The hits just keep on coming for the Clemson Tigers basketball team. On Tuesday it was announced point guard Nick Honor would transferring from the program after two seasons.
In the short term it means coach Brad Brownell has 839 more minutes, 25.4 per game, and a team leading 79 assists to cover at the point guard position next season and big questions about who will fill those.
Al-Amir Dawes played almost 980 of his own minutes, so it won’t be him, at least not minutes-wise. Dawes was just behind Honor’s team leading 79 assists with 75 of his own in 2021-22.
Perhaps the writing was on the wall with the emergence of sophomore Chase Hunter down the stretch and as Hunter ended the season with 15 starts and 22.7 minutes per game.
Hunter was listed as a combo guard coming out of high school, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Hunter approaches 30 minutes per game in 2022-23.
After struggling with foot injury his freshman season, Hunter came on mid to late in the season and added a kick of energy the Tigers had been missing.
Chase Hunter pic.twitter.com/BnNHdxPztR
— Seldom Used Reserve (@seldomusedres) February 12, 2022
Hunter had 60 assists of his own and shot 34.5% from three point land, which was better than Honor, he has more size and is a better rebounder, though he was well below Honor’s 90.5% from the free throw line.
As a young player just finishing his sophomore season, Hunter has more upside and deserves more time on the court and one has to wonder if that factored into Honor’s decision.
The Tigers also lose Naz Bohannon, David Collins and maybe Hunter Tyson from this years team, so there are big shoes and a lot of minutes to fill.
The recruiting trail is not bare as the Tigers have three players committed: Small forward R.J. Godfrey, power forward Chauncey Wiggins and shooting guard Chauncey Gibson, all of whom are in the top 205 of the rankings.
If Tyson decides not to return, the four departing players account for almost 3400 minutes of playing time this season and 83 starts, leaving me feeling like the Tigers will be at least somewhat inexperienced headed into the 2022-23 season.
That said, Hunter’s upside shouldn’t be ignored and if he can make a similar leap from year two to year three it’s worth the tradeoff in my opinion.
It should also be noted that this may not be the last transfer from this team as so many kids choose to enter the portal these days, it’d be more of a surprise if Honor was the only one.
It may be time for Brad Brownell to dip into the portal and find a player or players that fits the team’s needs, just like he did when Honor transferred in.