CLEMSON — Clemson basketball‘s 2024-25 roster appears set after star guard Chase Hunter announced his return to the program last week.
The Tigers are striving for their first Final Four in program history after reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in 44 years and making the NCAA tournament for the third time in seven years.
“Folks are surprised that we’ve done as well as we had,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “(We’re) starting to separate (ourselves) from a lot of folks.”
To return to March Madness, Brownell revamped his roster after losing key contributors like PJ Hall (NBA draft), Joseph Girard III (expired eligibility), RJ Godfrey (transfer portal) and Jack Clark (portal). The 15-year Tigers coach dove into the portal to add four transfers to pair with returning players and three incoming freshmen.
Here’s how Clemson’s roster stacks up entering the 2024-25 season.
Clemson basketball’s projected starters
- G Chase Hunter (sixth-year senior)
- G Jaeden Zackery (senior)
- F Chauncey Wiggins (junior)
- F Ian Schieffelin (senior)
- C Viktor Lakhin (senior)
This starting lineup has the experience and length that should prove beneficial for the Tigers. Hunter returns as the most experienced player and the leader of Clemson after withdrawing from the NBA draft. He averaged 17.8 points, 5.8 assists and two steals over four games in the NCAA tournament.
Zackery, a 6-foot-2 Boston College transfer, averaged 20 points, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals in two games against the Tigers last season. His pairing with Hunter will allow Clemson to have a veteran backcourt that can facilitate the offense, score in the paint and play stout defense against opposing guards.
Schieffelin will remain a starter in the frontcourt with Wiggins joining the lineup and Lakhin, a 6-11 Cincinnati transfer, replacing Hall at center. Brownell wants Schieffelin, the ACC’s most improved player, and Wiggins to take another leap with their scoring. Lakhin brings on much-needed size and 3-point shooting that can stretch the floor.
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Clemson basketball will have more experienced bench
After relying mainly on four sophomores last season, the Tigers’ reserve unit will be much more seasoned. Its major contributors will feature senior Myles Foster, junior Dillon Hunter, redshirt junior Jake Heidbreder and redshirt sophomore Christian Reeves.
Dillon Hunter will have a larger role this season after showcasing his value off the bench on both ends of the floor during March Madness. Heidbreder, who did not play a game last season after transferring from Air Force, will add 3-point shooting that will be needed after Girard’s departure.
Foster, a 6-7 Illinois State transfer, averaged 12.4 points and 8.1 rebounds last season. He is a tenacious rebounder that will ignite Clemson off the bench. Reeves, a 7-1 Duke transfer, is recovering from right-ankle surgery but has the makings to be a star with Clemson in the future with his shot blocking and scoring.
Replacing PJ Hall, Joseph Girard III’s scoring will be critical
Clemson lost three of its top five leading scorers after Hall (18.3 average points), Girard (15.1) and Godfrey (6.1) departed. Hall and Girard were also the team’s leading 3-point shooters, shooting 37.5% on a combined 11.6 attempts per game. Brownell recognizes players need to step up to replace that offensive production.
“There’s a lot of shots left for other players,” Brownell said. “The guys that have great offseasons and continue to work to improve, it’s natural that those older guys will be the guys that will take the next steps to get those opportunities.”
Except for Heidbreder’s sophomore season with Air Force, no player on Clemson’s roster has averaged more than 15 points. The Tigers will need a player or two to break out in 2024-25, or there must be a scoring-by-committee approach where multiple players average nine-to-14 points.
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