What if basketball finished 23-8

Re: What if basketball finished 23-8

viztiz®

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Re: What if basketball finished 23-8

Feb 25, 2023, 10:36 AM

Clemson can play its way back onto the bubble. The best we can do without winning the tourney is be in the last 4 in / out category. Our win total and ACC standing can keep us in the discussion. But we will be fighting a number of very negative factors that will weigh heavily against us.

Historically, Clemson does not get any benefit of the doubt from the selection committee. We are tied for the best RPI to ever be left out of the tournament. Even if we win the next 3 games I don’t believe our RPI will be improve beyond the lowest RPI ever given an at large bid (67). It’s possible but it would be close. Is the team that has the best RPI ever rejected gonna get in with the worst or near worst ever? We also have put ourselves at the mercy of South Carolina basketball. They are currently 11 places higher than falling back into a quad 4 loss. They are very unlikely to go better than 1-2 down the stretch. Unless they can go 2-1, they will almost certainly fall back into a quad 4 loss for us. It’ll be close, as their next two opponents are highly ranked enough that margin of victory will play a factor. If we finish we 3 quad 4 losses I see no way we make the tournament as an at large. The NCAA would be basically saying that none of their criteria mean anything and that they are just picking based on conference reputation. Clemson is not a team they are going to this for. The “extremely important” (the NCAA’s word) Quad 4 losses would be all but rendered meaningless if you can get in with 3.

Clemson does not control its own destiny. Best case scenario is we are one of the last 2-3 teams being given any discussion for the play in slots. But, even if we win the next three, if we revert to having 3 quad 4 losses I believe any hope of an at large bid is gone.