After playing three games the previous week, the Clemson Tigers had something a light schedule during the Thanksgiving holiday in Week 4 of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season.
After closing out the Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic at TD Arena with a 97-94 overtime win over the Georgia Bulldogs, the Tigers had no problem with Alabama A&M Friday night at Littlejohn Coliseum. Jestin Porter led Clemson with 14 points, Carter Welling added 12, and RJ Godfrey had 10 in a 92-56 win over the Bulldogs.
Clemson led 52-22 at halftime, and led by as many as 38 in the final three minutes against Alabama A&M.
Coach Brad Brownell’s team improved to 7-1 overall after shooting 55 percent from the field against Alabama A&M and sinking eight 3-pointers. The Tigers’ impressive nonconference wins over Georgia and West Virginia, combined with taking care of business at home against mid-major teams, has the team picking up some notice from pollsters.
Is Clemson basketball ranked in Week 5 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll?
Clemson remains unranked in the Week 5 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, but the Tigers received nine votes for top 25 consideration, up from four votes the previous week.
Led by the Duke Blue Devils at No. 4 and the Louisville Cardinals at No. 6, the ACC has three teams ranked in the top 25. The North Carolina Tar Heels stayed at No. 17 in the poll.
One ACC team, NC State, dropped out of the top 25.
USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll Top 25 rankings after Week 4
The full Week 5 top 25 rankings in the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll are below.
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | 1st | Prev | Chg | Hi/Lo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purdue | 7-0 | 762 | 21 | 1 | – | 1/1 |
| 2 | Michigan | 7-0 | 721 | 6 | 6 | +4 | 2/7 |
| 3 | Arizona | 7-0 | 709 | 3 | 3 | – | 3/13 |
| 4 | Duke | 8-0 | 696 | 1 | 4 | – | 4/5 |
| 5 | UConn | 6-1 | 608 | 0 | 7 | +2 | 3/7 |
| 6 | Louisville | 7-0 | 600 | 0 | 5 | -1 | 5/12 |
| 7 | Houston | 7-1 | 588 | 0 | 2 | -5 | 2/7 |
| 8 | Michigan State | 7-0 | 531 | 0 | 12 | +4 | 8/21 |
| 9 | Iowa State | 7-0 | 502 | 0 | 13 | +4 | 9/18 |
| 10 | BYU | 6-1 | 493 | 0 | 11 | +1 | 7/11 |
| 11 | Gonzaga | 7-1 | 480 | 0 | 10 | -1 | 10/20 |
| 12 | Alabama | 5-2 | 428 | 0 | 9 | -3 | 9/16 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 7-1 | 377 | 0 | 16 | +3 | 13/18 |
| 14 | Florida | 5-2 | 313 | 0 | 8 | -6 | 3/14 |
| 15 | Illinois | 6-2 | 312 | 0 | 14 | -1 | 8/15 |
| 16 | Vanderbilt | 8-0 | 268 | 0 | 23 | +7 | 16/NR |
| 17 | North Carolina | 6-1 | 230 | 0 | 17 | – | 17/25 |
| 18 | Kentucky | 5-2 | 222 | 0 | 18 | – | 8/18 |
| 19 | Texas Tech | 6-2 | 192 | 0 | 20 | +1 | 11/20 |
| 19 | Indiana | 7-0 | 192 | 0 | 24 | +5 | 19/NR |
| 21 | Kansas | 6-2 | 154 | 0 | NR | +10 | 19/NR |
| 22 | St. John’s | 4-3 | 129 | 0 | 15 | -7 | 6/22 |
| 23 | Arkansas | 5-2 | 119 | 0 | 21 | -2 | 15/23 |
| 24 | Auburn | 6-2 | 104 | 0 | 25 | +1 | 22/NR |
| 25 | Iowa | 7-0 | 69 | 0 | NR | +13 | 25/NR |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 19 UCLA; No. 22 North Carolina State;
Others Receiving Votes
USC 56; UCLA 33; Nebraska 31; Missouri 28; Saint Mary’s 20; Baylor 19; North Carolina State 16; Virginia 14; LSU 14; Clemson 9; Butler 9; Ole Miss 8; TCU 5; Wisconsin 4; Utah State 4; SMU 4; Oklahoma State 1; Colorado 1;
Clemson basketball schedule 2025-26
Clemson faces a litmus test Wednesday in the ACC/SEC Challenge when the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa to face the 12-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (5-2) at Coleman Coliseum.
Tipoff for Clemson-Alabama is 7:15 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
After the Tigers’ matchup with the Crimson Tide, Clemson will visit Madison Square Garden in New York to face another top 25 team, the No. 10 BYU Cougars, at the annual Jimmy V Classic. Clemson will face BYU at 6:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 9. The game will be televised on ESPN.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson basketball gaining notice in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
