With three straight wins under their belts and a plethora of Top 25 teams losing last week, the Clemson Tigers seemed like a good bet to gain strong consideration for this week’s USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll Top 25.
The Tigers (15-4 overall, 7-1) did just that, garnering 28 votes for Top 25 consideration — the fourth-highest votes among unranked teams — in Monday’s new Coaches Poll. Only ACC rival Louisville (43 votes), Gonzaga (43) and the Georgia Bulldogs (39) garnered more votes outside the Top 25 than the Tigers did.
Clemson was also unranked in Monday’s new AP Top 25 poll, garnering 30 votes for top 25 consideration.
The Tigers defeated the Pitt Panthers, 78-75, in overtime Saturday in Pittsburgh. Earlier in the week, they won 70-59 at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Chase Hunter scored 20 points in the Tigers’ win at Pitt, including a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left in overtime. Jaeden Zackery added 16 points and Ian Schieffelin had 15.
Brad Brownell’s team is set to host the Syracuse Orange (9-9, 3-4) at Littlejohn Coliseum Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ACC Network.
The Auburn Tigers (17-1) were No. 1 in the Coaches Poll for the second week in a row, followed by the Duke Blue Devils (16-2) at No. 2. Duke moved up after the previously second-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (15-2) lost to West Virginia in Morgantown over the weekend.
The Alabama Crimson Tide (15-3) rose two spots to No. 3 with Iowa State dropping to No. 4. The Houston Cougars (14-3) rounded out the top five.
Updated USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
| Ranking | Team | Record | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auburn | 17-1 | 774 (30) | – |
| 2 | Duke | 16-2 | 739 | +1 |
| 3 | Alabama | 15-3 | 672 | +2 |
| 4 | Iowa State | 15-2 | 668 (1) | –2 |
| 5 | Houston | 14-3 | 623 | +3 |
| 6 | Florida | 16-2 | 615 | -2 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 16-2 | 584 | -1 |
| 8 | Michigan State | 16-2 | 558 | +4 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 14-4 | 478 | – |
| 10 | Marquette | 15-3 | 473 | -3 |
| 11 | Kansas | 13-4 | 467 | -1 |
| 12 | Purdue | 15-4 | 452 | +3 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 14-4 | 383 | -2 |
| 14 | Mississippi State | 15-3 | 341 | +4 |
| 15 | Oregon | 15-3 | 309 | -1 |
| 16 | Ole Miss | 15-3 | 272 | +5 |
| 17 | Illinois | 13-5 | 266 | +3 |
| 18 | UConn | 13-5 | 230 | -5 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 15-3 | 194 | +8 |
| 20 | Michigan | 14-4 | 180 | -1 |
| 21 | St. John’s | 16-3 | 167 | +5 |
| 22 | Memphis | 14-4 | 130 | -5 |
| 23 | West Virginia | 13-4 | 107 | +2 |
| 24 | Missouri | 15-3 | 77 | +14 |
| 25 | Texas Tech | 13-4 | 53 | +8 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 16 Gonzaga; No. 22 Utah State; No. 23 Georgia; No. 24 Baylor
Others Receiving Votes
Louisville 43; Gonzaga 43; Georgia 39; Clemson 28; Utah State 26; Saint Mary’s 25;…
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