Earl Clark

Another player in that boat is Earl Clark, but his production looks a bit poor for other reasons.

One of the more perimeter oriented players in this pool, Clark earns two dubious distinctions. First, he's the most turnover prone, giving the ball away on 18.7% of his logged possessions. Second, his Points Per Possession of .85 ranks him last on our list. A bit stuck between the three and four position, Clark's poor PPP stems from the fact that he took 5.3 jump shots per game (1st in our sample) and only managed to get fouled of only 9.3% of his possessions (23rd). Unfortunately, his ability to play the three doesn't excuse the fact that he falls below the mean FG% in post ups (46% - even), fast breaks (54% - 16% below), pick and rolls (38% - 11% below), isolations (38% - 4% below), and basket cuts (55% - 13% below).

Given Clark's lack of efficiency across the board, the team that picks him will be banking on him utilizing his athleticism to his advantage to create mismatches and develop the type of consistency he'll need to be productive. Obviously players who have as many tools as Clark deserve some credit for what they could bring to the table down the road, particularly defensively, but how much remains to be seen.

It was at this point last year that Earl Clark really began to take off as a prospect, utilizing his outstanding physical tools to help spark Louisville onto a long win streak, and in the process catapulting his firmly name into the NBA draft picture. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for Clark to go through a similar type of resurgence right around now, as he doesn’t seem to be having the type of year many predicted from him when he announced his intentions to return for his junior season.

Clark’s scoring rate is slightly down in fact from last year, as is his efficiency, and not by a small margin. His 2-point percentages have plummeted (from 54.4% to 47.6%) as he’s struggled to take on a much bigger role in Louisville’s offense, while he’s getting to the free throw line less, rebounding worse, getting less steals, picking up less blocks, and committing more turnovers. The only improvements can be found in his 3-point shooting percentages (up from 22.7 to 27.5%), and a big increase in assists, which reflects the role he’s inherited from David Padgett as one of the team’s main facilitators from the high post.

Clark’s biggest problem is that he seems to be suffering from somewhat of an identity crisis. He’s a power forward at the NCAA level who wants to be a guard, particularly in the way he settles for jump-shots from the perimeter. His jumper is way too streaky for that to be effective, but you regardless see him pulling up for 19-foot fade-aways off his back heel on a regular basis. While he definitely shows a great feel for making plays for others, there is no way around the fact that his shot-selection is extremely poor right now, which only exacerbates his limitations offensively.

Clark’s biggest assets—his athleticism and ball-handling skills, aren’t quite polished enough to help him get regular production for Louisville. He often looks out of control by the time he gets to the basket—making him fairly turnover prone--and really seems to struggle finishing through contact, trying to get too cute flipping the ball in off the glass, instead of just going up strong and powering the ball through the rim. Rarely do you see Clark finish a play with a dunk, and after watching his film extensively, it’s hard not to come away thinking that he lacks a good amount of physical toughness.

The impression you come away with from scouting Clark heavily depends on which day you catch him on. On some nights he looks incredibly active, playing extremely hard, utilizing his athleticism to its fullest, and making very good decisions. On others, he looks completely asleep, disappearing for long stretches and being very passive. Rick Pitino touched on this issue earlier this season without naming Clark specifically: “We've got a lot of guys that have mood swings, and that's why I think we're not reaching our potential right now," Pitino said. "I don't think it has anything to do with basketball, I think it has to do with psychology. That's the unfortunate thing."

With that said, you just can’t ignore the tools Clark possesses and the upside he brings to the table. There are very few players in college basketball with his combination of size, athleticism and length, and very few of them can play at the top of their team’s full-court press, take a rebound coast to coast, and show the type of court vision Clark does. If the light bulb ever truly comes on for him, he could be a mismatch nightmare for opposing teams, and considering that he just turned 21 a month ago, that obviously isn’t out of the question.

As we’ve discussed in the past, the place that Clark is able to make the biggest impact at the moment is on the defensive end. Big and strong enough to guard handle most NCAA big men on the block, he can absolutely smother smaller players on the perimeter as well with his length, looking very capable of switching on pick and rolls and easily staying in front of his matchup. He tends to lose his focus at times, getting lost off the ball and letting his man blow past him, but he’s so athletic that he often has no problem recovering and getting back in time to contest his shot regardless. Even though his rebounding numbers are down a decent amount, he still gets his fair share of boards (just under 10-per 40 pace adjusted) as well as two blocked shots on top of that. Louisville is an amazing defensive team, and Clark plays a big part in that.

Clark is likely to be considered one of the great riddles of this upcoming draft, as it’s extremely difficult to project how he will develop over the next few years. He’s probably too talented to fall out of the lottery, and with a strong NCAA tournament, could possibly even boost his stock into the top five. He’ll need to play for the right coach and in the right organization in order to reach his full potential, but even he probably doesn’t know how good he can be down the road.

Earl Clark did a very good job taking the next step forward with his game as a sophomore, upping his production across the board, and it looks like he’s just beginning to tap into his excellent potential. After starting off the season very strong in non-conference play, inconsistency struck Clark’s game once conference play got underway, however he still was a major impact player for Louisville during the season. This season, with David Padgett and Derrick Caracter out of the picture, while Terrence Williams is recovering from injury, Clark will be center stage, with plenty of opportunities to prove himself.

Clark has shown flashes of many things in his time at Louisville, possessing nice versatility to go along with his excellent physical attributes. His offensive game begins with his dribble-drive game, as he takes his man off the dribble with ease going either left or right, using long strides and a very good first step. He doesn’t show much change-of-direction ability, having a controlled, but not flashy handle, however he could take his dribble-drive game to the next level if he incorporated more simple footwork into his game, such as misdirection steps and jump stops, moves that would take full advantage of his explosiveness and length.

While he has a formidable jump shot, Clark has much room for improvement in this area of his game, not hitting consistently with his jumper from anywhere on the floor, and shooting an unimpressive 65% from the free-throw line. While he has an extremely high and moderately quick release, along with the foundation of a good jump shot, he’s prone to a lot of inconsistencies, notably a propensity to fade away often.

Clark’s post-up game is still a work in progress, and it’s something the combo-forward has a lot of potential to improve with. He shows some nice flashes, but doesn’t take advantage of his physical gifts here like he does with his dribble-drive game. He’s not always decisive with his moves, and will often move into his defender, forcing a tough shot, not doing a great job getting separation. He gets separation mostly by turning for fade-away jumpers, but he doesn’t convert on these for a high percentage.

Clark’s best assets at this point are his rebounding and defense, two things he really excels in. On the boards, Clark has a very nice second bounce and shows good timing and anticipation, pulling in over 8 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game. His length and mobility allow him to track down many balls away from the hoop. On the defensive end, Clark shows very nice lateral quickness and pretty good reflexes, capable of guarding small and big players alike. His stance is pretty good, but he can get inconsistent with it at times. He uses his length and athleticism very well on this end of the court, averaging 1 steal and 1.7 blocks per game.

After initially announcing he’ll be entering the draft, only to get cold feet a few days later and decide to stay at Louisville instead, Clark will need to have a breakout season as a junior to justify that decision. There are huge dividends to be reaped if he is able to improve as expected, especially seeing how this class looks to be weaker than your average class, especially at the top. If he can make another leap this season like he did going from freshman to sophomore, he should be firmly in lottery discussions, with a chance to go in the top half, especially if he can improve his jump shot, show some more change-of-direction ability, or add some more strength to his frame.

Fresh off his team’s run to the Elite Eight, which just happened to coincide with some of the best play of his NCAA career thus far, this is as good a time as any to take another look at Louisville’s Earl Clark. We’re talking about one of the more interesting long-term power forward prospects in college basketball, a player few can rival in terms of pure upside with his package of size, length, superb athleticism and versatile skills on both ends of the floor.

Clark is not the most productive player you’ll find these days, having averaged just 11 points per game as a sophomore. He started off the season in outstanding form, particularly over the first month or so, but then went into a prolonged slump until March. He proceeded to emerge at just the right time as far as Rick Pitino and Louisville were likely concerned, though, usually coming off the bench. From what we could see on tape, his best days are clearly ahead of him.

Versatility is the operative word when discussing Clark’s game. He looks comfortable facing the basket and operating on the perimeter, usually to put the ball on the floor going either left or right with a tremendous first step and very long strides. His ball-handling skills aren’t incredibly advanced—changing directions or performing advanced moves isn’t in his repertoire quite yet—but for a 6-9 player, it’s pretty impressive to see him blow by defenders and finish at the rim with his smooth body control. Clark can also do some work with his back to the basket, taking advantage of his excellent frame, length and quickness--even if his post-moves and footwork are very unrefined. He runs the floor exceptionally well in transition and is a tremendous finisher thanks to his superb physical tools, which comes in handy on set plays in the half-court as well, where he can come off a screen and cut to the basket. Clark’s jump-shot is still extremely streaky, but his high release point and decent (although inconsistent) form leaves room for optimism for the future.

Although he has plenty of potential offensively, Clark’s best attribute right now might be his rebounding ability. He has the tools (size, wingspan, hands, outstanding leaping ability) to make his presence felt, and seems to have developed more of the nastiness needed to go out and dominate his matchup on a regular basis, although still not on a consistent basis. Defensively, Clark is phenomenal when he puts his mind to it, thanks to his terrific lateral quickness, which allows him to switch out onto perimeter players on the pick and roll with ease, and makes him extremely disruptive when combined with his length. He looks pretty intense for the most part on this end of the floor, contesting shots, getting in the passing lanes, coming up with blocks, and doing a great job recovering back onto his man after getting beat. His frame might be a little on the slender side to deal with some of the more bruising back to the basket power forward types he’ll face, but his wide shoulders lead us to believe that he’ll be able to put on about as much weight as he needs in the NBA.

Clark is another prototypical example of the “hybrid forward” that every good NBA team seems to have these days. He can defend both forward positions as needed, and can serve as a tremendous mismatch facing the basket offensively and especially in transition. Polishing up his ball-handling skills and becoming a much better perimeter shooter will be important for him, but it seems to be the mental side of the game that he needs to improve on the most. Clark has a tendency to coast at times, looking fairly passive and losing his focus too often, which leads to unforced errors in the form of turnovers. His physical and mental toughness came into question at times early on in the season, which showed up on both ends of the floor, but hurt his team most defensively, when he just didn’t compete the way he should. This has become less and less of an issue as the year has moved on, but it’s still something for teams to keep in the back of their mind.

Rick Pitino came out and announced that Clark will be returning for his junior season—all the way back in January., reportedly after conferring with his parents. Clark already came out after his team’s exit from the NCAA tournament and confirmed that he will be returning. With two highly regarded post-players coming in next season in Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings, Louisville should be in excellent shape to make another deep NCAA tournament run, and Clark could be a centerpiece if he improves as much as expected. He’ll likely start off next season as a lottery pick on mock drafts, and could even go a lot higher if he puts it all together.

After a promising conclusion to his freshman campaign, Clark has came out with a bang in 07-08. His strong all around stats serve as an example of how much he can bring to the table, when properly utilized. Playing strictly on the perimeter as a prep player, Clark rarely used his talents to their maximum potential. Since his arrival at Louisville, Coach Pitino has made the New Jersey native fully understand how to utilize his size, quickness, and athleticism, resulting in the excellent performance he is having across the board so far.

There is very little to complain about physically when evaluating Clark. At 6’9 with a tremendous wingspan, he has ideal height and length for either forward position in the NBA. In addition to his size, he already has a very strong body that is ready for the next level and adequate enough quickness to enable him to defend both forward spots. Clark’s overall athleticism and ability to get up and down the floor will allow him to be a force on the glass and score garbage points, at the bare minimum.

With the latest indefinite suspension of Derrick Caracter and injuries to Juan Palacios and David Padgett, the New Jersey native finds himself as the lone post presence for the Cardinals and will be forced to play center for quite some time. This will give him the opportunity to show off his vast array of offensive skills as a mismatch threat, including his rapidly developing post game. Coach Pitino has done an excellent job of selling Clark on the fact that he can be much better utilized playing both inside and out, instead of just hanging out on the perimeter exclusively. He likes to use a nice little turnaround jumper in the post in particular, while his strong inside play has also been apparent in terms of his rebounding, where he has been a downright monster on the glass, corralling nearly 12 rebounds per game. His second and third bounce getting off the floor is particularly impressive and has helped Louisville keep countless possessions alive on the offensive glass.

The 2006 McDonald’s All American is also capable of beating defenders from the outside, where he exhibits above average quickness and an improving jump-shot from mid-range. He likes to receive the ball about 17 feet away from the basket and then attack his matchup by wiggling his way to the hoop, being fairly difficult for opposing big men to stay in front of. Louisville’s “pick and pop” style of offense gives Clark the freedom to show what he can do from the outside, despite being slotted at the power forward and center positions. It’s not rare to see him grab a rebound himself and then bring the ball up the floor and get Louisville into its offense, which is not a common sight for a player his size. He can also deliver some very smart passes from time to time, either on the move, or setting up his fellow big man in the post in high/low half-court sets.

On the defensive side of things, Clark primarily guards players in the pivot. His size, strength, and athleticism allow him to make his presence felt, shown by his performance in the rebounding and shot blocking columns. The potential is definitely there for Earl to be a very nice defender at the next level, given that he is able to learn the fundamentals and reduces his gambling tendencies on that side of the floor. He needs to be a little bit more physical denying position and bodying up big men in the paint, though, sometimes relying too heavily on his athleticism and length instead of playing tough, fundamental man to man defense. There are still question marks about his ability to defend the small forward position at the next level, as his hips are a bit on the stiff side and he doesn’t his feet particularly well on the perimeter.

Although Clark has a huge upside, he still could use a considerable amount of work before he reaches his ceiling as a player. While his handle and jump-shot are very good for a 6’9 player, they could definitely use some refinement if he hopes to play small forward full time at the next level. His left hand is also considerably weaker than his right, especially finishing around the basket. The combo forward will also need to continue to develop his moves on the blocks, where he primarily relies upon his turnaround jumpshot, showing little else in terms of post moves.

If Clark is able to keep up his outstanding play for the remainder of the season, the NBA draft will probably be something he will have to consider, although it still looks like he would clearly be better suited sticking around another year to refine his skills and develop a true position. The latest Derrick Caracter blunder will serve as yet another opportune time for Earl to showcase his talents, giving him the chance to show that he can be a go-to guy offensively for Louisville.

After seeing inconsistent playing time in the first half of his freshman season, Earl Clark managed to cement himself into a role on Louisville in the second half, playing double-digit minutes in his final 14 games, topped off by 17 point, 9 rebound performance in 42 minutes against West Virginia. Clark played both forward positions for the Cardinals, but his professional future is definitely at the small forward spot, though he still has some transitioning to do.

Clark’s offensive game at this stage of his development centers around his jump shot, which he’ll use turning around in the post, from mid-range, or from behind the three-point arc. The basic fundamentals of his shooting form are good, though he has a few bad tendencies that hold him back from being a much better shooter. He looks very good stroking the ball from outside when he has his feet set and is open, but struggles when catching the ball on the move or when crowded by a defender. In both situations, he has a tendency to fade away from the basket slightly, hurting his accuracy. This can be seen to a certain extent on his turnaround jumper in the post as well, something he doesn’t convert consistently. Clark shot 37% from behind the arc on just 27 attempts this season, but he should be able to repeat or improve those numbers with a larger sample base next season, depending on if he works out a few of his kinks.

Clark’s post-up game is pretty underdeveloped, and his lack of strength for a big man doesn’t help him when trying to back opponents down in the paint either. He isn’t able to score over people in one-on-one situations down low, and usually is forced to try a fading jump shot from 5-10 feet out, something he isn’t consistent with. Clark does get a fair share of his scoring on open dump-offs and cuts near the basket, but struggles to finish when contested.

The area of Clark’s offensive game that could use the most work is his dribble-drive, especially if he wants to fully transition to the small forward position, something that is definitely in his best interest. Clark has shown flashes of being able to put the ball on the floor going both left and right, usually using the threat of his outside shot to get separation, but he struggles to maintain control when changing directions or dealing with defenders. His ball-handling needs to tighten up quite a bit, and once that happens, he’ll need to develop a more reliable pull-up jumper and work on his touch on lay-ups at the basket.

Clark also makes good contributions on the boards on both ends, using his length and athleticism to rebound over the opposition, something he should really excel at as a full-time small forward. On the defensive end, Clark definitely has the physical tools to defend wings on the perimeter, with very good length and athleticism and solid lateral quickness, to go along with an aggressive style of play. He overplays situations sometimes and can bite for fakes, but with work, he should be able to become a good perimeter defender. He also uses his length to disrupt in the half-court and transition, playing the passing lanes and getting involved in plays. In addition to working on his man-to-man defense on the perimeter, Clark could also do a better job being attentive when his man doesn’t have the ball, as he has a tendency to get separated from his man by paying too much attention to the ball.

All in all, Clark doesn’t look to be ready for the NBA in the near future, unless he makes excellent strides with his game this season. He still has more transitioning to do and has room for improvement in all areas of his game. It’s tough to project where he could be drafted down the road, as there are many variables to consider, but his physical tools are never going to hold him back at the small forward; he just needs to continue working on the skills necessary to play that position.

One of the main catalysts (along with Edgar Sosa and David Padgett) in Louisville’s blowout victory over Stanford was their emerging freshman Earl Clark. His energy early on set the tone for the Cardinals in building up a massive lead, and from that point on he and the entire team were on cruise control. Two big rebounds started things off, one on each end of the floor, complete with a nice putback, as well as a heady steal on an inbounds play and a subsequent dunk. Clark knocked down an open 3-pointer from the corner (elevating like a true small forward), and then came up with another steal for an emphatic dunk to cap off a huge run that Stanford would never recover from. Clark played outstanding defense on Stanford’s go-to guy Lawrence Hill, and was unselfish within the team’s offense in finding good shots. This was a great way for the freshman to make his NCAA tournament debut, but at the end of the day, he’s still a prospect from a few years down the road.

Things weren't looking good for Rick Pitino and Louisville headed into conference play. The Cardinals had come up short in every significant non-conference game, and the two most highly regarded members of a vital freshman class weren't contributing much at all.

Sixteen Big East games later, things have changed quite a bit. The Cardinal made a charge to the upper echelon of the conference, finishing conference play at 12-4 and earning a 6 seed. And not surprisingly, the play of previously underachieving freshmen Earl Clark and Derrick Caracter has played a big role in the turnaround. While Caracter's problems had nothing to do with on-court ability, Clark had the look of a player who was going to take some time to adjust to the division one level.

But as the season has gone on, Clark has done a better job of utilizing his immense natural gifts. While he isn't going to be playing point guard (like he did in high school sometimes) in the near future, he is now settling into the role of full time wing quite nicely. Where he once tended to force something nearly every time he touched the ball and struggled with the speed of the college game in terms of his perimeter tools, Clark has done a much better job of fitting in and finding ways to contribute within the team concept.

His considerable length and athleticism has allowed him to really contribute on the glass, averaging nearly 10 boards per game over his last four games. Clark knows how to pick up points around the basket, and is a reliable 3-point shooter. Where Clark averaged just 15.8 mpg on the season, his playing time spiked to nearly 30 mpg over those last four.

At the end of the season, we are talking about a player who only averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds per game. While he has managed to contribute down the stretch and is showing signs of developing the ability to create his own offense, he is still at least a year away in terms of perimeter polish. His ball-handling and court vision need to improve, and this is very apparent in watching him attempt to put the ball on the floor in the half-court against good defenses.

Nonetheless, there is a lot to like about Clark in the long-term. He has phenomenal raw tools for eventually playing SF in the NBA, from the long arms and sturdy frame to the fantastic athleticism. As his ball-handling improves and he continues to learn how to shoot on the move/while contested, his upside will begin to show up more and more in the stat sheet. It certainly did in Louisville's Big East Tournament win over West Virginia, when he scored 17 points in a variety of ways.

The key here is that Clark has shown the ability to contribute to a successful team, and be more than just a tremendous natural athlete. Clark's polish and feel for the game isn't a lock to happen, and certainly isn't going to happen overnight. But his recent contributions and the continued influence of a great coach like Rick Pitino lead us to believe that Clark's future is a bright one.

DraftExpress: You’re regarded as one of the top twenty players in the country and easily one of the most talented ones, but your performance at the McDonald’s game didn’t show that. Can you tell me what happened at the McDonald’s game?

Clark: We took a tough loss. The other team was coached better then us, and they shared the ball more then us. We were one pass and shoot, and that’s why I think we lost.

DraftExpress: At 6’9, 6’10 and with the skill package that you have, you will have the opportunity to play three or four positions in college. What position do you think they’ll stick you at next year at Louisville?

Clark: Mostly the two and the three. Coach P runs three guards, so I’ll be running the break. I’m going to be energized out there.

DraftExpress: Is there any one position in particular that you’d prefer to play?

Clark: Nah, I like floating around. I like playing every position, running down the court playing this position and that position. It’s fun for me, so it really don’t matter.

DraftExpress: Being your height, most coaches would immediately put you under the basket as a post player. How did you develop such guard skills while being the size of a post player?

Clark: I always liked to dribble. There were some days when I would go to the park and I wouldn’t even shoot. I would just dribble around and try to cross people up in the park. It was just something that I always did.

DraftExpress: You have played for an Adidas AAU team for years now. Why did you choose to play in the Reebok game instead?

Clark: I went to ABCD the last two years. I liked it. I think Sonny does a great job with teaching us a lot, and I know he’s going to take care of us and I was going to have fun. A big factor was some of the player that was playing that I wanted to be around, and I wanted to play with them. That’s why I picked the Roundball.

DraftExpress: What areas of your game are you looking to improve upon the most before you hit campus at Louisville?

Clark: I think to work on my shooting and on the ball defense. That’s it really

DraftExpress: Speaking of defense, what positions do you think you’ll have to defend? Is there any possibility that you might play the 2 or 3 on offense, but guard opposing power forwards defensively because of your height?

Clark: I’m not sure. That’s something that we’re going to have to figure out when we get to Louisville, but that is something that we’ve talked about.

DraftExpress: What made you choose Louisville over Rutgers?

Clark: First of all, I think Coach P knows what it takes to make it. When I went down there, I felt like I was at home. I seen the workouts, and I seen how I was going to get better…That was the biggest factor, so I chose Louisville.

DraftExpress: Thanks a lot Earl. Best of luck Sunday in the game.

Clark: Thanks man.

The freakishly tall wing from New Jersey showed us his vast array of skills at the Roundball, although he was not dominant in any particular facet of the game. He handled the ball well in the open court, broke opposing wings down off the dribble, played great defense, and even knocked down two 3-pointers, which is the weakest part of his game. He did however make a few questionable passes, which led to his four turnovers in the game. Draft fans should follow Clark at Louisville, as it is incredibly rare that you find a pure wing player with his size (he looks around 6’10). As long as he improves his jumpshot and develops physically, Earl is a surefire NBA player because of his outstanding skill set for a big man.

The tall wing from New Jersey displayed an astonishing skill set for a player of his size, with the ball handling and passing ability to play point guard, and the scoring ability to play off the ball. Earl displayed very good ball handling and decision making skills on Friday, but desperately needs to improve the consistency of his jumpshot in order to reach his potential. Although Clark has the ability to knock down the three, his mechanics could use some fine tuning before he reaches Louisville. What was most impressive about Clark however was the fact that he was definitely a legit 6’9, possibly even 6’10. The future Cardinal was taller then every player in the game with the exception of Greg Oden, Tom Herzog, and Bryan Carlwell, all of whom are listed at at least 6’11.

The Louisville recruit had a terrible performance tonight, but showed flashes of his remarkable skill package that had colleges all over the country drooling over him. Clark is a remarkable ball handler, passer, and defender for a player of his size, but often lacks the ability to put it all together at the same time. Tonight was an example of that, as he handled the ball well, but shot it extremely poorly from the field. Regardless of tonight, it’s very rare that you find a player who can legitimately play four positions on the floor, and Earl Clark is definitely a player that draft fans should watch at Louisville due to his immense potential and versatility.