CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson men’s basketball coach Brad Brownell said at ACC Tipoff that Dillon Hunter’s fifth-season eligibility remains on hold and that injuries have left the Tigers behind schedule ahead of a Nov. 2 opener against Stetson in Clemson, S.C.
Clemson is saving its last roster spot for Hunter, a plaintiff in a Georgia lawsuit against the NCAA. He briefly regained eligibility in August before an NCAA appeal stay on Sept. 9 left him unable to play unless that appeal fails.
Brownell said Hunter is practicing and taking classes but that the staff faces hard choices soon about whether he appears in exhibitions while the case continues. The Tigers have 14 of 15 spots filled.
Carter Welling, Ace Buckner, Zac Foster, Will Stevens and Dylan Faulkner all missed significant summer work. Brownell said only about half the roster was available for a late-July Italy trip, leaving the team a step behind in preseason.
Faulkner, Buckner and Stevens are expected to be ready for the opener. Welling is out early while recovering from an ACL tear in March, and Foster, who tore an ACL last December, is practicing with a brace but remains uncertain for Nov. 2.
Brownell said the roster looks more guard-heavy than recent seasons and that he likes the team’s potential once everyone is healthy. Clemson is chasing a fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid, a first for any Clemson coach, and will play in the Maui Invitational later in the season.
