Clemson basketball should target elite Indiana sharpshooter
The Clemson basketball program needs to add some talent this offseason and the Tigers will have at least a couple of scholarships open as a result of the latest news.
John Newman III announced that he would be leaving the Clemson basketball program and putting his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal earlier this week. In addition to Newman leaving, the Tigers also granted a release to 3-star G signee Lucas Taylor, meaning that there are at least two open scholarship spots as Clemson heads into the offseason.
So, how will the Tigers address those openings? They’ll likely to dig through the NCAA Transfer Portal to find their answer.
Clemson basketball needs to bring in starters, not just role players, to make a difference
There are nearly 800 players currently in the transfer portal, but one name is a little more intriguing: Former 4-star G Armaan Franklin.
Franklin was the second-leading scorer for the Hoosiers last season and he led the team in 3-pointers. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 11.4 points per game and shot 42.9 percent from 3-point range.
If you look at the Clemson basketball team in totality during the 2020-21 season, one thing was for certain: The Tigers simply didn’t have any player they could rely on to score consistently.
Just one player- Aamir Simms- averaged double-figures in points (13.4). In addition to not being able to find that consistent scorer, Clemson shot 34.6 percent from three-point range as a team. Only one Tiger shot over 40 percent from three on the season and that was Hunter Tyson, who did not put up a ton of attempts.
Franklin could be the answer to both of those problems.
If you want to compete in this day and age, you have to be able to knock down threes. Clemson ranked No. 133 in that category.
You want an answer to those offensive woes that crept their ugly head around the corner too many times? Find a sharp-shooter.
Clemson is in need of a guard and Franklin is the perfect answer. He’d be able to come in and still have two years of eligibility remaining.
It should be noted that Franklin has not made up his mind completely if he will leave Indiana or not at this point. He is simply going through due process as the Hoosiers search for their next head coach.
Still, Brad Brownell should be one of the very first names we hear contact him.