Jaron Blossomgame came back to Clemson for his senior season for a lot of reason. First off, he wants to be become a better basketball player and help his stock rise in next summer’s NBA draft. He also wanted to graduate, which he did in August.

He also wants to help take the Tigers back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011, which he and his teammates are expected to do when the season tips off on Nov. 11 against Georgia.

There was also one other reason as to why he wanted to come back – he also wanted to play in the new Littlejohn Coliseum.

“We have a good team coming back and having a new arena, the excitement around basketball is at an all-time high right now, and I’m very glad and happy with my decision to comeback,” Blossomgame said on Friday as Clemson officially re-opened Littlejohn Coliseum with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Blossomgame described the renovated Littlejohn Coliseum, and the Swann Pavilion, as “unbelievable,” while saying he was grateful and appreciative to all of those Clemson fans and supporters who donated to the project, proving how much they believe in head coach Brad Brownell and the Clemson basketball program.

“After being over in Jervey, it makes us more thankful to have a facility like this and we have people excited for basketball and willing to donate money to build something like this for us. We are greatly appreciative for it,” he said.

The Clemson forward says the players’ lounge—which has two big screen TVs, video games, couches, a pool table, arcade games and a kitchen and dining area—and the locker room is where he spends most of his time these days.

The new Littlejohn and the Swann Pavilion, with the new coaches’ offices, weight room, training room and a state of the art practice facility puts Clemson on par with other new arenas in the ACC and across the country. It all makes Clemson, which already has an up-and-coming program, very attractive to recruits.

“The old Littlejohn, it was hard to compete and get recruits when you have places like Duke and North Carolina with top of the line facilities. The Littlejohn we had really did not have an advantage,” Blossomgame said. “But with what we have now, kids will come here and see all the nice and new shinny things we have and they are attracted to that type of stuff. That, plus being in the ACC, obviously, gives us an advantage with some kids.

“It is an unbelievable place and I’m sure everyone will love it once they get to see it.”

The senior believes everyone will love the basketball team they are going to put on the floor this year as well.

“I’m very excited. We have been working hard in practice for the last two weeks or so, and we are coming together,” Blossomgame said. “We have a lot of talented pieces and obviously me coming back brings the excitement back. We are working hard every day. November 11 will be here before we know it.

“We are very talented and we have the pieces to be very successful in this conference. We are taking it day by day. When November 11 gets here, we will be ready.”