Clemson Upsets Arizona 77-72 In Sweet Sixteen

In the opening game of the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen, 6-seed Clemson continued its tournament run, knocking off 2-seed Arizona 77-72. Clemson advanced to its second Elite Eight in program history, with their last appearance coming in 1980.

Survive And Advance

Aside from a brief scare midway through the second half, Clemson led for most of the game. Senior guard Chase Hunter led the way once again, scoring 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting while also recording seven rebounds and five assists. He’s been a huge part of the Tigers’ run and has become one of the tournament’s breakout stars.

Chase Hunter in three games in March Madness:

19.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.7 RPG.

A breakout star in the NCAA Tournament. https://t.co/Yz3zxLnhWS

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 29, 2024

Senior center PJ Hall also had an excellent showing, putting up 17 points and eight rebounds.

Arizona, Tommy Lloyd Fall Short

Despite plenty of regular season success at the helm, a common criticism of Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd is his lack of tournament success so far. His team faltered in March once again, shooting only 25-67 (37.3%) from the field and an abysmal 5-28 (17.9%) from 3-point range.

Arizona under Tommy Lloyd:

2021-22: (33-4) | 1 seed | Sweet 16 Exit
2022-23: (28-7) | 2 seed | R64 Exit
2023-24: (27-8) | 2 seed | Sweet 16 Exit pic.twitter.com/pif1LQSu0H

— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 29, 2024

Sophomore guard Jaden Bradley led the Wildcats in scoring, putting up 18 points off of the bench. Senior center Oumar Ballo recorded a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds on 7-10 shooting; however, he went 1-7 from the free throw line.

Is Clemson A Cinderella?

At first glance, it would appear odd to label the Tigers a Cinderella team, considering their seed. However, that isn’t the full story. After losing three of their last four games entering the tournament, Clemson was a betting underdog to its first round opponent, Mountain West champion New Mexico, despite being the higher-seeded team. After defeating the Lobos, the Tigers were even larger underdogs in their next two games against Baylor and Arizona. Not many expected this run, and now the question is how far can they take it?

Clemson was an underdog to New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona. In those three wins, Tigers trailed for a grand total of 50 seconds.

Second Elite 8 in program history, first since 1980. North Carolina or Alabama next for Brad Brownell’s crew.

— David Teel (@ByDavidTeel) March 29, 2024

The Road Ahead

Clemson (24-11) will take on 4-seed Alabama (23-11) Saturday with a spot in the Final Four on the line.