Clemson men’s basketball coach Brad Brownell has gotten an up-close look at his revamped roster for a few weeks now as the Tigers prepare for their upcoming foreign tour in France, and he’s largely been impressed with what he’s seen from the Tigers’ freshmen.
“It’s just a really good class,” Brownell said.
Of the five scholarship newcomers Clemson had added this offseason, four of them were playing high school basketball this time a year ago. Former Boston College guard Brevin Galloway was the Tigers’ lone addition from the transfer portal.
Dillon Hunter, Chauncey Wiggins, Chauncey Gibson and RJ Godfrey are all enrolled after signing with Clemson either this spring or last fall, and they’ve joined Galloway and the Tigers’ holdovers from last season this summer to take part in their first practices, 10 of which Clemson is allowed before departing for France on Wednesday. Brownell said Hunter, Wiggins and Godfrey have been particularly impressive with their size at their particular positions, versatility and high basketball IQ.
Hunter, the younger brother of current Tiger Chase Hunter, was the gem of the class, backing off his verbal pledge to Baylor before inking with the Tigers. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound combo guard is capable of playing on or off the ball, but Brownell called him a “natural point guard.”
The Hunter brothers spent time as their respective team’s primary ball handler during some recent 5-on-5 team periods that were open to the media for viewing, and Brownell said Hunter, whose strength has most impressed his coach, is “going to get a lot of time” at the point during the team’s games overseas.
Wiggins, an Atlanta native, is a 6-9 forward who’s capable of playing both inside and out. As for Godfrey, the 6-7, 225-pound small forward has a body type beyond his years, Brownell said.
“They’re both good players. They’re different,” Brownell said. “RJ is much more physical. Very physical and competing in the paint and at the rim. Chauncey still has to get better in that area, but he’s a skilled guy that can make shots, dribble and pass. They can both dribble and pass, they can see and they’ve got tremendous size.
“That was a big thing when we went out for the class was we’re going to go get positional size. We’ll see how guys develop and all of that, but we’re going out and coming back with a bigger team. Now we’re becoming a bigger team, and I think that’s probably a good thing moving forward.”
Gibson, who signed with the Tigers out of Kimball (Texas) High, also gives Clemson more size on the perimeter as a 6-5, 190-pound wing. Brownell said Gibson has strides he needs to make with his overall strength so that the increased physicality that comes with making the transition to the college game doesn’t bother him as much, but Gibson has caught on quickly from a mental standpoint.
“When he gets two years from now, he’s going to be a big kid,” Brownell said. “And he’s got a great attitude. He really comes into work and is pretty bright. Learns things pretty quickly. One of the faster learners of the freshmen.”
Clemson’s trip to France will include a maximum of 10 games against international competition. It will give the newcomers their first chance to compete against someone other than their teammates, something Brownell believes the group needs as it continues to get acclimated to the college game.
“We have a great group of kids. They’re phenomenal,” Brownell said. “They’re some of the nicest kids I’ve ever coached. I worry about us being a little too young and a little too nice. There’s a competitive fight that you’ve got to have to win, and we’ve got to grow that part of it up because we’re going to need some of these young guys. Hopefully the trip will give us some things to work through.”
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