The 22nd ranked Clemson Tigers Men’s Basketball team tips off the 2018-19 season on Tuesday, Nov. 6 against The Citadel. Last year saw the Tigers secure their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 after an outstanding regular season. In the tournament, Clemson advanced all the way to the Sweet Sixteen, where the team was narrowly defeated by the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks. As a whole, last season was Clemson’s most successful in over 20 years. In anticipation of the upcoming season, here is everything you need to know about the roster.
The Starters
Shelton Mitchell, Guard (Graduate)
Mitchell is the Tigers’ starting point guard and elected to forgo the NBA Draft and return for his final year of eligibility. At 6-foot-4, Mitchell has good size compared to other primary ball handlers and can surprise you with his athleticism. Mitchell led the team in assists last year, which is no easy feat considering the fact that the ball handling responsibilities were evenly distributed among players. With Gabe DeVoe gone, expect Mitchell to get even more playmaking opportunities this season.
In addition to his court vision, Mitchell shines as a shooter. Since transferring from Vanderbilt in 2015, Mitchell has shot 39.5 percent from the 3-point line and 83.2 percent from the free throw line. In Clemson’s offensive system that favors drives to the basket and 3-point shots almost exclusively, these numbers make Mitchell an essential piece in keeping the offense humming.
Marcquise Reed, Guard (Graduate)
After Donte Grantham was ruled out for the remainder of the 2017-18 season due to injury last year, Marcquise Reed elevated his game and was the catalyst for Clemson’s success, earning All-ACC Second- Team honors. Offensively, Reed will be the focal point this season. He has the skills to attack whatever the opposing defense is giving him, whether that means attacking the paint or shooting from deep. He is a maestro as the ball handler during pick-and-rolls, using his quickness to blow by defenders if they choose to go over the screen and his ability to shoot off of the dribble to rise up and bury shots if they go underneath the screen. Last year, Reed led the Tigers in scoring and posted shooting averages of 43 percent from the floor, 35 percent from three and 84 percent from the free throw line.
Reed also led the Tigers in steals last year, a testament to his ability as a defender as well. At 6-foot-3, Reed has good size against guards and can use his quickness and speed to keep up with other perimeter players. Health permitting, don’t be surprised to see Reed’s name on the All-ACC First- Team at the end of the season.
Aamir Simms, Forward (Sophomore)
Grantham’s unfortunate injury also allowed Aamir Simms to mature into his own. After Grantham’s injury in January, Simms started in 12 of the team’s last 16 games. As a freshman thrust into a new role in the middle of the season, Simms performed well and averaged 5.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1 blocked shot per game during that time. Simms is an outstanding athlete at 6-foot-7 and can run the floor with ease, dunking the ball on offense and blocking shots on defense. Simms is also surprisingly proficient as a three-point shooter, knocking down triples with 36.7 percent accuracy during his time as a starter last year.
With a year of experience under his belt and another offseason to become more familiar with the offense and the team’s identity, Simms is poised to take another step forward. His unique skill set gives head coach Brad Brownell a flurry of new opportunities on offense that could produce an uptick in Simms’ per game averages, while his athleticism and frame should also allow the Tigers to maintain their fierce defensive identity.
Elijah Thomas, Center (Senior)
Last year was a revelation for Elijah Thomas who played the majority of his minutes at the center position. At 6-foot-9, Thomas was undersized at the center position, but thrived in his role nonetheless. His size and athleticism allowed Clemson to switch on defense up and down the roster, neutralizing most matchup disadvantages. This year, he may be called upon to play a more traditional role as the team’s power forward.
Thomas flourished as a two-way player last year. He was already a competent scorer, averaging 7.5 points per game with 57 percent field goal shooting in the 2016-17 season, but transformed himself as a defender. As the defensive anchor of the team, he nearly doubled his blocks per game from the year prior (1.2 to 2.3) and was third in the ACC in total shots blocked. He led the team in rebounding with 8.1 per game and also increased his free throw percentage from 44 percent to 62 percent.
If he is called upon to play the power forward position, his defensive instincts and strength should allow him to flourish against opponents of his same size, while his athleticism and soft touch should permit him even more offensive growth. And if, instead, he is inserted into the lineup as the starting center, head coach Brad Brownell already knows that Thomas can more than hold his own against opposing big men.
David Skara, Forward (Graduate)
One of the biggest questions the Tigers face is who the fifth starter will be. With Grantham and DeVoe gone, the Clemson frontcourt needs a wing who can score in the Tigers’ 4-out 1-in offense, where one big man (likely Elijah Thomas) will fly around the court setting screens for the four perimeter players. Skara may not have the same shooting abilities as other players on the team, but he has experience playing with the other players on some of the biggest stages. Brownell also rewards his upperclassmen, which means Skara has a good chance to enter the starting lineup as a mainstay.
The Bench
With a slew of returning players, transfers and incoming freshmen, one of Clemson’s strengths this year could be its depth. Brownell normally dispenses the bulk of the team’s playing time to the starters, but the talent of the team’s bench might dictate a steadier diet of minutes.
Anthony Oliver II, Lyles Davis, Malik William and Clyde Trapp are all returning for the Tigers. Oliver and Trapp are guards who offer the ability to reliably hit 3-point shots when given the opportunity. Oliver also had one of the highest free throw percentages on the team last year at 81.8 percent. Davis is a 5-foot-11 senior guard who walked onto the team his freshman year and, despite limited playing time, is one of the most highly respected players on the roster with a strong locker room and bench presence. William is a forward known for his ability as a rim protector.
Hunter Tyson, Parker Fox, John Newman III and Trey Jamison make up the incoming class of freshmen. Tyson is a 6-foot-8 forward from North Carolina who excels as a shooter and contributes well as a rebounder. Newman is a 6-foot-5 guard from North Carolina who was a three-time state champion in high school and a McDonald’s All-American nominee. Jamison is a 7-foot tall center whose size can add a dimension to the team that the Tigers have not had in previous years.
Jonathan Baehre and Javan White are players who have transferred to Clemson and will play in the upcoming season. Baehre and White are both 6-foot-10 forwards who have strong rebounding abilities, good defensive instincts and offensive skill sets that easily lend themselves to Brad Brownell’s system.
