Four Reasons To Be Excited About Clemson Basketball Next Season

While two teams remain in the national championship question in college basketball, every other team is preparing for an offseason that continues to be crazier with each season of NIL.

The Clemson Tigers will be doing the same, heading into an offseason that head coach Brad Brownell will look to cash in to bring more recent success to the program. However, without any transfer portal acquisitions happening, it could be an exciting season with everything that we already know.

Here are four reasons why the Tigers could bring some excitement to the 2026-27 season as we begin April.

1. Underclassmen Will Break Out

Clemson guard Ace Buckner was the team's breakout player last season, competing for a starting role on the 2026-27 roster. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Many of the in-house signees that Brownell brought to the table as freshmen are all returning as of Sunday, bringing plenty of spark to Clemson’s offense that we saw a season ago.

Key rotational pieces like Ace Buckner, Zac Foster, Chase Thompson and Dallas Thomas could all see elevated roles, perhaps even starting for a majority of the season, depending on the incoming transfers and offseason progressions. The Tigers were known for their deep rotation in 2025-26, and those bench players will not become starters due to a big senior class.

“I’m very excited to see what we can do next year,” Buckner said after the Tigers’ season ended. “We got a good group of freshmen coming in, see what Coach can do in the portal, I’m ready to see what we can do.”

Expect Brownell to get a few veterans from other schools on this team, and that will create a blend of both leadership and explosiveness coming from the Clemson Tigers next season.

2. Exciting Players From Injury Return

Clemson freshman Zac Foster brought plenty of flair to the backcourt in his limited time in November and December. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clemson suffered two season-ending injuries over the last season: Foster and Carter Welling both tore their ACLs.

At some point over the next season, both fan favorites will return to the hardwood.

Foster will be first, most likely returning during this summer after tearing it against South Carolina in December. On the other hand, Welling tore his in the ACC Tournament, meaning he could be out for a good chunk of time, perhaps until the beginning of 2027. However, expect him to see some minutes as the Tigers end their regular season.

Foster brought a different flair that many of the other guards didn’t have. He finished with 6.9 points and 2.5 assists per contest in his true freshman season. He didn’t get to play in ACC play either, and he will have a chip on his shoulder to compete for a top finish.

3. Upside From The Transfer Portal

Clemson head coach Brad Brownell has brought in elite talent from the portal before, like Jaeden Zackery two seasons ago. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Brownell’s top scorer last season was RJ Godfrey, scoring just 12 points a contest to have one of the lowest top scorers in Division I. That can change for many different reasons.

The best way for that to happen? The transfer portal.

We’ve seen the Clemson head coach make some great acquisitions for scorers, just look at Joseph Girard III and Jaeden Zackery in recent seasons. If Brownell makes another pull like that, or even gets a sharpshooting wing to play alongside Buckner and Foster, and it would bring a whole new offensive dynamic to the table.

Prices are now getting competitive for these top scorers, however, and the Tigers will need to be tactical ahead of it opening next week. However, if the right move is made, there will be a lot more anticipation for the 2026-27 season, and expect something to happen.

4. Freshmen Class With High Upside

Clemson head coach Brad Brownell brought in three freshmen, Harris Reynolds, Will Stevens and Amare James, for next season. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Despite it only being three players, Clemson’s incoming trio of freshmen brings plenty of potential. Although Brownell’s roster typically uses freshmen as reserves, the talent they have could debate that.

Four stars Harris Reynolds and Will Stevens, according to 247Sports, are both inside the top 10 at their respective positions in the 2026 class. Reynolds, a guard who's the No. 7 player from the state of Georgia, could play a role similar to how Foster played in the offense in his freshman season. Stevens, the No. 4 player from the state of North Carolina, could be a body seen down low for Brownell down the stretch.

Amare James, another freshman in the class, could bring some flair to the table as well. Long story short, some of the rotational pieces on Clemson’s roster next season could be competing with this group as the season goes on for minutes.