South GA Sleeper Emerging

It is the time of year where players begin to come out of the woodwork and make themselves known on a national level. One of those players is 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard Lewis Clinch of Crisp Co. High School in Cordele, Ga. He stood out with the Georgia Hawks program and now he’s standing out to a trio of colleges.

“I feel like I’m a bit of a sleeper but I know I can play with the big names,” Clinch said from the Capitol Invitational. “I think I’m better than a lot of them but people just don’t know me because I’m from South Georgia. Schools don’t really get to see us down there. Plus, we are more known for our football.”

While the main sport will always be football, deep in the heart of Georgia, players like Clinch are changing that. He’s a guard with good range and even better penetration skills. He knows how to defend at a high level and his football roots come into play like a cornerback on a receiver. Clinch is a lock-down defender.

His skills have attracted a number of schools and three programs have made their interest known to the class of 2005 prospects.

“My main three are Florida State, Georgia and Clemson,” Clinch said. “They all call and write. I’m pretty familiar with those teams. Once the summer is over with, I’ll take a look at where I stand with them and then make a decision later.”

Clinch said he’s taken two unofficial visits to Georgia and made a trip up I-85 to Clemson for an unofficial visit as well. He said he wants to surround himself with the best talent in the country.

“The ACC and SEC are the premiere leagues in the nation. They play like the best against the best. Why wouldn’t you want to play at that level?”

Clinch and his Georgia Hawks teammates will play at the Tournament of Champions in the North Carolina triangle next month.