Vols land four-star swingman
Up until the very minute that he revealed his college choice, few had any true idea where four-star small forward Chris Clarke would pick to play his college ball.
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During a small ceremony at Virginia Beach (Va.) Cape Henry on Thursday the 6-foot-6 senior who ranks No. 59 in the class of 2015 announced that he would be playing his college ball at Tennessee.
"The atmosphere, the coaching staff and I felt like I fit well in the program," Clarke told Rivals.com when asked what put the Vols over the top. "The players opened up to me and it felt like home on my official visit."
In the days leading up to his announcement, Clarke was rumored to land at any of his other three finalists -- Creighton, Connecticut and Virginia Tech -- while the Volunteers had a small group from the Tidewater area saying they would be the choice and Clarke said that it wasn't until two days ago that he settled on Tennessee in large part to how well he fit in their style of play.
"Their playing style, coach Tyndall likes a lot of pressing and some zone defense and that fits me," said Clarke. "They have a motion offense where they spread floor and get the ball to their playmakers."
So, what exactly are Donnie Tyndall and the Volunteers getting out of Clarke besides him being the most highly regarded recruit in a class that already features three-star wings Shembari Phillips and Admiral Schofield?
First and foremost, Clarke is a hard-charging, tough and athletic wing who has one of the highest revving motors in the country. He attacks the rim in transition, is tenacious on the glass and is a very good defender.
Clarke can put the ball on the floor some and is a pretty good passer while on the move but he's best when limiting his dribbles to two or three direct bounces on his way to the rim.
Moving forward Clarke is going to have to work on his jump shooting. It's not necessarily that he is a poor jump shooter, but he has rarely shot the ball from further than five or six feet away from the rim. Until he proves that he is comfortable taking jumpers he will be defended as a guy where the priority is taking away his driving lanes.
Physically and mentally ready for college, Clarke is an SEC level athlete through and he feels as though he should be ready to make an impact from the moment he steps on campus.
"The versatility that I bring to the table making plays on the court wherever I am and being smart with the ball," said Clarke about how he can help from day one. "Rebounding, scoring and playing defense.
"I think people have underestimated my jump shot. I just tend to get to the cup more and pass the ball more but I've worked on it a lot."
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