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Clemson returns to the NCAA Tournament after a long absence

Clemson is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.

Clemson's turnaround under first year head coach Amanda Butler continued Monday with the unveiling, albeit very early, of the NCAA women's basketball tournament bracket. 

The Tigers were selected as a nine seed in the Portland regional and will face eight seed South Dakota on Friday at 7:00 p.m

The Tigers enter the Tournament with a 19-12 record, their most victories since the 2000-01 season when they had 21 wins. This marks the first time NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 and it comes in Butler's first year in charge of the Tiger program. Butler's team found out about the leaked brackets but that did nothing to dampen the excitement of being selected. 

"Shoot, it will be a great story for them 10 years from now," said Butler. 

"Getting in the tournament, the whole season, the ugly ducklings, everything that's kind of led to this and now we have this big selection moment and then all of a sudden, it's not quite the traditional unfolding of events. But all we care about is we're in. We get another opportunity to play."

Butler is the former Florida head coach who came to Clemson after taking a year off after being fired. That year off saw her travel across the country to get advice from the likes of Billy Donovan, Brad Stephens and Geno Auriemmo. So when she arrived at Clemson, Butler was re-energized and ready for the challenge of taking over a Clemson team that had just one ACC win the previous season.

"It means a lot. Coach Butler asked us when she first got here, what was our goal for the season? And my answer to her was I wanted to play in the postseason, whether it to be the NCAA Tournament or WNIT, I just wanted to continue to play,” said Clemson senior guard Danielle Edwards. 

“To see our name up there so we get a chance to continue our season now, it just means a lot to me.”

Clemson will be making its 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament on Friday and fifth as a nine-seed. The Tigers are are 14-15 overall in 29 Tournament games and hold a 2-2 record when entering the tournament in the nine-spot.

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