Clemson basketball center P.J. Hall underwent knee surgery on Thursday and coach Brad Brownell is hopeful that Hall will be fully healthy by November.
The 6-foot-10 Hall had a breakout season as a sophomore last year averaging 15.5 points per game, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 49.3% from the floor, including 30.8% from three and 78% from the free throw line.
Hall played in 30 of the Tigers 33 games last season, starting 29 and averaged 27.4 minutes per game, was named honorable mention All-ACC and runner-up most improved player in the league, while earning the praise of coaches around the league.
"“He’s an animal,” ex-Louisville interim coach Mike Pegues said. “He is one of the best bigs in the [ACC].”“He’s a guy that plays with a lot of emotion,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “He’s competitive. He’s very physical and plays hard on both ends of the floor on every possession. He’s a guy that can consistently score around the basket, but he can shoot the ball from the outside. On both ends, he’s a player that could be a huge factor.”“Hall is the most improved player on the planet,” former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He played nine minutes a game last year and he’s one of the better big guys in the country; he’s a pro, really. He can shoot, go out and he is mobile.”"
Hall a four star prospect out of Dorman High in Roebuck was ranked as the top player in South Carolina and 59th nationally in the class of 2020.
With a likely make or break season ahead for Brad Brownell having Hall available is imperative for the Tigers to have a successful season.
Clemson’s full schedule for the 2022-23 campaign has not been released, but late November matchups are on the books with Iowa and TCU/Cal in the Emerald Coast Classic on November 25th and 26th, followed by Penn State in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge on November 29 are big early season tilts that could go a long way to determining Brownell’s fate.