CLEMSON — Clemson basketball pushed its chips to the middle of the table last season and reached the Elite Eight for the first time in 44 years.
The Tigers (24-12) built an experienced roster, adding graduates Joseph Girard III and Jack Clark via the transfer portal to complement PJ Hall, Chase Hunter and the ACC’s Most Improved Player, Ian Schieffelin.
Now, coach Brad Brownell must overhaul his roster after Joshua Beadle, RJ Godfrey and Clark entered the transfer portal and Girard’s eligibility expired. The Tigers have two available scholarships for the 2024-25 season that they can use to bring in players via the portal.
More scholarship spots would open if Hall and Hunter depart to pursue pro basketball. The early deadline to enter the NBA draft is 11:59 p.m. ET on April 27, but players can withdraw by 11:59 p.m. ET May 29 and return to college.
As a result, the Tigers will be active in the portal, which has become Brownell’s forte at Clemson. He has added 11 transfers in the past five years.
“There’s a lot of great salesmen in our business, a lot of guys that sell a lot of things that don’t end up being what they really are,” Brownell said after the Elite Eight loss. “I’m proud to say that what we talk about at Clemson is real, and Joe Girard got to experience that.”
Here are three needs the Tigers must fill with help from the transfer portal:
Clemson basketball needs scoring help at all three levels
Clemson will be without two of its top five scorers and potentially four of five if Hall and Hunter leave. It is imperative Brownell finds capable 3-point, interior and free-throw scoring. Players like Chauncey Wiggins and Dillon Hunter will have to increase their output, and Brownell will have to bring in experienced scorers.
The Tigers have been in contact with numerous players in the portal, such as BYU transfer Dallin Hall. The junior is considering Clemson, per 247Sports, after averaging nine points on 42.2% shooting from the field, 35.9% from 3-point range and 63.2% from the free-throw line last season.
Another is Wyoming graduate transfer Brendan Wenzel, who averaged a career-high 11.6 points on 40.5% shooting from the field, 37.7% from 3-point range and 80.9% from the free-throw line last year. Wenzel has received interest from the Tigers, according to The Portal Report.
MORE Clemson basketball transfer portal tracker 2024: Who’s in, who’s out for Brad Brownell
Clemson basketball needs size and rebounding
The Tigers ranked sixth in the ACC in rebounding average and second in offensive rebounds, but they have lost three of their top five rebounders. They can lose another depending on Hall’s decision, which would leave only 6-foot-8 Schieffelin, who led the team in rebounding.
Clemson must add size to replace Godfrey (6-7), Clark (6-8) and potentially Hall (6-10). A candidate is 6-11 Cincinnati transfer Viktor Lakhin, who averaged six rebounds in 29 games last season and visited Clemson this past weekend, according to Tiger Illustrated. Another is 6-10 Miami transfer Michael Nwoko, who has received interest from Clemson, according to On3sports.
Speed, athleticism a key for Clemson basketball in transfer portal
After Clemson’s Elite Eight loss to Alabama, Brownell pointed out his team’s fatal flaw.
“We’re big. We’re physical. We’re tough. We’re smart,” he said. “But we’re not very fast, and there are times when that really was a problem for us.”
For the Tigers to break through and reach the Final Four for the first time in program history, they need more athletic players to push the pace in transition and to get back on defense faster.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson basketball: Three needs to fill through transfer portal
