Thanks to last Tuesday’s win over NC State, the Clemson men’s basketball team jumped up seven spots to No. 12 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, which was released on Monday.
Clemson is the highest ranked team in the ACC this week. Louisville is next at No. 16, while Virginia is No. 18. Duke is ranked 19th followed by Virginia Tech at No. 20.
The Tigers (9-1, 3-1) did not play this weekend after the program was paused due to a positive test result for COVID-19 on Friday. Clemson was scheduled to play at North Carolina this past Saturday, but that game, along with Tuesday’s date at Syracuse, was postponed.
Brad Brownell is hopeful Clemson’s home game against Virginia this Saturday will be played. The Clemson head coach said they have tested every day, including Monday, since pulling the players off the court before Friday’s practice and pausing all team activities.
“We are testing every day and we are hopeful that if we continue to get negative test, which we have gotten mostly here the last couple of days, and again today, that possibly Tuesday or Wednesday we can get back to practice,” Brownell said.
Clemson, of course, did not do much Saturday and Sunday, as Brownell gave his players time off to kind of get their minds wrapped around everything that was happening.
“I think we have had a couple of days of good testing and so, I think, if everything goes well again today, they are going to let the guys go in the gym and shoot a little bit. But just like one guy at a time,” he said. “Then, obviously, we get our test back the next day and if things are good, hopefully, guys are going to be able to practice.”
Clemson has not heard when their games at North Carolina and at Syracuse will be rescheduled. The Tigers were supposed to play at UNC this past Saturday and were scheduled to play at Syracuse on Tuesday.
“I am sure we are all just kind of waiting to see what happens and if there are openings. How it all works, I don’t really know,” Brownell said.
Associated Press Top 25 Poll (Week 8)
| RANK | TEAM | PV RANK | POINTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 |
Gonzaga (12-0) | 1 | 1,599 (63) | ||
| 2 |
 |
Baylor (11-0) | 2 | 1,536 (1) | ||
| 3 |
 |
Villanova (8-1) | 3 | 1,436 | ||
| 4 |
 |
Texas (10-1) | 4 | 1,422 | |
| 5 |
 |
Iowa (11-2) | 5 | 1,322 | |
| 6 |
 |
Kansas (10-2) | 6 | 1,220 | |
| 7 |
 |
Michigan (10-0) | 10 | 1,161 | |
| 8 |
 |
Creighton (10-2) | 7 | 1,151 |
| 9 |
 |
Wisconsin (10-2) | 8 | 1,110 | ||
| 10 |
 |
Tennessee (9-1) | 9 | 1,093 | ||
| 11 |
 |
Houston (10-1) | 11 | 993 | ||
| 12 |
 |
Clemson (9-1) | 19 | 747 | ||
| 13 |
 |
West Virginia (9-4) | 14 | 701 | ||
| 14 |
 |
Illinois (9-4) | 12 | 694 | ||
| 15 |
 |
Texas Tech (10-3) | 18 | 689 | ||
| 16 |
 |
Louisville (8-1) | 464 | |||
| 17 |
 |
Missouri (7-2) | 13 | 436 | ||
| 18 |
 |
Virginia (7-2) | 22 | 403 | ||
| 19 |
 |
Duke (5-2) | 21 | 397 | |
| 20 |
 |
Virginia Tech (9-2) | 19 | 286 | |
| 21 |
 |
Ohio State (9-3) | 280 | ||
| 22 |
 |
Oregon (9-2) | 17 | 264 | |
| 23 |
 |
Minnesota (10-4) | 16 | 233 | |
| 24 |
 |
Saint Louis (7-1) | 23 | 220 | |
| 25 | Connecticut (6-1) | 181 |