Dec. 22, 2006
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each Friday from September through February and monthly from April through August. This week we catch up with sophomore forward Shane Clark.
The link between Kyle Lowry and Shane Clark has always been tight. The two were fast friends as youngsters, played high school and AAU basketball together, and remain close today even as Lowry spends his first season as a member of the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies.
In fact, it was through his connection to the Lowry family that Clark earned the nickname used often today by his fellow Villanova players and coaches: "Shiz".
"I have no idea where that came from," laughs Clark. "All I know is that Kyle's brother (Lonnie) started calling me that when I was younger and it stuck. Pretty much everybody I know calls me that now. It's OK, though. I'm cool with it."
This week marks the one year anniversary of Clark's arrival on the Villanova campus after he had originally signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Maryland. Now, after some flashes of skill as a freshman in 2005-06, the 6-7 Clark is one of the Wildcats' most valuable weapons.
"I am real comfortable here," says the product of Cardinal Dougherty High School and Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. "I have met a lot of great people at Villanova and it's great to be a part of this team. I really feel at home here now."
Like his pal Lowry, Clark's debut came, not in November but in a Philadelphia Big Five game.
Lowry, of course, missed the first seven games of his debut campaign due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. The 6-1 guard stepped into the lineup for the first time in a New Year's Eve contest against Penn and gave the Wildcats an instant lift, starting with a circus layup made from the baseline.
Clark was idle for the most part too during the fall semester of his freshman year. After not enrolling at Maryland, he applied and was granted admission to Villanova in November. In the mean time, he could not practice with the team until he officially became a student on Dec. 21. He dressed but did not play in VU's Dec. 22, 2005 game against La Salle as the Wildcat coaching staff pondered whether it was wise to redshirt the forward given the amount of pre-season time he missed.
One week later, though, it was decided Clark was ready.
"As Kyle did, Shane picked up what we were doing very quickly," noted Wright. "It seemed like that first week of practice he was getting every rebound."
Clark came off the bench in his New Year's Eve debut against Temple at the Palestra in time to add four points and four rebounds in 10 minutes of a 75-53 triumph. Little more than a week later he would add a season-high nine points in a loss to West Virginia at the Pavilion.
For the most part, though, Clark's offensive opportunities were infrequent. But he did contribute in other areas as a reserve, most notably on defense and on the glass. As the Wildcats put together a 28-5 season, Clark got his feet wet. It is an experience that aids him now, in his second season on campus.
"It gives me a lot of confidence," says Clark. "I was able to play in some big games last year and knowing that I've been there is a big help. I saw what it takes to be successful in big games."
Clark also paid close attention not just to Lowry, but the six seniors who led the 2005-06 Wildcats. Quiet and respectful, he was nonetheless focused on the traits that made those seniors exceptional athletes and leaders.
"I learned so much from all of those guys," he says now. "Randy Foye, Chris Charles, Baker Dunleavy, and every guy in that class had been through a lot. They had to build their success. They taught me that how you need to stay together and play hard at all times. You have to leave it all out there."
Effort has never been an issue with Clark and that was apparent in the off-season. While his friend Lowry prepared for life after Villanova, Clark concentrated on what he needed to do to prosper here. Towards that end, he spent hours in the gym, sanding the rough edges off his perimeter jumper and getting to know his five new freshmen teammates.
"One thing that helps us now is that we still have great leaders," he says. "(Mike) Nardi, Curtis (Sumpter), `Bump' (Sheridan) and Ross (Condon) are constantly reminding us about the things we need to do to be successful."
Through 10 games, Clark has been Villanova's third leading scorer, averaging 9.9 ppg. On Wednesday night in a 108-61 win over Rider, Clark recorded the first double-double of his career when he collected a career-high 12 rebounds to go with 10 points.
"I think it was just one of those nights when they all kind of came my way," he says of the caroms. "There are other nights you are in there and you just can't seem to reach them."
Clark has been one of Villanova's most dangerous scorers. His jumper features a unique release but it has been a reliable part of his arsenal. It has been especially effective from beyond the 3-point arc, where he has converted 17-of-36 (.472).
Through the early portion of the schedule, Clark has been Villanova's sixth man. It is a role he doesn't think much about: "I just want to do whatever the team needs me to do."
Villanova's next two outings have special meaning to Clark. He is a Philadelphia product and knows that the consequences of encounters with Big Five rivals La Salle and Temple can be long-lasting.
"I know most of those guys and see them all the time in the summer," he says. "You have to live with these games all year and people will let you know if you don't do well."
One year later, Shane Clark, has settled nicely into his new college home.
This may be the first you have heard of "Shiz" but it doesn't figure to be the last.
