It’s been less than 24 hours since UConn was crowned as national champions for the second straight year after a resounding 75-60 win over Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Who knows what the college basketball landscape will look like in a few weeks, let alone in a few months? The transfer portal changes by the day, if not by the hour. See: Arizona’s Oumar Ballo, Wisconsin’s AJ Storr and Florida Atlantic’s Johnell Davis, just to name a few.
The coaching carousel has also yet to stop after former Kentucky coach John Calipari took the college sports world by storm when he bolted the Bluegrass State for SEC rival Arkansas.
There’s also players that could turn pro, as well as those that could opt in for a fifth college season by using their COVID-19 waiver. That includes Clemson’s PJ Hall and Chase Hunter.
Lots of (basket)balls are still up in the air, but that never stops sports minds from thinking far in advance. To that end, USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, and Eddie Timanus have put together their way-too-early Top 25 rankings for the 2024-25 college basketball season.
In those rankings, Clemson checks in at No. 13 following the team’s run to the Elite Eight. The Tigers had their best season to date under coach Brad Brownell, beating New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona to reach the West Regional final of the NCAA Tournament against Alabama.
Per Myerberg, Smith and Timanus:
“A repeat of the Tigers’ journey to the Elite Eight will be a challenge, but a number of the key players could be back if they choose to use their extra year. That group includes standout postman P.J. Hall, as well as guard Chase Hunter and reserve forward Jack Clark. Joseph Girard III is gone, but Ian Schieffelin, voted the ACC’s most improved player in 2023-24, is also slated to return.”
Clark recently entered the transfer portal but could opt to return to Clemson if he doesn’t find a better fit to his liking.
The Tigers’ non-conference schedule is a long way from being set, but their ACC schedule was announced in late February. Clemson will host Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and conference newcomers Cal and Stanford at Littlejohn Coliseum in 2024-25.
The Tigers will travel to NC State, Virginia, Miami, Louisville, Pitt, Boston College, and SMU for road games. They’ll also face three schools at both home and away: Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.