New Mexico vs. Clemson March Madness Preview and Prediction

In the No. 11 vs. No. 6 matchup in the NCAA Tournament West Region, the New Mexico Lobos face the Clemson Tigers in first-round action.

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How to Watch New Mexico vs. Clemson

When: 3:10 pm ET on Friday, March 22nd

Where: FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee

Watch: TruTV

Odds for New Mexico vs. Clemson

(odds current at time of publish)

Spread: New Mexico -2.5

Total: 149.5

DraftKings Betting Splits | Live College Basketball Odds | New Mexico vs. Clemson Matchup

West Region No. 11 New Mexico Lobos

New Mexico is yet another loaded Mountain West team that will be out to prove it can hang with the big boys. This year, Richard Pitino’s group is top 40 in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency and top 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Lobos are also an elite team when it comes to defending the 3-point line, which is always valuable. And New Mexico is very careful with the ball on offense, while being capable of causing turnovers on defense. On top of that, the Lobos have legitimate firepower in guards Jaelen House, Donovan Dent and Jamal Mashburn. And forward JT Toppin is a very good player at the forward position. This team has the potential to hang with anyone.

West Region No. 6 Clemson Tigers

Clemson wasn’t anything special during the regular season, but this team will be a tough out. The Tigers are a borderline top-25 team when it comes to adjusted offensive efficiency, and they’re solid on the defensive end. That starts with center PJ Hall, who sets the tone for Clemson on both ends of the floor. He’s a good pick-and-pop center that can score around the basket, and he’s relatively creative with the ball in his hands. Hall is also a very good defensive big, and his motor is contagious for the Tigers. The team also has him paired with a tough forward in Ian Schieffelin, and the guard play isn’t bad either. In fact, Syracuse transfer Joseph Girard III is a big shot maker and is capable of getting hot from deep. That said, there’s a lot to like with Clemson and a couple of wins isn’t out of the question if the team gets rolling.

New Mexico vs. Clemson Preview & Prediction

Everybody likes to point to Rick Barnes and Matt Painter when it comes to March futility, but Brad Brownell is up there. NC State won five games in five days in the ACC Tournament to get the auto bid. Brownell has been Clemson’s coach since 2010 and has six wins total in the ACC Tournament. In the NCAA Tournament, he’s 3-4 with the Tigers, with two of those wins coming back in 2018.

New Mexico was a team that got a lot of love coming into the season as somebody who could follow in the footsteps of fellow conference member San Diego State and make a deep NCAA Tournament run. They have all the pieces. They’re a remarkably talented team out of a deep Mountain West with a lot of good statistical indicators. They have a high TO% differential and defend 3s really well.

Clemson doesn’t really force turnovers and their shot selection leaves a lot to be desired, as they don’t get the ball inside very much. There are some things to like about Clemson, as they did rank in the top 50 in both 2P% offense and defense. They beat North Carolina on the road and took Duke to the wire. There were some good regular season performances, but this is a program rarely ready for the March spotlight.

New Mexico is a very popular “upset” pick in brackets, in that they are the lower-seeded team, but they are actually favored in the game. After an uninspiring end to the regular season, New Mexico won four games in four days in Vegas to win the Mountain West and many, myself included, expect them to ride that wave to Memphis.

Estimated Score: New Mexico 77, Clemson 75

For expert predictions, go to our college basketball best bets page.

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