Clemson remains in AP Top 25 despite back-to-back losses

The Tigers are hanging on to a ranking despite a tough stretch, including losses at Miami and against North Carolina.

This Clemson basketball team is enduring its roughest stretch of play during the 2023-24 season. However, the team's tremendous start has kept them in the AP Top 25.

With the new rankings being released on Monday, the Tigers found themselves sitting at No. 21. That's a little bit of a slide from their previous ranking of No. 16. 

Clemson fell to Miami last Wednesday, 95-82 / Clemson Athletics

A quick rebound, starting this Wednesday with a road match against Virginia Tech, could help them climb back up in the rankings. Clemson is currently the third highest-ranked team in the ACC only behind No. 7 North Carolina, the team they just lost to, and No. 11 Duke, who they will play near the end of this month.

Memphis, who gave Clemson their first loss of the year, has moved themselves up to No. 13 which should make that loss sting a little bit less in the eyes of the NCAA Tournament committee. However, Miami, a team Clemson lost to last week, just suffered a defeat to a subpar Wake Forest team and isn't anywhere to be found among the top 25 now. 

Suffice it to say that Clemson is still in a solid position to receive a good seeding for the Big Dance, after missing last year entirely, but the team needs to regain its earlier form quickly. Where this team stands a week from now could tell us a lot about the hopes for the remainder of the year.