Clemson Basketball In Talks With Standout Georgetown Guard

In the early talks across the transfer portal, Clemson men's basketball is in talks with a player who had a career game against the Tigers last season.

Former Arizona and Georgetown guard KJ Lewis is in talks with the Clemson Tigers. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On Nov. 15, 2025, Clemson basketball suffered its first loss of the season to Georgetown. Losing 79-74, Clemson fought valiantly, but ultimately couldn’t keep up with the Hoyas and their red-hot shooting guard: KJ Lewis. 

In the outing, Lewis posted 26 points, four rebounds and an astounding five steals. Lewis was huge down the stretch, too, finishing through contact for a late three-point play that pierced Tiger hearts.

“He's just an aggressive downhill talented competitor, and he made some, some big time plays, drew fouls,” Brownell said after the loss. 

Now, Clemson is in the running for his signature out of the transfer portal. 

Per Tobias Bass, an analyst and staff editor for The Athletic, Lewis has been in talks with Clemson, as head coach Brad Brownell looks to fill the holes left in his lineup. 

Since the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, Clemson has lost guards Dillon Hunter and Jestin Porter, who were both starters — and Butta Johnson entered the portal a day ago. 

Guard play was largely inconsistent in Clemson’s 2026 campaign, but so were many other things. Clemson didn’t necessarily have a guy who could take over games frequently. 

KJ Lewis could be that guy next season. 

Lewis spent his freshman and sophomore years with Arizona. It was during his stint with the Wildcats that Clemson first became familiar with the 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard. In the Sweet 16, Clemson took down No. 2 seed Arizona, where Lewis scored seven points off the bench as a freshman. 

But since moving on from Arizona, Lewis’ junior season with Georgetown was a convincing step in the right direction.

He averaged 14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and more than two steals per game. He led the team in points per game, rebounds per game and steals per game. Between his sophomore year with Arizona and his junior year at Georgetown, Lewis’ points per game improved by more than four. 

But it is far from a sure thing. A highly touted prospect and undoubtedly a very valuable addition to any program, Lewis has heard from several other schools. The list includes Baylor, SMU, LSU, USC, Oregon, St. John’s, Texas Tech, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Illinois. 

Now, if you assume that Lewis will sign with the highest profile program, Clemson likely cracks the top five. 

Of the above-listed programs, only St. John's, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Illinois and Clemson made the 2026 NCAA Tournament. However, every one of those programs also earned a first-round win — except Clemson. 

Luckily, Clemson has been strong with recruiting in the past few years, and they just added an assistant head coach, Chris Harriman, who is renowned for his ability to bring in talent. 

If they can pull it off, Lewis will quickly become a hero in the eyes of Clemson fans after playing the part of a villain just last year.