Ripping off the band-aid and talking about Clemson basketball again isn't something that some fans are ready for after the devastating first-round loss to McNeese this past postseason.
Brad Brownell led the Tigers to an incredible regular season which resulted in a second-place finish in the ACC standings behind powerhouse Duke. The Tigers were flying high heading into the NCAA Tournament, but earning that 5-seed against No. 12-seeded McNeese and Will Wade was a death sentence as the Cowboys had their way with Clemson for most of the game.
OK, enough dwelling on that game and more looking ahead to the 2025-26 season.
Clemson did lose a ton from that second-place ACC team like Chase Hunter, Ian Schieffelin (to football), Jaeden Zackery, Viktor Lakhin, Chauncey Wiggins, and Del Jones. But the Tigers did bring in a huge transfer class and a solid freshman class, led by four-star top-100 combo guard Zac Foster.
While it's not easy for true freshmen to see the court (just ask Jones), Brownell told Foster that if he can gain some weight and get over 185, he can see action early on.
It looks like he's done that and on a recent radio show, Brownell said that he's been impressed with Foster, hinting at the possibility that he could be a budding star.
Brad Brownell on @deptulahasrage talking about freshman guard Zac Foster:
— Cliff Spammonds (@CliffSpammonds) June 12, 2025
“He showed up at 187 or 188, about 10 pounds heavier than he was in high school. We’ve only worked with him for a week, so it’s not a lot of time. But physically, showing up like that was very impressive.” pic.twitter.com/Dco30J7Nn7
Obviously adding the necessary weight to see the floor is big, but hearing Brownell say that he knows Foster "has that kind of ability" and calling him a "really talented guy" makes me feel like the 6-foot-4 freshman is going to see the floor a ton in 2025-26.
Like Brownell said, it's going to be fun to watch him compete.
Buy stock now.