With the Clemson men’s basketball team set to tip off its 2023 season on Monday night, there are a few new faces to the team, one of whom could be a very impactful player for the Tigers.

After playing a few freshmen last season, head coach Brad Brownell only brought in one freshman this season: a 6-foot-7 forward from Lake Forest, Illinois, by the name of Asa Thomas.

A three-star recruit, Thomas was the No. 9 ranked player out of the state of Illinois and the No. 55 small forward in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports. The new Tiger chose Clemson over Illinois, Virginia Tech, Marquette and a handful of others to be the newest face at Littlejohn Coliseum this season.

The forward has a great scoring ability, combined with a great 3-point shot, to be an asset for Clemson over the next few years. Over four years at Lake Forest High School, Thomas averaged 17.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 40.3% from beyond the arc, holding his school record in 3-pointers made.

In Brownell’s eyes, he sees a former Tiger in Thomas’s gameplay: former Clemson standout Hunter Tyson.

“I think he plays with a quiet confidence that you really like as a coach,” Brownell said. “It’s ‘Hunter Tyson-esque’. There’s some similarities in the guys in terms of both physically, probably not quite ready, but both think they’re pretty good players at the time and do things that surprise you every once in a while.”

The freshman saw action in last Wednesday’s scrimmage win over Newberry, playing almost 14 minutes and scoring two points and adding a rebound. Despite a quiet game, Thomas will be a player who could break into the rotation and be a key player for Brownell over the next few years of his collegiate career.

Thomas’s first official game will be on Monday night when the Tigers face Winthrop at Littlejohn Coliseum at 7 p.m. Only time will tell to see when the freshman breaks through this season.