CHARLOTTE — For the first time since setting foot on campus at Clemson, Dillon Hunter is not on the same team with his older brother, Chase.

With his older sibling now gone, Dillon is the lone Hunter on the roster. While he absolutely loved getting to share the locker room and the court with his big brother, Dillon believes some time away from each other will do worlds of good for his game.

“If I am being honest, it’s amazing,” Hunter told TCI from the ACC Tipoff on Wednesday. “That is my brother, and I love him to death but we just needed time apart. We were together for three years. I needed my time to grow, and he’s doing his own thing.”

As a senior and the only non-freshman returner from last season’s team that made the NCAA Tournament, Dillon knew he needed to grow as a leader, and not having Chase around has enabled him to grow rapidly in that department.

“As a player, I have definitely been able to expand my game, and also step into a different role,” Hunter added.

Last season, Dillon took on a much larger role and was a key catalyst to the Tigers’ tournament run, before he suffered a broken hand that sidelined him for the postseason. Once he went down, Clemson was just a different team.

With head coach Brad Brownell bringing in six players from the transfer portal, the roster features many new pieces this season, making that leadership role even more vital, and Dillon has taken it upon himself to ensure this team gels as quickly as possible.

“It has been terrific for me, you know, with growth as a person,” Hunter said. “Because now, I get to get out of my shell. It was difficult at first, I had to get out of my shell, talk to people I didn’t really know. Or go places, we would go out to eat. Just getting to know somebody so they get comfortable enough to open up to you or tell you stuff. Then practice becomes easier. Once I know someone, we can get better team camaraderie. Come together and gel better.”

Photo by Nell Redmond/ACC Photo