Clemson is looking to recapture the form that carried it to the Elite Eight in 2024, starting with Monday’s season opener against Stetson in Clemson, S.C.
Clemson (24-11 last season) made a first-round NCAA Tournament exit in each of the last two years, yet veteran coach Brad Brownell is hopeful these Tigers can match or perhaps exceed the program’s magical March run of 2024.
Standout big man Carter Welling (10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds last year) is sidelined from a March knee injury until around the beginning of conference play, but Clemson still has plenty of firepower.
Picked to finish sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll, the Tigers return Ace Buckner (8.3 points) and added several interesting transfers.
Cole Certa scored 12.8 points per game last year at Notre Dame and shot 37.4% from 3-point range. Dylan Faulkner averaged 17.2 points and 8.6 boards at Samford. Liutauras Lelevicius scored 8.0 points per game and hit on 38.0% of his 3-point tries last year at TCU.
The team had an opportunity to jell during a 3-0 tour in Italy over the summer.
“We have been battling some injuries this summer,” Brownell said. “So we’re probably a little bit behind schedule … but I think we’ve got great potential.”
Stetson (12-21 last season) made the NCAA Tournament in 2024 but has struggled since under coach Donnie Jones. The Hatters hung with preseason No. 1 Florida in an exhibition game Tuesday, trailing by just two points at halftime before falling 85-68.
Returnee Collin Kuhl (13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds last year) is a known quality, having been tabbed as the preseason Atlantic Sun Player of the Year. Alex Doyle (4.9 ppg) drilled six 3-pointers in the Florida exhibition and FIU transfer Thiago Sucatzky (3.6 ppg) matched him with a team-high 18 points.
“We are excited about the challenge in front of us,” Jones said. “It will be one of the toughest non-conference schedules in college basketball, but we see that as an opportunity to grow, test ourselves and prepare for what we know will be another demanding ASUN season.”