Clemson Finishes No. 20 in Final AP Poll

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson University men’s basketball team finished  No. 20 in the country in the final Associated Press (AP) poll of the season released on Monday. It is the first time Clemson has been ranked in the final AP men’s basketball poll since the 2008-09 season when Clemson was 24th.

The Tigers (23-9, 11-7 ACC) were ranked as high as 11th in the country this season – its highest mark since being ranked 10th on Feb. 2, 2009. Clemson finished the 2017-18 season ranked for 10 consecutive weeks – its longest streak in the AP poll since a streak of 18 in a row from December 15, 2008 to November 30, 2009.  The current streak is the third longest in Clemson history.

This marks sixth time Clemson has been ranked in the final AP Top 25. The other seasons were 1986-87 (15th), 1989-90 (17th), 1996-97 (14th), 2007-08 (22nd), 2008-09 (24th). The No. 20 final ranking is the highest final ranking in the AP poll for the program since the No. 14 finish in 1996-97.

With a 74-70 win at Boston College on Jan. 3, the Tigers earned their first victory as a ranked team since a 73-70 win at NC State on Jan. 16, 2010 (ranked No. 24). The Tigers’ 74-69 overtime win over Louisville on Jan. 6 served as Clemson’s first home win as a ranked team since a Jan. 13, 2010 victory over North Carolina 83-64.

Combined with Clemson’s No. 4 final ranking by the AP in football, this marks the first time since the 2007-08 academic year that Clemson has been ranked in the final AP poll in both men’s basketball and football. Clemson was 22nd in men’s basketball and 21st in football that year.

It is the first time Clemson has been in the top 20 in both since the 1989-90 academic year when Clemson finished 17th in men’s basketball and 12th in football. This is just the fourth time Clemson has finished in the top 25 of the AP men’s basketball and football polls in the same academic year.