Clemson makes massive jump in new AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll as March Madness nears
The Clemson Tigers were one of the biggest risers in this week’s AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll.
After their 79-69 win over the SMU Mustangs over the weekend, Brad Brownell’s Tigers (22-5 overall, 14-2 ACC) jumped five spots to No. 13 in Monday’s new AP poll. Clemson is ranked one spot below the No. 12 Texas A&M Aggies (20-7) and one spot ahead of the No. 14 Missouri Tigers (20-7).
It’s the highest ranking in any of the Top 25 polls Clemson has had all season. The Tigers were ranked No. 14 in Monday’s new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Clemson got 19 points from Jaeden Zackery, 17 from Chase Hunter and 16 from Viktor Lakhin in the 10-point road win at SMU on Saturday in Dallas. The Tigers’ first 21 points came on 3-pointers. After briefly surrendering the lead late in the first half, they went on to lead by as many as 18 in the final 20 minutes.
The Tigers will welcome Notre Dame to Littlejohn Coliseum Wednesday night for a 7 p.m. ET tipoff. The game will be televised on ACC Network. The Tigers will be in search of their 15th victory in ACC play, which would set a program record.
The Louisville Cardinals (21-6) and Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans (22-5) were the only teams in Monday’s AP poll that saw a bigger jump than Clemson. The Cardinals and Spartans each rose six spots, with Louisville climbing to No. 19 and Michigan State soaring into the top 10 at No. 8.
The Auburn Tigers (25-2) remained No. 1 for the seventh straight week. Behind Bruce Pearl’s Tigers, the Duke Blue Devils (24-3) and Florida Gators (24-3) traded spots with Duke moving up to No. 2 and Florida checking in at No. 3. The Houston Cougars (23-4) moved up one spot to No. 4, and the Tennessee Volunteers (No. 5, 22-5) moved past the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 6, 22-5) to round out the top five.
New AP Top 25 Men’s College Basketball Poll, Feb. 24, 2025
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | PREVIOUS |
| 1 | Auburn (60) | 25-2 | 1500 | 1 |
| 2 | Duke | 24-3 | 1406 | 3 |
| 3 | Florida | 24-3 | 1397 | 2 |
| 4 | Houston | 23-4 | 1327 | 5 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 22-5 | 1236 | 6 |
| 6 | Alabama | 22-5 | 1198 | 4 |
| 7 | St. John’s | 24-4 | 1132 | 10 |
| 8 | Michigan State | 22-5 | 1055 | 14 |
| 9 | Iowa State | 21-6 | 1004 | 8 |
| 10 | Texas Tech | 21-6 | 915 | 9 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 21-6 | 800 | 11 |
| 12 | Texas A&M | 20-7 | 797 | 7 |
| 13 | Clemson | 22-5 | 712 | 18 |
| 14 | Missouri | 20-7 | 683 | 15 |
| 15 | Michigan | 20-6 | 657 | 12 |
| 16 | Maryland | 21-6 | 630 | 20 |
| 17 | Kentucky | 18-9 | 461 | 17 |
| 18 | Memphis | 22-5 | 393 | 22 |
| 19 | Louisville | 21-6 | 372 | 25 |
| 20 | Purdue | 19-9 | 328 | 13 |
| 21 | Marquette | 20-7 | 309 | 16 |
| 22 | Arizona | 18-9 | 289 | 19 |
| 23 | Saint Mary’s | 25-4 | 284 | NR |
| 24 | Mississippi State | 19-8 | 264 | 21 |
| 25 | BYU | 19-8 | 135 | NR |
