There's always that one guy who every successful team needs. The guy who will rise above to snatch the key rebound out of the air. The guy who will dive for the ball to save even a first-half possession. The guy who won't have his number called on many offensive sets but who still will put up numbers through heart, hustle and shear determination. For the Cavaliers, that guy is sophomore forward Jason Clark.
"He gets on the offensive boards, he runs the break -- he has had some terrific games for us of late," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said.
Clark leads Virginia in field goal percentage, netting over 70 percent of his attempts from the field. He is second on the team in blocks, swatting away 21 shots in the Cavaliers' 19 games. The Hargrave Military Academy graduate also boasts an uncanny ability to work the offensive glass, giving the Cavaliers some much needed second chance opportunities.
While all of that may help the Virginia Beach native fill up the box score, the numbers game is certainly not where he excels on the court. Clark puts his stamp on every game with his defensive performance. The 6-foot-9 forward has often been called on to guard the opposing team's top threat.Big or small, outside or inside, it doesn't matter as Clark has shown the ability to shut down all comers.
"Jason Clark has done a terrific job defensively for us," Gillen said.
Clark's biggest test of the season came in his first conference start last week against Wake Forest. Gillen called on his athletic sophomore forward to shut down Demon Deacon star forward Josh Howard. Howard, who averages 19 points per game, is the odds on favorite to wind up ACC player of the year. Although Howard did reach 20 points, he shot an abysmal 7-for-19 from the field.
"I feel comfortable out there on the perimeter guarding the opposing team's top threat," Clark said. "That shows me that coach Gillen has a lot of faith in me."
Decisions, Decisions. Lately Virginia men's basketball coach Pete Gillen has had to make a lot of them. With 10 players on the roster capable of making solid contributions, the battle for minutes increasingly has become a topic of debate. While many names are subject to speculation, sophomore forward Jason Clark quickly is establishing himself as a mainstay in the starting lineup.
In Virginia's matchup against Florida State, Clark again was called upon to start. He once again proved a valuable addition, scoring Virginia's first seven points of the game and finishing with a career-high 12 points in 22 minutes of action.
"He came out, bucket, bucket, bucket," senior captain Travis Watson said. "That's a great lift for us. If he can continue to do that we should be a good team."
One bucket that will be etched in Cavalier fans' memories for some time was the half court alley-oop Clark slammed home late in the first half against Florida State.
"When you throw that pass, you're confident that there are maybe one or two guys who can catch that pass," junior guard Todd Billet said. "Jason Clark can jump up there with anyone".
The bucket, courtesy of a 40-foot cross-court pass from Billet, showed everyone something that Gillen has known all along: Jason Clark is pretty good.
"Jason Clark has the most potential out of anyone on our team," Gillen said before the season started. "He's our most athletic player, and we're hoping for big things from him."
As the finger pointing heated up after the Cavaliers lost on the road at Georgia Tech, none of the blame was placed on number 34. Even in defeat, Clark showed the passion and determination characteristic of a winner. Whether it was out scrapping everyone on the court to get a key put-back or saving a botched possession by hustling to recover a deflected ball, Clark has played with the fire that it takes to win ACC road games. This is what Jason Clark brings to the table night in and night out, regardless of what he's asked to do.
"I'll do anything the team needs me to do," Clark said.
The Cavaliers return to action on Thursday night as they travel to College Park to take on Maryland. The reigning national champions boast a brand new arena and die-hard student support -- a tough environment for any road team. With substantial depth Gillen surely will have his work cut out for him when he sets up his starting five. It's probably safe to say that he's already got a certain sophomore forward penciled in.
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