The latest updates from the NCAA basketball rankings have seen Clemson University’s men’s basketball team experiencing a significant drop. As of Monday, the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll placed Clemson at No. 24, while the team has fallen out of the AP Top 25 altogether. Currently, the Tigers are the leading team outside the AP rankings, receiving 55 votes.
Previously, Clemson was ranked No. 18 in the Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the AP Poll. The recent downturn comes after the Tigers suffered back-to-back losses last week, succumbing to Virginia Tech with a score of 76-66 on Wednesday and then falling to then-No. 4 Duke, 67-54, on Saturday. Despite these setbacks, it’s noteworthy that Clemson had just come off an impressive streak, winning 13 of their last 14 games before these defeats. The Tigers also had an impressive run of 14 consecutive ACC road victories dating back to last season, a streak that ranks as the second longest in ACC history, matched only by Duke’s run from 1962 to 1964.
Clemson’s head coach, Brad Brownell, and his team have an opportunity to rebound as they prepare to play against Wake Forest on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. Following this matchup, the Tigers will return home to face Florida State at Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday at noon.
Currently, Clemson holds third place in the ACC standings, trailing only Duke and Virginia, positioning them favorably for a chance to reclaim their previous ranking in the coming weeks.