The McKinney Lions will look for PG EJ Clark to have a big year
The scarcity of point guards continue throughout the state of Texas in the class of 2017, but if you travel to McKinney High School, you might find what you are looking for.
E.J. Clark, the McKinney Lions 5-foot-10 point guard will have the responsibility to lead the 2016-2017 team this season. With the departure of Alex Vilarino (2016 graduate), Clark will have to be both the distributor, and scorer.
During the 2015-2016 season, Clark averaged 18.5 points a game, 2.4 assists, and 2.2 rebounds, while nearly averaging 2 steals.
Towards the end of the 2015-2016 season, Clark was bothered by a groin injury, and played with grit the last seven games. Head Lions coach Wes Watson knows that his team will lean on Clark and his experience, and Watson is confident in his point guard.
“EJ played hurt for the last seven games of last season, and didn't really get back to 100% until this summer,” said Watson. “Since he's been back, he's looked incredibly quick. He really gets what it means to play fast, which is what we like to do.”
The Lions averaged over 52 points a game a year ago with Clark being a one-two punch alongside Vilarino, who averaged over 18 points himself. Watson sees Clark’s role as a scorer increasing, but he also sees Clark as a leader and must get his teammates involved.
“For the last two year's he's shared the role of initiating our offense with Alex (Vilarino). This year it will be his show. I think he understands that his job is not just to score, which he can certainly do, but also to make his teammates better,” Watson said.
“His ability to get out in the open floor and put pressure on a defense, coupled with his teammates understanding their roles, and getting themselves into the right spots, should lead to a big boost in his assist numbers.”
Clark is a quick footed defender and it showed with his nearly two steals a game as a junior. Watson is depending on Clark to continue to elevate himself on the defensive side of the ball.
“I think he's starting to really see the impact he can make on the defensive end as well. He can be disruptive as a defender which can lead to easier offense for our team.”
Clark says he will embrace his role as not just being a scorer.
"I feel like my team is capable of being really good this year," Clark said. "We should win a lot of games if we just stay focused. My role this year is to make sure my teammates are in the right places offensively and defensively and also to score. The one area that I feel I have improved the most is crashing the boards since Alex is gone."
Sitting out the spring and part of the summer to heal put a hold on Clark's recruitment. -But he says that he learned valuable lessons while watching his Pro Skills EYBL teammates play.
"I ended up coming back in the middle of June so that was about three months of sitting out. It was painful having to watch my team play without me, but it also helped me in the long run. When I was on the sideline I started understanding how important being vocal on the court was. When I got back on the court, I made sure that I was being a leader vocally and setting my teammates up. Being out helped me learn more about being a point guard than playing."
Watson states that Clark is a competitor and will do what it takes for the team to be successful. Watson also says that his senior point guard has all the tools needed to run a team and college coaches will take noticed.
“He's become more vocal, which you always like to see from your point guard. I think he's extremely hungry. I don't think he liked the way last season ended, and I know he wants his senior year to be special and to go out on a high note. I've told College coaches that his greatest attribute is that he hates to lose. He wants our team to have a great season, and I think he also wants to show College coaches that he's a complete player.
"I'm excited for what he can do for our team, and with that, I'm also really excited for college coaches to get to see him lead our team. I think they'll like what they see."
