Clemson basketball nets commitment from top prospect (2024)

Nothing like a run to the Elite Eight to help a basketball program attract elite talent.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell continues to make hay off the success of last season with a commitment Sunday from 6-8 Chase Thompson of Alexandria, Minn.

Thompson picked the Tigers over his longtime suitor Iowa. He also made an official visit to West Virginia.

Thompson is also a high-level quarterback, and he met with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on his official visit weekend of Sept. 20-22, but basketball is his future.

He was able to watch a Brownell practice on his visit and saw the right fit.

“A lot of sets, a lot of motion goes through their fours, their fives,” Thompson said. “A lot of sealing, a lot of pick and popping as well. That’s exactly what I do.”

The Tigers, of course, became a national name last March with their run to the Elite Eight. That success did grab Thompson’s attention.

“For sure, recent success opened my eyes,” Thompson said. “But looking forward as well, they recruit high school guys just as much as they recruit transfer guys, so being able to play maybe as a freshman, being able to contribute, that’s like one of my main goals. Elite Eight, that’s in the past, just looking forward, they are going to continue that success for sure.”

Thompson is the third commitment for the Tigers’ 2025 class, joining 6-3 Trent Steinour of Mooresville, N.C., and 6-3 Mac Foster of Atlanta.

Gamecocks' recruiting

South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris has three commitments for the 2025 class and could soon be adding a fourth.

Grant Polk (6-7) of Haymarket, Va., had planned an official visit for this past weekend, but due to the storm he will visit this coming weekend.

Paris and assistant coach Will Bailey have been recruiting Polk for the past couple of months and now he will make his first visit to the USC campus. And Paris had an inside contact to help get the ball rolling with Polk.

“If I’m not mistaken, my high school coach coached Coach Paris,” Polk said. “Coach Will (Bailey) came up to watch me work out and he loved what he saw. A couple of weeks later, I got in touch with Coach Paris, and they seemed really interested, and then Coach Paris came up and watched me work out. He said he loved what he saw, and he offered me that night.”

Polk plays for St. Albans in Washington, D.C. Last season he averaged 19 points and 6 rebounds per game. Most impressively, Polk knocked down 87 three-point shots.

“Not being cocky or anything, but I think I’m one of the best shooters in the country,” Polk said. “I’m really good at knocking down shots efficiently. And also, being 6-7, that helps.”

All Polk knows about the Gamecock basketball program is what he’s seen and read from afar, and from what he’s learned from Paris and Bailey.

“It’s a winning culture, that’s for sure,” he said. “I like how he lets his players play the game. He lets them do what they are good at and doesn’t disturb that.”

Polk visited Florida Gulf Coast last weekend and has no other visits scheduled at this point. This trip to South Carolina could lead to an end to his recruiting.

“I don’t really know yet,” Polk said. “If I like what I see in the people at South Carolina, then I’ll probably end up committing there, but I’m not sure yet.”

Polk also has offers from Fairfield, Morehead State, Iona, Canisius, Youngstown State, George Washington and New Jersey Tech.