PJ Hall wouldn’t change a thing.
The Clemson men’s basketball team fell in the Elite 8 to Alabama, ending their historic run in the NCAA Tournament.
Following the loss, emotions ran high for the team and multiple Tigers whose time with the program has come to an end. One of these players was star PJ Hall, who has been a centerpiece of this program for years.
While Hall or any of his teammates didn’t want the season to end this way, the program accomplished a lot this season, much of it due to Hall’s work.
“It still stings a lot right now. Probably will for a couple of days,” Hall said. “I don’t think that it will really set in what we’ve accomplished because we had our eyes set on big goals. And obviously we’ve achieved great stuff, but we came up a little short of what we really wanted to do.”
This team achieved a lot, including their first Elite 8 appearance since 1980. After the way their regular season and ACC Tournament ended, few believed the Tigers could make a run like this. The veteran talents on this team really came together and proved what Clemson basketball is made of.
“Like Coach (Brad Brownell) said, these guys, we’re all loving. We love each other. We’ve been through a lot this year, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of people doubting us.
“But it’s just been about us. We’ve been just about us. And to end like this, it definitely stings, but we accomplished a lot. We did a lot of great things this year, and I’m definitely proud of our guys, and I love our guys.”
It’s important to note that success comes in different shapes and sizes. While there is no denying this team would have liked to advance to the Final Four, they worked hard and put together a tremendous season. It is something to be proud of, and Hall wouldn’t change a thing.
“I’ll say that obviously it stings to the core that we lost the basketball game, obviously,” Hall said. “But on top of that, it hurts even more, like Coach said. ‘You’re not going to be with the same team next year.’ Especially the older guys like me and Chase and Joe (Girard).
“I mean, it was such a fun group, man, from top to bottom, from redshirts to fifth-year seniors. It was an incredible group. And there’s nothing I’d change about it.”
