Clemson basketball vs. Morehead State: Scouting report, score prediction for NIT Round 1

CLEMSON — It's not what the Tigers hoped for, but Clemson basketball opens the 2023 NIT as a No. 1 seed. The Tigers host Morehead State in the first round of the tournament Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+) at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Clemson was the fourth team left out of March Madness when the bracket was revealed Sunday, but coach Brad Brownell said he never considered opting out of a bid to the NIT. The Tigers (23-10) are playing in their 18th NIT and their fourth under Brownell.

Here's what to know about Morehead State (21-11) and a score prediction for Wednesday's matchup.

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Morehead State's season summation

The Eagles are playing in their first NIT. They've been in the NCAA Tournament eight times, most recently in 2021. This season, Morehead State won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title but lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament, missing out on the automatic March Madness bid.

Morehead State got hot down the stretch, losing only one of its last 12 games in the regular season. The Eagles lost to all three Power Five teams they faced at the beginning of the season: Indiana, West Virginia and Vanderbilt.

Player to watch: Mark Freeman

Senior guard Mark Freeman was named player of the year in the Ohio Valley Conference. He averaged a team-best 15 points per game, plus 2.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Freeman had six games in which he scored 20 or more points and was one of three players in the league to score at least 25 in four different conference games.

Also notable is graduate center Alex Gross, who was named the league's defensive player of the year and averages 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Defense is Morehead State's strength

Morehead State led its league in scoring defense, giving up an average of 66.4 points per game. The Eagles' defense ranks No. 1 in the Ohio Valley Conference in adjusted defensive efficiency against league opponents.

When you expand that figure to include nonconference play, however, Morehead State's adjusted defensive efficiency ranks No. 214 nationally.

Morehead State allowed opponents to shoot just 32% from 3-point range. That could be a challenge for a Clemson team that thrives on the perimeter and led the ACC in 3-point percentage (36.9%).

Score prediction

Clemson 75, Morehead State 65 — Clemson will use its superior scoring offense and 3-point shooting to overpower the Eagles, and the Tigers will move on to the second round against either UAB or Southern Miss.

Christina Long covers the Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: What to know about Clemson basketball vs. Morehead State in NIT