Tigers to the tournament: Clemson learns opponent, path for NCAAs
For the second time in four years, Clemson will be a part of March Madness.
The Tigers have earned a No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA tournament and will face No. 10 seed Rutgers in a first-round game Friday. That game will tip off at 9:20 p.m. Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and be televised on TBS.
“This is a great reward for our players for all their hard work and togetherness,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said Sunday. “We had a really, good season and we were rewarded with a good seed. We got a very good opponent. But we are looking forward to representing the ACC in the NCAA tournament.”
The winner of Clemson-Rutgers plays the No. 2 Houston vs. No. 7 Cleveland State winner on Sunday.
This will be the third all-time matchup between Clemson and Rutgers, the most recent coming in 2015. The Tigers won that game, 76-58. Rutgers opened up as a two-point favorite, according to Action Network.
This is Clemson’s first NCAA tournament berth since 2018. The Tigers reached the Sweet 16 that year before falling to Kansas.
The entire 2021 tournament will be played in Indiana this season due to COVID-19. For Brownell, that means he is returning to his home state. He said he has already been up hit up by friends and family for tickets.
Clemson flew to Indiana on Monday morning and this year’s NCAA Tournament will be in a bubble similar to what NBA did last year. Brownell said the team has to have have two negative tests in a 12-hour period. If tests come back negative, the Tigers can hit the practice courts on Tuesday.
“It is going to be different. We are all eager to see what Indianapolis is going to be like, to be honest to you,” Brownell said. “It isn’t going to be the same. You won’t be in hotel with fan base. But I’m sure there will be some really cool things.”
The Tigers enter the Big Dance with a mark of 16-7 (10-6 ACC). Clemson lost its first game of the conference tournament to Miami on Wednesday. Brownell said he was very demanding and disappointed after the loss, and there was silence at the hotel for a few hours.
“We had a period of mourning but I told them just about the things we were able to accomplish this season,” Brownell said. “...Today was great. Just to hear your name called and being able to sit there together. These are those life memories that these kids are creating.”
The Tigers still did plenty to earn an NCAA tournament berth. Clemson earned regular season wins over tournament teams Purdue, Alabama, Maryland, Florida State, North Carolina, Syracuse and Georgia Tech during the regular season.
The Tigers also had to weather a pair of COVID-19 stoppages during the season.
Rutgers is making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1991. The Scarlet Knights finished sixth in the Big Ten with a 15-11 record overall.
Rutgers was likely to get a bid to last year’s NCAA Tournament before COVID-19 canceled. The Scarlet Knights made it to the second round of the Big Ten tournament.
“Let’s go out and have fun and play Rutgers basketball,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell told The New York Post. “We have some great kids. I want their personalities to show on television.”
Third-team Big Ten selection Ron Harper Jr. leads Rutgers in scoring at 15.4 points a game. Harper is the son of former NBA player Ron Harper.
— Matt Connolly contributed
NCAA tournament: Clemson vs. Rutgers info, betting odds
Who: No. 7 Clemson (16-7) vs. No. 10 Rutgers (15-11)
Region: Midwest
Game location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
When: 9:20 p.m. Friday
TV: TBS
Line: Rutgers by 2 (per CircaSports)
This story was originally published March 14, 2021 at 6:29 PM.
