Clemson can make NCAA field, but has work to do

Before the season began, Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said the Tigers’ advancing to the NCAA tournament was the next logical step for the program.
Clemson is closer to that goal today, but there is still a ways to go.
When the Tigers beat Florida State 71-58 Wednesday, it raised their record to 19-5, 5-5 in the ACC. That overall mark looks tremendous until it’s remembered that Clemson started 17-0.
But it also moved the Tigers’ RPI to a more-than respectable 21 - better than teams like Oklahoma State and Boston College, both of whom are assumed to have solid shots at making the tournament.
Before beating the Seminoles, Clemson had lost five of six. The Tigers have been to two straight National Invitation Tournaments under Purnell - who is in his fourth season at Clemson - and haven’t won an NCAA tournament game since 1997.
Purnell called the Florida State victory "a table-setter, a streak-ender, a confidence-builder and a resume-stuffer."
He’d better hope so. The schedule doesn’t set up too badly for the Tigers, who are at last-place Wake Forest next Wednesday then play home games against the suddenly struggling twosome of Maryland and Duke. -- David Scott