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Clemson Men’s Basketball drops out of the AP Top 25

By John Chancey

Feb 4, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson junior guard Chase Hunter (1) scores late in the game with Miami during the second half at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2023; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson junior guard Chase Hunter (1) scores late in the game with Miami during the second half at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Clemson Men’s Basketball has fallen out of the AP Top 25 Poll. The Tigers only received 31 votes following a week when they lost both of their contests.

The Tigers lost to the Boston College Eagles 62-54 in Chestnut Hill and then lost to the Miami Hurricanes 78-74 in Littlejohn Coliseum. This is the first time the Tigers have lost two games in a row this season.

The Purdue Boilermakers remain atop the rankings, followed by the Houston Cougars, Alabama Crimson Tide, Arizona Wildcats and Texas Longhorns.

The Virginia Cavaliers are the highest-ranked ACC team at 8th. Miami is ranked 19th and the NC State Wolfpack is 22nd.

This drop in the AP Top 25 isn’t unexpected. The Tigers were not ranked in the preseason, so they had to climb their way into the poll. They dug themselves a hole early in the non-conference record with losses to South Carolina and Loyola Chicago.

They also have not been placed favorably in the NET, which is a metric system used by the NCAA tournament selection committee.

Following a seven game conference winning streak and a win over the Duke Blue Devils, the AP voters gave them their first ranking of the season, but their placement in the NET improved only slightly.

It was expected that Clemson Men’s Basketball would drop from the rankings, but they still have a chance to right the ship

Clemson will have opportunities to re-establish themselves in the rankings, but it won’t be easy. The Tigers will play four of their remaining six games on the road. Three of those road games will be against teams that are currently ranked ahead of Clemson: North Carolina, NC State and Virginia. Their fourth road contest is against the Louisville Cardinals.

The Tigers final two home contests will be against the Florida State Seminoles and the Syracuse Orange.

The best news for the Tigers is that the low of a two-game losing streak is peanuts compared to the lows of past years. Clemson is still in a good position to earn a top four spot in the ACC tournament, which would give them a bye into the quarterfinals.

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