Clemson basketball had a difficult situation to monitor once the postseason came around, and it happened in its first postseason game.
Center Carter Welling went down in the first half of the ACC Tournament's second round to Wake Forest, falling awkwardly on his knee to tear his ACL. Instantly, he was out for the remainder of the season.
However, head coach Brad Brownell's worry wasn't him missing the rest of the postseason; it was missing the beginning of the 2026-27 season. Now, that seems like a reality that the Tigers can't miss.
"We're hopeful that, at some point, if things go well and he wants to play, then he'll play," Brownell said on Wednesday. "Is that December, January? I don't know. Some of it's still as long as there haven't been any setbacks, which he's still kind of in the early stages."
Generally, a torn ACL takes about nine to 12 months to recover. With Welling suffering the injury in the middle of March, it means that a target of about December would be the goal for him, at best. That's ended up being the case with previous professional athletes, especially if the injury is suffered at the end of a season.
Clemson is also currently going through this process with freshman Zac Foster, who tore his back in December. However, his recovery began three months before Welling's, and he is expected to be ready to go for the beginning of the season.
Brownell said that there's also a long way to go before he and his staff can eye an official return date.
"I think the next two months, probably two to three months, will be more important in terms of having an idea where he's really at," he said.
Welling averaged 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in his first season with the Tigers, transferring in from Utah Valley after his sophomore season. The Draper, Utah, native decided to stay for his final season, being the expected starting center when he returns.
For now, Brownell will rely on plenty of new faces. San Francisco transfer David Fuchs and Samford big man Dylan Faulkner are the two most experienced within the group, while Clemson brought in freshman Will Stevens to aid the effort.
That trio will be crucial to the Tigers' early season success, which features a trip to the Maui Invitational, a game against Cincinnati and an ACC/SEC challenge game at home against Auburn.
Welling most likely won't play in those games, and if ACC play is his goal to return at the end of December, there's a good shot he could be there for the program.
"It's too early to tell," Brownell said. "I think with all of these, everybody's different. He's doing very well."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/clemson as When Should Fans Expect to See Carter Welling For Clemson Basketball in 2026-27? .
