Clemson’s Monday open practice offered a first look at a team trying to turn the page in more ways than one. The new Littlejohn facilities were on display, but so was a different feel on the floor under Brad Brownell, with the Tigers moving through a half-hour session ahead of Friday night’s first scrimmage against Georgia.
The clearest early clue came in the opening minutes, when Brownell ran a double-screen set that may point to the shape of the lineup once Zac Foster is out of the picture. Ace Buckner handled the point, with Cole Certa, Liutauras Lelevicius, David Fuchs, and Dylan Faulkner filling out the first group.
Buckner was one of the biggest talking points coming out of the workout. Several players said fans should expect another jump from him, pointing to his leadership and the added opportunity he’ll have with more minutes. Compared with last season, Buckner appeared to be running the group with more authority, and that seemed even more obvious with Foster no longer in the mix.
The second unit featured Harris Reynolds, Dillon Hunter, Chase Thompson, Trent Steinour, and Dallas Thomas, while freshman Will Stevens also worked in with that group.
Thompson stood out physically, looking noticeably bigger after adding muscle since the last time we saw him in a Tampa locker room following Clemson’s first-round NCAA Tournament exit. Brownell’s staff has been pushing him to be more assertive as a playmaker in this offense, and they pointed to his career-high 10 points against Stanford as the kind of impact he can make when he attacks more aggressively.
Once the ball was actually moving, Clemson’s pace was easy to spot. The Tigers looked quicker than they did a year ago, with more tempo and sharper decision-making in the half-court. Brownell wants this team playing faster, and the emphasis was obvious.
Monday also gave a first real look at how the new staff functions. Chris Harriman and Chad Warner seemed fully at home in their expanded roles, and both kept reinforcing execution and pace throughout the session.
There was also limited work from Carter Welling on the side as he continues recovering from a torn ACL suffered last spring. He did not shoot, instead going through a footwork drill and some stretching.
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