What To Expect From Clemson Men's Basketball at ACC Tipoff

It’s October, and as college football continues to chug along, it’s a month of college basketball predictions. The season opens up on Nov. 3, and the Clemson Tigers will be looking to make noise in the ACC this season. 

Head coach Brad Brownell and select players from his team, as well as the other coaches and players from the conference, will be meeting at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown Hotel from Oct. 7-8 to speak to the media for the first time this season. 

Along with Brownell, Clemson will bring two player representatives, Dillon Hunter and RJ Godfrey, who will help him address the team’s goals for the upcoming season. 

14 players from the team’s roster last season departed the program in the offseason, either from lack of eligibility, the transfer portal or to take their talents to the NBA. As a result, Brownell acquired six transfers and four freshmen to create a roster overhaul. 

Only three players returned on scholarship from the 2024-25 season to the 2025-26 season. Two of those, Ace Buckner and Dallas Thomas, redshirted for the season and did not play a single minute. Hunter was the only Clemson player who played significant minutes for the team who returned this season. 

The other representative for the Tigers, Godfrey, spent his first two seasons at Clemson before transferring to Georgia after his sophomore season. Following his sole season with the Bulldogs, he made the switch back to the Tigers for his senior season, adding another familiar face to reinforce the team’s culture. 

Brownell will look to lead a new-look squad with expectations higher than the one of a season ago. After coming off of an Elite Eight appearance in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Clemson fell short of going on another run, seeing a first round exit in the NCAA Tournament to the McNeese State Cowboys in Providence, Rhode Island. 

Expect a lot of questions to be about what the starting rotation will look like to begin the year. While Hunter is expected to be a starting guard when the season begins, questions about whether Middle Tennessee State transfer Jestin Porter or UAB guard Butta Johnson could be brought up, though both are expected to play significant minutes for Brownell. 

Questions about who will be the primary ball handler, especially because Hunter didn’t see that role last season, could be mentioned as well. 

Freshman four-star Zac Foster is another name that should be brought up during these sessions. The combo guard was the No. 5 player in the state of Georgia in the class of 2025, according to 247Sports. Foster is third all-time in Clemson’s all-time recruit rankings, behind fan-favorite PJ Hall at No. 2. 

The Clemson head coach added three frontcourt standouts from the portal as well: Nevada center Nick Davidson, Utah Valley forward Carter Welling and Utah forward Jake Wahlin. Godfrey will join the trio down low, but whether Brownell is looking to run a smaller or bigger lineup could affect how the rotation begins. 

Clemson shares the morning slate in Charlotte, North Carolina, with ACC frontrunner Duke and Louisville on Wednesday, expecting to meet high expectations and make noise not only in the conference, but also at the national level as well. 

The Tigers are generally a team that relies on past experience and a gritty culture to make a name for themselves in the ACC. With a new dynamic for Brownell this season, expectations can be a question, but a strong home-court advantage at Littlejohn Coliseum will keep this 2025-26 team in every game this season.