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 Friday, December 13, 2002
Head of the class
By Marc Connolly
ABC Sports Online
When a college basketball freshman averaging 3.1 points per game suddenly goes off for 11, it's quite an eye-opener -- even if it's against your school's intramural all-stars. But when you do it against Duke in the virtual horror flick set of Cameron Indoor Stadium, it's an all-out eruption that warrants ticker tape, half-hugs from teammates and a full-blown Dick Vitale tribute.
|  | | With increased minutes, Jason Clark is becoming a factor for the Cavs. |
That's what Virginia's Jason Clark did last weekend, nailing all five of his first-half shots over the final 6:56 to net a career high and, more importantly, help send the Cavaliers into the locker room with a tie ball game at hand. Though Virginia would succumb to Coach K's immensely talented club (94-81) and Clark would foul out, the 6-foot-8, 225-pounder who can play all three frontcourt positions has given Pete Gillen a new option for a Cavs squad that is lurking in the top 10 behind conference powers Duke (No. 1) and Maryland (No. 3).
"He's playing the four spot, as well as a little bit of the three-spot now with Adam Hall being banged up," said Gillen. "He's doing a great job. I think he has a very bright future … we're thrilled with his progress."
For a loaded squad that goes 10-deep when healthy, just getting valuable minutes was a challenge to Clark at the beginning of the season. A knee injury right off the bat certainly didn't give him a chance to wow the coaching staff. Along with injuries to Hall and Travis Watson, that's why it has taken more than two months for him to make a name for himself.
"I had to work hard to get back in shape and to get back into the rotation," said Clark. "The last couple of games with the injuries to Travis and Adam, I knew there was going to be playing time so somebody had to step up. And that someone was me."
In addition to his contribution against the Blue Devils, Clark blew up against Virginia Military Institute a game earlier with eight points, nine rebounds and eight blocked shots in 25 minutes off the bench. Those types of games, said Clark, have boosted his confidence tremendously, but he hasn't been surprised.
He shouldn't be.
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One thing that Jason has going for him is that he always works hard. A lot of times that separates good players from a lot of okay players. I think that's probably what's earning him so many minutes right now. They know when he goes out there he'll give 100 percent. He might make some mistakes, but he'll always be playing hard when on the court. ” |
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— Clark's prep coach Mike Preston |
In fact, there's little reason why anyone should be astounded that Jason Clark is adjusting to college life and the pressure-cooker that is ACC basketball. In a way, his life in the serene campus of Charlottesville, Va., is a breeze compared to what he's been through each day for the past two years as a student at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, a 120-mile jaunt to the south in the Old Dominion State.
Hargrave, which has presented the sports world with the likes of Larry Brown, Torry Holt, Jon Nunnally and Ward Burton, is a place that Clark looks back upon fondly and credits for helping him focus on his academics and organizational skills as well as uplift his basketball game by playing for a national powerhouse for post-graduates. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a struggle.
A day in the life of a Hargrave basketball player is filled with less free time than Regis Philbin has and the social life of a milk carton. It means waking up at 6 a.m. and having your room in gear for daily checks before breakfast at 6:30 and class at 7:30. It means drills with rifles after sandwiched between five hours of schoolwork and two hours of basketball practice. It means having study hall hours from 7:30 to 9:40. Every night. That means no "Big Monday", no calls to your girlfriend and no leisurely PlayStation matches in the dorms with your boys.
Bedtime comes at 10, before getting up and doing it all over again. And when the weekend comes, the best thing to hope for is to obtain a pass to roam around the exciting town of Chatham to catch a movie or grab some food -- all while wearing your uniform, of course.
So after transferring from Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, Va., where he averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots per game and was named the Defensive Player of the Year during the 1998-99 season, he had no choice but to get his nose in his books.
"Before I came to Hargrave, I was a good basketball player but only a good student when I wanted to be," said Clark. "I got lazy at times. When I got to Hargrave and into a community like that, there's not much else to do but be into your schoolwork."
The basketball wasn't easy street for him, either. Playing for a squad that starts playing games in October and ends in March against junior colleges and jayvee squads from universities such as North Carolina and Virginia Tech, it's as close to a college schedule you can get. As good as Clark was, having teammates like Jason White (Florida), Andre Collins (Maryland), Sharrod Ford (Clemson) and Keith Jenifer (Virginia, as well) along with several other D-I prospects made practices look more like survival matches.
"We had so many good players on that team that practices were so intense," said Clark, who averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots per game in a season that saw Hargrave go 27-1. "We were out there fighting for bragging rights."
Bragging rights to not only defend your position on the team, but also in the fight for who will impress the scouts the most and get picked to join the better program. It's a competitive environment, but not one that allows for much give-and-take. In other words, it was not a democracy. Freedom of expression wasn't an option whether it was on the hardcourt, the classroom or walking along campus.
"You just have to do what you're told up there," said Clark. "If you get into arguments, your life will be miserable."
There wasn't much arguing going on with Clark. He was more about the bottom line -- improving himself as a student and as an athlete to get into the best school possible, as well as make his parents proud that he could go at it alone in such a tough environment.
"He came to Hargrave with a plan as to what he wanted out of here, and I think he got what he wanted," said current Hargrave coach Mike Preston. "He followed through with his plan and it worked out good for him."
|  | | Since starting the season 9-0, Pete Gillen and the Cavaliers have fallen to 16-9. |
Gillen knows Hargrave all too well, having an assistant coach in Scott Shepherd who coached there for five seasons in the'90s.
"Hargrave is a wonderful school," said Gillen. "It's good academically, it has an excellent basketball program. It helps with organization and discipline and priorities. Both Jason and Keith Jenifer were there last year, and I think it helped both of them in a lot of ways."
Preston, for one, knew that Clark would also be helped by the tremendous energy he brings to the court each day and an unsurpassed work ethic.
"One thing that Jason has going for him is that he always works hard," said Preston. "A lot of times that separates good players from a lot of okay players. I think that's probably what's earning him so many minutes right now. They know when he goes out there he'll give 100 percent. He might make some mistakes, but he'll always be playing hard when on the court."
His maturity has helped, as well. While most college freshmen are adjusting to dorm life, surviving on cafeteria food rather than mom's cooking and the travesty of actually doing laundry, this is old hat for Clark. In a way, his life is easier now than ever before.
"Yeah, it definitely is," said Clark, "because when I was at Hargrave I was away from home for two years. Being at Hargrave on my own made it easier to be at college."
Getting to play the up-and-down, pressing style that he loved so much at Hargrave, Clark is able to showcase the athleticism that allows him to be able to play the four, as well as both the three in a pinch and the five when Watson is out.
"Right now I'm more of a post player, but after the season I'm going to work on my perimeter game and my jump shot and my handle," he said. "Hopefully, I'll be more of a three and a small forward-type. Eventually, I'm going to be on the court. It's just a matter of what position I'm at."
As is shown in his increasing number of minutes, Gillen holds a similar opinion.
"He's a very willing player -- he'll do anything he's asked," he said. "He just wants to play. He doesn't have to get 10 shots. He doesn't have to be a starter. He just wants to contribute and be a significant part of this team. He's a great shot-blocker and he's a very fine athlete."
With three games left against both Maryland and Duke and a schedule that includes a non-conference tussle against Missouri on Sunday (ABC, 2 p.m. ET), UVA will be hard-pressed to gain a number one or two seed in the NCAA tournament. Whether or not they make a crazy run through the field in March, the buzz about Clark and his three other freshman teammates -- Jenifer, Elton Brown and Jermaine Harper -- is quite the topic around college hoops circles.
"Everywhere we go, people are always talking about the freshmen and telling us we're doing a great job," said Clark. "Even if we don't reach our goal of winning the national championship this year, the four freshman know that we have a great chance next year."
Marc Connolly is a senior writer for ABC Sports Online. He can be reached at marc.connolly@abc.com.
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 Virginia's Travis Watson hits the glass and scores on the tip-in.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Virginia's Roger Mason Jr. squares up and knocks down the three.
avi: 1201 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Virginia's Keith Jenifer goes uncontested on the drive to the basket.
avi: 1173 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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