Clemson Tigers Men’s Basketball Loses Key Rotation Piece for Season to Broken Hand
The Clemson Tigers were able to win their ACC tournament opener against the SMU Mustangs in a low-scoring, gritty 57-54 affair on Thursday night.
With the victory, they have advanced to take on the Louisville Cardinals in the semifinals. The winner of that game will face off against the winner in the next chapter of the rivalry between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels.
Injuries are going to be a main topic of both games.
Duke star Cooper Flagg was in a wheelchair after injuring his ankle and is unlikely to play again in the ACC tournament.
Clemson key rotation player Dillon Hunter also suffered an injury Thursday and he isn’t going to be playing again this season.
In the locker room after the game, he could he seen with a giant wrap on his right hand, with his ring and middle fingers taped together.
Hunter understood the potential severity of the situation, saying, “Shoot, I hope not. I’m trying to play. I don’t care if it’s broken,” when asked if he thought he would be out for the year.
Unfortunately for the junior, that is the case.
As shared by Jeff Goodman , the co-founder of Field of 68, on X, head coach Brad Brownell shared that Hunter suffered a broken hand against the Mustangs and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
It is a huge blow for the Tigers to overcome as he was a key piece of the puzzle in the backcourt.
He was averaging 22.6 minutes per game, appearing in 30 contests with nine stats. Hunter averaged 5.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.9 steals.
Without him in the lineup, Jake Heidbreder and Del Jones could see increased roles as someone needs to step up and fill his 22.6 minutes on the court.
