# 2017–18 Clemson Tigers men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Clemson Tigers men's basketball team represented Clemson University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by eighth-year head coach Brad Brownell, the Tigers played their home games at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 25–10, 11–7 in ACC play to finish in four-way tie for third place. They defeated Boston College in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament before losing in the semifinals to Virginia. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated New Mexico State and Auburn to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to Kansas. The Tigers 25 wins tied the most in program history and their 11 conference wins were the most in program history at the time.

## Previous season

The Tigers finished the 2016–17 season 17–16, 6–12 in ACC play to finish in 12th place. They lost in the second round of the ACC tournament to Duke. They received an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Oakland.

## Offseason

On June 19, 2017, the Tigers announced the signing of Antonio Reynolds-Dean as an assistant coach. Dean replaces longtime assistant Mike Winiecki, who left the program in April.

### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
| Legend Robertin | 00 | C | 7'0" | 260 | Junior | London, England | Transferred to Nicholls State University |
| Ty Hudson | 1 | G | 6'1" | 200 | Sophomore | Mableton, GA | Transferred to Jacksonville St. |
| Jaron Blossomgame | 5 | F | 6'7" | 220 | Senior | Alpharetta, GA | Graduated/2017 NBA draft |
| Avry Holmes | 12 | G | 6'2" | 195 | Graduate Student | Salem, OR | Graduated |
| Riley McGillan | 44 | G | 6'0" | 170 | Graduate Student | Fort Mill, SC | Graduated |
| Sidy Djitte | 50 | C | 6'10" | 240 | Senior | Dakar, Senegal | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Mark Donnal | 5 | C | 6'9" | 240 | Graduate Student | Monclova, OH | Graduate transfer from Michigan. Will play immediately in the 2017–18 season under NCAA transfer rules. |

### 2017 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Malik William #26 PF | Orlando, FL | The First Academy | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jul 27, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| Aamir Simms #27 PF | Saint George, VA | Blue Ridge School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Sep 22, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| A.J. Oliver #38 SG | Central, SC | D.W. Daniel High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Dec 1, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 ||||||
| Clyde Trapp Jr. SG | Hopkins, SC | Lower Richland High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | Nov 9, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NA Rivals: NA ESPN: NA ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2017 Clemson Basketball Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017. "Clemson Tigers". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017. ||||||

### 2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| John Newman III SG | Greensboro, NC | Greensboro Day | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jun 23, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Hunter Tyson SF | Monroe, NC | Piedmont Community Charter | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Sep 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Trey Jemison PF | Birmingham, AL | Hoover High School | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | Oct 25, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: N/A |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NA Rivals: NA ESPN: NA |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2018 Clemson Basketball Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017. "Clemson Tigers". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| Nov 2, 2017* 7:00 pm | | Augusta | W 80–56 | | 18 – Grantham | 9 – Thomas | 5 – Devoe | Littlejohn Coliseum Clemson, SC |
| Nov 5, 2017* 12:30 pm | | Tennessee Exhibition for Hurricane Relief | L 67–71 | | 25 – Reed | 8 – Reed | 3 – Grantham | Littlejohn Coliseum (4,112) Clemson, SC |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| Nov 10, 2017* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Western Carolina | W 85–57 | 1–0 | 14 – Grantham | 6 – Simms | 6 – Mitchell | Littlejohn Coliseum (8,188) Clemson, SC |
| Nov 12, 2017* 2:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | North Carolina A&T | W 87–63 | 2–0 | 17 – Grantham | 12 – Grantham | 6 – Mitchell | Littlejohn Coliseum (5,528) Clemson, SC |
| Nov 16, 2017* 5:00 pm, ESPN2 | | vs. Ohio Charleston Classic quarterfinal | W 81–76 | 3–0 | 20 – Grantham | 15 – Thomas | 5 – Mitchell | TD Arena (3,175) Charleston, SC |
| Nov 17, 2017* 9:30 pm, ESPNU | | vs. Hofstra Charleston Classic semifinal | W 78–59 | 4–0 | 22 – Grantham | 11 – Reed | 6 – Reed | TD Arena (3,087) Charleston, SC |
| Nov 19, 2017* 9:30 pm, ESPN2 | | vs. Temple Charleston Classic final | L 60–67 | 4–1 | 16 – Mitchell | 9 – Grantham | 4 – Tied | TD Arena (2,263) Charleston, SC |
| Nov 24, 2017* 3:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Texas Southern | W 84–77 | 5–1 | 26 – Thomas | 16 – Thomas | 3 – 4 Tied | Littlejohn Coliseum (5,526) Clemson, SC |
| Nov 29, 2017* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Ohio State ACC–Big Ten Challenge | W 79–65 | 6–1 | 22 – Reed | 8 – Thomas | 6 – Tied | Value City Arena (17,189) Columbus, OH |
| Dec 3, 2017* 3:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | UNC Asheville | W 83–52 | 7–1 | 19 – Reed | 10 – Grantham | 6 – Mitchell | Littlejohn Coliseum (5,932) Clemson, SC |
| Dec 9, 2017* 3:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Samford | W 81–59 | 8–1 | 20 – Tied | 11 – Thomas | 5 – Tied | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,434) Clemson, SC |
| Dec 16, 2017* 4:30 pm, FS2 | | vs. No. 22 Florida Orange Bowl Basketball Classic | W 71–69 | 9–1 | 22 – Reed | 10 – Thomas | 6 – Reed | BB&T Center (9,152) Sunrise, FL |
| Dec 19, 2017* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | | South Carolina Rivalry | W 64–48 | 10–1 | 25 – Reed | 7 – Grantham | 3 – Reed | Littlejohn Coliseum (8,031) Clemson, SC |
| Dec 22, 2017* 3:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Louisiana | W 89–60 | 11–1 | 17 – Grantham | 10 – Grantham | 6 – Mitchell | Littlejohn Coliseum (6,847) Clemson, SC |
| ACC regular season |||||||||
| Dec 30, 2017 4:00 pm, ACCRSN | | NC State | W 78–62 | 12–1 (1–0) | 18 – Reed | 10 – Thomas | 5 – Reed | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC |
| Jan 3, 2018 7:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 25 | at Boston College | W 74–70 | 13–1 (2–0) | 23 – Grantham | 14 – Grantham | 5 – Grantham | Conte Forum (3,911) Chestnut Hill, MA |
| Jan 6, 2018 12:00 pm, ACCN | No. 25 | Louisville | W 74–69 $^{OT}$ | 14–1 (3–0) | 24 – Reed | 11 – Grantham | 3 – Tied | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,594) Clemson, SC |
| Jan 11, 2018 9:00 pm, ESPN | No. 19 | at NC State | L 77–78 | 14–2 (3–1) | 17 – Reed | 10 – Devoe | 3 – 3 Tied | PNC Arena (17,526) Raleigh, NC |
| Jan 13, 2018 3:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 19 | No. 18 Miami (FL) | W 72–63 | 15–2 (4–1) | 18 – Grantham | 7 – Reed | 7 – Mitchell | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC |
| Jan 16, 2018 7:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 20 | at No. 15 North Carolina | L 79–87 | 15–3 (4–2) | 21 – Reed | 6 – Thomas | 5 – Grantham | Dean E. Smith Center (20,155) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Jan 20, 2018 4:00 pm, ESPN | No. 20 | Notre Dame | W 67–58 | 16–3 (5–2) | 17 – Devoe | 7 – Tied | 5 – Mitchell | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC |
| Jan 23, 2018 7:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 18 | at No. 2 Virginia | L 36–61 | 16–4 (5–3) | 11 – Devoe | 6 – Simms | 2 – Mitchell | John Paul Jones Arena (14,149) Charlottesville, VA |
| Jan 28, 2018 6:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 18 | at Georgia Tech | W 72–70 | 17–4 (6–3) | 25 – Devoe | 5 – 3 Tied | 11 – Reed | McCamish Pavilion (8,600) Atlanta, GA |
| Jan 30, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 20 | No. 19 North Carolina | W 82–78 | 18–4 (7–3) | 20 – Reed | 8 – Reed | 5 – Reed | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC |
| Feb 3, 2018 2:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 20 | at Wake Forest | W 75–67 | 19–4 (8–3) | 24 – DeVoe | 7 – Tied | 2 – 3 Tied | LJVM Coliseum (10,468) Winston-Salem, NC |
| Feb 8, 2018 7:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 16 | Pittsburgh | W 72–48 | 20–4 (9–3) | 25 – DeVoe | 11 – Thomas | 7 – Reed | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,573) Clemson, SC |
| Feb 14, 2018 7:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 11 | at Florida State | L 79–81 $^{OT}$ | 20–5 (9–4) | 23 – Reed | 9 – Thomas | 4 – Reed | Donald L. Tucker Center (9,131) Tallahassee, FL |
| Feb 18, 2018 1:00 pm, ACCN | No. 11 | No. 12 Duke | L 57–66 | 20–6 (9–5) | 13 – 3 Tied | 15 – Thomas | 5 – Reed | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC |
| Feb 21, 2018 7:00 pm, ACCRSN | No. 15 | at Virginia Tech | L 58–65 | 20–7 (9–6) | 28 – Reed | 10 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| Feb 24, 2018 3:00 pm, ACCN | No. 15 | Georgia Tech | W 75–67 | 21–7 (10–6) | 25 – DeVoe | 6 – Tied | 5 – Reed | Littlejohn Coliseum (9,000) Clemson, SC |
| Feb 28, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 18 | Florida State | W 76–63 | 22–7 (11–6) | 22 – Reed | 8 – Thomas | 5 – Reed | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,242) Clemson, SC |
| Mar 3, 2018 2:00 pm, ACCN | No. 18 | at Syracuse | L 52–55 | 22–8 (11–7) | 21 – Reed | 9 – DeVoe | 5 – DeVoe | Carrier Dome (28,670) Syracuse, NY |
| ACC tournament |||||||||
| Mar 8, 2018 2:00 pm, ESPN | (4) No. 19 | vs. (12) Boston College Quarterfinals | W 90–82 | 23–8 | 25 – DeVoe | 12 – Thomas | 4 – Tied | Barclays Center (17,732) Brooklyn, NY |
| Mar 9, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN | (4) No. 19 | vs. (1) No. 1 Virginia Semifinals | L 58–64 | 23–9 | 18 – Mitchell | 7 – Thomas | 3 – DeVoe | Barclays Center (17,732) Brooklyn, NY |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| Mar 16, 2018* 9:57 pm, truTV | (5 MW) No. 20 | vs. (12 MW) New Mexico State First Round | W 79–68 | 24–9 | 23 – Mitchell | 10 – Thomas | 5 – Mitchell | Viejas Arena (10,092) San Diego, CA |
| Mar 18, 2018* 7:10 pm, TBS | (5 MW) No. 20 | vs. (4 MW) No. 19 Auburn Second Round | W 84–53 | 25–9 | 22 – DeVoe | 11 – Thomas | 6 – Mitchell | Viejas Arena (11,628) San Diego, CA |
| Mar 23, 2018* 7:07 pm, CBS | (5 MW) No. 20 | vs. (1 MW) No. 4 Kansas Sweet Sixteen | L 76–80 | 25–10 | 31 – DeVoe | 9 – DeVoe | 3 – DeVoe | CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,399) Omaha, NE |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. MW=Midwest. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | 25 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Not released |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | 25 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 15 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings