Young Florida player sparking interest

Six players from the Tallahassee Wildcats will most likely sign National Letters of Intents on Wednesday when the early signing period begins. Three other seniors will likely sign in the late period. Needless to say, the program was successful. One of the programs younger players, Gary Clark, Jr., is beginning to catch the eye of recruiters very early in the process.

Clark, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound shooting guard from Sarasota’s Booker High School, was the youngest player on the 17 and under team and found his moments to shine on the AAU tour. Even with players like Aaron Holmes, a super talented class of 2006 prospect, Alonzo Gee, an Alabama recruit and Alex Ruoff, a West Virginia commit, on the roster, Clark had his strong moments.

He also dipped down to the 16 and under team, leading the program in scoring in nearly every event he played. The class of 2007 prospect said the summer allowed him to see what kind of player he needs to be in order to garner the attention that his teammates received.

“I learned that I can’t do anything but get better if I want to get colleges to look at me,” Clark said.

The schools are looking. The Florid schools - the Gators, Florida State and Miami - all came out to see him in October. So did NC State.

“I just got a letter from Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech (on Tuesday),” Clark said.

Coaches have been impressed with his scoring touch and length that can cover a lot of ground on the defensive end. Clark believes his non-emotional behavior is one of his best strengths, too.

“Once I get on the court, I try to have the same attitude whether we are down 30 or 40 or winning the game. I’m calm and give my best effort no matter what,” Clark said. “My jump shot is pretty good. If you give me some space, I’ll take the shot but I can blow by people too with my dribble.”

Clark is equally as strong in the classroom as well. He is taking honors classes and maintains a 4.0 grade point average. The combination of grades and skill should open more doors over the next couple of years.