Are the Tigers going to dip? Maybe. But maybe not that much.
When you talk about Clemson basketball, you have to start here: Brad Brownell is a terrific coach and Clemson is lucky to have him, not least of all because they nearly - and disastrously - dumped him for Will Wade in 2017.
The latest shiny thing in 2017, Wade went to LSU where he crashed and burned in the Adidas scandal, caught on tape making a “strong-ass offer,” taking out his boss, former Duke A.D. Joe Alleva, in the process.
Brownell, as far as we know, is not a cheater and if he is, he isn’t very good at it. Prior to the NIL revolution, Brownell sought underrated prospects that he could develop. He still does that as well as anyone but has also worked the transfer portal well.
Look at who he has turned out at Clemson.
People who follow recruiting very closely may have known who those guys were before they got to Clemson but most of us had no idea. Brownell turned them into terrific college basketball players. Consider Hall, who Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski once called “the most improved player on the planet.” Basically, if you’re a 5-star, you’re going to Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, UNC or UConn. If not? Clemson is a great option and you will definitely improve. It’s really impressive.
Because Brownell is a gifted coach, we aren't as worried about his personnel losses as we would be elsewhere. And he lost a lot: Josh Beadle is now at BC, Jack Clark, in Year Seven, is at VCU, Joe Girard is off to the smoking leagues, PJ Hall is on a two-way with the Denver Nuggets where he can hang out with former teammate Tyson, while Alex Hemenway and Bas Leyte have no eligibility left.
The Tigers return Schieffelin, the Hunter brothers, Chase and Dillon, Asa Thomas who redshirted and Chauncey Wiggins.
We’re not sure any ACC player, including Hall, has done more with his talent than Schieffelin. A solid football quarterback in high school, when we first saw Schieffelin, quite honestly, he didn’t look like he’d ever be much of a basketball player. Boy did he prove us wrong.
Now a senior, the 6-8/238 Schieffelin nearly averaged a double-double with 10.1 ppg and 9.4 rebounds. He also shot 56.4 percent and passed out 2.2 apg.
Surprisingly, he shot 46.9 percent from behind the line. He’s been a rock for Clemson and this year, he has a chance to play a huge role. He’s probably not NBA material, but he’s exceeded expectations at every turn so far, so who knows?
We’ll have to wait and see what Thomas has to offer, but the Hunters are solid. Chase (6-4 senior) put his name in the draft but he pulled out and is back for his sixth season. He did well in the postseason with Brownell saying it was as well as he has played at Clemson. Having such an experienced guard is huge for Clemson.
Dillon (6-3 junior) could be one of those players who ultimately benefit from Brownell’s remarkable developmental skills. He had his moments last season but this season he could really shine.
Wiggins (6-10-1/2 and 210 lbs) is back and he showed improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons. His minutes nearly doubled and his scoring and rebounding were up too. Can he make a significant jump this year?
We wouldn’t rule it out but he’s got a lot to prove to do it. He’ll be a huge asset if he can make a leap.
Jake Heidbreder (6-5 junior) is back too but he had to sit out last season after transferring from Air Force (he developed a stress reaction in his hip). He was an outstanding sniper at Air Force, but we haven't seen that he he can do it at Clemson.
This year’s transfer crop could be pretty good too. Viktor Lakhin (6-11/240 senior) comes over from Cincinnati. He had injuries there which is a concern, but he’s big, he can score and rebound a bit and if he’s healthy who knows?
He’s got one year left.
So does Myles Foster (6-7 senior). The Illinois State product shot well (52.5 percent) and averaged 12.1 ppg and 8.1 rebounds. He started at Monmouth. He should help and might be one of those guys who exceeds expectations.
ACC fans know Jaeden Zackery (6-1 senior) well. He was a really nice piece for Boston College for three years. He’s not immensely talented but he works hard and at times plays inspired basketball. He’s a nice addition and experienced.
And Duke fans will see Christian Reeves in a new jersey. The 7-1/261 lb. sophomore was slowed by injuries last season and opted for a fresh start. We saw potential in him and hope he achieves that. He’ll have a chance to make an impact at Clemson.
The Tigers also bring in four freshmen.
Ace Buckner (6-1) is the third member of his family to play in the ACC, following father Greg, a Clemson legend, and uncle Andre, who played for Duke. He has dreamed of playing for Clemson and now he will. That’s a nice story. He’ll probably develop for a year or two before he contributes much.
Dallas Thomas (6-9/180) is really skinny so he may need a year or two to fill out. He should roughly parallel the development of Wiggins. The Tigers strength coach will earn his keep but Thomas has a very high ceiling, if he can reach it.
Del Jones is a 6-0 point guard who needs to work on discretion. He’s very quick but apparently shot just 22 percent in EYBL play. If he’s a willing defender, he could find a role as a freshman but the backcourt is going to be crowded. Unless he’s a nice surprise, he’ll probably spend a year or two in development.
Finally, there’s Jackson Roberts (6-11/250). We’re not being ugly when we say this - he reminds us of Shrek. And part of that is that he looks like he could good naturedly beat the hell out of most people. He just looks big and strong and maybe a little bit mean. He’s probably never going to play much - he has a 14” vertical - but you could see him developing a role as an enforcer.
He attended IMG and when he committed, people thought it might be a prank, so he’s pretty under the radar.
That said, how much more talent did Bill Laimbeer have? You don’t have to have huge physical talent to play at a high level and he could be a huge surprise. Odds are against that though.
So what should we expect from the Tigers this year?
They’ll have a solid backcourt with the Hunters, Heidbreder, Zackery and Jones. Schieffelin has developed into an All-ACC player and Lakhin, Wiggins and Reeves provide options and muscle inside. Some guys - Thomas, Foster and Jones - we’ll have to wait and see about but if one of them emerges, he’ll be a boon.
As always, Clemson will be a defense-first team but remember this: Brownell’s best teams have been guard heavy. He’ll have a lot of options there.
At times, like with Virginia’s Tony Bennett, you just bet on the coach. Because Brownell is so good, we’d assume that Clemson will again be highly competitive in the ACC and that they’ll be in contention for an NCAA bid again.
