Brownell says healthy Tigers, with transfers, have a chance to win at a high level

PJ Hall and Joseph Girard III (pictured to the far right) are the two leading returning scorers from ACC play last season.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Aug 29 13:15:37 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – PJ Hall is finally healthy, and if Brad Brownell can get the rest of his squad on the court, he expects to have a good team.

Brownell’s program finished 24-11 overall and 14-6 in the ACC, good for third in the league but fell short of a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers earned a No. 1 seed in the NIT but lost to Morehead State at home in the first round.

However, there is optimism heading into this season with eight returning players, including Hall, Ian Schieffelin, and Chase Hunter. Brownell also added four transfers and talented freshman Asa Thomas.

But the team will revolve around Hall, who averaged 15.6 points per game last season despite dealing with injuries.

"You started to see it last year. But really, because of all the injuries, it's just been challenging for him. But you saw some growth last year with him in terms of maturity, more in terms of how he carries himself dealing with all the adversity,” Brownell said last week. “He's had a remarkable career for a guy that's been playing hurt for two of his three years.”

"PJ has just battled and battled and battled, and now this year, having had a healthy offseason. He's been a tremendous leader. He's always been a good worker."

Brownell has also seen growth from Chauncey Wiggins, RJ Godfrey, and Dillon Hunter, three sophomores who gained valuable experience last season.

"Chauncey, RJ, and Dillon have all had good summers. You would hope that as sophomores, as guys that have been in your program a year and know what to expect,” Brownell said. “They all have put on a little bit of weight. I think they're mentally stronger just from I know what to expect. I've gone through it.

"One of the best things about the sophomore guys is they were all healthy this summer. So while four guys, maybe five, have battled some injuries this summer -- those guys got all of the reps. They got a bunch of shots. They got to be primary players. They got better because of all the experiences within the system."

The Tigers still have a few players working through injuries – Schieffelin has a broken finger on his shooting hand but should be ready for the start of the season; NC State transfer Jack Clark hasn’t worked out this summer as he recovers from a sports hernia; Alex Hemenway continues to rehab from plantar fasciitis, and Air Force transfer Jake Heidbreder had a stress reaction in his hip but is working out.

One newcomer expected to make an impact is Syracuse transfer guard Joe Girard, who is undergoing a rigorous conditioning program as he transitions to what Brownell calls a blue-collar program.

"Joe Girard is obviously a guy that can really shoot the ball and [is] very mature and focused, which I like. He and Chase have gotten along well,” Brownell said. “We always do our strong man (competition), and he's not built for that. He's trying to figure out how that helps him shoot the ball, and we're trying to remind him that he's going to have to guard some people. He's doing fine. He was a little heavy when he got here, but he's dropped about 10 pounds. He looks much better and moving better. We told him we're a blue-collar working man's program, and he found it out."

Brownell said he feels like the coaching staff has done a good job in picking and choosing the right transfers, and the additions this season were added to provide quality depth on a team he feels has a chance to win at a high level.

"I think we've done a really good job through the years of when we take transfers. There's a real need. There's a real fit. We think their skill set, personality [or] whatever matches what we're trying to do. They usually come in and do well,” he said. “We had a few extra scholarships and felt like this team could be good. We wanted to make sure that we gave this team every opportunity to try to win at a high level. So, we went out and got a couple more older guys. We're hopeful that the blend will be good."