ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Miami, Clemson falls after tough losses

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - DECEMBER 09: Kihei Clark #0 of the Virginia Cavaliers drives past Marcus Evans #2 of the VCU Rams in the second half during a game at John Paul Jones Arena on December 9, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

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10. Clemson Tigers (6-3)

Last week: 7th (↓3)

The Clemson Tigers are another team that’s struggling as the season gets into full swing. Since starting the season 5-0, the Tigers have lost three of their last four games to Power Five opponents.

The latest loss for the Tigers came against the No. 21 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs this past Saturday, 82-71. The team shot 6-22 from 3-point range in the game, which was one of their more inefficient games.

Senior guard Shelton Mitchell had a rough shooting night, going 3-16 from the floor and 1-8 from 3-point land in the loss.

Their next big test will be the Radford Highlanders, a squad that’s already defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Texas Longhorns on the road this season. There’s time for them to adjust but they need their senior leaders to step up.

Mitchell is averaging 13.9 points and 3.0 assists per game. Senior Macrquise Reed leads the team in scoring with 19.4 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals per contest. When they play well, the result is usually a victory, but they’ll need to find their consistency against tougher teams.