CLEMSON — Almost seven years ago, head coach Brad Brownell and his staff formally offered a scholarship to Chase Hunter, an athletic, sharpshooting guard from Atlanta, in the late spring of his junior season at Westlake High School.

Four months later, Hunter announced he would be attending Clemson after picking the Tigers over offers from Georgia, Michigan State, Oklahoma, and Virginia.

“Chase is a super athletic guard who attacks the basket in transition and shoots the ball well from the perimeter,” Brownell said of Hunter after his commitment in 2018. “He is a very strong, physical defender who should be able to contribute immediately because of his elite athleticism and his ability to score in a variety of ways.”

Sure enough, Hunter started his freshman year living up to his coach’s praise. The four-star recruit put up double digits in two of his first four games with the Tigers in 2019. However, a foot injury slowed Hunter’s momentum and sidelined him for the bulk of the season.

Faced with immediate adversity at the collegiate level, Hunter did not roll over and give up.

Instead, he has spent the next five years growing in Clemson’s program and living up to Brownell’s 2018 comments.

Each year, he has taken a step in becoming a better player and leader for the Tigers.

In his fourth year in the 2022-’23 season, Hunter found an offensive rhythm, averaging 13.4 points per game and posting double digits in 26 contests. He also added 4.5 assists per game, besting his previous seasons by three assists per game.

One year later, Hunter played an integral role in helping Clemson reach the Elite Right Round of the NCAA Tournament. He led his team in scoring (17.8 ppg) in the NCAA Tournament and posted two performances with 20-plus points to secure a spot in the Elite Eight.

This season, Hunter has taken another step as a leader for his team, leading Clemson (13-4, 5-1 ACC) in scoring with 17.2 ppg. He also ranks as the seventh highest scorer in the ACC.

In Saturday’s 77-57 win over Florida State (11-5, 2-3 ACC), Hunter dropped 25 points, bolstered by five shots from beyond the arc. But the win held a deeper milestone for the veteran. It marked his 150th game in a Clemson uniform.

“One hundred fifty is crazy. That’s a lot of games,” Hunter said after the win. “It’s been a long journey I would say. Me and Coach [Brownell] have had a great relationship the whole time and we’ve had our ups and downs sometimes, but he’s always been with me… I’m playing great, playing bad, he’s been one that’s been riding with me. That was the main reason I came back this year. I want to ride with him, make sure I came back and make more history this year.”

Brownell, in his 15th season at Clemson, has known Hunter for almost half of his tenure as head coach. Through time and adversity, he believes that their relationship has grown to what it is today.

“We have a great relationship,” Brownell said. “Obviously, we’ve been through a lot together, back when he was struggling and trying to get his confidence and dealing with injuries and figuring out how to be a good player at this level, to becoming an All-ACC player. We’ve seen it all from him, and he’s been unbelievable in terms of his versatility and playing multiple positions and always being a great team guy and doing whatever we need. I’m extremely proud of him and happy for him and I’ve been very fortunate he’s played so long for us.”

Seven years after Brownell’s initial comments about Hunter, his sentiments remain true. Clemson fans have watched a guard with great potential become a Clemson great.

Now, Hunter, Brownell and the Tigers look to continue their momentum this week as they venture to Hank McCamish Pavillion in Atlanta on Tuesday (9 p.m.) to take on Georgia Tech.