Clemson basketball has been sitting on pins and needles awaiting the decision of star center P.J. Hall all offseason. On Thursday, it finally came. Hall will withdraw his name from the 2023 NBA Draft and return to Clemson for his senior season.
Hall tied for the team lead in scoring last season with 15.3 points per game, and his 5.7 boards per game were second-most among the Tigers. He declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility on March 14.
Hall was on hand for the NBA G League Elite Camp earlier this month and performed well enough to be granted an invitation to the NBA draft combine in mid-May. There, he had 17 points on 6-for-13 from the field, six rebounds and three steals over two scrimmages.
Hall’s decision to return to the program is a huge boost for Brad Brownell’s 2023-24 Clemson team. The Tigers’ backup center, Ben Middlebrooks, transferred to North Carolina State Wolfpack this offseason. Clemson gained a big man out of the transfer portal in UNC Greensboro’s Bas Leyte to fill Middlebrooks’ role.
Without the services of Hall, however, Clemson would have been missing a proven commodity at the center position. The Tigers also lost their other top scorer, Hunter Tyson, who was out of eligibility and also attended the NBA combine in Chicago.
“I’m thrilled that PJ decided to return to Clemson. I’m proud of how he performed at the NBA Combine, gaining valuable experience in the process,” Brownell wrote in a statement. “He’s one of the best players in our league and I’m counting on him and others to help lead a very talented group this season.”
