On Monday, the Clemson basketball program picked up a commitment from Ian Schieffelin, a talented class of 2021 prospect from Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound power forward chose the Tigers over fellow finalists Virginia Tech, Appalachian State, Dayton and Richmond, and others on his list of more than a dozen scholarship offers.

The Clemson Insider caught up with Schieffelin about his decision to continue his academic and athletic career with the Tigers.

“It was a pretty easy decision,” he said. “I grew up around Clemson football, actually. I did a couple football camps up there. I’m very familiar with the campus and everything. Once they offered me, knowing the coaching staff, everything just clicked, and it felt like home.”

Schieffelin, who received an offer from Clemson over the summer, believes he will be joining a program led by head coach Brad Brownell that is on the upswing with the caliber of talent it is bringing in.

After landing a trio of four-star prospects in the 2020 class – center Lynn Kidd and forwards P.J. Hall and Olivier-Maxence Prosper – Clemson holds commitments from Schieffelin and Columbia (S.C.) Cardinal Newman four-star guard Joshua Beadle for the 2021 class.

“They are definitely moving in the right direction,” Schieffelin said. “They’ve got a good recruiting class coming in this year as freshmen, and then our class is going to be really good, too. I think that playing in the ACC is the best division of basketball in the country, so you’ve got to bring in these high-level recruits just to play, and I think they’re going in the right direction and will have a shot to win some ACC Championships.”

Brownell and his staff were pumped up when Schieffelin gave them the good news of his verbal pledge.

“They were very excited because they look at me as a very underrated player that can succeed very well in the ACC,” Schieffelin said. “So, they were very excited once I told them.”

The staff sees Schieffelin, a three-star recruit and the No. 42 power forward in the country according to Rivals, as a similar player to a current Clemson star.

“They showed me the senior, Aamir Simms,” Schieffelin said. “We kind of have the same play style, so him leaving and then me coming in will be kind of a good transition.”

As a sophomore in 2019, Schieffelin averaged 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots per game while helping Grayson High School to a 25-4 record and a Region 8-AAAAAAA championship. Through 18 games as a junior, he averaged 9.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.6 blocks per contest.

“I think I’m a versatile big forward,” Schieffelin said, describing himself as a player. “I think I can handle inside 5, I can also handle outside 3 – just versatile, being able to pass well, being able to shoot, stretch the floor, do a little bit of everything.”

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