Busting Brackets
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ACC Basketball power rankings: Florida State rises, Louisville dives downward

By Tristan Freeman

CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA - JANUARY 22: Kameron McGusty #23 of the Miami Hurricanes drives to the basket against Matthew Cleveland #35 of the Florida State Seminoles during the first half at Watsco Center on January 22, 2022 in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA - JANUARY 22: Kameron McGusty #23 of the Miami Hurricanes drives to the basket against Matthew Cleveland #35 of the Florida State Seminoles during the first half at Watsco Center on January 22, 2022 in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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ACC Basketball PJ Hall Clemson Tigers (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
ACC Basketball PJ Hall Clemson Tigers (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

11-8 (3-5). . Tigers . 10. team. 432.

When the Tigers were 2-2 in league play a few weeks ago, it looked as if they would be contending for a top-half spot in the league. Unfortunately, Clemson and its defense free-fell a bit, losing three straight games to Notre Dame, Boston College at home, and Syracuse. They gave up 70+ in all three games, including a whopping 91 on the road at the Orange.

But Clemson was able to get back into the win column this past weekend, dominating Pittsburgh at home for a 75-48 victory. Four starters were in double figures, led by 19 points from Al-Amir Dawes. PJ Hall and Chase Hunter combined for 8/10 from the field and 29 points scored, while guard David Collins had 10 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. And as a team, the Tigers shot 12/25 from three-point range.

The Tigers have a brutal upcoming schedule coming up, starting with Duke on the road, along with games against Notre Dame and North Carolina, and two matchups against Florida State as well. Currently at 3-5 in league play, there’s a chance that Clemson could fall towards the bottom tier of the standings. But while Pittsburgh isn’t very good offensively, the hope is that the team defense displayed on Saturday will be the start of a turnaround on that end, leading to more favorable results.