Despite being picked to finish in sixth place in the ACC this year, the Clemson Tigers did not receive a single vote in the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll. The Associated Press had Duke (No. 2), Virginia (No. 9), Louisville (No. 11), and Miami (No. 14) all ranked, with North Carolina and Virginia Tech receiving votes. This comes back to the biggest issue at hand for Brad Brownell's team: Who will be handling the ball?
With Zac Foster out for the season after tearing the same ACL once again, and Dillon Hunter's status for 2026-27 remaining in limbo, it will be up to Ace Buckner and true freshman Harris Reynolds to bring the ball up the floor. Clemson should be getting back star big man Carter Welling in time for league play, but this Tigers team is so behind the eight ball to start from an overall depth standpoint.
No, Clemson was not expected to be ranked inside the top 25, but a single top-25 vote would have been nice. While ESPN's Joe Lunardi still views Brownell's bunch as a likely tournament team, the last thing Brownell's Tigers need is to get off to a slow start in non-conference play. Although there could be some wins to be had, Clemson cannot afford to put itself into a deficit before it gets to January.
Clemson men’s basketball wasn’t ranked and didn’t receive any votes in the preseason AP poll, just released.
— Jackson Castellano (@jaxacastellano) October 19, 2026
ACC teams ranked/RV: Duke 2, Virginia 9, Louisville 11, Miami 14, North Carolina RV, Virginia Tech RV.
Brad Brownell must solve backcourt issues to stop ceiling from caving in
This team's ceiling was largely defined by two players: Foster and Welling. While getting Hunter back for a fifth year would be a breath of fresh air, his eligibility case remains on hold in an appellate court stay. For the time being, he remains ineligible. Since Foster is out for the season and Welling is still working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in March, Clemson will have to grow up in a hurry now.
The good news is Brownell has enough built-up equity with the players, fan base, and administration to ride this out for as long as it takes. Clemson was at its best a season ago because of the great play of its frontcourt. While that could still be a strength for this team, Clemson has to figure out who it can trust to bring the rock up the court. Otherwise, turnovers could be prevalent for this Tigers offense.
Buckner has been with the program for a minute now, while Reynolds and Notre Dame transfer Cole Certa only just got here. As a result, this may cause Clemson to play at a slower pace than expected. It has to make the most of its opportunities on offense, as it cannot afford to squander any real scoring opportunities. Thankfully, Brownell has enough time to adjust before the season gets here.
Unfortunately, Clemson appears to be losing its grip on a March Madness bid before our very eyes. The ACC is likely to get between five and eight teams into the field. Six or seven teams feels a bit more probable. While teams like Duke, Louisville, Miami, and Virginia feel like locks, Clemson will have to battle to get past the likes of North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Virginia Tech to make it in.
As is the case with the football team, the Associated Press will care about Clemson when it needs to.
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