Breaking News - After discussing with his family, Cape Henry's Chris Clarke (@Chris_Clarkee) has decided to commit to the #Hokies. [cont.].— Matthew Hatfield (@hatfieldsports) November 6, 2014
Virginia Tech basketball flipped an impressive commitment today. Cape Henry Collegiate School's Chris Clarke announced his intention to play for the Hokies and Buzz Williams. Last Thursday, the 6-6 wing originally chose Tennessee over Virginia Tech, defending national champion UConn and Creighton. Ben Frederickson of GoVolsXtra spoke with Chris' father, Curt.
When asked Curt Clarke said his son's de-commitment was unrelated to a Bleacher Report story that Tyndall was linked to possible NCAA rules violations at Southern Miss.
"Prior to last night we and been looking at, 'Hey, is this the right choice?' '' Curt Clarke said. "It came up in a family discussion, his future, his goals. This works better to go that route."
AAU coach Boo Williams on Chris Clarke's flip to #Hokies: "I think he'll go to Tech. I was shocked he committed to Tennessee in 1st place."— David Teel (@DavidTeelatDP) November 6, 2014
Clarke is rated Virginia's No. 1 player in 2015 by ESPN, Virginia Preps, 247Sports and the 247Sports Composite (aggregate ranking).
Last season at Cape Henry Chris averaged 18.2 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. He averaged 12.5 points and 7.6 rebounds a games for Boo Williams' Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) team this summer.
He also has impeccable tee shirt taste.
Chris Clarke (@Chris_Clarkee) makes his college decision today - our vote for best T-shirt on the summer circuit pic.twitter.com/b4SabbmEdj— NextUpRecruits.com (@NextUpRecruits) October 30, 2014
This is ESPN Insider's scouting report summary of Clarke's game.
Bottom Line: Clarke is a glue guy type of combination forward. He has excellent offensive versatility, can rebound and competes every second he is on the floor. He is a high major prospect that has a blue collar approach to the game and is very productive.
His blue collar playing style was also noted in an article by the Daily Press' David Teel.
A 6-foot-6 rising senior at Virginia Beach's Cape Henry Collegiate, Clarke is a blue-collar forward, not unlike the Boo Williams who played at Phoebus High and Saint Joseph's decades ago. In a survey of more than 100 college coaches, big whistles and assistants, conducted by Scout.com's Evan Daniels, Clarke was voted the most competitive player of July's evaluation period.
"He seemed to be shot out of a cannon compared to the rest of the players," a college coach told Daniels. "I saw him at a 9 a.m. game at Peach Jam, and you could just tell that everyone else was sleepwalking. But it mattered to him. He was a beast. The coaches never had to run one play for him, and he was the best player on the court at both ends."
ESPN Insider and former Wright State coach Paul Biancardi watched Clarke perform at the NBPA top 100 in June.
Clarke owns eye-popping athletic ability. He has speed, vertical and a quick second jump. He fills the lane with speed to beat a defense down the floor and will finish with alley-oop dunks. A great example of his high-level athletic ability is when he caught a pass behind his head on a fast break, gathered himself and scored. On missed shots, he flies to the offensive glass and can make two jumps quicker than most can make one jump. This high-major athlete fills up a stat sheet.
SB Nation's DevonTe Brooks wrote a feature on Clarke as his recruitment began to pick up steam in August. Virginia Tech was one of the first programs to offer Clarke.
Clarke's EYBL teammate Justin Robinson [who committed to Tech on October 12th] thinks he will transition to the college game well.
"He gets the job done and has a motor that can not be stopped," Robinson said. "He can get 20 points and 10 rebounds a game without you knowing. Off the court, he's real chill."
Ethan Walker [assistant coach with Cape Henry Basketball and Boo Williams 16s], who helped coach Clarke this summer, also thinks the forward has a bright future ahead of him.
"What makes Chris special is his energy and work ethic," Walker told SB Nation. "Every rep, every practice, every possession and every game, he brings it. Off the court, he is just a good and humble kid, who has been raised with a hard work ethic installed early by his parents. He understands nothing is guaranteed and has to work for it."
It's been a while, but positive men's basketball things are happening in Blacksburg.
Comments
Frank and Buzz ain't trippin' cuz the Clarke's be a-flippin'
Karma is a bitch for UT. No coach should ever be treated by his "fans" the way coach martin was. Well, they got there new coach and he brought some good ole trouble with him. Justice has been served.
This is a big time reminder why internet posters should be more mature than to get nasty whenever a HS recruit decides to attend another school. I didn't see any snide comments on here about Clarke, but I have seen them on various sites about various football & basketball recruits in the past.
That being said - WELCOME, Chris Clarke! You sound like the type of player that Hokie fans all envision when describing a Hokie player. hard working, blue collar, outwork everyone else, and grind your way to success.
preachpreachpreachpreachpreachpreachpreachpreachpreach
Huuuuuge pick up. This kid is incredibly legit. He and Ahmed Hill will probably be the best players we've had in a very long time.
That's Mr. Freakin' Buzz Williams to you! Last time I was this excited about roundball was the mid 80's when Dell was knocking down the longest twos.
That shit is pretty bitchin'.
This bitch is pretty shittin'! (That's a very attractive woman)
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM
Seems fully dipped to me
As long as dork magic is abundant.
Where's the commit-flip GIF?
I'm hard.
oh
^Perfect. And welcome to TKP!
One of my favorite episodes from my favorite show. Flip, Flip Flipadelphia!!
Got me feeling like....
In all seriousness, this kid looks really special. We used to run track against Cape Henry and that school often had the most athletic kids we ever ran against.
Holy shit, seriously?
Wow this is awesome news! I thought we were done. This is fantastic!
This puts us in the top 25 for 2015 on scout.com:
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&c=14&cfg=bb&yr=2015
247 has as up to 17th as well
When is early signing day?
Nevermind, let me google that for me.
November 12. Can lock him in next week.
We now have the #17 recruiting class for 2015.
http://247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/CompositeTeamRankings
Get hype!
Look at the teams we're ahead of: UCLA, UConn, 'Nova, Georgetown
Basketball is the new football
Funny reading the Vols forums. Claiming Buzz went crying to the NCAA and that he needs to be investigated.
Do you have a link?
http://www.volnation.com/forum/tennessee-vols-basketball/218912-15-va-sg...
Appreciate it.
Wow, some brutal stuff on this site. One quote " I have a source that tells me the reason Buzz is bald is because he lost all his hair in a meth cooking accident". :-)
If any fan base would understand the nuances of cooking meth, it would be UTenn Vol nation. I mean, with the obvious exception of WVU 'eers, of course. All credit due where credit is earned...
NMSU?
Yeesh... I hope these guys don't lose their tin hats.
Wow, just read that link. Supposedly UT coach offered Clark's brother a job to secure the commitment. Then the family had second thoughts. Buzz was not willing to play that game. I'm liking this new coach more every day.
Don't believe everything you read on the internet.
I hear ya, probably rumor or speculation, more surprised by a few of the posters over there thinking that it was an acceptable practice. Didn't we lose a linebacker recruit to UNC a few years back that had a backstory about a job offer to a family member?
That was Landon Turner I believe, O-Lineman. I think his dad got the head coaching job at a high school in Chapel Hill IIRC. With all sorts of rumors that it was because Butch David/Black Santa made a phone call in order to secure his commitment.
Ah Landon Turner, the man who paved the way for our beloved Michael Holmes. Turner was easily the best player I faced in high school. Wyatt Teller was a close #2, but Turner was a man among boys.
You played against Harrisonburg? Just curious, where did you go to high school?
So I first read this on 247, and didn't realize I had clicked on the link to the Vol's page.
I've never had a simple, "Hooray!" receive so many downvotes.
Pretty much me right now
There is no way he is only 170 pounds.
I'm sold. Watching those videos reminds me of how I used to throw down dunks
on an 8 foot rim
My god do I miss Wilson
i double miss him
The Hokies have the 17th ranked class in the nation for the Class of 2015. Not too shabby for an ACC Cellar Dweller. The future is bright. I hope to see a good foundation built this season, nothing too crazy. Let's set up for a strong 2016 season.
Buzz right now to UT:
Awesome, Chris sounds like a legit player and a hard worker. We like his kind around here.
As a side note, Rivals has one player from VA (or at least playing in VA) ranked above him, last name... Bacon.
Mark Giannotto wrote about the flip yesterday:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2014/11/06/e5f5d748-6635-11e4-836c-...
Great news, I wanted him to be a Hokie the second I saw his tape. Doesn't hurt he'll be coming in with a teammate who he already has some chemistry with.
Only downside is this puts us one over the NCAA scholarship limit. I'll be interested to see how that works out
Absolutely psyched about this kid! As an O's fan, I view him similarly to Jonathan Scoop. Great natural skills and talent, a good drive and head on his shoulders, very high potential; yet young and still needing a few years to grow into that player. (I could be off about Schoop--we'll see next year.)
Anyways, back to the HOKIES. We will need another hi-motor player, especially after Devin Wilson departs. Plus, based on his clips, he could be the most talented 'hi-motor' player we've had in a while. They tend to be more effort players that are a little less savvy with the ball or have limited shooting abilities. Eric Green was one of the best at top speed, with a high skill level. Versus a Beyer who has a high motor with TONS of effort, but just lacks next-level talent. Clarke looks to have a good handle, smooth enough shot, and some serious hops!
Uh...Devin Wilson was a true freshman last year. I don't think you need to worry about him departing for awhile now. He is not leaving early for the NBA Draft...
Jonathan Schoop had a 2.7% BB rate, a wRC+ of 65 and (-17) offensive WAR this year. In 481 AB's, so not SSS.
He's basically Will Middlebrooks. And as Sox fan, I can tell you that is a highway to severe disappointment. Well, Middlebrooks banged Jenny Dell which got her removed from Sox broadcasts, so it will be difficult for Schoop to create quite that much disappointment.
But I'd hold off on buying the Schoop jersey.
Haha, interesting tidbit on Middlebrooks and Jenny Dell, CDS7C. I know his numbers aren't great at this point, but what I'm focused on is the talent potential and his mindset. I'll hold off on the jersey for now, though. I'd rather wear this Shoop's 'uniform' on the weekends anyways.
Dell's not unattractive...
Anyways, good point on Devin Wilson, VHOKIE, but he'll be a junior in 2015, and we'll need another high energy guy to carry that 'effort focused' approach with all of the young guys around. Those players who can be on-floor leaders based on their actions are invaluable.
Yup.... that's definitely just about as close as she can possibly get to that wall.
Haha!
> 'FLAG! Illegal touching.'
> Does she know it's a Pull door, not a Push?
Busted.
I miss Jenny Dell!
THIS IS AWESOME NEWS! Buzz is getting the high energy guys that fit his system before he even coaches a game!
I think he will be an amazing addition for us. He has a similar hairdo and similar leaping ability as one of my favorite Hokie bball players of all time. If this kid can tea-bag a duke player maybe he can be as cool. However.....The only thing that concerns me about this flip, is if Buzz is going to take someone's scholarship away for him. I really don't like it when coaches do that. It feels sleezy. Like SEC football
I wouldn't worry...Here is a clip of the guy Buzz is taking the scholarship away from.
I didn't really see this guy fitting in anyway...
He just needs to working on his dribbling. He could be a monster PG with that speed.
This program is gaining some Buuuuzzzzz
Great Job, Mr. Willaims. Making moves.
Rumor has it that the starting lineup in the secret scrimmage against South Carolina was this:
G Devin Wilson (6-4, 190)
G Adam Smith (6-1, 170)
G Malik Muller (6-3, 220)
G/F Justin Bibbs (6-5, 220)
C Joey van Zegeren (6-10, 235 )
Notice that Bibbs is up to 220 lbs. This makes Mueller the small forward and Bibbs the power forward.
Of course this could all change.
Interesting that Muller and Bibbs are up there and not Hill and Henry. Like Bibbs, he's an underwhelming glue guy who'll put up double digit points and you won't even realize he scored at all until you see the box score. At least that's the feeling I got when I watched Montverde play last year, also could've been Ben Simmons was so good I just forgot to watch anyone else.
I originally thought it would be Hill starting, but it sounds more and more like Bibbs will be the starter. Not that it will really matter much. I think the high energy game means there will be a lot of subs, so no one should be playing over 30 mpg, unless there is serious foul trouble.
I really really liked Bibbs highlight tape. Very good scorer and distributer. Ahmed Hill looks like a very elite athlete. I would not be surprised at all if he is starting sooner rather than later
I think the most obvious thing about this guy is his interior scoring. Granted I've seen better defense in a wax museum in a few of these mixtapes, but the Hokies need a guy who isn't scared to take the ball to the hole and finish. We've needed that for some time now and it looks like that kid is the #1 recruit in the state. Seriously, so jazzed about this. BR had an update on him and I usually ignore recruiting updates, but this one had me doing a jig. If we have a highly disciplined team that takes high percentage shots inside, we're going to win a lot of ball games down the road. Might not be this year, but the future looks shining bright.
Joe, has there been any thought about sorting comments similar to how reddit does it--the ones with the top scores float to the top?
YAY!
Not to try to be a nit picker but there isnt a single jumpshot taken in his highlight videos. can anyone comment on his jumpshot? at 6'6 he's a wing player in the ACC (or a really, really small post player) and if he doesnt have a perimeter game, even with his exceptional athleticism, its going to be tough sledding
Nobody pretends that he is a post player. He will be a wing player for us. He has an above average jumper, but he loves to slash & drive to the basket. That's a completely normal game for a wing player.
Like a big Deron Washington.
Shooting guards are a dime a dozen, I'd rather have a guy who takes too many inside shots than firing from deep. Especially for the Hokies, as outside shooting has always been something we wish we were good at but never really have been. I saw a few outside shots taken in these videos, but you're right a majority were inside. I believe he is only 170, so once he gains about 20 lbs, he'll be a force to be reckoned with both inside and outside. I wouldn't wanna have to box him out
Boo Williams website lists him as 6'6" - 200. May be more accurate than 247.
http://www.boowilliamsbball.org/roster/show/791828?mirror_id=871462&subs...
I agree more inside shots than outsides shots is waaayy better. But if you dont have a perimeter game how are you gonna get inside? i'm just concerned that if his perimeter game is so nonthreatening teams will just pack it in vs him. they could play tight on everyone else but the defender guarding clarke could be 3-4 feet off of him
I've seen at least 3-4 Kawhi Leonard comparisons for Clarke. He can shoot but he is still developing. Good IQ, awesome athlete, good with potential to be great defender, and can get to the basket seemingly at will at times. I wouldn't worry about a lack of perimeter game at this time, because he's only going to improve.
Well, you definitely need some outside shooting, you're right. But the kid is the number one overall recruit out of the state of VA for a reason, so he's bound to have some shooting touch. And basketball isn't like football where you have to balance running attack vs. passing attack as compared to inside shots vs. outside shots. You take what the defense gives you and that pretty much goes for every offensive possession. Yes, you definitely want an outside threat, simply for the luxury of having it. But this team (along with plenty of others) will win games by taking smart, high-percentage shots INSIDE the paint as opposed to long bombs from no man's land
The scouting reports that I've seen indicate that he is a good shooter, just doesn't do it all that often. He was so effective at driving to the bucket that he does not need to pull up for jumpers. So he can do it, just a matter of doing so...