- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
North Carolina Falls To No. 21 In AP Top 25
Tar Heels drop two spots after early exit from ACC Tournament
Mar. 16, 2026 at 6:18pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
North Carolina dropped two spots to No. 21 in this week's AP Top 25 poll following its loss to Clemson in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. The Tar Heels were ousted from the conference tournament after trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half before making a late comeback attempt.
Why it matters
North Carolina's early exit from the ACC Tournament marks the first time since 2014 that the Tar Heels failed to win at least one conference tournament game. The team's ranking drop also impacts their seeding and matchups in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
The details
After topping Clemson in their final regular season home game, North Carolina fell to the fifth-seeded Tigers 80-79 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. The Tar Heels outscored Clemson 21-7 over the final 3:33, but Jarin Stevenson's full-court heave at the buzzer fell short.
- North Carolina lost to Clemson in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, March 13, 2026.
- The AP Top 25 poll was released on Monday, March 16, 2026.
The players
North Carolina Tar Heels
The men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina, a Division I program that competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Clemson Tigers
The men's basketball team at Clemson University, a Division I program that also competes in the ACC.
What’s next
North Carolina now turns its focus to the NCAA Tournament, where the Tar Heels earned a No. 6 seed and will face No. 11 seed VCU in the first round on Thursday, March 20, 2026.
The takeaway
North Carolina's early exit from the ACC Tournament and subsequent drop in the AP Top 25 rankings highlights the competitive nature of college basketball, where even top-ranked teams can struggle against lower-seeded opponents. The Tar Heels will need to regroup quickly as they prepare for the high-stakes NCAA Tournament.
