CLEMSON, SC - It was a tremendous season debut for sophomore PJ Hall, who will have to be a star this season with Aamir Simms gone. Hall, who hurt his knee in practice recently and was wearing a brace, was able to rest most of the second half after a huge first, going 10-11 for 21 points before the Tigers took an 11-point lead into the locker room. They poured it on in the second half, leading by as many as 31, and finished with an impressive 77-51 win.
It was also a great debut for 6'7 freshman Ian Shieffelin, who was 6-7 from the field for 13 points. There are several freshmen and transfers on this team, so Brad Brownell mixed and matched several different lineups, as he's still trying to figure out some personnel groupings. Returning starting guard Al-Amir Dawes didn't have a great outing, going 3-7 from the field for 8 points with 4 turnovers. He played just 22 minutes, though, and was 2-5 from beyond the arc. He played like a superstar in a few games last season, and Brownell will need more consistency out of him this season. His fellow returning starter in the back court, point guard Nick Honor, scored just 4 points but had 7 assists and one turnover. He also had 3 steals. Transfer David Collins had a nice debut, scoring 9 points in 19 minutes. He was 2-3 from beyond the arc. Hunter Tyson led the team with 7 rebounds but scored just 4 points in 21 minutes. He showed the ability to carry the Tigers in a couple games last season, and they need him to be more consistent offensively. That goes for returner Alex Hemenway as well, who was 0-3 from beyond the arc and did not score in 16 minutes.
The Tigers will open their season next Tuesday against PC in Littlejohn. Post-game interviews are below!
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