Tag: Chase Hunter

Balanced effort gets Clemson hoops back in win column

It was the guards early. The bigs got involved later. That balance helped Clemson’s men’s basketball team get back in the win column Tuesday. Chase Hunter led the way with 20 points while Alex Hemenway added a career-high 18, helping the Tigers …

It was the guards early. The bigs got involved later. 

That balance helped Clemson’s men’s basketball team get back in the win column Tuesday.

Chase Hunter led the way with 20 points while Alex Hemenway added a career-high 18, helping the Tigers bounce back from their loss to rival South Carolina late last week with an 81-70 win over USC Upstate at Littlejohn Coliseum. Four players finished in double figures for the Tigers, who shot 56.4% from the floor.

Brevin Galloway made 4 of 6 shots from the field to chip in 15 points, the most in a Clemson uniform so far for the Boston College transfer. In his second game back from offseason knee surgery, PJ Hall again came off the bench and finished with 13 points and two rebounds in 21 minutes after leading the Tigers with 15 points against the Gamecocks.

Meanwhile, Hall’s frontcourt mate, Hunter Tyson, scored all of his eight points in the second half of a game Clemson led by as many as 19. It was Clemson’s backcourt, though, that was humming early.

The Tigers’ 41 points by halftime were the most they’ve scored in a half this season thanks in large part to Hunter, Hemenway and Galloway. They combined to score all but seven of those points. Hemenway made four of his first six shots en route to 10 first-half points while Hunter and Galloway each had 12 at the break.

The trio combined to shoot 11 of 17 from the field to help the Tigers make nearly 54% of their shots in the first 20 minutes. Clemson held Upstate to 41.7% shooting in the opening half and led by as many as 13 before halftime.

Upstate trimmed the deficit to a couple of possessions late in the half before Hunter sank a corner 3 just before the buzzer. Tyson started the second half with his first bucket of the night, igniting a quick 6-2 spurt for the Tigers that pushed their lead back to double digits at 47-34 with 17 minutes, 49 seconds left.

Jordan Gainey had a game-high 24 points for Upstate (1-2), which shot better than 52% from the field.

This story will be updated.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Clemson cruises past the Citadel 80-69 in season opener

Despite missing a key starter in center PJ Hall, the Tigers were still able to get the job done on Monday night with a more than convincing win over the Bulldogs.

Via Clemson Athletic Communications:

Clemson University men’s basketball cruised past The Citadel 80-69 on Monday night as four Tigers scored in double figures in the 2022-23 season opener.

The Tigers’ (1-0) offensive explosion was spearheaded by redshirt junior Chase Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) and sophomore Ian Schieffelin (Loganville, Ga./Grayson). Hunter tied his career high in points with 23 while tallying a career-high in assists with seven. Hunter notched 13th career double-digit scoring effort.

Schieffelin ignited the Tiger offense off the bench by scoring his career high of 20 points off an efficient 9-of-13 from the floor while also snatching a career-best 14 rebounds – nine of which came on the offensive glass.

The Tigers shot 54.8 percent from the field in the first half and connected on five threes. Clemson’s offense was propelled by a 23-5 run to close the first half and went into the break up 45-31. Clemson held the high-flying offense of The Citadel to 44.0 percent shooting while forcing nine turnovers that turned into 12 points on the other end.

In the second half, graduate Hunter Tyson (Monroe, N.C./Piedmont) led the way for The Tigers, scoring 13 of his 19 points in the final 20 minutes. The Tigers kept The Citadel at bay as the Bulldogs were held to 42.9 percent shooting in the second half.

Clemson will travel to Columbia, S.C. to play in-state rival South Carolina on Friday at 7 pm. The game will be aired on SECN+.

Clemson starts important hoops season with win

The totality of Clemson’s latest basketball season will be revealed over the next four months or so. But the Tigers began an important one under their veteran coach in the win column, though getting there wasn’t always comfortable. Clemson opened …

The totality of Clemson’s latest basketball season will be revealed over the next four months or so.

But the Tigers began an important one under their veteran coach in the win column, though getting there wasn’t always comfortable.

Clemson opened the new season Monday by knocking off The Citadel at Littlejohn Coliseum. Even without the services of star big PJ Hall (knee), the Tigers still had four players score in double figures in their 80-69 win. Chase Hunter led the way with 23 points, tying a career high.

Ian Schieffelin had the first 20-point game of his Clemson career as part of a double-double. Hunter Tyson and Boston College transfer Brevin Galloway added 19 and 11 points, respectively, for the Tigers.

A recent exhibition romp over an overmatched Division II program not withstanding, Monday marked the Tigers’ competitive return to the court after a disappointing 17-16 season plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Clemson wasn’t part of college basketball’s postseason in any capacity last season, the first time that’s happened since 2017.

The Tigers went to the NCAA Tournament in 2021 – their second appearance in the last three tournaments – but Clemson’s showing last season, which included a 10th-place finish in the 15-team ACC, prompted Graham Neff to publicly express his disappointment of the Tigers failing to dance for the ninth time in Brad Brownell’s 12-year tenure. Clemson’s first-year athletic director made clear his expectations for the program in a letter penned to season-ticket holders.

Preseason projections weren’t high on the Tigers this season either as Clemson was picked by league media to finish 11th in the conference. But with five newcomers, including Boston College guard transfer Brevin Galloway, joining seven holdovers from last season’s team, Brownell touted the Tigers’ depth and versatility coming into it.

A Citadel team that lost all of its double-figure scorers off a 13-18 squad last season wasn’t the most accurate barometer when it comes to the chemistry and cohesion of Clemson’s retooled roster, though the Bulldogs didn’t go quietly. Behind Austin Ash’s 19, The Citadel cut the deficit to single digits a handful of times in the second half, the last coming at 78-69 with less than 2 minutes remaining. But Chase Hunter found Schieffelin for a dunk on Clemson’s next possession, and the Bulldogs didn’t get any closer.

The lineup tinkering for Clemson started early with nine players getting some run within the first 6 minutes and change, but it was a familiar face that helped the Tigers overcome a sluggish start for some early breathing room.

The Citadel led by a couple of possessions 13 minutes into the game before the Tigers ended the first half on a 23-5 run. Chase Hunter made seven of his first 10 shots to finish with 19 first-half points. The junior point guard had 11 points during that surge, including his third 3-pointer just before the buzzer to send the Tigers to the locker room with a 45-31 advantage.

Middlebrooks got the start at center in the absence of Hall, one of the most improved players in the ACC last season at 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. But Schieffelin ended up logging the most minutes at the position (31) and was highly productive with them. The sophomore forward, who also plucked 14 rebounds, went inside and out to make his first six shots en route to a career night, easily surpassing his previous career-high of 12 points that he scored against North Carolina in February.

What figures to be a much better gauge of where this Clemson team is early in the season comes Friday when the Tigers hit the road for the first time to take on rival South Carolina.

This story will be updated.

Clemson basketball attendees announced for 2022 ACC Basketball Tipoff

Head coaches Brad Brownell and Amanda Butler along with three student-athletes will represent the Tigers at the ACC Basketball Tipoff event in Charlotte, NC next week.

Via ACC press release:

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Wednesday the basketball student-athletes selected by its 15 league schools to attend the 2022 ACC Tipoff, which will be held October 11-12 at the Westin in Charlotte, North Carolina. The women’s event will be held on Tuesday, October 11 and the men’s event on Wednesday, October 12.

ACC Network will be live from ACC Tipoff for two days of expansive coverage from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The 24/7 national network dedicated to ACC sports will provide the event’s most robust television coverage to date.

The attendees for the 2022 ACC Tipoff are:

WOMEN’S TIPOFF (October 11)

Boston College
Head Coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee
Maria Gakdeng
Dontavia Waggoner

Clemson
Head Coach Amanda Butler
Amari Robinson

Duke
Head Coach Kara Lawson
Reigan Richardson
Celeste Taylor

Florida State
Head Coach Brooke Wyckoff
O’Mariah Gordon
Makayla Timpson

Georgia Tech
Head Coach Nell Fortner
Bianca Jackson
Cameron Swartz

Louisville
Head Coach Jeff Walz
Olivia Cochran
Mykasa Robinson
Hailey Van Lith

Miami
Head Coach Katie Meier
Destiny Harden
Ja’Leah Williams

North Carolina
Head Coach Courtney Banghart
Deja Kelly
Kennedy Todd-Williams

NC State
Head Coach Wes Moore
Jakia Brown-Turner
Diamond Johnson

Notre Dame
Head Coach Niele Ivey
Dara Mabrey
Olivia Miles

Pitt
Head Coach Lance White
Dayshanette Harris
Channise Lewis

Syracuse
Head Coach Felicia Legette-Jack
Dyaisha Fair
Teisha Hyman

Virginia
Head Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton
Sam Brunelle
Camryn Taylor

Virginia Tech   
Head Coach Kenny Brooks
Georgia Amoore
Elizabeth Kitley

Wake Forest     
Head Coach Megan Gebbia
Jewel Spear
Olivia Summiel

MEN’S TIPOFF (October 12)

Boston College
Head Coach Earl Grant
Makai Ashton-Langford
Quinten Post

Clemson
Head Coach Brad Brownell
Chase Hunter
Hunter Tyson

Duke
Head Coach Jon Scheyer
Jacob Grandison
Jeremy Roach

Florida State
Head Coach Leonard Hamilton
Matthew Cleveland
Caleb Mills

Georgia Tech
Head Coach Josh Pastner
Rodney Howard
Kyle Sturdivant

Louisville
Head Coach Kenny Payne
El Ellis
Sydney Curry

Miami
Head Coach Jim Larrañaga
Jordan Miller
Isaiah Wong

North Carolina 
Head Coach Hubert Davis
Armando Bacot
RJ Davis
Caleb Love

NC State           
Head Coach Kevin Keatts
Jarkel Joiner
Terquavion Smith

Notre Dame      
Head Coach Mike Brey
Dane Goodwin
Cormac Ryan

Pitt      
Head Coach Jeff Capel
Jamarius Burton
Nelly Cummings

Syracuse           
Head Coach Jim Boeheim
Joseph Girard III
Jesse Edwards

Virginia             
Head Coach Tony Bennett
Kihei Clark
Jayden Gardner

Virginia Tech
Head Coach Mike Young
Hunter Cattoor
Justyn Mutts

Wake Forest     
Head Coach Steve Forbes
Tyree Appleby
Daivien Williamson

[mm-video type=video id=01gemkrnemt4cf9p70e4 playlist_id=01fvdd1xkgcx6zr5s5 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gemkrnemt4cf9p70e4/01gemkrnemt4cf9p70e4-a330546207ad81873c7ddb493a834a4d.jpg]

[listicle id=1919]

Clemson blows out Azurea Club de Golfe late

GOLFE-JUAN, France — Clemson University men’s basketball routed Azurea Club de Golfe 92-74, which included a 20-7 run in the fourth quarter to secure its third victory of its 2022 France Tour. The Tigers were led by Hunter Tyson (Monroe, …

GOLFE-JUAN, France –– Clemson University men’s basketball routed Azurea Club de Golfe 92-74, which included a 20-7 run in the fourth quarter to secure its third victory of its 2022 France Tour.

The Tigers were led by Hunter Tyson (Monroe, N.C./Piedmont) who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Tyson scored eight-straight points for the Tigers in the closing quarter to help put the game out of reach.

Josh Beadle (Columbia, S.C./Cardinal Newman) once again shined for the Tigers, finishing with 16 points, three rebounds and three assists.

After finishing 4-for-7, Alex Hemenway (Newburgh, Ind./Castle) finished 12-for-22 from three in three games in France. He finished with 12 tonight and added two rebounds and three assists.

Both Ian Schieffelin (Loganville, Ga./Grayson) and Ben Middlebrooks (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Westminster) each finished with nine points. Schieffelin nearly missed a double-double after collecting 10 rebounds. Middlebrooks finished with four.

In just 12 minutes, RJ Godfrey (Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett) totaled eight points and eight rebounds.

Chauncey Wiggins (Covington, Ga./Grayson) and Chase Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake) each scored seven points.

Clemson totaled 32 points in the paint and scored 22 points off of 20 turnovers.

–Courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Clemson’s trip to France about more than just basketball

Clemson’s men’s basketball team’s trip out of the country won’t be like the last one. In 2019, the Tigers traveled to Italy representing Team USA in the World University Games. There was the usual routine of practicing, scouting and game planning, …

Clemson’s men’s basketball team’s trip out of the country won’t be like the last one.

In 2019, the Tigers traveled to Italy representing Team USA in the World University Games. There was the usual routine of practicing, scouting and game planning, which paid off as Clemson won gold that summer.

There won’t be any of that when Clemson arrives in France later today for its latest foreign tour.

“We don’t treat the games the same,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. “There’s no scouting. We don’t practice before. We literally just go over and play. Part of that is on purpose because I want some of the trip to really be the cultural experience.”

Clemson will spend 11 days in the country with stops in Paris, Normandy, Nice and Monaco. The Tigers will play just three games during that time, but with five newcomers, including four true freshmen, spending the summer getting integrated during practice, guards Chase Hunter and Alex Hemenway and senior forward Hunter Tyson said they’re all eager to see how the pieces come together during the Tigers’ first tastes of competition against other teams.

“Just to see how we play there and just see how we gel together,” said Hunter, one of seven holdovers from last year’s team. “We’ve been doing a lot of stuff with each other (in practice), so playing against some other competition will be good for us.”

But there will be plenty of down time in between games, and Brownell and his players plan to take advantage of it by doing plenty of sightseeing and visiting some famous landmarks. One of them needs no introduction.

“I’m excited to see the Eiffel Tower, but I’m petrified of heights,” Brownell said. “So I will not be going to the top of the tower. That’s 100% assured.”

When it comes to historical significance, though, there’s one spot that Brownell and some of his players have at the top of their list. The team will get a chance to visit the beaches of Normandy, where American troops joined Allied forces in June 1944 for the D-Day invasion during World War II. It’s still the largest seaborne invasion in history.

“That’s going to be unbelievable, and I think that will be an incredible experience for all of us,” Brownell said. “It’s something we need to do a little more historical background on.”

The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial located there contains the graves of nearly 9,400 soldiers and more than 1,500 names inscribed on the Walls of the Missing, most of whom died during the D-Day landings and ensuing operations, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission.

“I know we’re going to be able to go to the beaches of Normandy, and I think that’s really going to mean a lot to see that there were guys our age that were storming the beach back on D-Day,” Tyson said. “Just to see all their graves and see the historic site, I think that’s going to mean a lot.”

Hemenway echoed his teammate’s sentiment.

“I’m a big historical guy, and I love seeing all of these sites and all of these historical venues,” Hemenway said. “I think it will really put it into perspective just how significant it is that dudes our age were going and giving their lives for our country. I think that will be a really neat experience.”

Brownell said he’s looking forward to using the trip as an opportunity to grow closer with his players off the court.

“When you go have these kinds of life experiences with your players, you have a much better chance to bond, grow, get to know them better and spend more quality time with them,” Brownell said. “It’s not just about basketball. I think that’s really important now as well.”

Dear Old Clemson has added to the store posters signed by all 20 members of Clemson’s 2022 football class.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Clemson basketball ranked in bottom half of 247Sports’ ACC power rankings

Finishing last season 17-16, Clemson was recently ranked in the bottom half of the ACC power rankings.

247Sports released its ACC basketball power rankings on Sunday, and Clemson is in the bottom half of the mix.

With the Tigers coming off a 17-16 season and an offseason filled with roster turnover, 247Sports’ Isaac Trotter ranked the Tigers at No. 9. Meanwhile, unsurprisingly, North Carolina and Duke took the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively, while Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech rounded out the list.

Here’s Trotter’s reasoning behind Clemson’s ranking and his prediction of the team’s starting five.

Projected starting lineup: G Brevin Galloway, G Chase Hunter, G Dillon Hunter, F Hunter Tyson, F PJ Hall

Hall and Tyson are two dependable, reliable pieces for Clemson. Hall averaged 15.5 points per game this past season, but even bigger things could be in store. The junior big man has everything it takes to be a superstar and a potential ACC Player of the Year contender. Clemson’s guard play will be the thing to really watch. They’ll play defense. They’ll get great production from hall and Tyson. But if Clemson’s unproven guards do not step up, the Tigers can’t compete with the ACC big dogs.

Clemson finished 10th in the ACC standings last season, so Trotter’s ranking can’t be judged. However, if the Tigers can remain healthy, the team has the talent to return to the NCAA Tournament.

Last season, Hall was in-and-out of the lineup with a foot injury that later required surgery, while Tyson suffered a broken collarbone that sidelined him for eight games.

Hall is the unquestioned offensive leader of the program and, as Trotter points out, has the potential to be one of the most productive players in the ACC. If Hall can stay on the court and carry the load for the Tigers, there’s a real chance of the team finishing in the top half of the ACC standings.

[mm-video type=video id=01g71fywaz2dg9c67qty playlist_id=01fvdd1xkgcx6zr5s5 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g71fywaz2dg9c67qty/01g71fywaz2dg9c67qty-df089f394437f570e6125e4fdc71241d.jpg][listicle id=2888]

Brownell gives early assessment of Clemson’s retooled roster

Clemson’s men’s basketball still has one last scholarship available for next season’s roster, though there’s no guarantee at this point the Tigers are going to use it. In other words, Brad Brownell largely knows what he has to work with from a …

Clemson’s men’s basketball still has one last scholarship available for next season’s roster, though there’s no guarantee at this point the Tigers are going to use it.

In other words, Brad Brownell largely knows what he has to work with from a personnel standpoint. He is entering his 13th season in charge of Clemson’s program with a roster that features its share of turnover as the Tigers try to get back to the NCAA Tournament after a 10th-place finish in the ACC this past season.

Clemson is welcoming five signees to campus this summer, three of which are guards that will be part of a revamped backcourt after the Tigers lost David Collins (eligibility exhausted), Nick Honor (transfer) and Al-Amir Dawes (transfer) off last season’s team. The group is headlined by Boston College transfer Brevin Galloway and combo guard Dillon Hunter, the brother of current Tiger Chase Hunter.

There are also seven holdovers from last year’s squad, most notably the starting frontcourt tandem of Hunter Tyson and leading scorer PJ Hall. With the roster getting a head start in preparation for next season with an international trip to France looming in August, Brownell recently gave The Clemson Insider an early assessment of the group’s similarities and differences compared to last year’s team.

“It’ll be interesting to see what our team is like next year,” Brownell said. “I think we’ll still play through PJ a good bit because he’s one of the better players in the league.”

As a sophomore, Hall averaged 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds as one of the ACC’s most improved players. He did it while playing through a fractured left foot that has since been surgically repaired.

Regardless of who’s handling the ball in the backcourt, Brownell said the Tigers will continue to make sure the 6-foot-10, 240-pound is involved on the interior, something Brownell didn’t feel like they did well enough in the early going last season. Hall averaged just 3.5 points in 9.8 minutes per game as a true freshman.

“That was one of the challenges of last year’s team was I think he emerged as a high-profile player and really our most talented, best player earlier than everyone anticipated, even myself,” Brownell said. “I thought it’d take him until the middle of December or Christmas to really become (that kind of player), but it didn’t. He was ready to go in November, and I think it was challenging for some other guys on our team to understand that here’s a guy that didn’t play much as a freshman, but he’s really our most talented player and we’ve got to do some things within the way we play to make sure he’s our No. 1 option.”

With Galloway, true freshman Chauncey Gibson and the Hunter brothers part of a backcourt that includes Alex Hemenway and redshirt freshman Josh Beadle, Brownell said Clemson will “still look to shoot the 3, try to share the basketball and play the right way.” As for how he expects next year’s team to differentiate, Brownell said having and keeping a clean bill of health will go a long way in determining that.

“We couldn’t do some things defensively that maybe we like to do because of PJ’s injury,” Brownell said. “He just wasn’t as mobile. … If he gets healthy, we can play a little bit different defensively if we want to.”

Brownell threw Tyson into that equation, too. Clemson’s fifth-year senior decided to return for one more season with the Tigers after missing eight ACC games with a broken collarbone this past season. Tyson still finished as Clemson’s fourth-leading scorer (10.0 points per game) and third-leading rebounder (5.5). 

“There was obviously a major dropoff when he wasn’t out there not only because of his points and rebounds but leadership and just his toughness. A captain,” Brownell said. “He’s a competitive guy that just brings a lot to our team, so having him back will be huge for us. I’m excited for him. He’s going to have a good year next year.”

‘A neat story’: Brownell talks addition of former Big 12 pledge, brother of current Tiger

AIKEN, S.C. – From one Hunter to another, Brad Brownell is happy to have another in the fold. Brownell and his staff announced the addition of 2022 four-star point guard Dillon Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Sunrise Christian Academy) on Thursday. Hunter, the …

AIKEN, S.C. — From one Hunter to another, Brad Brownell is happy to have another in the fold.

Brownell and his staff announced the addition of 2022 four-star point guard Dillon Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Sunrise Christian Academy) on Thursday.

Hunter, the younger brother of current Tiger Chase Hunter, is ranked No. 64 in the ESPN 100 and rated a four-star prospect.

Speaking with The Clemson Insider at Thursday’s Prowl & Growl event at Aiken Technical College, Brownell had the first chance to comment publicly about the former Baylor commit, whose signing became official earlier in the day.

“Kind of a neat story really to get Dillon to come play with Chase,” Brownell said Thursday. “He’s a big guard that really has great vision and passing and distributes the ball well. I think he’ll be a good defender. We need to work with him on the shooting a little bit more, but love his size.”

Brownell emphasized that Clemson wanted to recruit positional size  in the freshman class and thinks that the Tigers certainly did that.

“I think most of the guys we signed are all pretty big and long for their positions,” he said. “I think that was something that we wanted to address and certainly Dillon’s one of those guys that helps us in the backcourt.

TCI asked Brownell if he envisions Dillon being able to contribute right away.

“Yeah, I think he’ll help us some,” Brownell said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how he picks up things. As much as anything, it’s the mental part of it, especially the point guard position. The decision-making and the dealing with the pressure is the thing that you’ve got to deal with most as a young player and that’s not easy to do. But, (I’m) optimistic that he’ll be able to help us a little bit for sure.”

Dillon joins a freshman class that includes Kimball (Dallas, TX.) combo guard Chauncey Gibson, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) forward Chauncey Wiggins and North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) forward R.J. Godfrey.

Standing at 6-foot-4, Dillon brings some impressive height to go along with Gibson (6-6), Godfrey (6-7) and Wiggins (6-10).

“At the end of the day, we just felt like we’ve been a little smaller the last couple of years and if we could,” Brownell said, “we wanted to go out and try to find some guys that had a little more length…That was something that we certainly wanted to do to help us. I think it helps you a lot defensively, can help you with some rebounding and then just they’re gonna be young, so they’re going to take some time to develop, but I think it’s a really good class. One of our better classes.”

— Photo for this article courtesy of @dillonhunter35 on Twitter.

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.

‘A neat story’: Brownell talks addition of former Big 12 pledge, brother of current Tiger

AIKEN, S.C. – From one Hunter to another, Brad Brownell is happy to have another in the fold. Brownell and his staff announced the addition of 2022 four-star point guard Dillon Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Sunrise Christian Academy) on Thursday. Hunter, the …

AIKEN, S.C. — From one Hunter to another, Brad Brownell is happy to have another in the fold.

Brownell and his staff announced the addition of 2022 four-star point guard Dillon Hunter (Atlanta, Ga./Sunrise Christian Academy) on Thursday.

Hunter, the younger brother of current Tiger Chase Hunter, is ranked No. 64 in the ESPN 100 and rated a four-star prospect.

Speaking with The Clemson Insider at Thursday’s Prowl & Growl event at Aiken Technical College, Brownell had the first chance to comment publicly about the former Baylor commit, whose signing became official earlier in the day.

“Kind of a neat story really to get Dillon to come play with Chase,” Brownell said Thursday. “He’s a big guard that really has great vision and passing and distributes the ball well. I think he’ll be a good defender. We need to work with him on the shooting a little bit more, but love his size.”

Brownell emphasized that Clemson wanted to recruit positional size  in the freshman class and thinks that the Tigers certainly did that.

“I think most of the guys we signed are all pretty big and long for their positions,” he said. “I think that was something that we wanted to address and certainly Dillon’s one of those guys that helps us in the backcourt.

TCI asked Brownell if he envisions Dillon being able to contribute right away.

“Yeah, I think he’ll help us some,” Brownell said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how he picks up things. As much as anything, it’s the mental part of it, especially the point guard position. The decision-making and the dealing with the pressure is the thing that you’ve got to deal with most as a young player and that’s not easy to do. But, (I’m) optimistic that he’ll be able to help us a little bit for sure.”

Dillon joins a freshman class that includes Kimball (Dallas, TX.) combo guard Chauncey Gibson, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) forward Chauncey Wiggins and North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) forward R.J. Godfrey.

Standing at 6-foot-4, Dillon brings some impressive height to go along with Gibson (6-6), Godfrey (6-7) and Wiggins (6-10).

“At the end of the day, we just felt like we’ve been a little smaller the last couple of years and if we could,” Brownell said, “we wanted to go out and try to find some guys that had a little more length…That was something that we certainly wanted to do to help us. I think it helps you a lot defensively, can help you with some rebounding and then just they’re gonna be young, so they’re going to take some time to develop, but I think it’s a really good class. One of our better classes.”

— Photo for this article courtesy of @dillonhunter35 on Twitter.

Congratulations! You did it! You graduated! Now is the time to preserve your diploma in a custom frame. Here at Clemson Variety & Frame, we build all our frames in-house – from the frame to the mats and etchings to the installation – to guarantee the quality. You worked hard for your degree. Trust us to show your diploma in the best light possible.