Clemson loses experienced guard to the transfer portal
Clemson lost a hard-fought game to Rutgers Friday in the first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, and they knew getting back to the dance would be more difficult in 2021 without graduating seniors Aamir Simms, Clyde Trapp, and Jonathan Baehre.
It was known that the veterans would be moving on but on Monday evening, we learned that another experienced Tiger won't return either.
Junior John Newman, who averaged 16 mins and 3.9 points per game this season, announced on Twitter that he is entering the transfer portal.
"I'm grateful for the experiences I've had and relationships I've built during my time at Clemson. I appreciate the love and support over the years as a Clemson Tiger. Thank you to my coaches for giving me a chance and helping me grow. To my teammates, I will never forget the memories we made together and will continue to make as I move forward in my journey. With that being said, I will be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. I am looking forward to this next chapter and what the future holds for me."Newman suffered a minor knee injury against Miami in the 2020 ACC Tournament that required surgery before the 2020 season and limited his playing time early on. Even as the season progressed, he never looked like the same player who was a full-time starter in 2019.
In 2019-20, the Greensboro native started all 31 games and averaged 9.5 points and 3.9 rebounds.
Clemson now has two scholarships available to add to the three-man 2021 recruiting class of Lucas Taylor, Joshua Beadle, and Ian Schieffelin. Head coach Brad Brownell could add players from the uncommitted recruits available and/or the transfer portal.