Our recruit and return series continues with a look at the Clemson Tigers, who lost to Kansas in the Sweet 16. Here's a look at what 2018-19 might bring:

Possible 2018-19 starting 5:

G: Marcquise Reed

G: Shelton Mitchell

G: Anthony Oliver

F: Aamir Simms

F: Elijah Thomas

Who is lost: The departures are significant for Clemson, with Donte Grantham, Gabe DeVoe and Mark Donnal all moving on. DeVoe, in particular, has weathered the many storms of the past few years and blossomed into a steadying force. It wasn't as simple as saying DeVoe's success mirrored Clemson's, but in games DeVoe had at least five made shots, the Tigers were 11-0.

Who is added: Clemson's lone commit thus far is small forward John Newman, a sign of how little foundation coach Brad Brownell had under him before this season. Add in Clemson being among the teams named in the latest round of news from the FBI probe, and it's easy to see how recruiting remains a hurdle, even if the on-court product has vastly improved.

What it means for next season: Reed's emergence, Thomas' work in the paint and the potential development of Oliver over this offseason gives Clemson the foundation of another solid unit. Is it a team capable of pushing for an ACC title though? There's still a shortage of top-end talent, and that's the final real hurdle for Brownell.

Trending: Up. Stability alone should make Clemson a more attractive program on the recruiting trail, and now that Brownell can stop answering questions about job security and start pointing to a season of real progress as evidence for his game plan (along with vastly improved facilities in recent years), there's hope that Clemson becomes a real player in the league. It might not happen in time for 2018-19, but things are trending in the right direction.