Clemson had to wait a while before seeing its name appear on screen during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.
Enough of a wait to give seniors PJ Hall and Chase Hunter a bit of anxiety, it seems.
Clemson (21-11 overall) had nothing to worry about in the end, but it took until the reveal of the final region — the West Region, where No. 6 seed Clemson will face No. 11 New Mexico Friday — before the Tigers learned their fate and where they’d be playing.
The Tigers will face the Lobos (26-9) in a scheduled 3:15 p.m. EDT tipoff. The game will be televised on truTV. New Mexico won the Mountain West Tournament to secure an automatic bid to the Dance.
“Me and Chase had PTSD, man,” Hall said Sunday. “I’m sitting there like, ‘There’s no way.’ But yeah, right before, (Hunter said) ‘I hope we’re not in the first (regional announced) for a little bit of buildup. But I didn’t want that much buildup. It’s exciting. Special stuff.”
Here’s everything Hall, Hunter, and senior Joe Girard said after Clemson learned where and when they’d be playing.