ACC Basketball: All-time starting five for each program (1980-2019)

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7 Mar 1997: Members on the Clemson Tigers (l- r) Guard Merle Code, forward Andreus Juruaunas, guard Terrell McIntyre, center Harold Jamison and forward Greg Buckner stand on the court during a playoff game against the Maryland Terrapins at the Greensboro /

Clemson Tigers

PG – Terrell McIntyre (1995-1999)

Almost 25 years later and Terrell McIntyre is still one of the first guys I think of when I think Clemson basketball. Clemson’s second all-time leading scorer may have been the smallest guy on the court, but he usually had the largest impact. At only 5-foot-9, McIntyre averaged double figures in each of his four seasons and led the Tigers to three straight NCAA tournament appearances under then-coach Rick Barnes.

McIntyre was an all-conference freshman selection in his first season and a second or third-team selection in his three other seasons. He is one of only 21 players since 1992-93 to make at least 99 3-pointers in a single season.

SG – Vince Hamilton (1981-1985)

Dialing up the way-back machine here. Vince Hamilton was the best player on some bad Tiger teams in the early 1980s, but his numbers were so prolific he had to be included. In 116 games played, he totaled 1,530 points, 628 rebounds, 337 assists, and 138 steals. I could not find another player in Clemson history to accumulate those types of numbers.

Hamilton played the game with a certain flash and style that was prevalent in the 1980s, Showtime Lakers era. He was deadly from mid-range and got the ball up and out of his hands with the quickness I’d liken to Antawn Jamison. He was All-ACC second team in 1982.

SF – Greg Buckner (1994-1998)

This was a tough decision, but Buckner has the accolades. The 1995 ACC Rookie of the Year finished his career with 1,754 points, 592 rebounds, and 252 assists. He was named All-ACC second team twice and made the 1996 All-ACC Tournament First Team. He is the program’s third all-time leading scorer.

Buckner was one of the greatest two-way players in Clemson history. He could score on one end of the court and lock down your best perimeter player on the other. He was a second-round pick of the Dallas Mavericks in the 1998 NBA Draft and played in the NBA until 2009. He is currently an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies.

PF – Dale Davis (1987-1991)

Dale Davis was a straight-up scary dude. He was simply intimidating and made up half of one of the best power forward/center duos to play in the ACC in the 1980s. The one time career rebounding leader in the ACC (currently 4th) finished his time at Clemson with 1,650 points, 1,216 rebounds, and 210 blocks. He averaged a double-double in both the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons. A lottery pick in the 1991 draft, Davis was an All-Star in 2000 and was part of the Indiana Pacers team that went to the finals in 2000.

C – Elden Campbell (1986-1990)

One word: dominant. Elden Campbell’s freshman campaign was good by all accounts: 17 minutes per game, 8 points and 4 rebounds per game. At that time, he was playing in a frontcourt that showcased another all-timer in Horace Grant.

When Grant moved on, it became the Campbell show. For three straight seasons, Campbell led the ACC in blocks and was in the top 10 of both scoring and rebounding. The 2x All-ACC selection is the All-Time leading scorer in Clemson history at 1880 points, fifth in total rebounds, and first in blocks since 1985-86.

He was drafted 27th overall by the Lakers in the 1990 NBA draft and averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds per game in over 1,000 games played.

Others considered: Jaron Blossomgame, Larry Nance, Horace Grant, Trevor Booker, and Chris Whitney.