Clemson secured a decisive 85-65 victory over North Carolina on Monday, marking their continued rise in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 rankings. Following a significant win against Duke, the Tigers’ performance this week highlights their impressive capabilities, improving their record to 20-5 overall and 12-2 in the ACC.

On the other hand, the Tar Heels, once considered a top contender with a preseason ranking of 9, have seen their performance decline to a 14-11 record and a troubling 7-6 in a highly competitive ACC. This poor performance has led to projections indicating they may miss the upcoming NCAA Tournament, making this season particularly disappointing for fourth-year coach Hubert Davis, who is at risk of repeating the fate of the only North Carolina coach to fail to reach the NCAA Tournament twice in a three-year span, Matt Doherty.

Clemson remains in the race for the ACC title, closely trailing first-place Duke while also competing against Louisville, who are both showing strong form as the season progresses.