Jack Clark, key Clemson basketball starter and defensive catalyst, enters transfer portal

CLEMSON — Clemson basketball's Joshua Beadle entered the transfer portal Thursday, and on Friday, key starter Jack Clark went in as well, according to a report from On3sports.

After Clemson's Elite Eight loss, Clark acknowledged he had "no idea" if he had another year of eligibility. He played in nine out of 31 games (29%) in his freshman year at La Salle before suffering a season-ending lower-body injury, then missed the following season on a medical redshirt. Because he played in less than 30% of his games his freshman year, he can petition for a retroactive medical redshirt waiver for that year.

This is his third time in the portal after transferring from La Salle to NC State in 2023, then joining the Tigers last season. Clemson coach Brad Brownell brought him in to provide rebounding and length after Hunter Tyson departed for the NBA draft.

With Clark in the starting lineup, the Tigers were 13-4. The Pennsylvania native was the defensive catalyst for a team that suffered three tough losses by one possession in ACC play. He averaged 4.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 25 games. In 17 starts, he averaged one steal and 0.6 blocks per game.

The Tigers have two paths to replace Clark's experience, defense and rebounding. Option 1 is continuing the development of Chauncey Wiggins, who started over Clark for 18 games.

Clark was inserted back into the starting lineup because Brownell wanted the junior to become a better rebounder, defender and attacker at the basket. If Wiggins can take a leap of improvement at all three, similar to what Ian Schieffelin did last season, he is the perfect candidate to replace Clark's production.

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Option 2 — bringing in a player via the portal — is the likely option even if Wiggins improves. A transfer will add depth to the position and be a safeguard if the junior doesn't develop.

Moreover, using the portal has been Brownell's forte during his Clemson tenure, fulfilling team needs the way he brought in Clark a year ago. He has added 10 other transfers in the past five years, and more likely will join in the coming weeks.

The portal is open until May 1 for undergraduate transfers, and there is no deadline for portal players to commit to a new program.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00