Here's why Clemson basketball will or will not make NCAA Tournament March Madness in 2024
Despite coming up short for an NCAA Tournament bid last season, Clemson basketball has undergone some offseason enhancements that should help the Tigers return to March Madness in 2024 for the first time since 2021.
Clemson missed out on an NCAA Tournament spot even after a better-than-expected season that resulted in a 23-11 record, including a program-record 14 ACC victories, and a third-place league finish. Clemson finished ahead of Duke and North Carolina for the first time since 1990.
But the Tigers were undone by a weak non-conference schedule and a low NET ranking of 67 – liabilities that coach Brad Brownell hopes he’s addressed this offseason.
“We were really close this year,” Brownell said. “I think we’ll have good expectations for ourselves (in 2023-24).”
But not everything will be working in the Tigers' favor next season. Here are reasons why – and why not – Clemson will make a March Madness appearance in 2024:
Why Clemson basketball will make NCAA March Madness in 2024
PJ Hall returns for fourth year
PJ Hall withdrew his name from the NBA Draft on May 25 to return for a final season at Clemson.
“Probably the best recruit we’ve had at Clemson,” Brownell said.
Hall, who shared Clemson's scoring lead with a 15.3 average, attended the NBA’s G League Elite Camp in mid-May and performed well enough to earn an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine. Both were held in Chicago.
“I thought it was a great process for PJ,” Brownell said. “The experience of playing out there in those kind of settings is invaluable. I think he’ll grow from it.
“I also know that PJ loves Clemson and he wants to leave a legacy there. I knew that unless he felt really strongly that he might be a first-round pick or something like that he’d want to come back.”
Hall was a third-team All-ACC selection last season after averaging 5.6 rebounds and shooting 53.5% from the floor, 39.8% from 3-point range and 78.6% from the free throw line.
Clemson basketball schedule 2023-24 has stronger non-conference opponents
In an effort to juice up the non-conference schedule and enhance the postseason resume, Clemson is in the process of adding Memphis and Boise State to the schedule. The Tigers have never played either team, both of which made the NCAA Tournament – Memphis as a No. 8 seed, Boise State as a 10 seed.
Memphis went 26-9 en route to a runner-up finish behind Houston in the American Athletic Conference. The Tigers’ NET ranking was 22.
The planned home-and-home series will begin with Clemson playing at FedEx Forum on Dec. 16 and Memphis playing at Littlejohn Coliseum during the 2024-25 season.
Boise State went 23-10 and tied for second in the Mountain West Conference behind San Diego State. The Broncos had a NET ranking of 34.
PORTAL PRODUCTION: Clemson basketball coach Brad Brownell embraces transfer portal, wins with Joseph Girard III
EARLY EXIT: No. 1-seed Clemson basketball upset in NIT first round, falls to Morehead State
Clemson transfer additions will make a difference
Brownell has had success mining the transfer portal and his most recent additions should help the Tigers get over the hump.
Look for sharpshooter Joseph Girard, a transfer from Syracuse, and Jake Heidbreder, who led Air Force in scoring last season, to lead the way. Girard is the leading returning scorer in the ACC with an average of 17.8 points while Heidbreder averaged 15.1 points and made 75 3-pointers.
Brownell also added Jack Clark, a versatile transfer from NC State who averaged 9.0 points and 6.9 rebounds, and Bas Leyte, a 6-10 forward who played at UNC Greensboro last season.
Why Clemson basketball will not make the NCAA March Madness in 2024
Clemson will struggle to overcome loss of Hunter Tyson
Hunter Tyson’s versatility will be a challenge to replace. The 6-foot-8 forward came into his own in his final season of eligibility and emerged as the glue of the team.
He was a first-team All-ACC selection and finished fourth in ACC Player of the Year voting after averaging 15.3 points and 9.6 rebounds. Tyson also led the ACC in defensive rebounding and was named recipient of the 2023 Skip Prosser Award, which is presented to the top scholar-athlete in ACC men’s basketball.
Now he’s hoping to get an opportunity in the NBA.
“They love his work ethic, they love his shooting, they love his size,” Brownell said.
Clemson’s ACC schedule in 2023-24 gets considerably tougher
Last season Clemson benefitted from having the majority of its home-and-away games against the league’s worst teams – Louisville, which finished last, as well as Georgia Tech (13th), Florida State (12th), Virginia Tech (11th) and Wake Forest (9th). Only NC State (6th) finished in the upper half of the ACC standings.
In 2023-24, the Tigers still get Florida State and Georgia Tech, both of which are expected to be improved, but their four rotational home-and-away opponents look to be considerably more challenging, including defending regular-season champion Miami, Pitt (5th), North Carolina (7th) and Syracuse (8th). And Clemson’s four away-only games in the ACC include trips to difficult venues: Duke, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why Clemson basketball will or will not make 2024 NCAA March Madness
