© Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK
Brownell Excited About Clemson's Summer
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CLEMSON, S.C. — A trip to France, an influx of young players, two new assistant coaches and an enjoyable group of Tigers have Clemson men's basketball coach excited about his program this summer.
The Tigers head overseas on Aug. 3 to play three exhibition games against French all-star teams over the course of about 10 days. The team will take part in a ton of sightseeing, including a trip to Normandy, where the D-Day Invasion occurred during World War II.
"It's been a good summer for us," Brownell said Tuesday. "Certainly, the trip is going to be memorable in a lot of ways for our guys. I think these cultural experiences that we give our guys is probably one of the best things that we do."
The media was able to view about an hour of Tuesday's team practice, followed by interviews with Brownell and select players. Here are several notes from the Clemson head coach:
Hall update
PJ Hall had successful knee surgery and is going to travel with the team to France, but Brownell said it's too early to set a potential return date. It could be Game 1 in November or a month into the season, but that will be determined by Hall's progress and the medical team.
Hall, who was coming off of foot surgery, suffered the knee injury during his first contact practice of the summer. It wasn't a contact play but he was trying to defend a ball-handler when he made a move and went down. Hall was close to being cleared, and Brownell was hoping to get him on the court in France.
"It was really disappointing," Brownell said. "Your heart feels for him. The mental aspect of it is just as much as the physical. The next few weeks will be hard for him. As he starts to gain ground, his confidence will come back. His spirit will come back a little bit, but it's been hard here the last month."
Hall is coming off a stellar sophomore season in which he led the team in scoring (15.5 ppg) and blocked shots (38) and finished second in rebounding (5.8 rpg).
Other health updates
Clemson's had a lighter roster in recent practices. Not only is Hall out, but guard Chase Hunter, a returning starter, suffered a thigh bruise that's limited him. He sat out a lot of Clemson's full-court drills Tuesday.
Boston College transfer Brevin Galloway was missing from practice Tuesday because of an illness that's kept him out a couple of days, but Brownell expects him back. Galloway, who also played at College of Charleston, gives the Tigers an experienced, tough backcourt player who will help a young team grow up.
Freshmen Five
Speaking of youth, the Tigers are basically breaking in five new freshmen, counting Josh Beadle, who redshirted last year. He'll combine with Dillon Hunter (Chase's brother), RJ Godfrey, Chauncey Wiggins and Chauncey Gibson. They're bringing "enthusiasm and energy" into the program, Brownell said.
Wiggins is an obvious standout. He can score and has good range defensively. He'll likely see a lot of early playing time this season and has the size (6-foot-9, 205 pounds) to contribute right away.
Dillon Hunter could end up being a regular at point guard if he continues to progress, while Godfrey and Gibson give Clemson versatility. Brownell said Beadle is a good slasher and is improving his shooting.
"I really like our freshmen class," Brownell said."I think they're physically probably more ready than most that we've had here. I think they're going to be really good. It'll take time. They've got a lot to learn."
New assistants
Brownell talked as positively about his coaching staff as any he's had during his tenure at Clemson. He brought in Billy Donlon and Sean Dixon to replace a couple of assistants in the offseason, and the early returns are good.
Donlon and Brownell have known each other for many years and are very close, so it's been a seamless transition bringing him on staff. Brownell said Dixon is still finding his voice, but he likes that the assistant is "very competitive."
"I like my staff a lot. I really like my staff a lot," Brownell said. "This group works very well together, very experienced. Maybe more experienced than some of the others I've had. Zero ego. We're just trying to coach these guys and make them better. It's just a group that gets along very well. I think good things are in store for this staff. I feel good about it.
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