Clemson’s men’s basketball team won’t have to wait until the fall to start playing games again.
Head coach Brad Brownell confirmed to The Clemson Insider on Thursday that his team will take a preseason trip to France this summer. The Tigers’ international tour will take place Aug. 3-13, according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.
Not since 2019 has Clemson traveled overseas, something the NCAA allows basketball teams to do once every four years. Brownell said those European trips, which have included Italy and Spain, have been productive for his teams in the past.
“We’ve done well every time we’ve gone overseas,” Brownell said. “Obviously the chance to go out and experience a little bit of a different culture and learn some other things beyond the United States is really good for our guys. It gives us a great chance to blend and get to know each other a little bit better and spend more time away from basketball, which is good.”
It will give the Tigers a head start on not only preparation for the 2022-23 season but also cohesion within a team that will have its share of new pieces. With four-star combo guard Dillon Hunter freshly in the mix, Clemson is making five new additions, including Boston College transfer Brevin Galloway, to a roster that includes notable holdovers Hunter Tyson and PJ Hall, the Tigers’ leading scorer a season ago.
The number of newcomers could increase by one should Clemson use its final available scholarship for next season’s roster, something the Tigers will do through the transfer portal if it happens. Clemson will get 10 days to practice before making the trip and then play numerous exhibition games against international competition during its 11 days overseas.
“We can practice a little bit more, play some games over there and just kind of begin to put the pieces together for this year’s team,” Brownell said. “So it should be good.”
Particularly for the incoming freshmen. Joining Hunter in the Tigers’ freshmen class are fellow guard Chauncey Gardner and forwards Chauncey Wiggins and R.J. Godfrey, all of whom signed with Clemson in November. It might not come against other Division I players, but Brownell said the overseas competition will help give the Tigers’ first-year players an idea of what to expect at the college level.
“Get acclimated to what life is going to be like,” Brownell said. “The games aren’t the same as the high-major games, but just to be able to play and get used to playing with each other and practicing I think is really important.”
Whether or not Hall will be available to play during the international tour is unknown. Brownell said he expects the Tigers’ sophomore big to be somewhat limited until at least mid-July after Hall recently underwent surgery to repair his fractured left foot.
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