NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga drops, Duke, UNC rise in top 25 power ranking

NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Kansas drops, Duke, UNC rises in latest top 25 power ranking

MANHATTAN, KS - JANUARY 17: Head coach Jerome Tang of the Kansas State Wildcats (R) celebrates with players Markquis Nowell #1, Nae'Qwan Tomlin #35, Desi Sills #13, and David N'Guessan #3 of the Kansas State Wildcats, after beating the Kansas Jayhawks in overtime 83-82 at Bramlage Coliseum on January 17, 2023 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

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NCAA Basketball PJ Hall #24 of the Clemson Tigers (Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images) /

25. Clemson Tigers 16-4 (8-1 ACC)

It was going to happen eventually that Clemson was going to fall in ACC play. And on the road at Wake Forest was a great time. The Demon Deacons are squarely on the bubble (so are the Tigers thanks to 2 Quad 4 losses) and were in need of a big win.

And that’s what happened, as Clemson lost, 87-77 in an offensive battle. PJ Hall led the team with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Hunter Tyson had 19 points and 14 rebounds. Brevin Galloway had a good outing with 16 points and four assists but not having Chase Hunter, who is second on the team with 14.0 ppg, proved to be an issue for them.

It definitely was an issue for the Tigers this past weekend, with none of the guards playing well and the team scoring just 51 points overall. The good news is that they limited Virginia Tech to just 50 points in an ugly defensive battler for a one-point victory. The frontcourt duo of Hall (20 points and 8 rebs) and Tyson (12 pts and 9 rebs) did just enough for them to win to remain in first place in the ACC standings.

Clemson remains home to take on Georgia Tech to start out the week, before going on the road to play Florida State. The Seminoles, who were 2-9 in the non-conference, are now 5-4 in league play and have become a dangerous spoiler for teams that can’t afford a bad loss.

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