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Brad Brownell announced this afternoon that redshirt sophomore AJ Oliver will transfer. He appeared in 19 games during the 2017-18 season, averaging 7.2 minutes per contest. Most probably remember his performance against Boston College in the ACC Tournament, when he came off the bench to hit three 3-pointers in the 90-82 win. The 9 points were a career best.
Oliver, originally from Birmingham, played his high school ball at Daniel, and was a 4-star prospect. He is the son of former Tigers Women’s Basketball head coach Audra Smith, who was dismissed last spring after five seasons leading the program. She has since been hired by SC State to head up its women’s basketball team.
In a statement, Oliver said, “I want to thank everybody that’s a part of Clemson University and Clemson Basketball for everything they have done for me from the bottom of my heart. The coaches, professors, my teammates, and the other student athletes at Clemson. I wish everyone nothing but the best.”
And we wish the best for you AJ.
In the same day as Oliver’s announcement, Brad Brownell landed a commitment from 3-star shooting guard Alex Hemenway out of Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana. He chose the Tigers over Bradley and DePaul, and had offers from Belmont and Valparasio as well. Creighton, Indiana, and Nebraska, were some of the others that were showing interest, but had yet to offer him.
Brownell still has significant ties to the Hoosier State and had been recruiting Hemenway for some time. He is the third commit of the 2019 class, joining Top 150 players Al-AMir Dawes and Chase Hunter, both combo guards and gives the Tigers a very deep backcourt class. Listed at 6’ 3” and 170 lbs, he has long arms and is best known for his consistency from the perimeter, as well as having a solid basketball IQ. The 247 Composite has him ranked 325th overall and the 54th best SG nationally, while ranking him as the 12th best prospect in the state of Indiana.
He had an up and down summer with some injuries while playing for the Indiana Elite on the AAU circuit, but when healthy, he proved he could be a playmaker, while also showing some potential off the dribble. Having good length to go with his height, it seems he possesses the potential to have a really high upside on the defensive end. That is something we know Brownell likes in his guards. and who better than Brownell to try and tap into and develop that potential.