How Injuries Created Opportunity for Clemson Basketball in Italy

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Injuries are an unavoidable part of college basketball, but Clemson and head coach Brad Brownell have dealt with more than their share, both last season and this summer.

In fact, the team faced five separate injuries during its exhibition trip to Italy alone.

Carter Welling and Zac Foster each tore an ACL during the 2025 season; Ace Buckner injured his shoulder in the final games of 2025, for which he has since had surgery; Samford transfer Dylan Faulkner broke a toe; and freshman Will Stevens suffered a minor injury he picked up during summer workouts.

However, Brownell found a silver lining in it all: increased experience.

Speaking at ACC Tipoff in Charlotte on Wednesday, the veteran coach pointed to a few players who benefited from the injury crisis, getting more playing time than they ever had up to that point.

“We did have a bunch of different guys that got more experience probably in Italy than they ever have. A guy like Trent Steinour, Chase Thompson, two sophomores that got to play a lot; Dallas Thomas is another guy,” Brownell said. “I thought those guys got really good game experience, 20-plus minute games overseas, which I think was great.”

Steinour, who redshirted as a true freshman, was one of the main beneficiaries as a majority of the big men surrounding him were sidelined for the trip. Across the final two contests, he posted 19 points and 12 rebounds in 44 total minutes.

Thompson, by contrast, saw far more action as a freshman last year, appearing in all 35 games, though he still averaged under 10 minutes a night. In Italy, he showcased how much he’s improved as a player over the offseason, dropping 15 points, four rebounds and two assists on elite efficiency in 24 minutes of Clemson’s exhibition finale vs. Orange Bassano.

Brownell also notably name-dropped Dallas Thomas, who isn’t a sophomore like Steinour and Thompson. However, last season was his first time seeing game action after redshirting his entire freshman year in 2024-25.

That said, the 6-foot-9 junior took advantage of his increased playing time overseas, recording 11 points, four rebounds and two blocks against Pro Camp. But his best game came in the finale, as he posted a near triple-double of 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals in 25 minutes of action.

True freshman Harris Reynolds, who totaled 27 points across the final two contests, was additionally named by Brownell as one who benefited from the trip, as Reynolds was one of the primary ball-handlers for the team with Buckner and Foster out.

“Harris Reynolds is a good freshman who got the benefit of playing with a ball in his hands, probably a little bit more than even he has been used to. So I do think it was really good,” he continued. “We had a couple of our transfers that got to play a good bit. LT Lelevicius, Cole Certa, David Fuchs are all guys that got good experience.”

Nonetheless, Brownell acknowledged that the injuries come at a price. Several starters or potential starters were unavailable for the trip, and with the team missing most of its summer together, this year’s group is developing more slowly than usual.

“I think our program, we’ve done an unbelievable job in the summer of really identifying the strengths and weaknesses of our team, getting our team connected during that time, and then when we get to September, we kind of really hone in on our playing and make a lot of progress really quickly,” Brownell finished. “This year’s team is just a little slower. We’re going to get there. We just need more practice time with all the guys available.”

Clemson and Brownell open their exhibition schedule this weekend with a closed scrimmage against Charleston. The Tigers then play two open exhibitions in Littlejohn Coliseum, facing Georgia on Oct. 23 and Presbyterian on Oct. 28.

Enjoy our content? Make ClemsonOnSI a preferred source to see more stories from us on Google by clicking here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google