NCAA Basketball: Will Syracuse transfer Joe Girard end up at Clemson or LSU?
![Feb 11, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Joe Girard III (11) in action during the first half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports Feb 11, 2020; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Joe Girard III (11) in action during the first half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/d7f1754b75908ea5450ae16c695ab11d6a25096849fb483730a25725c80217eb.jpg)
Potential Joe Girard landing spot – Clemson Tigers
The season didn’t end as they wanted to but Clemson still finished with a 23-11 record and an NIT appearance. It also saved head coach Brad Brownell’s job for another year. They do lose a couple of key pieces, including leading scorer/rebounder Hunter Tyson, along with double-digit scoring guard, Brevin Galloway.
The good news is that the Tigers are bringing back plenty of talent. Forward PJ Hall (15.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg) is back as the focal point of the offense, along with point guard Chase Hunter (13.8 ppg and 4.5 apg). The program also landed a couple of key pieces from the transfer portal as well, including NC State combo forward transfer, Jack Clark.
The other newcomer is Jake Heidbreder, who as a sophomore, averaged 15.1 ppg at Air Force on 49% shooting from the field and 40% from three-point range. With 47% three-point shooting guard Alex Hemenway also set to return, a question can be asked why Clemson would even want Girard?
But the reality is that if Heidbreder isn’t good enough to at least start at the ACC level, Clemson’s depth would be in serious question. And without Tyson around, the backcourt will need to do even more heavy lifting on offense. If the Tigers aren’t going to be a great defensive team regardless, they might as well at Girard and try to outscore everyone next season.