The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Los Angeles with a Clemson breakout room interview.
SR F PJ Hall
Your father Jerome used to be a college basketball official: does that have any impact on your own interaction with referees? I know a few of the refs who also know my dad. I am an animated guy on the floor, but I have tried to hold it back at times, and my dad will remind me to control my emotions.
You have had to deal with multiple surgeries during your college career and last spring you declared for the NBA draft and earned an invitation to the draft combine before ultimately choosing to return to school: how gratifying has this month been after everything that you have been through? This is foreign territory…but it is our time. We are 1 step away and to know that we can bring Clemson to its 1st-ever Final 4 is special/prophetic. Playing for Coach Brownell is great so I never even thought about transferring somewhere else. This is what I returned to school for…and when we got Joe Girard from Syracuse I knew that he would be an integral piece.
You scored a team-high 21 PTS in an 8-PT win over Alabama last November: what do you expect in the rematch on Saturday? It is tough to beat a team twice in 1 season, but we also have confidence from our previous win. However, every team goes through changes during the year so neither of us are the same team that we were in November.
Your father played basketball at Wofford, your mother Melanie played basketball/volleyball at Charleston, your sister Thayer played volleyball at Florida, and your brother Chris played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? Not me! It is hard to pick between Thayer/Chris. She was 1 of those “generational talents” but after Chris got to college he put on 60 pounds while still retaining his 40” vertical leap. I might have to go with Chris because he is a freak show.
You turned 21 last month: what did you do for the big day? Nothing! I just sat at home after beating Georgia Tech earlier in the day and watched “The Office”.
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!