With one more game to go until the regular season starts, the Clemson Tigers men’s basketball team took down Presbyterian at Littlejohn Coliseum, winning 84-70. 

There’s more of a sample size that we were able to get from the Tigers after their other exhibition win over Georgia last weekend. However, here’s what we learned about the group entering the 2026-27 season. 

The Initial Rotation Is Set

In each game, head coach Brad Brownell has run with nine players throughout each exhibition, and that will only get bigger as Clemson gets injuries back, or even eligibility back. 

Similar to the starting five we saw against the Bulldogs and in practice last week, guards Cole Certa and Ace Buckner make up the backcourt, while Liutauras Lelevicius, David Fuchs and Dylan Faulkner make up the rest of the group on the interior. 

The first player off the bench is forward Chase Thompson, while wing Dallas Thomas, guard Harris Reynolds and big man Trent Steinour round out the rest of the rotation. Keep in mind, Clemson should have Carter Welling coming back by the beginning of conference play at the end of the year, and if Dillon Hunter picks up a fifth year, that’s another guard option for Brownell in the 2026-27 season. 

It’s been a fun group so far, too. 

Ace Is The Place

Buckner got in some foul trouble against Georgia to see limited time last Friday. However, he didn’t have that issue in the matchup with the Blue Hose, and he led the team in scoring. 

The Dallas native finished with 21 points, five assists and four rebounds in the win, holding a +/- of 17 while making most of his shots from inside the arc. Buckner was one of the main playmakers for the Tigers, being the focal point of the offense while bringing up the ball. 

While that wasn’t something that he did last season, he’s looking forward to having a bigger role this season. 

“I’ve been doing it my whole life, honestly,” he said on Wednesday. “Just poise with the ball and making sure guys are in their spots.”

Plenty of Offensive Upside

Buckner had a big night, Faulkner had back-to-back 20-point games and Thomas had 18 of his own in the win over the Bulldogs. Others have had notable double-digit games, like Certa, Thompson, Fuchs and Lelevicius. 

Faulkner believes the team could have a lot of potential offensively due to the number of scorers that the group has. Compared to the Clemson team last season, which struggled to score points in pockets at times, this year’s team should be able to spread the floor a lot better, which is attributed to Brownell’s transfer portal pickups. 

This non-conference schedule may show just how far this group could go come March.

The Tigers will officially be back in action next Monday night, hosting Stetson at 7 p.m. from Littlejohn Coliseum.