Sometimes lost in the shuffle of the offseason for Clemson basketball is high school recruiting.
We spend so much time talking about the transfer portal and returning players that we often forget that high school recruiting is just as important. Landing guys who could be the face of the team for the next 3-4 years is imperative for sustaining a healthy hoops program.
Brad Brownell has done a solid job with high school recruiting, but his focus on the transfer portal has taken center stage over the years. He has been known to build rosters that way and he's done a darn good job over the past couple of seasons (Elite Eight in 2023-24 and a 27-7 record in 2024-25).
Complementing the roster of transfers and returning veterans with elite high school talent is important and Brownell knows that.
That's exactly why he was well-represented at the EYBL this past weekend, checking out some of the nation's top recruits at the event.
In fact, his Tigers were in to watch one of the best prospects in 2026.
Toni Bryant is one of the best recruits in the 2026 class (No. 10 overall) and he already holds over 20 offers which is a high number for college basketball prospects. He is being courted by some of the nation's top prorgrams and one of those happens to be Clemson.
Yes, this will be a very difficult recruitment to win as programs like Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke, Ole Miss, Texas, Gonzaga, Michigan, Arizona, and Purdue are all pursuing him.
It's still good to see Clemson mentioned among all the big dogs of college basketball.