LOS ANGELES — All good things must end, but Clemson basketball thought it had more time.

The sixth-seeded Tigers (23-12) overcame being an underdog in three straight rounds in the NCAA tournament to advance to the Elite Eight. Their defense held opponents to 64 points per game in March Madness, which complemented their inside-out offense that helped PJ Hall, Chase Hunter and Joseph Girard III thrive.

Yet Clemson's time ran out Saturday in its 89-82 loss to No. 4 seed Alabama (24-11) at Crypto.com Arena.

"The ride we've been on the last couple of weeks has certainly been memorable, not just for all of us but our fan base, which is significant," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said. " . . . I'm just sad that we're not going to get to play more together because we've just had so much fun."

But Brownell and the players took solace in everything they achieved this season. They earned an NCAA tournament bid for the 14th time, reached their fifth Sweet 16 and made the Elite Eight for the first time in 44 years in its magical journey.

"Me and (Hall) just had a moment in the locker room, and I told him, 'We made history,' " Hunter said. "We did some big things for this program. I think that with me and him doing that, we set this program to a new standard."

What PJ Hall, Brad Brownell mean to Clemson

A huge reason for the standard being raised was because of Hall. The senior joined Clemson in 2020 as the No. 1 player in South Carolina but played little in his freshman season and battled injuries through his sophomore and junior years.

Hall put it all together this season, leading the team in scoring and making the All-ACC first team. His work ethic and determination rubbed off on his teammates, which helped the veteran group have a sustained NCAA tournament run.

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"One of the reasons why our team is in the Elite Eight is because our best player allows the head coach to be demanding of him," Brownell said. "And so then the tone is set for everybody in our program."

Another is the culture he has built during his 14 years at Clemson. Brownell is the winningest coach in program history, with a 265-189 record, and has the most NCAA tournament wins in school history (six). He also is the only Clemson coach to reach the Sweet 16 twice.

Despite the Tigers making March Madness just three times under Brownell entering this season, players continued to believe what he and his staff were building. Clemson's season came to end Saturday, but with the deep postseason run, players are confident this is only the tip of the iceberg of what this program can be.

"We came into a situation where it was a doubted culture, even though they had such a great thing building up," Hall said. "And to come in here, validate what they've done, validate the work they do, is special."

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why PJ Hall, Chase Hunter feel Clemson basketball is in a better place