Clemson men’s basketball has been given a place among the ACC’s upper tier entering the 2026-27 men’s basketball season, with the Tigers picked sixth in the conference’s preseason media poll.
The projection puts Clemson
just outside the top five in the 18-team league. The Tigers collected 623 points from the panel of 48 voters, finishing behind North Carolina and comfortably ahead of seventh-place Florida State.There was a relatively narrow gap between Clemson and the Tar Heels, who received 658 points. Meanwhile, the Tigers held a 104-point advantage over the Seminoles, creating some separation from the next group of teams in the preseason standings.
Clemson also had a player draw consideration for one of the conference’s individual awards. Harris
Reynolds received one vote for ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year, joining a group of six players who earned support.
Duke’s Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje claimed that honor with 34 votes. Miami’s Caleb Gaskins finished second with five, followed by Duke’s Cameron Williams with four and North Carolina’s Maximo Adams with three. Reynolds and Duke’s Deron Rippey each received one.
The Tigers did not have a representative on either preseason All-ACC team. Virginia forward Thijs De Ridder was the only unanimous first-team selection and also earned Preseason Player of the Year honors.
At the top of the team poll, Duke received 45 of the 48 first-place votes and finished with 861 points. The Blue Devils were selected as the conference favorite for the third consecutive season.
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Virginia, Louisville and Miami occupied the next three spots, with each receiving one first-place vote. North Carolina completed the group ahead of Clemson, while NC State, Virginia Tech and SMU rounded out the top 10.
The preseason voting gives Clemson a clear benchmark heading into the season: a finish in the upper third of the conference, with a relatively small points gap separating the Tigers from the top five.
ACC men’s basketball begins Nov. 1, and conference play opens Dec. 29.
2026-27 ACC preseason poll
- Duke — 861 points (45 first-place votes)
- Virginia — 778 points (1)
- Louisville — 758 points (1)
- Miami — 753 points (1)
- North Carolina — 658 points
- Clemson — 623 points
- Florida State — 519 points
- NC State — 502 points
- Virginia Tech — 489 points
- SMU — 443 points
- Syracuse — 353 points
- Pitt — 323 points
- Stanford — 267 points
- Wake Forest — 234 points
- California — 225 points
- Notre Dame — 153 points
- Boston College — 150 points
- Georgia Tech — 119 points
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Where Clemson men’s basketball stands in ACC Preseason Media Poll
