Oct. 20—CLEMSON — The NCAA permits basketball programs to carry 15 players on a roster. Clemson men's basketball could be down to 12 to start the 2026-27 season, and the three missing players are key.
The Tigers are set to play the first of two exhibitions against Georgia on Oct. 23. They'll also play Presbyterian on Oct. 28. Friday will be the first in-game look — although unofficial — at how Clemson plans to handle life without Zac Foster, Carter Welling and potentially Dillon Hunter.
"I'm still excited, but there's a lot of question marks. That's OK. It's still October. We're not supposed to have all the answers yet," coach Brad Brownell said Oct. 7. "I like our talent. I like the guys that we have, and I think we can successful."
Foster leaves sudden void in backcourt
When Brownell admitted there were question marks surrounding his team at ACC Tipoff, he didn't even know the Tigers would be without the player he called their "quarterback" entering the season.
"I think we're going to get there. I hope it's by the first game, you know," Brownell said of Zac Foster, who tore his ACL last December. "But we've got a few games here to kind of see how it goes to get him ready, and he's working really hard. But his knee hurts."
Foster re-tore the same ACL on Oct. 12. Brownell said it was key to have Foster healthy in order to run the faster offense Clemson was planning for. Now it has to figure things out with the sophomore guard sidelined.
Clemson is, for what it's worth. Used to playing without Welling and Foster. The Tigers finished the 2025-26 season without both after Welling tore his ACL in March. Neither were practicing over the summer, as Welling eyes a return around the new year.
"I mean that's just the way it's been. It seems like past year and a half or so, there's been a lot of injuries, and obviously it sucks. Injuries suck," forward Chase Thompson said. "But there has to be someone to fill that void, fill that spot, and roles grow through that, and people grow. So it's it's a terrible thing, injuries are, but someone else gets that opportunity."
Without Foster or Welling to start the season, Clemson's guards and frontcourt will be asked to step up in place of two projected starters. Key frontcourt transfers Dylan Faulkner, David Fuchs and Liutauras Lelevicius expect to make an impact in that area, and all three ran with the first five in drills during the team's open practice.
"I'm here to do whatever the team needs to do to win, whether it's just straight rebounds or, you know, if I need to go score as many as I can," Faulkner said. "I'll do whatever I can to help the team."
Guards facing another loss pending NCAA appeal
Clemson knows it will need to survive without Foster and Welling. What the Tigers don't know is whether they'll have Dillon Hunter to start the year.
Hunter is currently a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking an additional season of eligibility. The potential fifth-year guard, plus former Clemson forward RJ Godfrey — now at Arizona — and other plaintiffs were granted eligibility by a Georgia court Aug. 5. The NCAA appealed the decision and was granted a stay in the case on Sept. 9, preventing Hunter and the other plaintiffs from playing unless and until the appeal is denied.
Brownell is coming close to the deadline of deciding how to proceed while Hunter's case remains up in the air.
"Do we have him play in exhibitions and scrimmages and those kinds of things, or do we not use reps that he's already had as an experienced player," Brownell said. "But certainly we're anxious to know one way or the other."
Multiple Clemson players stressed the importance of Hunter's eligibility for the team, especially with the loss of Foster.
"Obviously we don't know much about that, but I just think as far as his ball handling, leadership, playmaking ability, I think that'd be huge for us," forward Dallas Thomas said. "Because we're down a lot missing Zac."
Clemson does have one piece of positive injury news: Junior guard Ace Buckner, who had shoulder surgery following the Tigers' NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa, is on track to play to start the year. He'll have an increased role in the backcourt next to sharpshooting Notre Dame transfer Cole Certa and four-star freshman Harris Reynolds.
"We would love (Hunter). We need him," Certa said. "I don't know what's really going on with the NCAA and stuff, but I really hope he can play. He's gonna make our team a lot better."
The Tigers will roll out their 12-or-13-man squad against the Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. on Friday with the goal of an early start at filling the gaps which remain.
Reach Jackson Castellano at jcastellano@postandcourier.com. Follow him on X @jaxacastellano.