The line between amateur and professional basketball is officially gone. In an era defined by the transfer portal and NIL, a new, even blurrier frontier has emerged: the G-League-to-college pipeline.
And Clemson's Brad Brownell is getting in on the action.
The Tigers are one of several high-major programs now actively recruiting T.J. Clark, a 6-foot-4 professional guard whose basketball journey has been anything but traditional. It's a move that signals a major adaptation for Brownell, who is proving he's willing to evolve to keep the Tigers competitive.
This isn't the first time Brownell has adapted. After years of building from within, he has leaned heavily into the transfer portal, signing 14 transfers in the last three years alone. Now, he's following the new trend set by programs like Louisville—which recently landed 21-year-old G-League prospect London Johnson—by looking for talent that has already been in the professional ranks.
A Well-Traveled Prospect
Clark's path to Clemson's radar has been a winding one. A three-star recruit out of Georgia, he skipped his senior year of high school to sign with Overtime Elite (OTE) in 2021.
His pro timeline includes:
- Two seasons at OTE (2021-2023): He was a solid contributor and two-time championship runner-up, first alongside Amen Thompson and later with the YNG Dreamerz.
- G-League (2023-24): Clark played limited minutes in a 20-game stint with the Ontario Clippers and Texas Legends.
- Pro Career Abroad (2024-25): After a brief stop with the Dallas Mavericks' Summer League team, Clark found his footing in Mexico's CIBACOPA league. Playing for Rayos de Hermosillo, he flourished as a full-time starter, averaging 10 points, 4 rebounds, and just under 2 steals per game.
Clark's journey also includes recent experience with the 2025 USA Basketball 3x3 U23 National Team.
In this new era of college basketball, where direct revenue-sharing is on the horizon, the traditional recruiting model is dead. If Clark commits, he would reportedly join Clemson at the semester break and become eligible for the 2026-27 season. For a coach like Brownell, who is adapting to survive, tapping the pro ranks isn't just a novelty—it might be the future.