Fairly or not, the Clemson Tigers fell out of the Top 25 after their overtime loss to Penny Hardaway’s Memphis team back on Dec. 14. After a loss to rival South Carolina, Clemson fell even further.
A week ago, Clemson (10-3 overall) garnered the most votes for Top 25 consideration with 87. Five teams now rank ahead of the Tigers for top 25 consideration in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released Monday.
Unofficially, it places Brad Brownell’s team at No. 31 in the rankings. Maryland, Michigan, Drake, Arkansas and Georgia are teams that received more votes for consideration than the Tigers.
Clemson suffered back-to-back overtime losses to Memphis and South Carolina, but defeated Wake Forest 73-62 in ACC play over the weekend at Littlejohn Coliseum. Chase Hunter had 16 points to lead the Tigers to a 2-0 start in conference action, while Jake Heidbreder added 15.
The Tigers return to the court on New Year’s Day when they host the Stanford Cardinal at 4 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
The top three teams in the new coaches poll remained the same, with the Tennessee Volunteers (11-0) at No. 1 for the third straight week. The Auburn Tigers (11-1) stayed at No. 2 with Iowa State (10-1) at No. 3. Duke (10-2) and freshman sensation Cooper Flagg moved up one spot to No. 4, as did the Florida Gators to No. 5.
Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils remained the only ACC team ranked in the Coaches Poll Top 25. Clemson was second closest, receiving 40 votes for top 25 consideration.
Full USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 11-0 | 764 (20) |
| 2 | Auburn | 11-1 | 746 (11) |
| 3 | Iowa State | 10-1 | 706 |
| 4 | Duke | 10-2 | 659 |
| 5 | Florida | 12-0 | 649 |
| 6 | Alabama | 10-2 | 620 |
| 7 | Kansas | 9-2 | 531 |
| 8 | Marquette | 11-2 | 529 |
| 9 | Oregon | 11-1 | 484 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 10-2 | 476 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 12-0 | 412 |
| 12 | Houston | 8-3 | 406 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 10-2 | 405 |
| 14 | UConn | 10-3 | 395 |
| 15 | Gonzaga | 9-3 | 327 |
| 16 | Ole Miss | 11-1 | 261 |
| 17 | Cincinnati | 10-1 | 252 |
| 18 | Michigan State | 10-2 | 233 |
| 19 | Mississippi State | 11-1 | 196 |
| 20 | San Diego State | 8-2 | 148 |
| 21 | UCLA | 10-2 | 128 |
| 22 | Illinois | 8-3 | 86 |
| 23 | Baylor | 7-3 | 83 |
| 24 | St. John’s | 10-2 | 82 |
| 25 | Purdue | 8-4 | 73 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 21 Michigan; No. 22 Memphis; No. 24 Dayton;
Others Receiving Votes
Maryland 65; Michigan 52; Drake 51; Arkansas 51; Georgia 42; Clemson 40; Dayton 28; Memphis 25; Pittsburgh 22; Utah State 14; Texas Tech 9; Wisconsin 7; North Carolina 6; Missouri 6; West Virginia 5; Penn State 1;
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