How Tigers will look next season

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CLEMSON — Clemson basketball’s regular season was magical, but its run in the NCAA Tournament was a nightmare.

The fifth-seeded Tigers were upset by No. 12 McNeese State in the first round of March Madness, losing 69-67. Despite setting program records for total and ACC wins, they were embarrassed in the tournament to suffer an early exit.

Now, Clemson will have to address losing star players, including guard Chase Hunter, forward Ian Schieffelin and center Viktor Lakhin because of expiring eligibility. The Tigers may also lose guard Jaeden Zackery. These departures mean forward Chauncey Wiggins and guard Dillon Hunter will headline next season’s team along with whoever the Tigers might pick up in the transfer portal.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell, who is in talks for a contract extension, will have plenty of inexperienced freshmen and sophomores. Clemson will likely add transfers to supplement the loss of its crucial contributors too.

Here are the players who are leaving and returning for the Tigers’ 2025-26 season with the transfer portal opening Monday:

Will Jaeden Zackery return for Clemson in 2025-26?

Zackery, who transferred to Clemson from Boston College, was a brilliant addition for the Tigers. He averaged a career-high 11.7 points and 2.1 steals to make the ACC’s all-defensive team.

Zackery played five college seasons, including his three seasons with the Eagles (2021-22 through 2023-24) and one at Chipola College, a junior college program (2020-21). His potential for another season comes from recent rulings regarding Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who sued the NCAA in federal court to try to get back a final year of eligibility.

Pavia received a court ruling granting him an extra year of eligibility because a judge stated that the NCAA’s rules counting junior college eligibility against Division I eligibility violated antitrust law. The NCAA is appealing the decision, but it issued a waiver allowing some players who would be in their last year of eligibility…

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Source link : https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/sports/college/clemson/2025/03/23/clemson-basketball-roster-2025-26-transfer-portal-dillon-hunter/82418969007/

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Publish date : 2025-03-23 16:46:00

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