Fort Bend Clements’ Josh Clark has displayed considerable growth in his game. He has shown notable improvement with a high motor, long wingspan, impressive footwork, and a delicate scoring touch around the basket. His ability to secure rebounds above the rim is exceptional, and he excels in blocking and altering shots in the paint on the defensive end. As a reliable finisher, Clark is a prospect that college coaches across the country should take notice of.
“I’ve worked and I’ve improved over the summer. I made it a big point this year to block shots and rebound. I feel that is something I will need at the next level,” said Clark.
Clark finds inspiration by watching J’wan Roberts, the University of Houston Cougars forward who during the 2022-2023 season was one of the three Cougars to participate in all 37 games and maintained an average of 10.0 points per game. Additionally, Roberts excelled in rebounding with 7.7 rebounds and showcased strong defensive skills, recording 1.32 blocks per game while securing the third position in The American League with an impressive 61.3 field goal percentage.
“When it comes to rebounding he’s always there. He does the extra work that you wouldn’t notice until you take a deeper look into his game. He takes every rebound seriously and he plays hard. I look up to that and am inspired to be like that,” said Clark.
Clark also draws motivation from Marcus Sasser, point guard for the Detroit Pistons who while in college achieved the remarkable feat of being named the first Houston Consensus First-Team All-American since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984. Notably, Sasser became the 50th Cougar to surpass 1,000 career points, finishing 15th in Houston’s history with a total of 1,458 points while setting a career three-point record with 276 made treys out of 748 attempts.
“I like how he can get to the rim. His offensive presence is there, but when it comes to playing defense he is on the next level with that, for sure,” said Clark.
Josh Clark
Power Forward
IG: @jclark.8
Twitter: @jcl8rk
Height & weight: 7-feet, 215 pounds
Players he studies: J’wan Roberts (University of Houston), Marcus Sasser (Detroit Pistons)
Status: Uncommitted
Favorite artists: Lil Baby, Kid Carson, Huncho
Favorite subject: Forensic Science
Shout-outs: Hakeem Olajuwon, Coach Frank, Coach Price, TJ, Tim Ford
With Clark being a tall child, and having a father who shared a love for the game, Clark’s basketball journey began at five years old. However, he didn’t start playing AAU basketball until five years later.
“My dad coached our youth league team when I was younger,” said Clark. “We changed names every year but the first year we were the Thunder. Once I turned 10 years old, I started to play AAU. My first AAU team I played for was with Boo Williams.”
Clark was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he played for Brandon Middle School and completed his freshman season at Kempsville High School.
During his 8th-grade year, Clark realized he had something special. He had the height and the ability to block shots and rebounding wasn’t a hard task. Unfortunately, his ninth-grade year was affected by COVID-19 disruptions. Subsequently, in his tenth-grade season, Clark’s family relocated to Houston, Texas, and he enrolled at Klein Cain.
“I have an aunt and uncle that live in Houston. My family and I visited Houston and we liked the city. Before moving we had a garage that caught fire, so once all those things came together it was the perfect time to just make the move,” said Clark.
While at Klein Cain, Clark played on the JV team. In a game against Clements, Clark was noticed and invited to play for Dream Elite, a summer developmental basketball program in Ft. Bend County. After the family moved to Ft. Bend, the closest school to attend was Clements High School.
Clark’s junior season didn’t end with him receiving awards. It ended with a young man fueled with motivation to work on his game. Guided by TJ Ford, Clark’s off-season is proving to have been a success. As a senior, Clark leads his Ft. Bend Clements basketball team with a 67% field goal percentage, 189 rebounds, and 86 blocks this season.
“The goal this season is to win defensive MVP and First-team All-District,” said Clark.
Last season, Clark sat behind Bukola Obeye, a senior who had the same playing style as Clark but was older and more knowledgeable about the game.
“I learned a lot playing behind him. It made me go harder. I liked how he kept the ball high and scored it with every opportunity,” said Clark.
Reflecting on the best piece of advice he’s received in regards to his game, Clark remembers the advice given by two-time NBA champion, 12-time NBA All-Star, six-time All-NBA First Team, two-time NBA rebounding leader, and three-time NBA blocks leader, Hakeem Olajuwon.
“He’s always telling me to keep my hands up, leave my man and go block the shot at all times,” said Clark.
Clark has not committed to a program yet but hopes to find a team where he can use his abilities to help the team compete. While in college, Clark plans to major in something dealing with law.
