Clemson forward/center PJ Hall has emerged as a name to watch for the 2022-2023 All-ACC team.
Taking a giant leap last year from his freshman season, Hall was the Tigers’ leading scorer with 15.5 points per game, 12 more than what he averaged his first season with Clemson.
With Hall’s second-year leap and an anticipated improvement ahead of his third season, 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter recently projected that Hall is “in the mix” for the ACC’s first-team, selecting North Carolina’s Armando Bacot and Virginia’s Jayden Gardner ahead of the Hall.
Hall turned into Clemson’s best player this past season. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound center had a breakout 2021-22 campaign, pouring in 15.5 points per game. Hall also ripped down 5.7 rebounds and dished out 1.6 assists. Hall shot 49.3% from the floor, 78% from the free throw line and drained 24 3-pointers. Hall rated in the 91st percentile in post-ups, per Synergy, averaging a terrific 1.07 points per possession. When healthy, Clemson has one of the best frontcourts in the country.
As Trotter outlined, Hall is one of the premier big men in the ACC when he stays on the court.
After battling a foot injury that eventually required surgery last season, Hall suffered a significant knee injury in July that could keep him off the court for four or more months.
According to head coach Brad Brownell, there is hope that Hall is back at full strength for the first game of the season, but he doesn’t know how realistic it is, and it’s “way too early” to speculate the exact date of Hall’s return.
As Clemson embarks on an overseas trip to France for the next week, Hall will be recovering from his surgery as he hopes to make Trotter’s prediction come true.
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