Clemson men’s basketball has been awaiting the decision of star center P.J. Hall all offseason. On Thusrday, it finally came: Hall will withdraw his name from the 2023 NBA Draft and return to Clemson for a fourth season.
Hall tied for the team lead in scoring last season with 15.3 points per game, and his 5.7 rebounds per game were second-most among Tigers. He declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility March 14.
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Hall attended the NBA G League Elite Camp earlier this month and performed well enough to earn an invitation to the NBA draft combine in mid-May. There, he had 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting, six rebounds and three steals across two scrimmages.
Hall’s decision to return is a huge boost for Brad Brownell’s 2023-24 Clemson team. The Tigers’ backup center, Ben Middlebrooks, transferred to N.C. State this offseason. Clemson gained a big man out of the transfer portal in UNC Greensboro’s Bas Leyte to fill Middlebrooks’ role.
Without Hall, however, Clemson would have been without a proven player at the five spot. The Tigers also lost their other top scorer, Hunter Tyson, who was out of eligibility and also attended the NBA combine.
“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.”
Christina Long covers the Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: PJ Hall announces he will return to Clemson basketball