Clemson basketball fans got a healthy heaping of quotes from Brad Brownell on Tuesday as he spoke to the media, and he didn't disappoint.
Obviously the 2024-25 season ended on a sour note with the Tigers falling against McNeese in the first round, and they were forced to replace essentially the entire roster. Chase Hunter, Viktor Lakhin, Ian Schieffelin, Jaeden Zackery, Chauncey Wiggins, and Del Jones were all key players who either entered the NBA Draft, graduated, transferred, or even joined the football team.
The Tigers were forced to hit the transfer portal hard and that's exactly what Brownell did.
Unfortunately, his players did the same as one of his most intriguing first-year players decided to hop in the portal and look for a new home. Jones, a freshman guard, was expected to be the future of the backcourt, but he shockingly hit the portal and landed at Radford.
Brownell explained why that happened: Radford just offered more money.
Clemson coach Brad Brownell on guard Del Jones' transfer to Radford, specifically, says it's part of this new world of college basketball and money.
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) July 22, 2025
Radford just offered more.
"It’s gonna happen, it is what it is, it’s hard."
This is a tough pill to swallow for several reasons, but the most obvious has to be the fact that Radford out-bid Clemson for a key player. That should never happen, and it shows the monetary discrepancy between the basketball and football programs.
It's not easy for those Clemson hoops fans and purists who believe the program should be among the best in the nation considering the resources the school has.
Radford just offered him more NIL money, and Clemson couldn't match it because of their allotted pool for the team. He opted to make more money with a smaller program where he'll undoubtedly be the star and play 30-plus minutes eventually. Jones was Radford's top priority and Clemson just couldn't match that.
Hopefully the Tigers can be big spenders on the hardwood in the near future.