Clemson Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Tigers

By Joey Loose | Oct 10, 2021

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 19: Al-Amir Dawes #2, Nick Honor #4, Clyde Trapp #0, Aamir Simms #25 and Hunter Tyson #5 of the Clemson Tigers walk up court in the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

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Al-Amir Dawes Clemson Basketball (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images). /

Projected Starters

Guard – Al-Amir Dawes (Junior)

Only Simms scored more than Dawes last season, meaning Dawes might manage more than 9.0 points per game now that he’s one of the primary scoring options. Dawes actually fell out of their starting lineup late last season, but remains one of the Tigers’ best outside scoring threats. He’ll work his way back into offensive opportunities, though not much should be expected of him on the boards.

Guard – Nick Honor (Junior)

Honor worked his way into the starting lineup last season and put up decent numbers, tallying 8.1 points per game, a number that should certainly rise this year. He’s a very similar style of player to Dawes, as both can catch fire from outside, but it was clearly Honor who had the better season last year. Honor led the Tigers in steals last season and will look to fill the stat sheets, though he’s also not someone you’ll expect to see big rebound games from.

Guard – David Collins (Senior)

Last year’s best player at South Florida, Collins arrives for a single transfer season with the Tigers. He put up solid numbers, averaging 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game and slides into a role as a facilitator for this offense. He’ll be the best starting guard on the boards, and he hit 37% of his 3-pointers last season, but there are still a few holes in his game, including free throw shooting (56%) and turnovers.

Forward – Hunter Tyson (Senior)

Tyson worked his way into the starting lineup last season and was key down the stretch. He ended the year averaging 7.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, but those numbers were trending upwards late. He was a great development for the Tigers, blossoming as the program’s best rebounder and a skilled shooter late in the year, and you can bet they’ll depend on him to take another step forward in his senior year.

Forward – Naz Bohannon (Senior)

A stud last season at Youngstown State, Bohannon transfers for one last shot at college basketball glory with Clemson. He put solid numbers (16.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg) in his final year with the Penguins, but he’s not in the Horizon League anymore. He bolsters a weak frontcourt, but he’s no Simms, even though he’ll be tasked to take over for what this program lost in Simms. Still, Bohannon should produce solid numbers both offensive and definitely in the paint.