Legacy Player Makes NCAA Tourney Debut
By: Gavin Oliver March 20, 2026

Clemson legend Greg Buckner knows a thing or two about playing in the NCAA Tournament.

A four-year starter for the Tigers from 1994-98, Buckner started all 122 games of his career while helping the team to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. He led the team in scoring all four years of his career and guided Clemson to a Sweet 16 trip in 1997.

Now, Greg’s son – Clemson redshirt freshman guard Ace Buckner – is getting ready to play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

After not getting to play for Clemson in the NCAA Tournament last season while redshirting, Ace will make his debut in “the Big Dance” on Friday (6:50, TNT) when the eighth-seeded Tigers take on No. 9 seed Iowa in the first round at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Fla.

“I feel like it’s going to be fun. This is a dream come true,” Ace told The Clemson Insider on Thursday. “Everybody, as a kid playing basketball, grows up wishing to play in the NCAA Tournament. So, I’m excited for the opportunity, excited for the game [Friday].”

What advice has Ace gotten from his father about playing in March Madness?

“Just stay confident, just do what you do on a day-to-day basis,” Ace said. “It’s basketball at the end of the day, so just gotta take it one game at a time and play like it’s a sport.”

Clemson guard Ace Buckner participates in a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Fla. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

After being selected in the second round (No. 53 overall pick) of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, Greg played professionally for the Mavericks from 1999-02 and again in 2006-07, the Philadelphia 76ers from 2002-04, the Denver Nuggets from 2004-06, the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2007-08 and the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008-09.

In his NBA career, Greg amassed 2,878 points, 1,593 rebounds and 719 assists. He is now an assistant coach with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Ace admits that, through the years, he doesn’t remember his dad talking much about being in the NCAA Tournament — but rather about the NBA.

“Nah, not really, honestly. It was more, I used to ask a lot about NBA basketball,” Ace said. “Because that’s just what he was around at the time.”

Greg was enshrined in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. Ranking fifth on the Tigers’ all-time career scoring list with 1,754 points, he averaged 14.4 points per game. He was a two-time All-ACC selection and the 1994-95 ACC Rookie of the Year.

Ace’s dad certainly left his legacy at Clemson, including by his iconic game-winning dunk with 0.6 seconds left to beat North Carolina in the 1996 ACC Tournament.

So, what can Ace do – perhaps in this year’s NCAA Tournament — to leave his own legacy with the Tigers?

“I just gotta continue to do what I was doing this year,” said Ace, who has enjoyed a strong redshirt freshman campaign while averaging 8.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists with a 43.5 field goal percentage in 19.5 minutes per game.

“I feel like I’ve played really well for my first year, especially coming off an injury. Just taking that momentum forward for the rest of the tournament into next season – I’m excited, and I’m sure the Clemson fans are excited as well.”