"Leave Clemson Better Than You Found It"
- Katie Gerbasich
- Mar 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 23
In a world of college basketball with the transfer portal, NIL, and seemingly endless years of eligibility, building a culture is tough. It’s rare to see players stay long enough to truly make an impact on a program. There are only eight players in the ACC who are four-year players at their respective schools. Clemson has two of them: Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin. On an emotional Saturday night in Littlejohn Coliseum, these two were honored alongside the program’s six other seniors.
The Walk-Ons: Daniel Nauseef, Matt Kelly, and Andrew Latiff
Head coach Brad Brownell made sure to emphasize the importance of his three walk-on seniors post-game.
“These three guys are tremendous leaders and hard workers,” Brownell said. “They know every play in the ACC that any team that sits over there runs. These guys do an unbelievable job getting us ready with our scout team.”
Daniel Nauseef, Matt Kelly, and Andrew Latiff were all able to get in the game late against Virginia Tech. Kelly made the most of his time, draining a three and erupting Littlejohn. His teammates were thrilled to see the guard get his first career three-pointer.
“I wish you all could see how good he actually is because he can really hoop,” Hunter said in the post-game conference. “I'm proud of him. I'm glad that he was able to see one go in today.”
Nauseef also made a free throw after being fouled with 14 seconds left.
The Transfers: Jaeden Zackery, Viktor Lakhin, Myles Foster
Viktor Lakhin was moved to tears walking onto the court before the game.
“Viktor was emotional coming out onto the court, and that does my heart good to see because it shows how much somebody cares,” Brownell said. “In this day and age right now, we all question how much kids care.”
The Cincinnati transfer from Russia has been received by the Clemson community with open arms. Head football coach Dabo Swinney has even taken to calling him the “Lakhin Ness Monster.” While he is now a happy-go-lucky player, it has taken time for the center to reach this level of comfort with the team.
“The hardest part initially was earning his trust,” Brownell said. “I mean, some of it, I think, is cultural, right? But earning his trust took a while.”
Brownell believes Lakhin’s display of emotion last night solidified that the team had earned his trust. Lakhin led the team with 16 points in their win over Virginia Tech, his fifth straight game in double figures. Graduate guard Jaeden Zackery also contributed 12 points.
Zackery, a transfer from Boston College, has stepped up to fill the offensive holes left by Clemson losing PJ Hall and Joseph Girard III. Overall, the team has had great chemistry with these new additions. Schieffelin attributes this perfect fit to the mentality of these transfers.
“Those guys came in not looking to, you know, be the guy,” Schieffelin said. “They just all wanted to win. They're doing their role extremely well, and they've been awesome this year. That's why we have the record we have.”
Myles Foster rounds out the three transfers. Foster played critical minutes for the Tigers, grabbing five rebounds in his final regular-season game. Brownell sees Foster as a player who has an outstanding attitude regardless of his playing time.
“Guys like Myles Foster, who are good players, haven't played as much as he would’ve liked and probably sometimes should play more,” Brownell said. “I'll own that, but his attitude has been tremendous. He's been a hard worker and shoots shots after practice every day. He could’ve been a sourpuss if he wanted to, but he hasn't been.”
The Scholarships: Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin
For Hunter and Schieffelin, the goal is to leave Clemson better than they found it. After six years, Hunter has had his fair share of ups and downs with the program. He’s built relationships with those around him to support him through tough times.
“I think that's just the culture here,” Hunter said. “We’ve got a lot of good people that are willing to be behind you. I think that's something that I just gravitated towards. That's a big reason why I'm still here and want this program to do well.”
The program has certainly done well, setting a new record for most regular-season wins at 26. Hunter was also a critical part of the team’s run to the Elite Eight last season. The Georgia native guard has amassed 1,700+ points, 400+ assists, and 400+ rebounds over 164 career games with Clemson. Beyond the basketball statistics, Brownell is most proud of the father that Hunter is.
“That’s what this is about,” Brownell said. “Basketball is important, but we’re trying to build great men here, and Chase Hunter is a great man.”
Alongside Hunter, Brownell has also watched Schieffelin grow over the years. Schieffelin found his rhythm much quicker with the team, seeing significant minutes as a sophomore. He embodies the grit and perseverance preached by the program, leading to him being a fan favorite.
“The fans ask me the most about Ian,” Brownell said. “Fans appreciate guys that bust it. Consistency is a toughness. It's not always just knocking somebody down, it's playing hurt or working at it. It's been a pleasure to coach a guy who gives you everything he has.”
After not being heavily recruited out of high school, Schieffelin shares a special bond with Brownell for taking a chance on him. He’s proud to wear Clemson across his chest.
“Honestly, if I could do it a thousand times,” Schieffelin said, “I'd pick Clemson a thousand times.”
The Future
Clemson now sets its sights on the postseason. Regardless of the outcome, this has already proven to be a season for the record books. As the Tigers look to start their run dancing in the tournament, it’s the culture built by these seniors that has led the way.
“We’ve got a belief,” Brownell said. “We’ve got high care. We’ve got guys that are all about winning and caring about each other, and that is rare in college sports. There are very few true teams in college sports anymore. We have one, and that is what is special.”
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