Joseph Girard III on ACC representing in NCAA Tournament: 'That seems like a recurring theme'

Clemson guard Joseph Girard III is an Atlantic Coast Conference veteran, spending the first four seasons of his college career at Syracuse before transferring to Clemson as a graduate for his final season of eligibility.

Sunday marked the fifth NCAA Tournament game of Girard’s career, scoring 13 points to help Clemson defeat Baylor in a 72-64 win to send the Tigers to the Sweet Sixteen. With Clemson joining North Carolina, Duke, and NC State as the ACC’s representatives in the Regional Semifinals, leading all conferences with four teams left in the tournament.

There’s plenty of debate surrounding which conference is the top dog in the college basketball landscape. But after the ACC continued to add to their impressive track record following the first weekend of March Madness, Girard gave his perspective on the conference’s success.

“That seems like a recurring theme every year,” Girard said. “We’ve had multiple teams in the Final Fours the past couple of years and multiple teams in the Elite Eight. I think that’s why our league is so good; we just prepare each other.”

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In six of the last eight NCAA Tournaments, the ACC has had at least one team make the Final Four. Boasting two years where two ACC teams made the Final Four, three national champions in the last eight years, and eight of the last 22 champions hailing from the Atlantic Coast Conference as well.

Clemson earned a No. 6 seed in the West Region of this year’s tournament after finishing the regular season 21-10 with an 11-9 conference record. Going under the radar into the NCAA Tournament after being eliminated from the ACC Tournament in their very first game by Boston College in an upset loss.

But Girard believes the Tigers’ blemished record and NCAA Tournament success just speaks to the overall strength of the ACC.

“It might seem like we’re beating up on each other throughout the year, and that’s why we did have some bumps in the road because the teams are so good. But it prepares us for March,” Girard explained. “I think just the way that the league is set up, the way the league has so much talent, so many great coaches, it’s going to prepare you for moments like these. That’s why I think we’re so successful year in and year out in this tournament.”

Clemson lost four conference games by three points or less this season after losing just one of their non-conference games overall to start the season. Now appearing battle-tested and poised along with the ACC’s other remaining tournament teams as the stakes continue to grow throughout the month of March on college basketball’s biggest state.

Clemson faces Arizona on Thursday at 7:09 p.m. ET in a Sweet Sixteen matchup airing on CBS.