Clemson Tigers Senior Forward Dazzles in Sunshine Slam Tournament

Ian Schieffelin of the Clemson Tigers had a great tournament in the Sunshine Slam

Clemson senior forward Ian Schieffelin (4) listens to Clemson Head Coach Brad Brownell during the second half at Littlejohn Coliseum Thursday, November 21, 2024; Clemson, SC, USA. / Ken Ruinard - staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers were able to secure a victory over the Penn State Nitty Lions to win the Sunshine Slam Championship.

Feast Week has certainly not disappointed with Top-25 matchups going on in tournaments around the country. While the Tigers weren’t in one of the big ones, like the Maui Invitional or the Battle 4 Atlantis, they were able to beat a couple of good teams from other conferences in the Sunshine Slam tournament. 

Starting off against the San Francisco Dons, Clemson was able to win somewhat of a low-scoring defensive battle by a score of 70-55. Following up that win, the Tigers went on to beat the Nitty Lions in the championship game by a score of 75-67. 

It was a good showing for Clemson in both games, as they picked up a couple of quality wins on their way to the championship. 

After the win, head coach Brad Brownell spoke very highly of his senior forward Ian Schieffelin, who had a monster tournament. 

“Ian was phenomenal, almost getting a triple-double,” Brad Brownell said after the win to Jason Preister of the Clemson Insider. “I thought altogether, guys just made a lot of really tough plays. It was a possession or two game most of the game.”

The senior forward had an excellent two-game stretch in the tournament, as he was arguably the best player on the court both nights. While it is early in the season, Schieffelin has been looking like a double-double machine. 

Against the Dons, he totaled 18 points and 13 rebounds. Then he followed it up with another 18-poiint and 13 rebound performance against the Nitty Lions. While the double-doubles have been impressive, the forward has also been superb at distributing the basketball. 

In the tournament, Schieffelin totaled 13 assists over the two games, as Clemson was able to run some offense through him. That wasn’t something that was really showcased in the first five games of the season, as it is a new wrinkle for the Tigers on that end of the court. 

With both San Francisco and Penn State being Top-60 schools in the KenPom rankings, these are two wins that could help Clemson down the road when March draws near. Through seven games, the Tigers have an impressive (6-1) record, as they are playing some good basketball to start the season. 

Next, they will be back home against Florida A&M with a big matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats looming on the horizon.