Oct. 13—CLEMSON — Both Clemson men’s and women’s basketball jumped up this preseason from their poll position last year.
The Tigers men’s team was picked sixth in this year’s ACC preseason poll released Oct. 13. Clemson women’s basketball was picked ninth in its poll.
Men’s freshman guard Harris Reynolds received one Rookie of the Year vote. Women’s freshman forward Kimora Fields was selected for the All-ACC freshman team. The men’s poll doesn’t name an all-freshman list.
Duke was picked as the ACC favorites in both polls, while Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo was named the preseason Player of the Year. Virginia forward Thijs De Ridder was named the men’s preseason Player of the Year.
The women were picked 11th in last year’s poll and finished ninth with a 21-12 (11-7 ACC) record. They made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019. The men were picked seventh and finished fifth with a 24-11 (12-6 ACC) record in 2025-2026.
Neither team received a first-place vote, or had a non-freshman make an All-ACC team or receive a Player of the Year vote.
The men’s poll was finalized on Oct. 12, before it was announced Clemson sophomore guard Zac Foster re-tore his ACL. Foster was expected to start whenever he made his return to the court after his original injury in December 2025.
Both teams begin their seasons on Nov. 2 in Littlejohn Coliseum. The women play Radford at noon and the men play Stetson at 7 p.m.
ACC Men’s Preseason Poll
School, Points
1. Duke (45), 861
2. Virginia (1), 778
3. Louisville (1), 758
4. Miami (1), 753
5. North Carolina, 658
6. Clemson, 623
7. Florida State, 519
8. N.C. State, 502
9. Virginia Tech, 489
10. SMU, 443
11. Syracuse, 353
12. Pittsburgh, 323
13. Stanford, 267
14. Wake Forest, 234
15. California, 225
16. Notre Dame, 153
17. Boston College, 150
18. Georgia Tech, 119
ACC Women’s Preseason Poll
School, Points
1. Duke (49), 1,649
2. Louisville (22), 1,580
3, North Carolina (1), 1,462
4. Notre Dame (4), 1,450
5. N.C. State, 1,337
6. Virginia, 1,085
7. Syracuse, 1,009
8. Virginia Tech, 1,003
9. Clemson, 988
10. California, 786
11. Miami, 689
12. Georgia Tech, 684
13. Stanford, 674
14. Florida State, 603
15. SMU, 373
16. Wake Forest, 296
17. Pittsburgh, 236
18. Boston College, 170
Reach Jackson Castellano at jcastellano@postandcourier.com. Follow him on X @jaxacastellano.