The winter campaign is almost here.
Clemson basketball is ready for another exciting season, as they hope to recreate the success that occurred last season during the regular season, where they finished third in the ACC behind a 23-11 record with a 14-6 in conference play. Despite missing out on the NCAA Tournament, where the Tigers found themselves at four of the first teams out of selection, head coach Brad Brownell has plenty to be optimistic about in this upcoming season.
The team is fully reloaded off of last season’s departures, which was headlined by senior captain Hunter Tyson and guard Brevin Galloway. The Tigers caught a break in the summer, though, when center PJ Hall decided to return to Clemson despite NBA Draft possibilities. Now, Hall earned himself a spot on the preseason All-ACC First Team, hoping to build off of a junior campaign that featured 15.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Joining Hall as a veteran leader in Clemson’s starting rotation is Chase Hunter, a redshirt senior prepared to help lead the backcourt for the Tigers. Hunter took a huge step up a season ago, averaging 13.6 points and 4.5 assists per game. The veteran guard will help serve not only as a returning ball faciilitator, but a senior leader for this squad.
But perhaps the biggest game changer for keeping Clemson at the top of the ACC was the use of the transfer portal by Brownell. The team added four transfers to join them this season, with one of them being one of the biggest in the conference, when Clemson picked up graduate guard Joe Girard III from Syracuse to join the team in his final year of eligibility. Girard averaged 16.4 points per game last season, shooting lights out from beyond the arc at an impressive 38.1%.
Guard Jake Heibreder, forward Jack Clark, and power forward Bas Leyte join Girard in the transfer class coming to Littlejohn Coliseum, hoping to make impacts in the rotation as well. A lot of eyes will focus on Clark, who plans to begin the season at the forward position for the Tigers. The graduate transfer from NC State has been overcoming a groin injury, but Brownell says that he is good to go for the upcoming season.
Brownell also returns plenty of usual suspects, including junior forward Ian Schieffelin, who started in a majority of games for Clemson last season and has shown flashes to be a solid player in his third season. The team also has a plethora of sophomores who have potential to make the starting rotation, as Chauncey Wiggins, R.J. Godfrey and Dillon Hunter are a few who could take the “next step” after seeing their contributions as freshmen.
Clemson has plenty of look ahead to, however, with a loaded schedule that will test their worth as a team this season. Out-of-conference opponents include teams like Memphis, Alabama and TCU, who all made the NCAA Tournament a season ago. Likewise, the ACC teams have each reloaded as well, giving plenty of pressure to Brownell and his team for a repeat performance. The Tigers will have to face North Carolina, Duke and Miami all away from home, but will be able to host a home game against the Hurricanes and Tar Heels too, as well as hosting the always-highly rated Virginia Cavaliers in this season as well.
Despite a team that will give Clemson its tests early, lots of experts still believe in the Tigers’ experience and potential as a squad to be dangerous in the conference. The team is predicted to finish as the No. 5 team in the ACC, behind Duke, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. You never know with college basketball, and the squad certainly has the capability to shock some teams down the stretch.
However, it all starts with Winthrop on November 6th, and there is no better place to start the fun with the game being played at Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson is hoping to start the season on the right foot, and show off the talent and skill that this squad has. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. next Monday, and the game will be broadcast on ACCNX.
