The allure of March Madness is not found in the favorites.
Sure, the earliest window of Sweet 16 games featured top-seeded Connecticut steamrolling San Diego State in a rematch of last season's national championship. There went the Huskies, taking one more comfortable step toward cutting down the nets.
No, the Big Dance is beloved for its underdogs.
Clemson, for the third straight game of the 2024 men's NCAA tournament, has embraced that title. The unsuspecting six-seed outplayed the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats and secured a program-defining 77-72 triumph in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night in Los Angeles.