ACC leader Clemson basketball keeps Top 25 spot in USA TODAY, drops out in AP

Clemson basketball on Monday held on to a Top 25 spot in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll following two straight losses but dropped out in the AP poll.

The Tigers fell from No. 19 into a tie with Duke at No. 24 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. They were No. 20 on the AP list last week.

Clemson (18-6, 10-3) still leads the ACC by a half-game over No. 9/8 Virginia (17-4, 9-3) and unranked Pitt (16-7, 9-3). Miami (18-5, 9-4) and N.C. State (19-5, 9-4) are just one game behind. Duke (17-6, 8-4) is next.

The Tigers don’t play until Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2) at North Carolina. The Tar Heels (15-8, 7-5) play Tuesday at Wake Forest.

All three of Clemson’s ACC losses have been in the past five games, including back-to-back last week at Boston College and at home against Miami, the first defeat at Littlejohn Coliseum in 16 games dating back to last February. The Tigers also lost at Wake Forest.

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The Tigers entered the AP Top 25 on Jan. 16 for the first time since Jan. 18, 2021, and before that five-week stay hadn’t made the polls since the 2018-19 season.

Clemson is eighth among ACC teams in the NET rankings used to help select at-large teams for the NCAA tournament. Virginia is ranked No. 15, followed by Duke at 25, Miami at 39, N.C. State at 42, UNC at 44, Virginia Tech at 50, Pitt at 55 and Clemson at 64.

The Tigers has seven games remaining in the regular season. After the trip to Chapel Hill this weekend, the Tigers will play consecutively Florida State, at Louisville, Syracuse, at N.. State, at Virginia and finish March 4 at home against Notre Dame.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: ACC leader Clemson basketball keeps Top 25 spot in USA TODAY rankings