Clemson Forward is Doing it All in First Season With Team

The Clemson men’s basketball team continues to see different players stand out in each game, and Saturday belongs to one of their transfers.

In the win against Georgia Tech this weekend, forward Jake Wahlin led the team in scoring with 13 points and eight rebounds. A former Utah Ute last season, head coach Brad Brownell’s newest finished with the best plus/minus on the court at +19.

“I thought his defense was really good, guarding multiple guys today,” head coach Brad Brownell said. “I just thought he had a terrific game, I’m really happy for him. He’s been working hard.”

Saturday’s win was the fourth time that Wahlin has entered double digits this season. The first-year Tiger isn’t the main scoring option for Clemson this season, but he gets consistent looks and has the capability to bring tremendous energy to the floor.

That’s how he was with Utah during the previous two seasons. The Provo, Utah native averaged 6.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in the 2024-25 seasons, similar numbers to what he has this season in Clemson. He brings important performances to the table in notable games, finishing with a 10-point, 12-rebound performance in an upset win over Kansas last season.

Brownell has had that define this new-look Clemson team: pockets of impressive performances among everybody.

“That’s the thing with our team,” he said. “Today was not a game that Carter Welling was as good or maybe just didn’t get into a good flow. . .today it was Jake Wahlin and Nick Davidson.”

Brownell thought that Wahlin would have this performance against NC State during the week, due to practice performance. The complete opposite happened during Friday’s practice, but it inversely worked again.

“It’s crazy. The night before the NC State game, he probably had his one of his best practices of the year,” he said. “He probably made seven threes in practice and was just making them. And then, get to the game, he doens’t really do as much.

Last night, he really doesn’t make many in practice,” Brownell added, “but today, he was terrific.”

Clemson has some important games coming up, including a West Coast trip at the beginning of February followed by games against Duke, Louisville and North Carolina, all top ACC teams. Perhaps a string of performances like Saturday’s for Wahlin would give the Tigers more upset potential against those teams.

The Tigers are back in action next Saturday at home against Pittsburgh at noon.