Basketball season is about two weeks away for the Clemson Tigers, and for Clemson fans, it cannot come soon enough, with the disappointment of the 2025 football season for the Tigers.
Clemson opens up their regular season on November 3 when it takes on New Hampshire in Clemson. The Tigers start conference play on December 31 against Syracuse. Clemson will participate in the 2025 Shriners Children's Charleston Classic, as they will play West Virginia, which will have a third new head coach in as many years, and the winner of Xavier and Georgia.
Here is our projected starting five for the Clemson Tigers:
Guard: Dillon Hunter (senior)
Guard: Jestin Porter (sixth-year senior)
Forward: Jake Wahlin (junior)
Forward: RJ Godfrey (senior)
Center: Nick Davidson (redshirt senior)
Dillon Hunter
Hunter will be returning for his fourth season at Clemson. Hunter has a career average of 2.9 points per game, 1.5 assists per game, and 1.8 rebounds per game through his 99 games wearing a Clemson uniform. Last season, Hunter appeared in 30 games and started nine of them, averaging 5.4 points per game, 1.9 assists per game, and 2.5 rebounds per game in his junior season.
Shooting 31.2 percent from behind the three-point line, Hunter can be a good spot-up shooter given the opportunity to get open threes.
Jestin Porter
Transferring from Middle Tennessee, Porter was a huge addition in the portal for Clemson head coach Brad Brownell. In his career, Porter averages 11.6 points per game, 1.3 assists per game, and 2.5 rebounds per game in 100 games played during his three-year career at MTSU. A consistent three-point shooter, Porter shot 36.4 percent from the three-point line in his final season at MTSU.
Last season, Porter averaged his career-best 15 points per game, while adding 1.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game as he started in all 34 games MTSU played. His 15 points per game were good enough to land him on the 2024-25 All-CUSA Second Team.
Forward: Jake Wahlin
The 6’10” transfer from Utah, Wahlin, will bring good size to the Clemson floor. In his two seasons at Utah, the 6’10” forward from Provo, Utah, averaged 4.2 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, and averages one assist per game in his 53 games played.
Wahlin made a decent jump from his freshman season to his sophomore season at Utah. In his first season, he averaged 0.7 points, 0.2 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game in 20 games during the 2023-2024 season. Jumping to the next year, Wahlin made significant improvements to all three phases, averaging 6.3 points, 1.5 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. Wahlin also improved his field goal percentage from 30 percent to 46.7 percent from his first season to his second season.
Forward: RJ Godfrey
Returning to Clemson after spending one season in the SEC with the Georgia Bulldogs, Godfrey will look to rejoin forces with head coach Brad Brownell. Starting in all 33 games for Georgia last season, Godfrey, in his career, is averaging 5.7 points, 0.7 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 62.4 percent from the floor in 100 career games.
Last season was Godfrey’s best statistical season, averaging a career high of 6.4 points, 1 assist, and 3.8 rebounds per game in his junior campaign with the Bulldogs.
Center: Nick Davidson
At the center position, standing at 6’10” and 238 pounds, Davidson came to the Clemson program after transferring from Nevada. Davidson at Nevada averaged 11.7 points, 1.5 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game in 100 games over three seasons. Davidson is shooting 50 percent from the floor in his career.
After his sophomore season (2023-2024), Davidson was named to the All-Mountain West Third Team, averaging 12.2 points, 1.4 assists, and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Other contributors for the Tigers will be guard Butta Johnson, guard Zac Foster, forward Carter Welleing, forward Ace Bukner, and forward Blake Davidson (Nick Davidson’s brother).