Chase Hunter, Brad Brownell react to Clemson's Sweet 16 upset of Arizona: 'We've got more work to do'

The last time Clemson made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, Larry Nance was wearing the Tiger orange. That 1980 team was a No. 6 seed in the West Region after winning 23 games and finishing fourth in the ACC during the regular season.

Fast-forward 44 years later, and the Tigers – again the No. 6 seed in the West – are in the regional final again. This time, Clemson knocked off No. 2 seed Arizona in a 77-72 thriller in Los Angeles to move within one win of the Final Four. The look on Brad Brownell’s face said it all as he soaked in the moment during his postgame interview with CBS.

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But Chase Hunter properly summed up Clemson’s mentality as the Tigers await their next opponent.

“It sounds great,” Hunter said. “But we’ve got more work to do.”

Hunter led the charge for Clemson on offense, pouring in 18 points while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing five assists. His biggest shot, though, came with 25 seconds left. The Tigers were up two points after Arizona hit a huge three, and Hunter flew down the court to attack the basket.

He got some good spin on the layup, and as it fell, the referees blew the whistle. That sent Hunter to the free throw line for a three-point play, which he converted. That put Clemson ahead 75-70 – and also completed Hunter’s mission once he got the ball in his hands.

“Just wanted make a play,” Hunter said. “At the end of the day, I wanted to get to the basket. Wanted to get an and-1, wanted to make something happen. And that’s what I did.”

For Brownell, it’s another chapter in his interesting journey at Clemson the last few years. He found himself on the hot seat after a 17-16 overall record and 8-12 conference mark in 2021-22, but got the Tigers to the NIT after a third-place finish.

This year, Clemson entered the Sweet Sixteen with 23 wins, the same total as the 1980 team. But Brownell’s Tigers got one more win, and they’re now one away from a trip to Arizona.

It’s not about the coach, though. Instead, he’s thinking about the people in the stands and the players who stuck by him.

“I’m just really happy for all our Clemson fans,” Brownell said. “Guys like this one right here (Chase Hunter), P.J. Hall, guys that have been with me a long the time. We’ve battled a lot of things. And this is a great moment for Clemson basketball.”