The Mustangs lost to Clemson in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, likely ending their chance at an at-large bid in the tournament.

The Fighting Irish was announced as the No. 1 team in the country just one month ago but has endured a difficult time of late, failing to win the ACC and its post-season tournament

The sixth-seeded SMU Mustangs (23-10) fought to the finish against three-seed Clemson (27-5), the No. 10 team in the nation, but ultimately fell 57-54, ending their run in this year’s ACC tournament.

Chase Hunter scored 21 points, Jaeden Zackery added 11 points and No. 10 Clemson battled back to beat SMU 57-54 for its ninth straight win to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference semifinals.

Analyzing Thursday’s SMU vs. Clemson odds and lines, with college basketball expert picks, predictions and best bets.

However, the Blue Devils suffered a harsh blow in their first postseason match. On Thursday, their superstar freshman forward Cooper Flagg suffered an ankle injury against Georgia Tech in their first game of the ACC Tournament. Minutes before the end of the first half, he went up for a rebound and came down, grabbing his ankle.

Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the ACC’s player and rookie of the year, appeared to injure his left ankle Thursday during the top-ranked Blue Devils’ ACC tournament opener in Charlotte. Flagg came down awkwardly on the foot of Georgia Tech’s Baye Ndongo while pulling down a rebound late in the first half.

Injuries to Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown overshadowed Duke basketball's comeback win against Georgia Tech at the ACC Tournament.

Outtakes: Only Merrimack can save Massachusetts from another year with no teams in NCAAs ... A father traded his own son and RIP to a legend.

With 68 teams spread across 14 sites over three weeks, March Madness is upon us with the 2025 NCAA Tournament set to begin. You're ready, we're ready, and we know you want an NCAA bracket to print out before the teams are put into place on Selection Sunday (March 16).