Louisville Cardinals vs Clemson Tigers Picks and Predictions March 14th 2025

No. 13 Louisville Meets No. 10 Clemson in ACC Semifinals

Two of the ACC’s top teams—No. 13 Louisville and No. 10 Clemson—clash in the conference semifinals on Friday night in Charlotte, with both squads looking to build on hard-fought quarterfinal victories.

Clemson Survives Gritty Battle vs. SMU

Third-seeded Clemson (27-5) had all it could handle against sixth-seeded SMU, escaping with a 57-54 win on Thursday. The Tigers leaned on their defense, holding SMU without a field goal for the first six minutes of the game and making key stops late.

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“You have to grind and get through it,” Clemson guard Jaeden Zackery said. “Showing that we’re able to power through and finish out the game with a victory, that’s strong for us moving on the rest of the season.”

Clemson’s Chase Hunter stepped up with 21 points—his highest output in nine games—and Ian Schieffelin praised his ability to come through in big moments.

“We’ve gone to him all year,” Schieffelin said. “And when he has the ball, we have full trust in him.”

However, Clemson may be without Dillon Hunter, who suffered a potential broken hand in the first half and is awaiting X-ray results.

Louisville Rallies for Stunning Win

Second-seeded Louisville (26-6) has lost just once in 2025, but the Cardinals had to mount a furious comeback to keep their ACC title hopes alive.

They trailed by 15 points in the second half against No. 7 Stanford before storming back for a dramatic 75-73 win, capped by Chucky Hepburn’s buzzer-beater.

“I’ve been saying all year long how lucky I am to have such a veteran-laden team, so much leadership within our team,” Louisville coach Pat Kelsey said. “I didn’t have to say much in the huddle.”

Despite the thrilling win, Louisville knows it can’t afford another slow start.

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“It shouldn’t take for us to be down 15 to come out and play like that,” said Terrence Edwards Jr. “That’s how we need to play from the jump.”

Rematch from January

Louisville won the only regular-season meeting between these teams, defeating Clemson 74-64 on Jan. 7. J’Vonne Hadley was unstoppable in that game, scoring 32 points—20 more than his season average.

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“I don’t know that you can just focus on one player,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “That’s why Louisville is really good. They’ve got several guys that can have big nights.”

Clemson will also have to adjust to Louisville’s depth, as the Cardinals could get a boost if Reyne Smith (ankle) is able to return.

“He’s getting treatment basically around the clock,” Kelsey said of Smith. “Each day we see how he progresses.”