doesn't have one particular forte, though it is good at keeping teams in third gear. Opponents average 64.0 points vs. the Pokes. Most indisposable player is senior SG Javohn Garcia.

The highest-seeded team in Clemson's Providence regional pod, 4-seed Purdue, is ranked 21st, and their first-round matchup, High Point, is 53rd.

Elsewhere, USA TODAY tabs McNeese State topping Clemson as the most likely upset in the Midwest Region.

"The Cowboys were a popular upset pick from the No. 12 line a year ago as well but weren’t quite ready for prime time as they bowed out quickly against Gonzaga. This year’s group might have a better idea of what to expect in the March Madness spotlight, and the matchup with a possibly short-handed Tigers team might be more to their liking. Yes, Clemson still has some key pieces from the team that made a deep run to the Elite Eight a year ago, and the Tigers should still enjoy an advantage in overall athleticism that could prove decisive on the defensive end. But McNeese has some depth as well and could be a tougher out this time," said USAT's Eddie Timanus.

He sees Purdue as a sleeper but takes 1-seed Houston to advance back to its home-state Final Four.

The Athletic gives Clemson a 48.7% chance to make it past the first weekend and to the Sweet 16 and an 8% shot at the Final Four.

"I’m in on Clemson being a real threat to make noise," said The Athletic's Rob Dauster. "The Tigers made the Elite Eight last season, and a number of the pieces from that core remain. The players know how intense the pressure can be and what it takes to win in March. One criticism is that these Tigers don’t do anything elite. While that may be true, they are elite at being well-rounded. There isn’t a specific way to beat them. They can guard. They can protect the rim. They’re difficult to run offense against. They can score inside. They hit 3-pointers. They can win at the end of a clock. This is a team capable of pulling off an upset and making a run into the second weekend, if not further."