Clemson basketball announces three signees

by CU Athletic Communications - Thu Nov 09 08:44:16 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON, S.C. – Head Coach Brad Brownell and his staff added Dallas Thomas (Little Rock, Ark./Parkview Magnet), Del Jones (Largo, Md./AZ Compass Prep) and Ace Buckner (Cleveland, Ohio/La Lumiere School) to the Clemson University men’s basketball program on Wednesday. All three signed letters of intent to play for the Tigers beginning in 2024-25.

The Clemson recruiting class ranks 16th nationally, according to 247Sports, and is fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Thomas and Jones join PJ Hall (Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman) in the 247Sports’ top five rated Clemson recruits of all time.

“I’m excited about the addition of Dallas, Del and Ace to our basketball family. These are three talented players who help solidify our backcourt and perimeter positions. Their an athletic group whose versatility should allow them to play multiple positions and blend well with our team.”

Thomas is a 6-9, 180-pound four-star forward who ranks as the No. 67 overall prospect and second in Arkansas in the 2024 class. He is the No. 24 small forward in the class, according to On3. As a junior, Thomas nearly averaged a double-double with 16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds along with 2.3 assists and 2.1 blocks. He was named to the SBLive Arkansas All-State Second Team.

“Dallas is a highly skilled forward with tremendous length that allows him to score at all three levels. I love his size and versatility, which will give me the opportunity to utilize him in a variety of ways in our system. Dallas has a great feel for the game and high IQ, having the benefit of being raised by a father who was a good Division I college player and was coached in high school by Arkansas legend Scottie Thurman.”

Thomas chose Clemson over Arkansas, LSU, Memphis and Missouri.

Jones is a 6-2, 180-pound four-star point guard and ranks as the No. 66 overall player and No. 14 point guard according to ESPN. He ranks No. 90 overall and No. 7 point guard in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports.

“Del is a superfast combo guard that has played against a lot of great competition in both high school and on the EYBL circuit. Offensively, he excels in the open court by attacking the paint and creating offense for himself and others. He is an explosive athlete whose competitiveness and toughness impressed our staff. We certainly feel like he has the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor while at Clemson.”

He played for Team Durant on the EYBL Circuit and averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Jones chose Clemson over Arizona State, Oregon, Seton Hall and West Virginia.

Buckner is a 6-2, 175-pound combo guard who ranks as a three-star, according to On3. Buckner is the son of former Littlejohn Legend Greg Buckner who played for the Tigers from 1994-98.

Averaged 8.8 points per game with All Ohio Red on the EYBL Circuit. Buckner boasted nearly a 2:1 assist/turnover ratio through 24 games on the circuit. He exploded for a 29-point performance at Peach Jam in July.

“Ace is another combo guard who is comfortable playing with or without the basketball in his hands. He’s an excellent on-ball defender who, with strength, will excel at that end of the floor. Offensively, he can make threes off the bounce or catch and has a quick first step which helps him play in the paint. As a legacy, he has always had a dream to play at Clemson and we couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to add a player of his caliber.”