All Clemson

National Analyst Makes Clemson Tigers Fans Happy with Final Four Pick

One CBS Sports analyst is high on the Clemson Tigers and their path in the NCAA Tournament that starts on Thursday.

Matt Postins

Apr 5, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; CBS announcer Clark Kellogg prior to the national championship game in the Final Four of the 2021 NCAA Tournament between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Baylor Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Apr 5, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; CBS announcer Clark Kellogg prior to the national championship game in the Final Four of the 2021 NCAA Tournament between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Baylor Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Clemson Tigers ended up with a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Their first game will be on Thursday in Providence, R.I., against No. 12 seed McNeese State.

At least one CBS Sports analyst believes the Tigers’ stay in March Madness will be extensive.

Clark Kellogg, one of the lead analysts for CBS’s coverage of the NCAA Tournament, provided his picks for the Final Four and the national championship game.

Kellogg not only picked the Tigers (27-6) to reach the Final Four, which would be a first in program history. He also had them defeating the Duke Blue Devils in the national semifinals, which would be a rematch of their dramatic ACC showdown in Clemson in February, which the Tigers won.

From there, he had the Tigers losing to Florida in the national championship game.

The Tigers hope to, at minimum, duplicate what they did last year under coach Brad Brownell. That team made it to the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history before falling to the Alabama Crimson Tide one game short of the Final Four.

The Tigers’ only other trip to the Elite Eight was in 1980.

Clemson is in the Midwest Region and its path could take them into a second-round game with either Purdue or High Point. If the Tigers reach the Sweet 16, they could face No. 1 seed Houston, the Big 12 champions.

The top two seeds on the other side of the bracket are No. 2 Tennessee and No. 3 Kentucky, both out of the SEC.

Chase Hunter, who averages 16.4 points and leads the Tigers in scoring, is in his final season of college basketball. He’s wrapping up his sixth year in the collegiate ranks.

Clemson enters the tournament healthy otherwise and with three other players that are averaging more than 10 points per game. Forward Ian Schieffelin was a significant piece of last year’s run and averages 12.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, the latter of which leads the team.

Center Viktor Lahkin, who transferred to the Tigers this season, averages 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Guard Jaeden Zackery logs more than 35 minutes per game and averages 11.3 points. He also leads the team with 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

The Tigers will have to go on a run without one of their key players. Dillon Hunter, who was averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, will miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken hand in the Tigers’ ACC quarterfinal victory. His number belie his importance to the Tigers, as he plays more than 20 minutes per game.

Recommended Articles

Published
Matt Postins
MATT POSTINS

Home/Men's Basketball