Clemson Tigers Coach Provides Injury Update on Veteran Star Forward

The Clemson Tigers are having a strong season so far with conference play heating up.

On Saturday afternoon, the Tigers were able to pick up their third straight win in the ACC and seventh win overall in the conference with an overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Panthers.

It was a challenging road test for Clemson, but they were able to escape with a win despite nearly blowing a 10-point halftime lead.

Even though the Tigers (15-4, 7-1) haven’t been ranked in the AP Top 25 since the holidays, they have played good basketball since the calendar changed to 2025. However, with the ACC not looking like a strong conference so far this year, statement wins have been hard to come by.

Next up for the Tigers will be a road game against the Syracuse Orange. Despite being a prestigious basketball program, the Orange are struggling this year with a 9-9 record and a 3-4 record in the conference.

Clemson will seek to continue its winning streak in Wednesday's showdown, the Tigers are dealing with an injury concern to one of their key players.

Coach Brad Brownell recently provided an injury update on senior forward Ian Schieffelin, who is dealing with back spasms and tightness. The senior forward hasn’t been practicing fully the last few days, and it seems like that will continue to be the case leading up to the game against Syracuse.

“I don’t know that it will be much different here for a while,” Brownell said to Jason Preister of the Clemson Insider. “I doubt he will practice (Monday). I’m hopeful… crossing my fingers, that everything is going to be fine. But he’s a tough kid.”

Despite dealing with the back problems, Schieffelin had a really strong game for the Tigers on Saturday. In the win, he totaled 15 points and 11 rebounds, which was good enough for another double-double.

The senior has been playing excellent this campaign, averaging 13.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. As one of the best rebounders in the country, Schieffelin missing time wouldn’t be ideal for the Tigers.

Considering the type of ailment he is dealing with, there isn’t much the team can do other than rest and limit certain things.

He did finish the game against the Panthers, so that could be an indication that he can continue to play. However, Clemson would be wise to play it safe with him if he does need to miss time.

Wednesday will mark the last home game for the Tigers in January, and it should end on a high note against a struggling Orange squad.