The Clemson Tigers men’s basketball team is set to kick off its opening game in less than a month, coming off of a historic season that saw head coach Brad Brownell and the Tigers advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 44 years.
A large part of this success came down to the team’s experienced leadership. Starting guard Chase Hunter is the go-to veteran for the Tigers, and his decision to stay for a sixth year was made with history in mind.
Brownell, accompanied by Hunter and star forward Ian Schieffelin, spoke this week at the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte, North Carolina, to give an insight into how the Tigers are feeling coming into a new season.
Hunter believes the same intense and thorough preparation that allowed last year’s group to make history will be the key to success, especially when the transfer portal has given the Tigers experienced players who know how to win and what it takes to push the envelope in the postseason.
“I think it’s just playing with that same chip on our shoulder that we did last year,” he said. “We’re bringing back a lot of older guys, a lot of transfer guys that played a lot of basketball and that know how to win.”
Last year’s NCAA Tournament was also vital to Hunter’s personal growth.
“I just learned that I can do it. I learned that when I’m confident, and I’m playing aggressively, I can do some big things for this team.”
Hunter’s leadership, confidence, and growth over the last year will need to be evident moving forward for the Tigers to make a deep run in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Hunter also commented on his experience playing with Joseph Girard III and how he can replicate that success with new players and transfers alike.
“Joe was a great player, a great guy, a great dude to play with. I learned a lot from him. But I think going into this year, it’s just making sure that I keep these guys on the same page as me in the team, making sure that we get those same values that Coach instilled in me and the players that have been here,” Hunter said. “So just making sure that we’re all on the same page, and we’re all going towards the same goal.”
Expectations are high for Clemson this year as the incoming freshmen and four transfer students look to take this Tiger team further into the history books. Leaders like Hunter, who has bought into the culture of this school and program entering his sixth year, will look to instill the culture early and often to gel with some new faces and earn success in the coming year.
The Tigers’ first test will be at home in Littlejohn Coliseum against Charleston Southern on Nov. 4.
