It’s one final ride for this year’s Clemson men’s basketball team.
After Selection Sunday proved unlucky for the Tigers, Clemson (23-10, 14-6 ACC) was selected as a No. 1 seed for this year’s NIT Tournament, with the team’s first game set to be played Wednesday night against the Morehead State Eagles (21-11, 14-4 OVC) at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Speaking to the media on Monday for the first time since the NCAA Tournament teams were announced, head coach Brad Brownell expressed his frustration with the selection committee’s decision to leave the Tigers out on Sunday.
“We proved that we can beat several of the teams that got in, and we can beat them at home, beat them on the road, and beat them at neutral and we did that,” Brownell said. “To watch some of those teams get in and us not, I know that part of it was hard for me, and it was really hard for our players.”
However, the Tigers will play in their 18th NIT Tournament in school history. The team is hoping to claim its first NIT title, as Clemson has been to the final twice but wasn’t victorious in either.
“At the end of the day, I’m really proud of this team,” Brownell said. “We had a really good year, and I’m excited to keep playing more games.”
Meanwhile, it’s the final stretch of games for Brevin Galloway and Hunter Tyson, who look to end their Clemson careers on a high note.
“My heart hurts for Hunter Tyson, Brevin Galloway and the seniors,” Brownell said. “They don’t get another chance. What those guys sacrificed and how hard they worked to put their team in our position, that’s the part, as a coach, that hurts you personally.”
The Tigers’ opponent is not to be overlooked. Led by head coach Preston Spradlin, Morehead State finished first in the Ohio Valley Conference in the regular season. Although they fell short of winning the OVC tournament, losing in the semi-finals, Brownell believes he may have his hands full on Wednesday night.
“I have a lot of respect for them,” Brownell added. “He (Spradlin) does a really good job. They run some really good action, a lot of movement, a lot of pace to their offense and misdirection. It’s good stuff.”
Senior Mark Freeman is leading the Eagles in scoring and assists, averaging 15.0 points and 3.8 assists per game this season. Down low, the Eagles have graduate forward Alex Gross, who averages 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds.
“It will be a challenging game,” Brownell said. “We have to shake off the cobwebs and move forward. We will see how we do at practice today and try to get that energy back.”
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT, and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN+.