Dillon Hunter injury update: Clemson guard suffers season-ending injury

The ACC Tournament has had its share of unfortunate injuries, with Clemson guard Dillon Hunter being the latest to suffer a major setback. Hunter sustained a broken right hand during the first half of the Tigers' win over SMU in the quarterfinals. He is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

The guard from Atlanta injured his hand in the final minute of the first half of Clemson’s 57-54 win over SMU. He was reaching in to attempt a steal when he said he “felt a shock” as his hand stretched.

Coach Brad Brownell called a timeout as Hunter remained in pain. The guard was taken to the locker room and did not return. X-rays later confirmed the extent of the injury.

“Obviously, it’s a little bit of an emotional letdown for your team when the guy’s been playing so hard, you get to this time of year, the time of year you want to play and it goes sideways,” Brownell said after the game.

Dillon Hunter averaged 5.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in over 22 minutes per game. His absence will affect the Tigers’ rotation. The junior started eight games this season but was primarily used as the first player off the bench.

With him out, fellow guards Jake Heidbreder and Del Jones could see increased playing time.

After Dillon Hunter’s injury, could Brad Brownell bring more bad news to Clemson?

Hunter’s injury is a huge blow for Clemson this season, but the Tigers could be dealt another setback. According to WDRB’s Rick Bozich, the Indiana Hoosiers are targeting Brad Brownell as their top choice to replace Mike Woodson as coach.

“On Thursday, Drake coach Ben McCollum was The Hot Name for #iubb job. My sources say Clemson’s Brad Brownell is #1 and McCollum is #2,” Bozich wrote.

On Wednesday, Brownell was asked about Indiana's interest but declined to discuss the position.

"Yeah, I'm not going to talk about potential jobs," Brownell said. "I have a great job, and I'm 100% focused on this team and what we got ahead of us and trying to do everything I can to help us continue to win the next game."

Brownell arrived at Clemson before the 2010-11 season and has led the Tigers to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight berth last year. This season, Clemson holds a 27-5 record and is the only ACC team to defeat top-ranked Duke.