Clemson basketball put together their fourth straight 20-win season last year. But after two consecutive flops in March, can they make it to the second weekend again?
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Clemson basketball.
Last season, Clemson faltered in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, falling behind early to Iowa and never gaining the lead. The year prior, it was Will Wade’s McNeese State team that sent the Tigers home early.
One thing that might help Clemson basketball end that streak, however, is (relative) roster continuity. Four players with game experience from last season return, and a fifth (Blake Davidson) redshirted last season.
At point will be Ace Buckner, who played in all 35 games for the Tigers last season and saw three starts. While Zac Foster could see time at point, (he averaged 2.5 APG last season) he’ll likely have to start at the two-guard spot. Both are holdovers from last season’s team, as Foster played in 10 games for Clemson basketball before suffering a season-ending injury.
Behind Foster at shooting guard will likely be freshman recruit Harris Reynolds, who has ACC skills but maybe isn’t physically ready to start yet with a skinny frame. Fellow freshman and three-star recruit Amare James will also see time as a reserve guard.
Clemson basketball picked up a much-needed commitment from Notre Dame transfer Cole Certa, who will almost certainly start at small forward. Certa averaged double-figures for the Fighting Irish last season and can shoot from outside the arc, but doesn’t bring much rebounding prowess to the table. A pair of returnees, Dallas Thomas and Chase Thompson, will see action behind Certa on the wing. Both served in reserve roles for the team last year.
The starting power forward spot will be filled by TCU transfer Liutauras Lelevicius, whose per-game numbers don’t pop off the screen but has the ability to shoot consistently. Last season, he had a 38.0% from beyond the arc. Behind him on the depth chart is Blake Davidson, who was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2025 but redshirted last year. It must be noted that Carter Welling will see the court eventually this year, but he will not be healthy to start the season. His likely return date is around December.
And at center, it’ll be Samford transfer Dylan Faulkner. One of the best per-minute stat profiles in the country, Faulkner starred for the Bulldogs last season after spending two seasons at Lipscomb. Solid on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, Faulkner will immediately be considered one of the top big men in the conference. San Francisco transfer David Fuchs is behind him on the depth chart and could see time at power forward as well before Welling returns. Freshman Will Stevens will provide depth.
Head coach: Brad Brownell (25th season overall, 17th at Clemson)
2025-26 record: 24-11 (12-6)
2026 postseason finish: Lost to Iowa in first round of NCAA tournament
Notable departures:
- RJ Godfrey (12.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.6 APG)
- Jestin Porter (9.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.3 APG)
- Nick Davidson (9.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.1 APG)
- Butta Johnson (6.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.0 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Georgetown (Nov. 13)
- vs. Ole Miss (Nov. 23) – Maui Invitational
- TBD (Nov. 24 – Maui Invitational
- TBD (Nov. 25) – Maui Invitational
- vs. Auburn (Dec. 1)
- at South Carolina (Dec. 15)
- at Cincinnati (Dec. 19)
Projected Rotation
PG: Ace Buckner (6-3, 180, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 8.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 81.3 FT%
SG: Zac Foster (6-4, 190, So.)
2025-26 stats: 6.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 10 GP*
*Suffered season-ending injury
SF: Cole Certa (6-5, 205, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 12.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.8 APG, 36.7 3P% (Notre Dame)
PF: Liutaurus Lelevicius (6-7, 225, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 8.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 0.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 38.0 3P% (TCU)
C: Dylan Faulkner (6-10, 235, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 17.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 BPG (Samford)
6: David Fuchs (6-9, 245, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 12.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.4 APG (San Francisco)
7: Harris Reynolds (6-5, 175, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 116 ranked recruit
8: Dallas Thomas (6-9, 180, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 2.2 PPG, 0.4 RPG, 0.1 APG, 4.5 MPG, 22 GP
9: Blake Davidson (6-9, 213, So.)
247Sports Composite No. 244 ranked recruit in Class of 2025*
*Redshirted 2025-26 season
10: Chase Thompson (6-8, 228, So.)
2025-26 stats: 2.3 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.3 APG, 9.0 MPG
11: Will Stevens (6-10, 225, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 150 ranked recruit
12: Amare James (6-6, 190, Fr.)
247Sports Composite three-star recruit
Clemson basketball team MVP: Dylan Faulkner
The pickup of Dylan Faulkner in the transfer portal is huge for Clemson basketball. Faulkner was named to the All-SoCon team last season and was an All-SoCon defensive selection as well. Standing at 6’10”, Faulkner isn’t a threat from deep, but he doesn’t need to be. Last season for the Bulldogs, he shot 62.7% from inside the arc while scoring 17.2 PPG.
On the defensive side, he averaged 1.5 BPG, including three games with four blocks. Perhaps his best game of the season came against Furman on the road, when he scored 19 points while adding 12 rebounds and four assists. Eight of those 12 rebounds came on the offensive side. While Faulkner’s free-throw shooting leaves something to be desired, he’s had his moments. Against VMI last season, Faulkner shot a perfect 10-10 from the line.
Clemson basketball make-or-break player: Ace Buckner
Ace Buckner is one of a handful of returnees from last season’s Clemson basketball squad. The guard’s offensive numbers aren’t all-ACC caliber, but he’s a valuable and necessary part of the machine. Clemson basketball needs a point guard, and Buckner is certainly able to fill that role. For the first time in his collegiate career, Buckner will likely be starting consistently, and at the most important position.
There have been flashes of brilliance: Buckner put up 19 points off the bench in a rivalry victory over South Carolina in the non-con portion of the schedule last season while adding seven rebounds. Against Virginia Tech, Buckner scored 16 points, one of 16 double-digit scoring efforts on the year for him. There have been some not-so-great performances, like a 3-12 shooting effort in a loss against Duke, and five games with three turnovers, but more often than not, Buckner had been a steady force in limited action for Clemson basketball. Expect him to stay steady, but see much more action this season.
Key statistic: Opponent assists per game
Clemson only allowed 10.4 assists per game last season, 7th-least in the nation. That’s great. It also was quite determinative in their results from the past year. When the Tigers gave up 12 or less assists, they were 21-5. But most times they gave up more than 12, Clemson basketball faltered. The Tigers were 3-6 when giving up more than 12 assists. That includes road losses to Georgetown, Duke, Alabama, and Wake Forest.
What must Clemson basketball do to improve? Perimeter and rim defense. That’s where the ball is going to be scored from most of the time, and if the Tigers can keep slowing down the game and play intentional defense, there’s a good chance they can repeat their defensive success of last year. (A top-25 defense nationally, per KenPom.)
Clemson basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 6th in the ACC
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament second round exit