Published Dec 28, 2018
The Classic: Top 60 junior Jaylen Clark talks recruitment
Eric Bossi  •  Rivals Network Hoops Hub
National Analyst
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LA VERNE, Calif. -- The West Coast is loaded with wing talent in the class of 2020, four-star Jaylen Clark is one of the best.

MORE: Bossi's Thursday takeaways from The Classic | Wednesday takeaways

A strong, athletic and physical junior at Corona (Calif.) Centennial who currently ranks No. 58 nationally, Clark is even playing heavy minutes at the point guard this year. He's making plays, getting to the rim, defending at a high level and taking a very business-like approach to his game and recruitment as and upperclassmen on the high school level.

"I feel like I'm not getting anymore second chances," said Clark. "Before you kind of feel like if you mess up, people will be like oh he's a freshman or he's a sophomore. Junior and senior year, it is what it is, pretty much. Like if you do something good or bad coaches are going to be that's what he is, that's what he does.

"So I've just worked on being more consistent. I just walk into every game like this could be my last year getting recruited by a school because I feel like by junior year they pretty much know who (coaches) want."

Clark is one of the most heavily recuited players on the West Coast and mentioned Cal, Ohio State, Oregon State, UNLV and USC among others as being heavily involved.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Clark discussed unofficial visits to USC and UNLV along with what he likes about Cal and Ohio State.

Cal: "I really like Coach Wyking (Jones). I don't know, but every time I talk to him it just feels natural like he doesn't just have to come in and say stuff to want me to go there. He can make it feel real natural."

Ohio State: "My mom graduated from Ohio State and she grew up in Cleveland and my grandmother is in Columbus. So we go back there for Thanksgiving and all of that and she wants me to go there bad because that's where she went. So every time they call, she's on with the coaches they do the O-H and she does the I-O."

UNLV: "UNLV, it isn't far but it isn't close if you get what I'm saying. It's a smaller campus but everybody is right in there. It was really cool though."

USC: "That was a great (visit) I really liked that. It's so close but so far if you know what I mean. It's in LA, it's home, it's right there and my parents could to all the games and it's a bigger campus."

RIVALS' REACTION

Clark said that he's working on setting up official visits with Cal and UNLV during the winter and that something with Ohio State could be worked out soon as well. But, he's in no hurry to make a decision and is going to be thinking long-term instead of just the next three or four years of his life when he makes a decision.

"I want to take all my visits," said Clark. "Not just for college but for after college to see if that's where I might want to live because you can't let basketball use you, you have to use it to figure things."