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Clemson picked to finish 11th in the ACC

The ACC preseason media poll puts the Tigers in the bottom third of the standings
Credit: AP
Clemson coach Brad Brownell answers a question during the Atlantic Coast Conference NCAA college basketball media day in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Clemson hopes the preseason media poll is wildly inaccurate.

The Tigers have been picked to finish 11th out of 15 teams according to voting by members of the media who attended ACC Operation Basketball in Charlotte, the annual preseason media gathering.

The Tigers placing is based on the departures of guards Marquise Reed and Shelton Mitchell along with post players Elijah Thomas and David Skara. 

Dreher grad and Alabama grad transfer Tevin Mack will be counted on to provide some clutch scoring for the Tigers, something that eluded them at times last season.

Clemson did have a jump start on the new year by competing in the World University Games in Italy. The Tigers won all six games they played en route to the Gold Medal, the United States’ first gold medal since 2015 and just its second since 2005.

Head coach Brad Brownell enters his 10th season at the helm. The Tigers are coming off a season where they finished 20-14, 9-9 in the ACC. That .500 record in the league was good enough for a tie for eighth with N.C. State. They advanced to the second round of the NIT.

Duke was the choice to win the ACC followed by North Carolina, Louisville, and defending national champion Virginia. Those were the only schools to receive first place votes.

ACC Preseason Order of Finish (first-place votes in parentheses)

1. Duke (51), 1564
2. North Carolina (19), 1493
3. Louisville (29), 1448
4. Virginia (12), 1405
5. Florida State, 1157
6. NC State, 1038
7. Notre Dame, 915
8. Syracuse, 910
9. Miami, 768
10. Pitt, 577
11. Clemson, 564
12. Georgia Tech, 437
13. Boston College, 382
14. Virginia Tech, 334
15. Wake Forest, 328

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