Re: Ace buckner impressing!

pelepolo®

Athletic Dir [893]

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Jan 15, 2024, 6:00 PM

His Dad was one my top 3 favorite Clemson players. Looked up to him alot as a kid. He made a living from 8 feet in as a 6'4 guard... then went on to a very successful NBA career. Ultimate overachiever. If Ace has half the qualities his Dad did, then he'll be an outstanding addition to the team.

But check this- of the 3 incoming recruits, the other two are ranked even higher than Ace is. I've been really impressed the last several years with Clemson's recruiting. Hall was a once in a generation . We've had lightly recruited guys like Scheiflien overachieve. Solid recruits like Wiggins and D. Hunter are proving they could have literally played anywhere. Not to mention Prosper and Kidd.

Duke has 4 (?) top 25 recruits incoming next year. Clemson will never be that but it's amazing we can still compete with sort of thing each year.

This incoming class is quietly one of the best in a very long time, headlined by Del Jones, a 6-2 CG who was recruited by several current top 25 teams of this season. Del Jones (like Ace Buckner ) played for a HS last year that was a part of a National HS league geared towards the best playing the best. Dillon Hunter finished his HS career with Sunrise Christian which is also apart of this less than 20 school league. I'm a firm believer in Del Jones and can't wait to see this kid in action next year. Most freshmen don't get a lot of minutes in Brownell's system (even Hall didnt) but I think this kid will.

2nd top recruit is another National #100 player in Dallas Thomas. He's had even more serious offers than Del Jones, pretty much a whos's who of elite basketball recruting schools. I like to think of him as Chauncey Wiggins 2.0. Long, lanky, perimeter player that will need time to physically mature and get stronger. He's really interesting as he was a National Top 25 recuit as a Sophomore but was slowly slid down the rankings. Part of that is he hasn't grown much or filled out his frame as he's gotten older but, also he plays on a team that isn't spectacular and currently well below .500 this season. However, I like the fact Wiggins is already on this team and seen so much growth and Dallas Thomas will surely be his understudy.

This is really a solid class coming in.

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Actually there is. Clemson has been pretty scrappy.

KJ McDaniels, Jaron Blossomgame, Hunter Tyson, Gabe Devoe, Ian Sheff- were all headed to C-USA, ASUN, Big South, etc. type schools without a Clemson scholarship. For most of these guys and a lot of Clemson players, Clemson was their only shot at a Power 5 school. One of these mentioned is still a junior, the other 4 all became pros.

And the transfers. If credit should ever be thrown CBB's way it should be in this regard. He was ahead of his time... Marquise Reed, Elijah Thomas, Shelton Mitchell, Joe Girard, etc., we all know the names and know how many of those teams were thrown together like a goodwill funeral outfit.

Clemson is NOT a basketball brand, it's hard to get the ones that everyone else is after to come to this school to play basketball. While other ACC schools are able to cherry pick each year through several top 50 guys, it's only every 10 years or so we land sure given thing like PJ Hall.

Yet, nearly every year there's a winning record and Clemson is competing with ACC blue bloods and defeating ranked teams with players considered by other schools as after thoughts. And slowly that's changing, the recruiting classes are getting better and it's showing.

And These aren't excuses, it just is what it is. If Clemson could get another Rick Barnes I'd be all for it. And while we are it, build a new 15,000 seat arena and fill it every night.

I'm not a Brownell apologist- but I will say yeah, Clemson has been punching above their weight class for a while now.

Ace buckner impressing!