Led by Duke, four ACC teams are ranked in this week's USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll entering conference play. Here are the full top 25 rankings.
The Clemson Tigers put a bow on their nonconference schedule with a 68-65 victory over the Cincinnati Bearcats on Dec. 21 in Greenville before their Christmas break.
The Tigers (10-3) got out to a 27-point lead in the first half against the Bearcats, then needed a layup from RJ Godfrey and four free throws from senior Dillon Hunter in the final 15 seconds to hold on to the victory.
Clemson will head into its ACC opener with three straight victories, having beaten in-state rival South Carolina and Mercer in addition to the win over Cincinnati since Dec. 9.
Clemson faces the Syracuse Orange to tip off ACC play on New Year's Eve at 2 p.m. at JMA Wireless Dome in New York. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
In the meantime, here's a look at Monday's new men's basketball Coaches Poll.
Where Clemson basketball sits in ESPN bracketology entering ACC opener https://t.co/iGMbPc5h1apic.twitter.com/BGJIBdzmT0
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) December 24, 2025
Clemson basketball picks up more votes for top 25 consideration
Clemson remains unranked in the Week 9 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, but the Tigers received six votes for top 25 consideration, tied for fifth-most among teams outside the rankings. A week ago, Clemson received just one vote for top-25 consideration.
The Duke Blue Devils (11-1) continue to lead the ACC in the Coaches Poll and are ranked No. 5. The ACC has four teams ranked in this week's poll. Louisville (10-2) moved up one spot to No. 13 while North Carolina (12-1) stayed at No. 12. Virginia (11-1) is ranked No. 21.
Full USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll Top 25 entering 2026
The full Week 9 top 25 rankings in the USA TODAY Sports men's basketball coaches poll are below.
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | 1st | Prev | Chg | Hi/Lo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 11-0 | 764 | 20 | 1 | - | 1/7 |
| 2 | Arizona | 12-0 | 753 | 11 | 2 | - | 2/13 |
| 3 | Iowa State | 12-0 | 700 | 0 | 3 | - | 3/18 |
| 4 | UConn | 12-1 | 670 | 0 | 4 | - | 3/7 |
| 5 | Duke | 11-1 | 611 | 0 | 6 | +1 | 3/6 |
| 6 | Purdue | 11-1 | 605 | 0 | 5 | -1 | 1/6 |
| 7 | Gonzaga | 13-1 | 584 | 0 | 7 | - | 7/20 |
| 8 | Houston | 11-1 | 570 | 0 | 8 | - | 2/8 |
| 9 | Michigan State | 11-1 | 527 | 0 | 9 | - | 8/21 |
| 10 | BYU | 12-1 | 521 | 0 | 10 | - | 7/11 |
| 11 | Vanderbilt | 12-0 | 423 | 0 | 11 | - | 11/NR |
| 12 | North Carolina | 12-1 | 401 | 0 | 12 | - | 12/25 |
| 13 | Nebraska | 12-0 | 357 | 0 | 13 | - | 13/NR |
| 13 | Louisville | 10-2 | 357 | 0 | 14 | +1 | 5/14 |
| 15 | Alabama | 9-3 | 315 | 0 | 15 | - | 9/16 |
| 16 | Texas Tech | 10-3 | 305 | 0 | 16 | - | 11/20 |
| 17 | Kansas | 10-3 | 281 | 0 | 17 | - | 17/NR |
| 18 | Arkansas | 9-3 | 240 | 0 | 18 | - | 14/23 |
| 19 | Illinois | 9-3 | 237 | 0 | 19 | - | 8/19 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 9-3 | 219 | 0 | 20 | - | 13/23 |
| 21 | Virginia | 11-1 | 175 | 0 | 21 | - | 21/NR |
| 22 | Florida | 8-4 | 143 | 0 | 22 | - | 3/22 |
| 23 | Iowa | 10-2 | 91 | 0 | 23 | - | 23/NR |
| 24 | Georgia | 11-1 | 65 | 0 | 24 | - | 24/NR |
| 25 | St. John's | 8-4 | 38 | 0 | NR | +1 | 6/NR |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 25 USC
Others Receiving Votes
Kentucky 32; USC 25; Utah State 14; Auburn 7; Saint Louis 6; Clemson 6; Seton Hall 5; Oklahoma State 5; Yale 4; UCLA 4; Saint Mary's 4; LSU 3; California 2; Villanova 1; Miami (OH) 1; Indiana 1
Clemson basketball schedule 2025-26
After its ACC opener, Clemson will head to Pittsburgh for a matchup against the Pitt Panthers (7-6) at Petersen Events Center on Saturday, Jan. 3. Tipoff is at noon ET. Clemson-Pitt will be televised on The CW.
Here's a look at the Clemson Tigers' full 2025-26 men's college basketball schedule.
All start times Eastern.
- Nov. 3: vs. New Hampshire (W, 88-38)
- Nov. 7: vs. Gardner-Webb (W, 97-59)
- Nov. 11: vs. Morehead State (W, 83-56)
- Nov. 15: at Georgetown (L, 79-74)
- Nov. 17: vs. North Alabama (W, 81-61)
- Nov. 21: vs. West Virginia (W, 70-67)
- Nov. 23: vs. Georgia (W, 97-94, OT)
- Nov. 28: vs. Alabama A&M (W, 92-56)
- Dec. 3: at Alabama (L, 90-84)
- Dec. 9 vs. BYU (L, 67-64)
- Dec. 13: vs. Mercer (W, 70-63)
- Dec. 16: vs. South Carolina (W, 68-61)
- Dec. 21: vs. Cincinnati (W, 68-65)
- Dec. 31: at Syracuse, 2 p.m., ESPN2
- Jan. 3: at Pittsburgh, noon, The CW
- Jan. 7: vs. SMU, 9 p.m., ESPNU
- Jan. 10: at Notre Dame, 6 p.m., ESPN2
- Jan. 13: vs. Boston College, 7 p.m., ACC Network
- Jan. 17: vs. Miami, 2:15 p.m., The CW
- Jan. 20: vs. NC State, 7 p.m., The CW
- Jan. 24: at Georgia Tech, noon, The CW
- Jan. 31: vs. Pittsburgh, noon, ACC Network
- Feb. 4: at Stanford, 10 p.m., ACC Network
- Feb. 7: at California, 8 p.m., ACC Network
- Feb. 11: vs. Virginia Tech, 7 p.m., ACC Network
- Feb. 14: at Duke, noon, ESPN
- Feb. 18: at Wake Forest, 7 p.m., ACC Network
- Feb. 21: Florida State, noon, TBD
- Feb. 28: vs. Louisville, TBD
- March 3: at North Carolina, 7 p.m., TBD
- March 7: vs. Georgia Tech, noon, ACC Network
Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson basketball update in Week 9 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Category: General Sports
