The Tigers’ confidence is sky-high after making the Elite Eight last season. Brad Brownell may not be bringing in the best freshmen or transfer class in the Carolinas. Still, they’ve managed to fill in the roster using the transfer portal. While PJ Hall has left for the NBA, Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin will be returning, both of whom averaged double digits in points last year. Let’s dive into a Clemson Basketball preview as they aim to win the ACC.
Clemson Basketball Preview: Tigers Will Strive to Win ACC
Despite finishing fifth in the ACC standings for the 2023-24 season, Clemson was tied with Duke for the second most Quad One wins in the conference with five. This earned them an NCAA Tournament appearance and the sixth seed in the West Region. Before falling to Alabama in the Elite Eight, the Tigers were able to knock off two higher seeds in back-to-back games. They defeated three-seed Baylor in the round of 32 and beat two-seed Arizona in the Sweet 16. Outside of an early exit from the ACC Tournament, it was a good season. With Clemson signing Brownell to a new contract after last year’s run, how far can he take them his year?
Tigers Transfers
Viktor Lakhin, Jaeden Zackery, Christian Reeves, and Myles Foster will all join Clemson this upcoming season. Lakhin is transferring in from Big 12 member Cincinnati. He was fourth in rebound percentage in the Big 12 last season, averaging 15.8% on the year. Jaeden Zackery spent his last three years at Boston College. Funnily enough, last season in the ACC tournament he posted a season-high 22 points against Clemson. Christian Reeves comes from Duke, where he never really got much of a chance. The big man did not average more than six minutes a game in his two years with the Blue Devils. Hopefully, he can find a spot in the rotation with a new environment. Foster is transferring from Illinois State, where he led the team in points and rebounding last season, averaging 12 and eight respectively.
Clemson Incoming Freshmen
Dallas Thomas, Ace Buckner, and Del Jones will be the incoming freshmen for Clemson in the 2024-2025 season. Thomas comes from Parkview Magnet in Little Rock, AR, where he was coached by Scottie Thurman, an Arkansas Basketball alumni. Even with offers from LSU and Arkansas, Thomas chose Clemson which speaks volumes to Brownell’s recruiting ability. Buckner will be following in his father Greg’s footsteps, as the elder Buckner played for the Tigers from 1994-1998. He was recently hired to Doc Rivers’s coaching staff with the Milwaukee Bucks. Surely having a father who’s an NBA Coach and former player has done wonders for the younger Buckner’s basketball IQ. Jones is the lowest-ranked prospect, but could still fight for playing time in a competitive backcourt. He chose Clemson over Seton Hall and Arizona State, which again shows Brownell’s knack for getting great talent.
Clemson Basketball Schedule Preview
Clemson will be participating in the 2024 Sunshine Slam, alongside Penn State, Drexel, Chicago State, Radford, Purdue Fort-Wayne, Fordham, and San Francisco. The Tigers faced Radford in their final non-conference regular season game last season, dominating the Highlanders in a 93-58 win. Also, they had a double overtime thriller against Penn State two years ago. The Nittany Lions will have a new head coach with Mike Rhoades at the helm. Nevertheless, if they do face PSU it could be a heated contest due to the two team’s history. Their non-conference schedule is still being worked on, but they have a matchup with blue-blood Kentucky at home on Dec. 3rd for the ACC/SEC Challenge. After advancing to the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history, Clemson has a full head of steam heading into the 2024-25 season.
