Clemson Tigers Basketball 2025-26 Season Preview: Rebuilding for Another March Run
CLEMSON, S.C. – After a rollercoaster 2024-25 campaign that saw the Tigers set program records with 27 wins and an 18-2 ACC mark before a shocking first-round NCAA Tournament upset to McNeese State, Clemson men’s basketball enters the 2025-26 season with a near-total roster overhaul.
Head coach Brad Brownell, now in his 16th year and fresh off a five-year, $20 million extension, leaned heavily on the transfer portal – adding a program-record six newcomers – to rebuild around a thin core of returners.
The result? A squad projected to finish seventh in the ACC preseason poll but with the depth and versatility to surprise in a loaded conference.Gone are nearly 90% of last season’s scoring punch, including sixth-year leader Chase Hunter (15.8 PPG in 2024-25), All-ACC forward Ian Schieffelin (who capped his career with a double-double in the Elite Eight loss to Alabama in 2024), center Viktor Lakhin (team-high 1.8 blocks per game), and contributors like Chauncey Wiggins, Del Jones, Christian Reeves, and Asa Thomas – all lost to eligibility or the portal.
What remains is a battle-tested but undersized group hungry to prove the Tigers’ success wasn’t a fluke. With four freshmen and a portal class headlined by All-Mountain West talent, Clemson aims for a third straight NCAA bid, but questions linger about chemistry and perimeter shooting.
The season tips off November 4 at Littlejohn Coliseum against New Hampshire, kicking off a non-conference slate that includes road tests at Boise State (a 2024-25 upset artist) and home tilts with Stanford and California. The ACC gauntlet features marquee clashes like Duke (twice), North Carolina (March 3), and NC State (Jan. 20), with the full schedule promising 20 conference games in a league that sent four teams to the 2025 Dance.
Roster Breakdown: A Portal-Fueled Rebuild
Brownell’s aggressive offseason netted 13 scholarship players, blending grizzled transfers with blue-chip freshmen. Only three return from last year’s rotation, but the influx of size (three 6-10+ forwards) and experience (over 100 combined starts from transfers) addresses prior weaknesses in bench production. Here’s the full 2025-26 roster:
| Player | Position | Year | Height/Weight | Key Notes/2024-25 Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon Hunter | G | Sr. | 6-3/195 | Lone meaningful returner; 5.4 PPG, 2.1 APG in 30 GP; stepped up late last season with 3PT shooting before hand injury. |
| Ace Buckner | G | So. | 6-2/180 | Reserve last year; adds backcourt depth. |
| Dallas Thomas | F | So. | 6-7/210 | Limited minutes as frosh; versatile wing. |
| RJ Godfrey | F | Sr. | 6-8/230 | Returned from Georgia portal; 6.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG at UGA; key bench piece in 2024 Elite Eight run (6.1 PPG at Clemson prior). |
| Nick Davidson | F/C | R-Sr. | 6-10/235 | Star portal addition from Nevada; 15.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 BPG (2nd-team All-MW); elite scorer/stretcher. |
| Carter Welling | F | Jr. | 6-10/220 | From Utah Valley; 12.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.8 BPG (WAC DPOY); rim protector with 21 double-digit scoring games. |
| Jake Wahlin | F | Sr. | 6-10/220 | Utah transfer; 6.3 PPG; brings athleticism and All-Mountain West nods from 2024-25. |
| Efrem “Butta” Johnson | G | Jr. | 6-3/190 | UAB portal; scoring guard with three-level threat; expected bench spark. |
| Jestin Porter | G | So. | 6-5/200 | Houston-area transfer; adds length to wings. |
| Zac Foster | G | Fr. | 6-4/185 | No. 63 recruit (3rd-highest in program history); MN Mr. Basketball; athletic do-it-all guard with poise in scrimmages. |
| Chase Thompson | F | Fr. | 6-9/215 | Top-100 prospect; skilled big with size/skill blend; already impressing vets in practice. |
| Trent Steinour | F | Fr. | 6-8/200 | Three-star; high-ankle sprain may force redshirt. |
| Blake Davidson | F | Fr. | 6-7/190 | Three-star; set to redshirt for development. |
Notes: Walk-ons/walk-ons like Jack Hemenway and walk-on spots fill out the 15-man limit if the House settlement expands rosters. Projected rotation: 8-9 deep, emphasizing transfers early.Key Players to Watch
- Nick Davidson (Transfer Star): The 6-10 Nevada alum is the X-factor, bringing double-digit scoring and floor-spacing (35% from deep last year) to replace Schieffelin’s production. If he adapts quickly, he’s a double-double machine and potential All-ACC candidate.
- Dillon Hunter (Team Anchor): As the elder statesman, Hunter’s leadership and improved shot creation (38% 3PT late last season) will stabilize the backcourt. Expect 25+ MPG as the de facto floor general.
- Carter Welling (Defensive Anchor): WAC Defensive POY’s shot-blocking and rebounding could make Clemson’s frontcourt a top-30 unit nationally, neutralizing ACC slashers like Duke’s incoming freshmen.
- RJ Godfrey (Glue Guy): His homecoming adds grit; double-doubles at Georgia (two last season) make him a reliable sixth man for energy off the pine.
- Zac Foster (Freshman Wildcard): The highest-rated Clemson recruit ever, Foster’s versatility – scoring, passing, defending multiple spots – could earn him starter minutes if the vets stumble.
Preseason Hype: Tempered Expectations in a Loaded ACCClemson enters unranked in the AP and Coaches polls, receiving just nine votes in the AP’s “others receiving” category – a far cry from the Elite Eight buzz of 2024. The USA TODAY Network pegs them ninth in the ACC preseason poll, behind juggernauts like Duke (No. 6 AP, fueled by Cooper Flagg’s departure but reloaded with Isaiah Evans), North Carolina, and Louisville.
Analysts praise the portal hauls for depth but question the lack of a proven lead guard post-Hunter (the elder), with CBS Sports noting they’d have been Top 25 if PJ Hall had returned two years ago.Still, there’s quiet optimism: Brownell’s 75% NCAA hit rate over seven years, a favorable non-con schedule, and Littlejohn’s home-court edge (14-1 last season) fuel “sleeper” tags. ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25 omitted Clemson, but The Athletic highlighted their “malleable” scoring balance for a potential Sweet 16 push if the freshmen gel. In a conference with five projected bids, the Tigers’ identity shift to “depth over stars” – per Dillon Hunter – has vets raving about practice intensity.Schedule Highlights and X-Factors.
Upside: If the portal vets mesh like 2024’s group, Clemson cracks the field as a No. 9 seed for a third straight Dance – but no deep run without a true closer. Brownell’s steady hand keeps the standard high, but this rebuild tests the program’s portal savvy. Tip-off can’t come soon enough.
