We’re certainly in something of a promising era for Clemson basketball under Brad Brownell. The Tigers advanced all the way to the Elite Eight back in 2024, and while they didn’t have that same postseason success last year still went 18-2 in ACC play en route to a 2nd place finish in the league. Clemson has actually achieved a Top 20 national ranking in six of the last eight seasons and are riding a high point in their program’s history.

What’s unfortunate is that they’re entering something of a new era and that could spell a slight step back after another fantastic season. All five starters from last season are gone, with Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin out of eligibility after amazing careers with the Tigers, while Chauncey Wiggins and a few other pieces fled through the transfer portal. Fortunately, Brownell and his staff have a decent crop of recruits coming to town and have rebuilt using that same portal.

It’s a six-pack of additions for Clemson this offseason and when you look at the rankings it’s a pretty even class. The Tigers bolstered the backcourt with super senior Jestin Porter from Middle Tennessee while also adding former UAB guard Efrem Johnson. The Tigers added plenty of depth in the frontcourt, notably getting RJ Godfrey from Georgia, Jake Wahlin from Utah, and Carter Welling out of Utah Valley, but it’s a different big man that draws our attention this time around.

Originally from the LA suburbs, Nick Davidson is a 6-8 forward who began his collegiate career with three solid seasons out at Nevada. A viable bench piece as a freshman, Davidson grew into a starting role in the Wolf Pack frontcourt and became one of the league’s best forwards, earning All-MWC honors each of the last two seasons. This past year saw him put up 15.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game with solid shooting figures albeit in a tough season for Nevada as a whole.

Davidson has the highest pedigree of the newcomers in this frontcourt and he’ll certainly be given a major role with this team, especially as Brownell looks to replace Hunter and Schieffelin’s contributions. We’re not guaranteeing that Davidson is going to match that exact production in the ACC, but he’s an efficient scorer, a good rebounder, and his further development will go a long way to the success for Clemson in the coming months.

With all of these changes in the rotation Clemson desperately needs the new talent to step up and none are more important than Davidson. This certainly isn’t a one-man show and they’ll need contributions from everyone in the lineup, but Davidson has the potential to be the special addition. If he can replicate what Schieffelin was giving this team last season then that’ll go a long way towards another good year in the ACC for this team.