Clemson’s first look at the 2026-27 men’s basketball team comes Friday night against Georgia, and the picture is already changing before the ball is tipped.
The Tigers are set to open their exhibition in Littlejohn Coliseum, giving fans and media their first chance to see Brad Brownell’s newest group after a start to the preseason that has already been hit by injuries. Clemson spent Monday in practice, and the availability session offered a clearer read on how the roster is coming together - and who may be asked to carry bigger responsibilities right away.
The biggest adjustment centers on Zac Foster. With the guard sidelined after tearing his ACL again, Clemson’s backcourt plan has shifted. Brownell had been preparing to use a three-guard setup with Foster, junior Ace Buckner and Notre Dame transfer Cole Certa leading the offense, but Foster’s absence changes the shape of the lineup.
Buckner is now handling point guard duties, while Certa profiles as the shooting guard with the kind of ACC experience that makes him one of the most interesting pieces in the group. On the wing, TCU transfer Liutauras Lelevicius slots in, while San Francisco big man David Fuchs fills the frontcourt. Samford transfer Dylan Faulkner is expected to man the center spot behind Carter Welling, who is also working back from a torn ACL.
That group of five looked like the clearest starting combination from Monday’s practice, and it would give Clemson a lineup with plenty of size. Three of those projected starters stand over 6-foot-9, a detail that could shape how the Tigers play early in the season.
There’s also still a question mark hanging over Dillon Hunter. Clemson is waiting on an eligibility ruling for the fifth-year guard, who was part of the program’s 2024 Elite Eight run. He was ineligible as of now, but he was still practicing with the team on Monday, working with the second group and splitting point guard duties with true freshman Harris Reynolds.
If Hunter gets cleared, he gives Brownell something valuable: another veteran guard who can make winning plays without needing to be the main scoring option. With Foster out, that kind of presence would matter even more.
The rest of the rotation is trying to find its own footing, too. Wing Dallas Thomas said he has grown into more of a vocal leader during his third year with a roster full of new faces, and he pointed to rebounding and defense as the areas where he has taken the biggest step. Sophomore Trent Steinour said he added 27 pounds during the season, then lost some weight over the summer, but still believes his “touch is better around the rim”, and he expects to be more physical on the glass.
Sophomore Chase Thompson and Blake Davidson both said they’re prepared to do whatever is needed, which fits the tone of a Clemson team that is still sorting out roles but already has players focused on making the right plays.
Georgia and Clemson tip off at 7 p.m. Friday at Littlejohn Coliseum.
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