Clemson Men's Basketball Season Ends In Opening Round of NIT
The Clemson Tigers started their first-round matchup on a 10-0 run, and eventually lead by as many as 15 over the Morehead State Eagles in the first half. Unfortunately, they were never able to solidify that lead and it dwindled down to just 2 points before the halftime buzzer. This led to momentum for the Eagles and an eventual 4-point loss for the Tigers. It's a disappointing end to a stretch of disappointing moments over the last week for this Clemson program.
Many wondered how the Tigers, a team that most likely should have earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, would respond when they didn't receive an invite.
Hunter Tyson (pictured) led the team with 11 rebounds in Clemson's loss to Morehead State
Leading scorer Hunter Tyson was only able to manage 9 points on 1-7 shooting from 3-point range. The team as a whole shot a subpar 6-28 from deep (21.4%). Chase Hunter, with 18 points, did his best to will his team further, along with PJ Hall who contributed 13 as the only other Tiger in double digits on the night. However, Hall did have 2 late misses from the line that would have given Clemson a shot late. The game's destiny may have been decided by that point already though. Morehead State certainly played like a team more motivated to move on.
Nothing is ever certain in this transfer portal era, but the Tigers will return some talent and major contributors to next year's squad. Among those, PJ Hall, Dillon and Chase Hunter, along with Ian Schiefflein will lead the way in 2023-24. Leaders like Hunter Tyson, Brevin Galloway, and injured Alex Hemenway will all move on, so the future of this Clemson program is uncertain. With head coach Brad Brownell coming under fire for lackluster finishes, next year's team could very well determine how people remember his tenure at Clemson.
