Chauncey Wiggins and Del Jones Enter Transfer Portal as Rebuild Begins for Clemson Basketball

Chauncey Wiggins and Del Jones have both entered the portal. (Photos By Charles Mays/Tiger View Media)

Brad Brownell’s basketball team will have plenty of fresh faces next season as Chauncey Wiggins and Del Jones have entered the transfer portal. The Tigers were already losing Viktor Lakhin, Ian Schieffelin, Chase Hunter, and Jaeden Zackery to graduation, and they have now lost two other key players in Brownell’s rotation. Jones and Wiggins were both expected to be significant parts of next year’s Clemson team but will now look to call a new place home for the 2025-26 season. 

Del Jones’ transfer announcement is a shock to many within the Clemson Basketball world as the Freshman showed flashes of greatness throughout this season. Jones played essential minutes off the bench for the Tigers this season and was projected to be a starter for next year’s team if Brownell was unable to bring in a transfer guard. The Georgia native averaged 3.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, and an assist per game while averaging over 11 minutes played. Although his transfer is surprising, Jones will surely have many teams looking for a player of his youth and quality in the portal this spring. 

Chauncey Wiggins’ transfer announcement was much less surprising than Del Jones’, as the Junior lost his starting spot to Dillon Hunter halfway through the year. Even after being benched by Brad Brownell, Wiggins still played a lot of minutes for the Tigers and started in their tournament game against McNeese State after Dillon Hunter injured his hand in the ACC Tournament. Coming into this season, Clemson expected more from Wiggins and was hoping that he would become one of the team’s star players. The Georgia native did not take that leap but still had good numbers, averaging 8.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game on 43.8% shooting from the field. After his solid career in purple and orange, Wiggins will have multiple teams looking to add him through the portal. 

Brad Brownell will now have to hit the transfer portal hard as he loses all five opening-day starters from this season and a potential starter for the 25-26 season. Clemson has contacted at least three players who have already joined the portal, and two of them could be perfect replacements for Del Jones and Chauncey Wiggins.

Drexel guard Kobe Magee and Valparaiso forward Cooper Schwieger are two names to watch in this year’s transfer portal. Magee gained significant interest early on as teams like Maryland, Syracuse, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Texas reached out to him. The Drexel guard averaged 14 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 43.9% shooting from behind the arc this season. His efficiency from deep is vaguely similar to Joe Girard’s, who helped Clemson reach the Elite Eight in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Valparaiso forward Cooper Schwieger has also created a buzz amongst teams in the portal, as programs like Michigan, Villanova, Virginia, Kansas, and Baylor have all contacted him. The 6’10 Schwieger averaged 15.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and two blocks per game on 48.9% shooting from the field this season. If Brad Brownell can pick up either of these transfers, they could replicate the production being lost by Jones and Wiggins leaving.