Tag: top 25

Wisconsin basketball drops out of final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Was Wisconsin’s 2023-24 season a success?

Wisconsin basketball found itself on the outside of the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll of the 2023-24 season.

The Badgers entered March Madness ranked No. 24 and with a ton of momentum after a run to the finals of the Big Ten Tournament. What followed was an unfortunate first-round NCAA Tournament loss to No. 12-seed James Madison and a subsequent drop from the top 25.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin basketball’s reported transfer portal visits and targets

The loss draped a dark cloud over what looked to be a promising season. On one hand, the Badgers clearly improved after 2022-23 and had once of the best offenses in program history. On the other hand, the team lost early in the tournament — and that’s most of what matters to many.

The Badgers finish 2023-24 in the ‘receiving votes’ category of the poll — tied with James Madison at 30 points.

Only two Big Ten teams finished the season in this top 25: Purdue at No. 2 and Illinois at No. 7. It was another promising regular season of Big Ten basketball, but yet another campaign with little postseason success.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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Where Clemson ranks in way-too-early men’s college basketball Top 25 for 2024-25

NCAA Basketball: The Clemson Tigers placed in the top 15 of USA TODAY Sports’ way-too-early rankings for the 2024-25 men’s basketball season.

It’s been less than 24 hours since UConn was crowned as national champions for the second straight year after a resounding 75-60 win over Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Who knows what the college basketball landscape will look like in a few weeks, let alone in a few months? The transfer portal changes by the day, if not by the hour. See: Arizona’s Oumar Ballo, Wisconsin’s AJ Storr and Florida Atlantic’s Johnell Davis, just to name a few.

The coaching carousel has also yet to stop after former Kentucky coach John Calipari took the college sports world by storm when he bolted the Bluegrass State for SEC rival Arkansas.

There’s also players that could turn pro, as well as those that could opt in for a fifth college season by using their COVID-19 waiver. That includes Clemson’s PJ Hall and Chase Hunter.

Lots of (basket)balls are still up in the air, but that never stops sports minds from thinking far in advance. To that end, USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, and Eddie Timanus have put together their way-too-early Top 25 rankings for the 2024-25 college basketball season.

In those rankings, Clemson checks in at No. 13 following the team’s run to the Elite Eight. The Tigers had their best season to date under coach Brad Brownell, beating New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona to reach the West Regional final of the NCAA Tournament against Alabama.

Per Myerberg, Smith and Timanus:

“A repeat of the Tigers’ journey to the Elite Eight will be a challenge, but a number of the key players could be back if they choose to use their extra year. That group includes standout postman P.J. Hall, as well as guard Chase Hunter and reserve forward Jack Clark. Joseph Girard III is gone, but Ian Schieffelin, voted the ACC’s most improved player in 2023-24, is also slated to return.”

Clark recently entered the transfer portal but could opt to return to Clemson if he doesn’t find a better fit to his liking.

The Tigers’ non-conference schedule is a long way from being set, but their ACC schedule was announced in late February. Clemson will host Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and conference newcomers Cal and Stanford at Littlejohn Coliseum in 2024-25.

The Tigers will travel to NC State, Virginia, Miami, Louisville, Pitt, Boston College, and SMU for road games. They’ll also face three schools at both home and away: Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

Clemson falls four spots in weekly softball poll

NCAA Softball: The Clemson Tigers fell four spots to No. 19 in the new D1Softball poll, released Tuesday, April 9.

Clemson fell four spots in the new D1Softball Top 25 poll, released Tuesday, April 9.

The Tigers (27-11 overall) swept Syracuse over the weekend after falling to Furman in non-conference play last week. John Rittman’s team is scheduled to face South Carolina in Columbia at 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The Tigers will then welcome Duke to town beginning Friday for a three-game series in ACC play. Friday’s series opener will be nationally televised by ESPN2.

With Oklahoma (35-3) losing its first Big 12 conference series since 2011, there’s a new No. 1 atop D1Softball’s poll. Texas (31-6) moved into the top spot after taking two of three games from the Sooners over the weekend in Austin. OU slipped to No. 2 in the new D1Softball poll.

Stanford (No. 3, 31-6), Oklahoma State (No. 4, 33-6), and Duke (No. 5, 33-3) rounded out the top five. The Blue Devils jumped to No. 1 in this week’s Softball America rankings. Duke went 4-0 last week after sweeping North Carolina in Durham. Clemson fell to No. 25 in Softball America’s rankings.

Aside from Duke and Clemson, only two other ACC programs placed in D1Softball’s top 25: No. 14 Virginia Tech and No. 18 Florida State.

The SEC had the most ranked teams by conference with nine, including No. 6 Tennessee

Here’s where Clemson ranks in new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll

NCAA Baseball: The Clemson Tigers stayed at No. 2 in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 8.

Clemson remained at No. 2 in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 8.

The Tigers improved to 28-3 overall and went 4-0 last week after a three-game series sweep of Notre Dame in conference play on Sunday.

Coach Erik Bakich’s team also stayed at No. 2 in the new Top 25 rankings for both D1Baseball and Baseball America.

Arkansas (27-3) remained at No. 1 after sweeping Ole Miss in a three-game series over the weekend. It’s the fifth consecutive week that the Razorbacks have been No. 1 in the coaches poll.

The top five remained the same as last week. Texas A&M (28-4) stayed at No. 3, with Tennessee (26-6) at No. 4 and Oregon State (26-4) at No. 5.

Other highly-ranked ACC schools in this week’s coaches poll are No. 7 Duke, No. 9 Florida State, and No. 10 Virginia.

North Carolina fell five spots to No. 12. Wake Forest (No. 15) and Virginia Tech (No. 16) also placed in the Top 25.

Clemson is scheduled to face SC Upstate in midweek action Tuesday at Doug Kingsmore Stadium before hosting NC State over the weekend.

Clemson softball falls in new Softball America Top 25 rankings

NCAA Softball: here’s where Softball America ranked the Clemson Tigers in their top 25 rankings for Week 9.

Clemson fell five spots to No. 25 in the new Softball America Top 25 rankings, released Monday, April 8.

Coach John Rittman’s Tigers are 27-11 overall after a 3-1 week that included a three-game series sweep of Syracuse over the weekend in upstate New York. The Tigers fell to Furman in midweek play, 4-3, at McWhorter Stadium on Tuesday.

Clemson will travel to Columbia to face South Carolina in a scheduled 7 p.m. EDT contest in midweek play Tuesday night. Next up for the Tigers in ACC play is a three-game weekend series with Duke beginning Friday night at 7 p.m. EDT at McWhorter Stadium.

The Blue Devils (33-3 overall) are the new No. 1 team in the nation in Softball America’s rankings after a 4-0 week. It’s the first time all season that someone other than Oklahoma (35-3) is atop the rankings.

The Sooners dropped two of three games over the weekend to Texas. Softball America notes that it was the Sooners’ first Big 12 series loss since 2011.

Where Clemson ranks in new D1Baseball, Baseball America rankings

Clemson Baseball: Here’s where the Clemson Tigers are in the new Top 25 rankings from both D1Baseball and Baseball America for April 8.

Clemson stayed at No. 2 in the new Top 25 rankings from both D1Baseball and Baseball America, released Monday, April 8.

The Tigers enter the week at 28-3 overall following a three-game sweep of Notre Dame in ACC play to complete a 4-0 week.

The top five in D1Baseball’s rankings remained the same, with Arkansas (27-3) holding at No. 1 following its three-game series sweep of Ole Miss over the weekend. Texas A&M stayed at No. 3, with Tennessee at No. 4 and Oregon State at No. 5.

Clemson also stayed at No. 2 in Baseball America’s new Top 25 rankings. In BA’s rankings, the top four teams all remained the same as D1Baseball’s top four teams. Vanderbilt (25-7) took the No. 5 spot in Baseball America’s rankings.

Monday marked the fifth consecutive week that Arkansas has been ranked No. 1 by both publications.

Clemson will host SC Upstate Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. After that, coach Erik Bakich’s team will host its first weekend series in two weeks when the Tigers take on NC State beginning Friday night at 7 p.m. The games can all be seen on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).

Where Clemson softball ranks in new Top 25 polls

NCAA Softball: here’s where the Clemson Tigers softball team ranked in this week’s Top 25 polls.

Clemson stayed at No. 15 in the new D1Softball Top 25 poll this week, released Tuesday, April 2.

John Rittman’s Tigers are 24-10 overall and won two of three last week in a series against Boston College at McWhorter Stadium. The Tigers’ scheduled midweek game against Georgia State was canceled due to inclement weather.

In the new USA TODAY Sports/NFCA Division I coaches poll for Week 8, the Tigers slipped one spot from last week to No. 17.

Clemson checked in at No. 20 in the new Softball America Top 25 rankings, moving up one spot in that poll.

Oklahoma (34-1) remained a unanimous No. 1 in every poll after another unbeaten week. Duke (29-3) moved up to No. 2 in the coaches poll while Texas (29-5) slipped from No. 2 to No. 4. Georgia (29-5) remained at No. 3. LSU (29-4) rounded out the top five.

Other ACC schools ranked in the coaches poll are Virginia Tech (No. 15) and Florida State (No. 18).

The Tigers are scheduled to play Furman in midweek action Tuesday at home. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT. Clemson travels to Syracuse to begin a three-game weekend series in ACC play beginning Friday.

Oregon baseball appears in Top 25 for the first time this season

For the first time this year, the Ducks are being ranked inside the top-25, according to Baseball America.

The Oregon Ducks baseball team is meeting expectations and now it is finally being recognized for its efforts.

Oregon is 19-7 overall and 6-3 in Pac-12 play as the season is almost half over and now the Ducks have appeared in the Baseball America Top 25 for the first time this year.

The Ducks, who are in first place in the Pac-12, come into this week’s ranking as the No. 20 team in the country. Baseball America says the recent schedule has and will play in Oregon’s favor to rack up the wins.

Oregon swept Seattle and moves into the Top 25 for the first time this season. While the Ducks were on their conference bye, they moved into first place in the Pac-12 and have won eight of their last nine games. They’ll look to stay hot as they hit the road this week, first at Portland, which stands atop the West Coast Conference standings, and then UCLA, which sits in the Pac-12 cellar. — Baseball America

Traditionally a strong baseball conference, the Pac-12 has just one other team ranked and that is Oregon State, who dropped several spots due to its series loss to USC over the last weekend.

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Clemson jumps to No. 2 in new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll

NCAA Baseball: The Clemson Tigers moved up one spot to No. 2 in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 1.

Clemson moved up one spot to No. 2 in the new USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll, released Monday, April 1. It’s the Tigers’ highest ranking in the coaches poll this season.

Coach Erik Bakich’s team is 24-3 overall and went 2-1 last week after taking two of three games from Miami in ACC play.

The Tigers also moved up one spot to No. 2 in the new D1Baseball Top 25 rankings, in addition to the team’s No. 2 ranking in Baseball America’s Top 25.

Arkansas (23-3) remained at No. 1 after sweeping reigning national champion LSU in a three-game series over the weekend.

With Clemson at No. 2, Texas A&M (No. 3, 25-3), Tennessee (No. 4, 24-5), and Oregon State (No. 5, 21-4) rounded out the top five.

Other ACC schools ranked in this week’s coaches poll are No. 7 North Carolina and No. 9 Duke. Virginia fell three spots from last week to land at No. 11. Florida State moved up five spots to No. 12, and Virginia Tech stayed at No. 15.

NC State (No. 20) and Wake Forest (No. 22) also placed in the top 25. Wake Forest fell 10 spots in the coaches poll after being swept by North Carolina in Winston-Salem.

Clemson is scheduled to face SC Upstate in midweek action Tuesday in Greenville. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT.

Clemson up to No. 2 in D1Baseball Top 25 rankings

NCAA Baseball: Clemson Baseball moved up one spot to No. 2 in D1Baseball’s Top 25 rankings, released Monday, April 1. The Clemson Tigers remained No. 2 in Baseball America’s Top 25.

Another solid week that included a hard-fought series win at Miami saw the Clemson Tigers move up one spot to No. 2 in the new Top 25 rankings for D1Baseball.

The Tigers (24-3 overall, 7-2 conference) also remained No. 2 in Baseball America’s Top 25 rankings.

Clemson suffered a walk-off loss to Miami in the series opener Thursday night at Mark Light Field but rebounded with a 3-2 win Friday and a 7-0 shutout victory on Saturday behind freshman Aidan Knaak, who pitched his best game of the season.

Knaak (2-0) fired seven shutout innings against the Hurricanes, allowing just two hits. He struck out 10 batters and walked only one to earn his second win of the season.

Arkansas (23-3, 8-1) remained at No. 1 in both rankings after sweeping LSU in Fayetteville over the weekend. The reigning national champion Tigers (20-9, 2-7) fell to No. 18 in D1Baseball’s Top 25 and all the way to No. 25 in Baseball America’s rankings.

Texas A&M (25-3) moved to No. 3 in both rankings after a 4-0 week. Tennessee (24-5) moved to No. 4 in D1Baseball’s rankings and to No. 5 in Baseball America’s rankings. Florida (16-11) took the No. 4 spot in Baseball America’s rankings.

Clemson will face SC Upstate in Greenville in non-conference play Tuesday. Next up for the Tigers in conference action is a trip to South Bend for a three-game series against Notre Dame beginning Friday.