Clemson Basketball and Brad Brownell are staying hot in the transfer portal as they landed their fourth recruit via the portal this past Sunday, Efrem ‘Butta’ Johnson.
The Tigers desperately needed guard play, and still do, as they only have three other guards listed on the roster — both of which are freshman.
Efrem looks to pair up well alongside Dillon Hunter in the backcourt as he can add scoring off the dribble and length at 6-foot-4, 180-pounds.
Johnson has shown glimpses of stardom in his three years with the UAB Blazers, helping lead them to a March Madness tournament appearance while averaging 11.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game on 43/36/82 shooting splits.
This past season, he saw a drop in minutes and starts on the season, which surprised most as former star guard Eric Gaines declared for the 2024 NBA Draft over the off-season.
While he would still capitalize on the time he spent on the court, putting up nine points, two rebounds and two assists, his efficiency would dip from the previous season. But I like to say shooters should shoot, and sometimes that can lead to slumps — you just have to brush it off and enter every game in a new head space.
Butta Johnson didn’t let the playing time affect him during the season, dropping multiple 20-point performances throughout the season.
He would start the year on a heater with a 21-point performance on incredible efficiency, shooting 7-for-13 from the field and 5-9 from three-point range.
The three-level scorer had a fantastic game against the — at the time No. 24 — ranked Memphis Tigers, where he would be a do-it-all type of player for the Blazers and drop 21 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals.
In three games played against the conference rival — including the AAC Tournament — Johnson averaged 15 points, three assists and three steals per game, showing off his knack for elite perimeter defense.
Arguably, his best performance of the year came in a close 90-89 win over the Rice Owls, where he dropped a career-high 24 points on a night where he couldn’t miss as he knocked down 10 of his 13 shots, including four threes.
While Butta saw a lack of playing time at UAB last year, I think he’ll be just fine in Tiger Town as he looks to be our starting guard as of right now and has a highly experienced head coach in Brad Brownell, along with a mixture of young and experienced teammates.
Let’s not forget that this is the same guy who dropped 17 points as a sophomore on the same Clemson Tigers that made an Elite 8 run in the 2023-2024 season.
Brad Brownell and the Tigers sit comfortably at No. 16 in the 2025 College Basketball transfer portal rankings, with all four acquisitions being four-star transfers. Regardless of the team’s departures, Brownell’s strong suit is the recruiting game, so trust in time that he will have a solid squad ready for next season.
