Sooners Ink Top-30 High School Recruit Clark
Sherman (Texas) HS product ranked No. 18 nationally by ESPN.com.
Nov. 14, 2009
NORMAN, Okla. - On the same day his team opened its season with a 95-71 victory over Mount St. Mary's, Oklahoma men's basketball head coach Jeff Capel announced the signing of the second member of OU's 2010 recruiting class in top-30 high school senior Cameron Clark.
Clark, a 6-6, 185-pound wing from Sherman (Texas) High School, is rated as the nation's No. 18 senior by ESPN.com and No. 30 by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.
"Cameron is an elite level athlete who has his best basketball in front of him," said Capel. "I don't think he's begun to scratch the surface of who he can become.
"Because of his athleticism, he has the ability to make some 'wow' plays. He shoots the ball very well from mid-range and he can shoot it to 3 (-point range). He also has the ability to do things off the bounce. I anticipate him being a big-time wing player for us, a guy who can be a tremendous defender and one who'll be flying around making plays all over the floor. We're very excited that he's a Sooner."
Clark averaged 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game last year as a junior for a 27-8 Bearcats' team that advanced to the regional quarterfinals of the Class 4A state tournament. He shot .460 from the field, .360 from 3-point territory and .720 from the free throw line. Clark also earned first-team Texas Association of Basketball Coaches all-state honors and was named the District 9-4A most valuable player.
Said Scout.com recruiting analyst Dave Telep, "Oklahoma gets a guy who has size, is a solid athlete and a guy who's a really, really good mid-range player who's going to eventually extend to beyond there. I think he's a little bit of a late bloomer, and once he gets his strength and confidence will be a very, very productive player for them in college."
When asked about Clark's greatest asset, Telep said, "He can get a bucket when he needs to. At the end of the day, all things aside, the guy can score."
Sherman High School head coach Jeff McCullough said Clark brings leadership and experience to his team, among other several tangible attributes.
"You can create a highlight film with some of the things he can do around the rim with his explosiveness," said McCullough. "For a guy his size, he has some pretty incredible handles. In fact, he's a pretty gifted passer, which a lot of people haven't been able to see yet because we don't ask him to do a lot of that."
Added McCullough, "He's long, rangy and versatile, and at the Division I level can really probably guard anywhere from the 1 to the 4 spot. He has the physical tools with his length and the ability to get off the floor, and he also moves really well laterally and can get up and down the court. He's also just a tremendous rebounder. That's what has separated him from a lot of other guards."
Clark joins fellow Texas product T.J. Taylor as members of OU's 2010 class. Taylor, a 6-3, 205-pound guard, is ranked No. 71 nationally by ESPN.com.
