2025–26 Clemson Tigers men's basketball team
American college basketball team
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The 2025–26 Clemson Tigers men's basketball team represented Clemson University during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Tigers were led by sixteenth-year head coach Brad Brownell, and played their home games at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
- Brad Brownell (16th season)
| 2025–26 Clemson Tigers men's basketball | |
|---|---|
Charleston Classic Palmetto Bracket champions | |
NCAA tournament, First round | |
| Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Record | 24–11 (12–6 ACC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Associate head coach | Billy Donlon (4th season) |
| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Littlejohn Coliseum (Capacity: 9,000) |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Duke † | 17 | – | 1 | .944 | 35 | – | 3 | .921 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17 Virginia | 15 | – | 3 | .833 | 30 | – | 6 | .833 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 24 Miami (FL) | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 26 | – | 9 | .743 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 24 | – | 9 | .727 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clemson | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 24 | – | 11 | .686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Louisville | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 24 | – | 11 | .686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NC State | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 20 | – | 14 | .588 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Florida State | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 18 | – | 15 | .545 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 22 | – | 12 | .647 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stanford | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 20 | – | 13 | .606 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SMU | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 20 | – | 14 | .588 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia Tech | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 19 | – | 13 | .594 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wake Forest | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 18 | – | 17 | .514 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syracuse | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 15 | – | 17 | .469 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh | 5 | – | 13 | .278 | 13 | – | 20 | .394 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notre Dame | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 13 | – | 18 | .419 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston College | 4 | – | 14 | .222 | 11 | – | 20 | .355 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 2 | – | 16 | .111 | 11 | – | 20 | .355 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2026 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Clemson started the season by winning three straight games, all by more than twenty-five points, but all against non-Power 4 competition. Their first loss of the season came at Georgetown 74–79. They followed that by winning four straight games, a stretch that included victories in the Charleston Classic Palmetto Bracket. In Charelston, the Tigers defeated West Virginia by three points and Georgia, also by three, in overtime. Clemson faced their first ranked opponent of the year in number twelve Alabama in the ACC–SEC Challenge. The Tigers lost in Tuscaloosa 84–90. They followed that with a neutral site loss against number ten BYU 64–67. The Tigers led by as many as twenty-two points in the second half, but could not close the game out as BYU sunk a three as time expired to secure the victory. Clemson won its last three non-conference games, including a rivalry victory over South Carolina. The Tigers began ACC play by winning six straight games. The highlight of the streak was a four-point victory over then number twenty-four SMU. After their first four victories, the Tigers entered the AP poll at number twenty-two. They rose to number eighteen, where they suffered their first conference loss of the season, against NC State in overtime. They followed that with four straight victories, including winning at both California and Stanford. At the end of the streak, the tigers were ranked number twenty in the AP poll. They then suffered four straight defeats, including a game at number four Duke. They broke the streak by defeating number twenty-four Louisville 80–75. They lost to number seventeen North Carolina and defeated Georgia Tech 79–76 to end the regular season.
The Tigers finished the season 24–11 and 12–6 in ACC play to finish in a tie for fourth place. As the fifth seed in the 2026 ACC tournament earned a bye into Second round where they defeated thirteenth seed Wake Forest, avenging a loss from the regular season. In the Quarterfinals they avenged another regular season loss, defeating fourth seed and number nineteen North Carolina. They faced first seed and number one Duke in the Semifinal, where theylost 61–73. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were an eight-seed in the South regional. They were defeated 61–67 by ninth-seed Iowa in the First round.
Previous season
The Tigers finished the season 27–7 and 18–2 in ACC play to finish in a tie for second place. As the third seed in the 2025 ACC tournament earned a bye into Quarterfinals where they defeated sixth seed SMU. In the Semifinals they could not avenge a regular season loss to Louisville as they lost by three points. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were a five-seed in the Midwest regional. They were upset 69–67 by twelfth-seed McNeese in the First round. The Tigers mounted a comeback after being down 31–13 at halftime of the game, but they fell just short.
Offseason
Departures
| Clemson Departures | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Viktor Lakhin | 0 | C | 6'11" | 245 | Anapa, Russia | Graduated | |
| Chase Hunter | 1 | G | 6'4" | 202 | Graduate Student | Atlanta, Georgia | Graduated |
| Jake Heidbreder | 3 | G | 6'5" | 180 | Floyds Knobs, Indiana | Transferred to Fresno State[1] | |
| Ian Schieffelin | 4 | F | 6'8" | 240 | Senior | Loganville, Georgia | Joined Clemson football[2] |
| Asa Thomas | 5 | F | 6'7" | 200 | Lake Forest, Illinois | Transferred to Furman[3] | |
| Myles Foster | 6 | F | 6'7" | 245 | Graduate Student | Brooklyn, New York | Graduated |
| Chauncey Wiggins | 7 | F | 6'10" | 216 | Junior | Covington, Georgia | Transferred to Florida State[4] |
| Del Jones | 10 | G | 6'2" | 187 | Freshman | Landover, Maryland | Transferred to Radford[5] |
| Jaeden Zackery | 11 | G | 6'11" | 218 | Graduate Student | Salem, Wisconsin | Graduated |
| Andrew Latiff | 13 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Senior | Clemson, South Carolina | Graduated |
| Christian Reeves | 14 | C | 7'1" | 261 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Transferred to Charleston[6] | |
| Matt Kelly | 20 | G | 6'2" | 175 | Senior | Charleston, South Carolina | Graduated |
| Daniel Nauseef | 32 | G | 6'7" | 220 | Senior | Dayton, Ohio | Graduated |
| Jackson Roberts | 35 | F/C | 6'11" | 247 | Freshman | Tampa, Florida | Entered transfer portal[7] |
Incoming transfers
| Clemson incoming transfers | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous school |
| RJ Godfrey | 0 | F | 6'8" | 230 | Senior | Suwanee, Georgia | Georgia[8] |
| Jestin Porter | 1 | G | 6'1" | 180 | Graduate Student | Houston, Texas | Middle Tennessee[9] |
| Butta Johnson | 4 | G | 6'4" | 180 | Senior | Hunstville, Alabama | UAB[10] |
| Jake Wahlin | 10 | F | 6'10" | 212 | Junior | Provo, Utah | Utah[11] |
| Nick Davidson | 11 | F/C | 6'10" | 238 | Mission Viejo, California | Nevada[12] | |
| Carter Welling | 22 | F | 6'10" | 225 | Junior | Draper, Utah | Utah Valley[13] |
2025 recruiting class
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blake Davidson F |
Mission Viejo, California | Mater Dei | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Apr 2, 2025 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Zac Foster G |
Atlanta, Georgia | Woodward Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Sep 12, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Trent Steinour F/C |
Huntersville, North Carolina | Lake Norman | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | May 23, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Chase Thompson F |
Glenwood, Minnesota | Alexandria Area | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Sep 29, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: 37 Rivals: 40 ESPN: NR | ||||||
Sources:
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Roster
| 2025–26 Clemson Tigers men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 17, 2025* 6:00 p.m. |
Presbyterian | W 83–44 | – |
15 – Porter | 8 – Welling | 3 – Thompson | Littlejohn Coliseum (2,209) Clemson, SC | ||||
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 3, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
New Hampshire | W 88–38 | 1–0 |
18 – Buckner | 9 – Godfrey | 3 – Godfrey | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,439) Clemson, SC | ||||
| November 7, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ACCN |
Gardner–Webb | W 97–59 | 2–0 |
18 – N. Davidson | 11 – Welling | 5 – Foster | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,217) Clemson, SC | ||||
| November 11, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
Morehead State | W 83–56 | 3–0 |
14 – Wahlin | 11 – Godfrey | 4 – Hunter | Littlejohn Coliseum (6,357) Clemson, SC | ||||
| November 15, 2025* 12:00 p.m., Peacock |
at Georgetown | L 74–79 | 3–1 |
14 – Welling | 7 – Wahlin | 4 – Foster | Capital One Arena (8,562) Washington, D.C. | ||||
| November 17, 2025* 9:00 p.m, ACCN |
North Alabama | W 81–61 | 4–1 |
16 – Godfrey | 10 – Wahlin | 6 – Foster | Littlejohn Coliseum (6,356) Clemson, SC | ||||
| November 21, 2025* 6:30 p.m., ESPNU |
vs. West Virginia Charleston Classic Palmetto Bracket Semifinal |
W 70–67 | 5–1 |
14 – Tied | 8 – Welling | 4 – Hunter | TD Arena (4,856) Charleston, SC | ||||
| November 23, 2025* 1:00 p.m., ESPN |
vs. Georgia Charleston Classic Palmetto Bracket Championship |
W 97–94 OT | 6–1 |
18 – Porter | 9 – N. Davidson | 2 – Tied | TD Arena (3,823) Charleston, SC | ||||
| November 28, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX |
Alabama A&M | W 92–56 | 7–1 |
14 – Porter | 8 – Godfrey | 3 – Tied | Littlejohn Coliseum (6,118) Clemson, SC | ||||
| December 3, 2025* 7:15 p.m., ESPNU |
at No. 12 Alabama ACC–SEC Challenge |
L 84–90 | 7–2 |
19 – Godfrey | 6 – Wahlin | 4 – Hunter | Coleman Coliseum (13,474) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
| December 9, 2025* 6:30 p.m., ESPN |
vs. No. 10 BYU Jimmy V Classic |
L 64–67 | 7–3 |
17 – Porter | 6 – Welling | 4 – Porter | Madison Square Garden (19,694) New York, NY | ||||
| December 13, 2025* 3:00 p.m., ACCNX |
Mercer | W 70–63 | 8–3 |
15 – Hunter | 8 – Godfrey | 2 – Tied | Littlejohn Coliseum (6,129) Clemson, SC | ||||
| December 16, 2025* 7:00 P.M., ESPN |
South Carolina Rivalry |
W 68–61 | 9–3 |
19 – Buckner | 7 – Buckner | 6 – Hunter | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC | ||||
| December 21, 2025* 3:00 p.m., ESPN |
vs. Cincinnati Greenville Winter Invitational |
W 68–65 | 10–3 |
12 – Tied | 7 – Hunter | 4 – Hunter | Bon Secours Wellness Arena (4,065) Greenville, SC | ||||
| ACC regular season | |||||||||||
| December 31, 2025 2:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at Syracuse | W 64–61 | 11–3 (1–0) |
14 – Godfrey | 5 – Tied | 2 – Tied | JMA Wireless Dome (16,425) Syracuse, NY | ||||
| January 3, 2026 12:00 p.m., The CW |
at Pittsburgh | W 73–68 | 12–3 (2–0) |
21 – Porter | 10 – Welling | 4 – Hunter | Petersen Events Center (6,652) Pittsburgh, PA | ||||
| January 7, 2026 9:00 p.m., ESPNU |
No. 24 SMU | W 74–70 | 13–3 (3–0) |
17 – Godfrey | 8 – Wahlin | 4 – Tied | Littlejohn Coliseum (8,134) Clemson, SC | ||||
| January 10, 2026 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at Notre Dame | W 76–61 | 14–3 (4–0) |
26 – Porter | 7 – Hunter | 3 – Tied | Joyce Center (6,933) South Bend, IN | ||||
| January 13, 2026 7:00 p.m., ACCN |
No. 22 | Boston College | W 74–50 | 15–3 (5–0) |
25 – N. Davidson | 8 – Tied | 5 – Hunter | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,320) Clemson, SC | |||
| January 17, 2026 2:15 p.m., The CW |
No. 22 | Miami (FL) | W 69–59 | 16–3 (6–0) |
18 – Welling | 9 – Welling | 7 – Hunter | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC | |||
| January 20, 2026 7:00 p.m., ACCN |
No. 18 | NC State | L 76–80 OT | 16–4 (6–1) |
16 – Godfrey | 9 – Welling | 5 – Hunter | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC | |||
| January 24, 2026 12:00 p.m., ACCN |
No. 18 | at Georgia Tech | W 77–63 | 17–4 (7–1) |
13 – Tied | 8 – Wahlin | 4 – Buckner | McCamish Pavilion (6,781) Atlanta, GA | |||
| January 31, 2026 12:00 p.m., ACCN |
No. 22 | Pittsburgh | W 63–52 | 18–4 (8–1) |
12 – Tied | 6 – Hunter | 4 – Buckner | Littlejohn Coliseum (6,723) Clemson, SC | |||
| February 4, 2026 10:00 p.m., ACCN |
No. 20 | at Stanford | W 66–64 | 19–4 (9–1) |
16 – N. Davidson | 8 – Welling | 4 – Hunter | Maples Pavilion (3,466) Stanford, CA | |||
| February 7, 2026 8:00 p.m., ACCN |
No. 20 | at California | W 77–55 | 20–4 (10–1) |
13 – Tied | 6 – Wahlin | 4 – Buckner | Haas Pavilion (5,629) Berkeley, CA | |||
| February 11, 2026 7:00 p.m., ACCN |
No. 20 | Virginia Tech | L 66–76 | 20–5 (10–2) |
19 – Welling | 6 – Welling | 2 – Tied | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,392) Clemson, SC | |||
| February 14, 2026 12:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 20 | at No. 4 Duke | L 54–67 | 20–6 (10–3) |
12 – Welling | 8 – Godfrey | 2 – Tied | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC | |||
| February 18, 2026 7:00 p.m., ACCN |
at Wake Forest | L 77–85 | 20–7 (10–4) |
17 – Wahlin | 7 – Welling | 3 – Tied | LJVM Coliseum (7,433) Winston-Salem, NC | ||||
| February 21, 2026 12:00 p.m., The CW |
Florida State | L 65–70 | 20–8 (10–5) |
15 – Buckner | 7 – Wahlin | 3 – Tied | Littlejohn Coliseum (8,241) Clemson, SC | ||||
| February 28, 2026 2:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
No. 24 Louisville | W 80–75 | 21–8 (11–5) |
16 – Porter | 8 – Buckner | 3 – Porter | Littlejohn Coliseum (8,084) Clemson, SC | ||||
| March 3, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN |
at No. 17 North Carolina | L 63–67 | 21–9 (11–6) |
22 – Godfrey | 9 – Godfrey | 4 – Hunter | Dean Smith Center (20,753) Chapel Hill, NC | ||||
| March 7, 2026 12:00 p.m., ACCN |
Georgia Tech | W 79–76 | 22–9 (12–6) |
15 – Tied | 6 – Godfrey | 5 – Tied | Littlejohn Coliseum (6,977) Clemson, SC | ||||
| ACC Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 11, 2026 9:30 p.m., ESPN2 |
(5) | vs. (13) Wake Forest Second round |
W 71–62 | 23–9 |
11 – Godfrey | 8 – Godfrey | 3 – Tied | Spectrum Center (9,620) Charlotte, NC | |||
| March 12, 2026 9:30 p.m., ESPN |
(5) | vs. (4) No. 19 North Carolina Quarterfinal |
W 80–79 | 24–9 |
17 – N. Davidson | 11 – N. Davidson | 3 – Tied | Spectrum Center (17,627) Charlotte, NC | |||
| March 13, 2026 9:30 p.m., ESPN2 |
(5) | vs. (1) No. 1 Duke Semifinal |
L 61–73 | 24–10 |
18 – Godfrey | 6 – Godfrey | 4 – Hunter | Spectrum Center (17,711) Charlotte, NC | |||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 20, 2026 6:50 p.m., TNT |
(8 S) | vs. (9 S) Iowa First round |
L 61–67 | 24–11 |
15 – Godfrey | 7 – Godfrey | 3 – Tied | Benchmark International Arena (20,112) Tampa, FL | |||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. S=South. All times are in Eastern Time. | |||||||||||
Rankings
Statistics
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RJ Godfrey | 35 | 32 | 25.2 | 61.1% | 20.0% | 66.0% | 5.3 | 1.6 | 12.0 |
| Carter Welling | 32 | 24 | 20.8 | 49.3% | 29.3% | 70.1% | 5.4 | 1.1 | 10.2 |
| Jestin Porter | 35 | 31 | 27.0 | 37.3% | 34.8% | 76.2% | 1.8 | 1.3 | 9.6 |
| Nick Davidson | 35 | 12 | 22.0 | 51.1% | 34.5% | 67.4% | 4.0 | 1.1 | 9.1 |
| Ace Buckner | 35 | 3 | 19.5 | 42.9% | 31.2% | 81.3% | 2.9 | 1.8 | 8.3 |
| Dillon Hunter | 35 | 35 | 28.6 | 41.1% | 34.7% | 78.6% | 3.7 | 3.0 | 7.5 |
| Zac Foster | 12 | 0 | 18.6 | 31.0% | 27.7% | 81.8% | 2.8 | 2.5 | 6.9 |
| Efrem Johnson | 35 | 9 | 21.1 | 38.5% | 35.5% | 83.0% | 2.1 | 1.0 | 6.3 |
| Jake Wahlin | 35 | 29 | 20.4 | 40.3% | 34.0% | 68.8% | 3.9 | 0.7 | 5.3 |
| Chase Thompson | 35 | 0 | 9.0 | 52.8% | 40.0% | 68.4% | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.3 |
| Dallas Thomas | 22 | 0 | 4.5 | 51.6% | 57.1% | 62.5% | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.2 |
| Trent Steinour | 6 | 0 | 2.5 | 25.0% | — | 66.7% | 1.2 | — | 1.0 |
Source:[18]