Clemson head basketball coach Brad Brownell has provided a new update on Carter Welling.

After tearing his ACL in the ACC Tournament last season, Welling is still fighting his way back to the court for Clemson.

Last week, members of the media were allowed to view a portion of practice, and Welling was off to the side working on his own, not participating with the team.

Brownell told college basketball insider Jon Rothstein that the Tigers are preparing as if Welling won’t return until conference play begins. Clemson is set to begin ACC play at home against Virginia on December 29.

“Brad Brownell tells me that Clemson is preparing for the 2026-27 season with the thought that Carter Welling (knee) will be OUT for all of non-conference play,” Rothstein said.

During his first year with the Tigers, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward appeared in 32 games, including 24 starts. Welling averaged 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals per contest while shooting 49.3 percent from the field, 29.3 percent from three and 70.1 percent from the foul line.

Last month at the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte, Welling was hesitant to put a timetable on his return.

“It is feeling good,” the big man said. “It is feeling good. We are making progress. I got my strength and everything, so it has been good.

“Right now we are taking it day by day. Just progressing day by day. But I will be ready when the time comes.”

The Tigers knocked Georgia with a buzzer-beater on Friday night in an exhibition game inside Littlejohn Coliseum, getting a big night from transfer Dylan Faulkner, who was responsible for that game-winning bucket. Until Welling is able to return, Faulkner and fellow transfers David Fuchs and Liutauras Lelevicius will be tasked with filling the void.

– Photo courtesy of Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider