CCS Junior of the Year
JE'LANI CLARK, ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN
When a star player reaches their third year of varsity basketball, it’s easy for them to take their foot off the gas if it’s not a high-profile moment. For many, the novelty has worn off and they end up going through the motions instead of living up to their abilities.
That certainly can’t be said about Riordan’s Je’Lani Clark, who made his mark not only when the lights shone brightest but whenever he took the court. After the Crusaders won a total of five WCAL games over his first two years, they went 10-4 and finished second in the gauntlet of a league in his junior season, a year in which he was all over the court with 15.5 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and two steals per night.
What makes his season even more impressive is that he put up remarkable numbers while accompanied by his close friend and cousin, Bryce Monroe. With Monroe transferring in from Sacred Heart Cathedral, Clark handled the ball far less than his prior two years, but he continued to impact games at every turn.
“He adjusted and made his opportunities count,” head coach Joey Curtin said of Clark. “He became way more efficient offensively this past season.”
In a January 30 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral, he managed to score 15 points by shooting 7-of-8 from the field and finished a rebound shy of a double-double, making the most of his opportunities when the ball was in his hands. Overall, he shot 35 percent on threes for the season and an unfathomable 58 percent from inside the arc, even with many of his two-point attempts coming on difficult drives through traffic.
Not only was Clark efficient, he was tremendously consistent, scoring at least 13 points in 11 of 14 WCAL games. After a loss at Serra in which the Crusaders squandered a late 15-point lead, he showed his maturity by taking his frustrations out on SHC two nights later instead of letting the anger get to him. With 20 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and six steals, he came close to a triple-double and, had the game not finished with a running clock, he likely would have had it.
Whatever the situation was, Clark not only managed to impact the game but always did so with style.
“He can make plays that make you go, ‘wow,’” Curtin said. “A chasedown block on defense, then comes down and hits a three. A steal to a breakaway dunk.”
His mix of consistent play, intense approach and flair for the dramatic, all while letting his swagger show, has made Clark a rare breed of player that checks off all the boxes, and at 6-foot-3 with long arms and the ability to jump out of the gym, he’s got a body that should certainly interest coaches at the next level. So far, his only offers are from Idaho and Montana, though Hampton and nearby USF have shown serious interest, as well as a handful of other schools. The AAU circuit will also do him some good, as playing for the Oakland Soldiers means recruiters will be at nearly every game he plays during the summer.
“He has the ability to change the momentum of a game on both ends,” Curtin said. “His versatility is special.”
That all-around game-changing ability helped Clark lead the Crusaders not only to their best finish in the WCAL since 2007, but a trip to the CCS Open Division Semifinals, which culminated in a devastating overtime loss to a Bellarmine team that they manhandled in the regular season. With Clark’s competitive fire, coming up short in a game of that nature will only fuel the flames for what should be a memorable senior season.
Other players considered for this award include Mitty’s Marcus Greene, Menlo’s Cole Kastner, Palo Alto’s Matt Marzano, Mitty’s Devan Sapp and Menlo-Atherton’s Nick Tripaldi.
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