Virginia Basketball: Breaking down the 2018 recruiting class

PG Kihei Clark – Woodland Hills, CA

Don’t let size fool you, Kihei Clark has got game. Despite standing at just 5-foot-9, this point guard can consistently get the job done on both ends of the floor. He might not be the kind of player that is going to go out and drop 20 every night but Clark can do a lot of nice things. In fact, I think it is fair to say that Clark’s game was overlooked way too much from a recruiting standpoint just because of his size. While size certainly matters, several players under six feet tall have been successful in the past. Clark simply has more game that being ranked as low as No. 389 in the 2018 class.

For starters, he is a solid 3-point shooter. In college basketball, you can never have too much shooting. As a team last year, Virginia shot 38.2% from distance (41st nationally). However, Devon Hall, the only Cavalier who shot over 40% from three last season, is now gone. If Clark can come off the bench and space the floor, then that will be welcomed with open arms.

In addition, Clark has an extremely tight handle and uses dribble moves plus some elite quickness to get to the lane. Once there, he understands how to avoid getting blocked with quick floaters or crafty finishes around the rim. In addition, he is a willing playmaker. Considering UVA has plenty of shooters on the roster, Clark forcing defenses to collapse could open up plenty of shots.

Due to the presences of rising juniors Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy, Clark will have to wait at least two years before he might be handed the reigns as a starting guard in Charlottesville. For now, though, it is reasonable to expect that Clark can play immediate minutes in a reserve role at guard. He might not see a ton of playing time right away but he should earn enough trust to carve out a consistent role.