Clemson Tigers
Oliver Purnell's 5th campaign in Clemson begins with high hopes for the Tigers. Let's take an in-depth look at who they lost, whose coming back, and what the prospects are for the upcoming season.
Key Losses: The only major contributor lost is a big one in Vern Hamilton, who was second on the team in scoring and assists (17% of scoring, 8.8% of rebounding, 22% of assists).
New Additions: The Tigers add four freshman, the biggest catch being Demontez Stitt, a 6'2" PG out of NC. Jerai Grant, a 6'8" forward out of DeMatha and the son of Harvey Grant, will give support inside. The other two freshmen are sharpshooter Terrance Oglesby (6'1"), and walk-on Jonah Baize (6'5").
Projected Lineup:
- PG- Cliff Hammonds (6'3", Sr.)
- SG- K.C. Rivers (6'5", Jr.)
- SF- Sam Perry (6'5", Sr.)
- PF- James Mays (6'9", Sr.)
- C- Trevor Booker (6'7", So.)
Key Reserves:
- PG- Demontez Stitt (6'2", Fr.)
- C- Raymond Sykes (6'9", Sr.)
- SG/SF- David Potter (6'6", So.)
- PF- Jerai Grant (6'8", Fr.)
- SG- Terrance Oglesby (6'2", Fr.)
Outlook: The Tigers look to make the first NCAA tournament appearance under Coach Purnell, and their first visit since 1998. They return the core of a team that started the season very hot last year before struggling during the conference season. The starters are very experienced, and capable of putting points on the board. The reserves are a little inexperienced, with not much depth. Hammonds and Mays are star-calibre players in the conference, with Mays having an outside chance at player of the year.
A weak out of conference slate will lead to a fast start for Clemson, with the only major tests coming from Purdue, Ole Miss, and Alabama.
Prediction: 10-6 Finish, T-4 in ACC; 22-8 Overall.
