It’s tough to replicate what was done with Clemson basketball in the Big Dance a year ago.
In 2024, the Tigers danced all the way until the final days of March, making the Elite Eight for the first time since 1980. With more to build off, many eyes will look towards the No. 5-seeded team to make another deep run in the tournament.
To begin this deep run is a meeting with the McNeese State Cowboys in Providence, Rhode Island, on Thursday afternoon.
At least one thing remains in check for the Tigers: Brad Brownell’s tenure. The now-longest tenured head coach in the ACC is expected to sign a six-year contract with the team, keeping him at Littlejohn Coliseum until 2031, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported.
With rumors of potential schools out of the way, Brownell has been a believer in another deep run in this team, most of all because of the Tigers feeling the celebrations and victories that it takes to get that far.
“Guys knowing what they’re playing for, Chase (Hunter) and Ian (Schieffelin) especially,” Brownell said on Wednesday. “Chauncey Wiggins, Dillon Hunter, guys who were part of last year’s run. That kind of success fuels you, and you want to continue to do it. You want to be in big-time games and play significant games in March, and I think it helped grow our team and fuel our team a little bit throughout the course of the season.”
Similar to the beginning of Clemson’s run last year with No. 11 New Mexico, the Tigers have another feisty underdog on their hands: No. 12-seeded McNeese State. The Cowboys (27-6, 19-1 Southland) are dancing once again after an appearance a season ago, spearheaded by head coach Will Wade, who was a graduate assistant from 2005-07 with the Tigers.
Wade’s staff sees another familiar face: Vernon Hamilton. An assistant of the McNeese head coach, Hamilton has the most steals in Clemson basketball history, recording 271 over his four-year tenure as a Tiger.
The strange relations don’t stop there. Wade remains a passionate supporter of the Clemson football team, giving his players off on Saturday when the Tigers play, which mostly happens during the preseason preparations of the season.
“They got these three hours on a Saturday,” Wade explained. “They all know. They joke with me about it. We had to change our pre-game schedule around the ACC title game this year. Took them too long to kick the damn field goal, but, you know, they all know that.”
However, when on the court with his team, Brownell has examined Wade’s “aggressive defensively” gameplan, which involves several schemes that are tough to keep up with.
“A lot of pressing and changing of defenses, 1-3-1, 2-2-1, 1-2-2, diamond-press,” Brownell said. “They play with a lot of freedom and guys certainly are aggressive in making plays.”
Five players for the Cowboys average 9 points or more per game, as senior Javohn Garcia leads the team with 12.9 points per game. Syracuse transfer Quadir Copeland dishes 4.5 assists a contest, a team high.
While McNeese is a “smaller, quicker” squad, according to Wade, the Cowboys lack an inside presence that the Tigers have in Schieffelin and his ability.
“We got to try to play to our advantages and they try to play to their advantages, which is pound the ball on the inside and annihilate us in the paint,” Wade said. “We have to try to play to our advantage, having some quickness. They have one of the premier rebounders in the country.”
It’s always one game at a time when the NCAA Tournament comes around, and for Brownell and his squad, it’s the same goal as every season before it: a national championship. If the Tigers are to win their opening-round game, they will face the winner of No. 4 Purdue and No. 13 High Point.
Tipoff is set for 3:15 pm on Thursday afternoon at the Amica Mutual Pavillion in Providence, Rhode Island. The game will be broadcast on truTV.
