CLEMSON, S.C. — After the best season in the history of the Brad Brownell era, Clemson will now have a different role in the preseason and that is ACC contender.
The Tigers have been picked to finish fourth in the league, that according to the league's preseason media poll.
That is the highest preseason prediction for the Tigers since 2010 when they were picked to finish third. The last time Clemson was picked fourth in the preseason poll was 2008 when they finished third.
Last season, the Tigers finished 24-12, 11-9 in the ACC regular season. When Clemson lost 76-55 in its ACC Tournament opener, it meant the Tigers would enter the NCAA Tournament having dropped three of its last four games.
But a team that lost a controversial 72-71 decision at Duke before securing just the second win all-time at Chapel Hill would find some magic in March. The Tigers would defeat New Mexico and Baylor in Memphis before defeating Arizona in Los Angeles, a victory that would send the orange into the NCAA quarterfinals for just the second time in program history and first in 43 years. The season ended with a 89-82 loss to Alabama.
The preseason news surrounding the Tigers also centered around two veterans who will be counted on to set the tone on a daily basis.
Forward Ian Schieffelin and and guard Chase Hunter were named Second Team All-ACC, that according to the league’s preseason media poll.
Schieffelin is coming off a season in which he earned the ACC’s Most Improved Player award after averaging 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds. It was the second time a Tiger has won the award (Jaron Blossomgame, 2016). He finished with 340 total rebounds – the sixth-most in a single season in program history.
Hunter returns for his sixth season after he led the Tigers in the NCAA Tournament with 17.8 points, 5.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. He finished with 20 points and six assists against Baylor. It was his third 20-point game of the year and second in a row after a game-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor against New Mexico.
Hunter became the 46th 1,000-point scorer in Clemson history against Louisville (January 30, 2024) and has 1,228 career points entering this season.
2024 ACC Preseason Poll
School, Points
1. Duke (42), 956
2. North Carolina (11), 924
3. Wake Forest (1), 800
4. Clemson, 765
5. Virginia, 743
6. Miami, 659
7. Pitt, 636
8. NC State, 550
9. Louisville, 518
10. Notre Dame, 462
11. Syracuse, 454
12. Georgia Tech, 433
13. SMU, 344
14. Virginia Tech, 252
15. Florida State, 251
16. California, 206
17. Stanford, 165
18. Boston College, 116
