Clemson men’s basketball signs pair on first day of early signing period

CLEMSON - Austin Ajukwa and Patrick Rooks signed with Clemson men’s basketball on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.

Both are rated as three-star prospects.

Ajukwa is a 6-foot-6 wing from Columbia, rated as the No. 2 prospect in the state by ESPN in this year’s class.

He averaged 21 points per game and nine rebounds last season.

“Austin is an athletic wing that can play a variety of positions,” coach Brad Brownell said. “He had a very good junior year, followed by an outstanding summer. He will be a very good player at Clemson because he can do a lot of different things on the court. He has an ability to create his own shot, and can use his athleticism to make difficult shots at times.”

Rooks is 6-3 guard from Charlotte would is ranld as the No. 7 prospect in North Carolina by ESPN.

“Patrick is an outstanding shooter with a quick release and deep range,” Brownell said. “He will help us stretch defenses, and will play with the scoring mentality that you need from a few guys on your team. He’s a good pull-up jump shooter. He is a young man who has followed this program for several years and always wanted to wear orange. That is exciting to me.”

Both will join the program next season.