
Gold Rush Feature: New Role
2/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2011
This article was originally published in the Feb. 5 edition of Gold Rush.
By Sam Walker
When it comes down to tenure, Gary Clark is the one player on the Wake Forest men's basketball team who has it. So judging by length of time, work put in and results, Clark should naturally be playing his best in his senior season. As of Jan.12, Clark was actually leading the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage at 64 percent. Given the opportunity, Clark has risen to the challenge. And what a challenge it has been.
Clark has been asked to start, which he hadn't done in his career until this season, play some at the point, which he says he hadn't done since middle school, and be the lone scholarship senior on a team with five freshmen, all of whom have been asked to contribute -- immediately.
"I hadn't played guard since middle school, but I got used to it," Clark said. "A lot of time I'm not used to being guarded full court, but I've gotten better. My first scrimmage I played the point, and I was terrible. Coach (Jeff) Battle and Coach (Rusty) LaRue have been helping a lot with that position. Coach Battle is the man whether it's the one or two spots. You look at the history. Chris (Paul) came and he's in the league (NBA), Jeff (Teague), and he's in the league. Ish (Smith) came, and now he's in the league. He knows what he's doing. He was a great player at Marshall, and the thing about Coach B is he's really not a yeller but relates to you in a comfortable tone and puts the fire in you. He'll watch tape with you - he's always there."
Clark is the only one who has significant knowledge of what it's like to endure the physical, mental and scholastic demands of playing in the ACC. After playing the role of a three-point shooting threat that comes off the bench and being thrust into a starting role, Clark has made the most of the opportunity.
"Gary has had a great year shooting the basketball," head coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "Gary has been playing with great energy throughout the entire year and is doing a great job in practice and games bringing forth a great effort, and he's doing the very best he can to show our players the way. Every single one of our guys is in a new role. They're playing more minutes and we've had our struggles and challenges, but I see this team getting better, and that's what it's all about -- getting better."
It is ultimately all about getting better, but it's been unpredictable with such a young team. Clark, however, has tried to steady the ship, remain confident and positive in both the public arena of games and privately in practices.
He is playing about 17 more minutes per game than last season, yet shooting the best he ever has in his career at 56 percent (and even better from beyond the three-point arc). No doubt it takes character to be thrust into the spotlight, asked to play multiple roles, new roles and respond with the best play of your career.
"Gary has shown us a lot, taking the role from the sidelines onto the floor, and we feed off him and I try to help him with emotion and energy out there on the court," freshman teammate Travis McKie said. "We try to be accountable for each other. Otherwise we can't improve and grow as a team. He's kind of quiet, but if we mess up, he's going to tell us what we're doing wrong and get on us. We're just trying to come together. Gary does an excellent job."
As for his sharp shooting, Clark has credited practice and determination as the reasons for his NCAA leading accuracy, and hard work has been the cornerstone of his success. "It's just been me working on it in practice, and sometimes you shoot better when you're in a rhythm," Clark said. "It's always fun when you win, but we try to build off wins. This is a young team, and we try to build off a positive atmosphere which is a good thing."
"Gary is an excellent shooter, and it's great to have a man on the wing like that who can when you drive and penetrate and draw guys and have a guy like him to kick it out to," freshman guard J.T. Terrell said. "Every time when Gary shoots it, I already know it's good. He's a hard worker in practice, and I look up to him. He's taught me a lot. He's always telling us we have to go hard, and that we've got each other's backs. He has talked to us about what we are about to face in ACC play. But we have been working hard, and I think we're ready."
Being one of the two players who has experienced a full season of ACC play, Clark is trying to prepare freshmen for a rigor they have never seen or experienced. He can describe it, he can encourage his teammates, but he can't simulate or fully transfer what the demands presently are -- hard as he might try.
"At this point you can't take anything for granted, and you just have to bring it for 40 minutes," Clark said of what he has been telling his teammates about playing in the ACC. "I think we have the talent, and this is all about poise. The team that executes in the ACC is the team that usually wins. Effort isn't enough, so if we execute then we have a chance.
"It's definitely been a different year for me. I just want to win, and I know that sounds cliché', but I've been used to winning. I'd rather win than score five (threes). A win is a win to me. Personally my goal is just to win. I prepared like I was going to earn the minutes and I did, so hopefully we'll get rolling soon. (In the end) I just want to be remembered as a leader, I brought it every night, and I just played the game hard."