Could PJ Hall return to Clemson? What he said about his basketball future

PJ Hall participated in Senior Night ceremonies and got the loudest cheer of any Clemson men’s basketball player who walked out on Tuesday night at Littlejohn Coliseum.

But he still has a decision to make on his future.

Since Hall was a freshman during the COVID-affected 2020-21 season, the Tigers’ starting center and leading scorer has a fifth year of eligibility from the NCAA to use if he chooses.

That could present an interesting stay-or-go scenario for Hall, a likely All-ACC first-teamer who’s having a career season for Clemson but, according to mock drafts, is generally viewed as a second round pick in this June’s NBA Draft.

After Clemson’s 90-75 win over Syracuse on senior night, Hall for the first time addressed the possibility of returning for a fifth and final year of eligibility in 2024-25.

Speaking postgame, Hall said he hasn’t made a decision on using his fifth year yet and remains focused on the season, adding that “we’ll see how the summer goes” with his draft evaluation process. He didn’t explicitly rule out a return but joked that he “didn’t want to overstay my welcome.”

Clemson coach Brad Brownell said Monday that he and Hall hadn’t talked “at all” about Hall’s plans past this season. Last year, Hall declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility, a common practice for players seeking feedback from pro scouts on their draft potential.

After earning third-team All-ACC honors as a junior, Hall participated in the G League Elite Camp and, because of his performance there, ended up earning an invitation to the NBA Combine (which he wasn’t initially invited to) in May.

After participating in the NBA Combine, Hall ultimately removed his name from 2023 draft consideration and opted to return to Clemson for his senior year that summer.

Entering Tuesday’s game, he was averaging 18.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field, 32.4% on 3-pointers and 79% on free throws. Hall had 25 points (21 in the first half) against Syracuse.

“My role is whatever he wants it to be with he and his family,” Brownell said Monday during the ACC coaches Zoom call. “I’m more of a sounding board in terms of we’ll try to get as much information from the NBA as we can and try to put him in a position to where he has the best information to make the kind of decision that he wants to make.”

“But we haven’t really discussed any of that. We’re all too focused on just trying to finish our season the best we can.”

PJ Hall NBA Draft projections

After Tuesday’s win over Syracuse, Clemson is 21-9 and 11-8 in the ACC. The Tigers are in position to clinch a double bye in next week’s ACC tournament in Washington, D.C., and are considered a near lock for the NCAA Tournament, somewhere in the No. 5 to No. 7 seed range.

Amid a career year, Hall, 22, is primarily being projected as a second-round pick for the 2024 NBA Draft. He was not listed in the most recent mock drafts by CBS Sports and The Ringer (first round only) and was listed as a second-round pick by three other outlets.

Bleacher Report had Hall going No. 47 overall to the Miami Heat; ESPN had him going No. 53 overall to the Indiana Pacers; and The Athletic had him going No. 34 overall to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Since he’s a popular, well-known name in Clemson athletics and ACC basketball at large, the ability to earn further money off his name, image and likeness (NIL) could also play a role in Hall choosing to return for a fifth year at Clemson.

Hall joined Clemson as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2020 out of Dorman High School in Spartanburg. The South Carolina native was the No. 59 overall recruit in his player and the top-ranked player in the state.