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Chase Hunter's brilliance among first impressions in Clemson basketball's season opener
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- Chase Hunter's brilliance among first impressions in Clemson basketball's season opener
CLEMSON — The season opener is in the books for Clemson basketball .
The Tigers (1-0) defeated Charleston Southern 91-64 on Monday at Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson guard Chase Hunter and forward Myles Foster led the way with 17 points each. Tigers coach Brad Brownell showcased his new roster and offered insight into what it can be for the 2024-25 season.
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Here are three impressions Clemson gave into its season's outlook:
Clemson basketball's Chase Hunter picks up where he left off
Hunter explored the NBA draft waters in the offseason and received feedback that includes: improving his 3-pointer, defense and having more hustle plays. He displayed his growth Monday, going 3-for-3 from 3-point range in the first half to score 15 points.
Defensively, Hunter picked up Charleston Southern players full court and had active hands. He finished with two steals.
With PJ Hall and Joseph Girard III gone, Hunter's offensive production is crucial. He is one of the few shot creators for the Tigers. Monday was an impactful showing from Hunter, who averaged 17.8 points, 5.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and two steals over four games in March Madness last season.
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HOW IT WENT: Clemson basketball vs Charleston Southern score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watch
Ian Schieffelin's scoring boost may be less than previously thought
Schieffelin won the ACC's most improved player last season, averaging 9.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists. The production made him a preseason all-ACC second-team.
Yet, Monday's game showed Schieffelin will still be a rebounding force, but high-scoring performances may not be in his future. He scored two points, shooting 0-for-3 from the field, with four rebounds. He rebounded in the second half to finish with eight points, shooting 2-for-6 from the field.
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Still, Schieffelin has garnered extra attention with Hall's departure. The new transfer portal additions also roam the paint more often than Hall did, sometimes clogging up the paint for Schieffelin. Brownell will have to figure out how to get his big man going as the season continues.
Clemson basketball's transfers will improve Tigers defense immensely
All of the Tiger transfers combined for 38 points, but their true impact came on defense. Cincinnati transfer Viktor Lakhin's 6-foot-11 presence generated one block and one steal. Boston College transfer Jaeden Zackery provided energy and fought for loose balls to record three steals.
Foster, an Illinois State transfer, was the first player off the bench and provided energy and intensity for Lakhin. Foster had two blocks.
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Monday's game showed these additions will improve Clemson's defense tremendously after it ranked No. 192 out of 362 in defensive rating with 104.3 last season.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson basketball: Three impressions from Tigers' season opener
