A New Leader For Clemente

Denis Clemente proved that he was one of the elite scoring guards in the nation at several of the top summer tournaments. After making the rounds across the nation, there is a short list of suitors for the 6-foot-1, 165-pound guard from Miami (Fla.) Calusa Prep. According to his AAU coach Art Alvarez, Clemente will hit the road and visit three of his top programs. Could there even be a new leader in the running?

Clemente, the No. 90 ranked player in the country by Rivals.com, has long favored the Arkansas Razorbacks, and still does, but they might not be the top school on his list. Ohio State, a new name in the mix, may have taken that spot on the top.

“I really compliment Ohio State’s coach (Thad Matta),” Alvarez said. “Even though they came in a little late, they’ve really come on hard. I’d say they are leading the pack. He told me if he had two scholarships to give Denis, he would. That’s how much he likes him. He’s called him a Tony Parker kind of player. They want him real bad.”

The Buckeyes will be the first team to receive an official visit with Arkansas second and Miami-FL third. The Hurricanes recently offered a scholarship.

“He’ll be making visits in consecutive weeks, just boom, boom, boom and then go from there,” Alvarez said. “They will all begin sometime next week.”

Wake Forest and Indiana are also being considered and both schools have tendered a scholarship, says Alvarez.

Clemente is one of the fastest players in the country. He scores in traffic and isn’t afraid to attack the bucket. His biggest strength is running in the open court. As a junior, the Puerto Rico native averaged an eye-popping 34 points a game.