Louisville Basketball: Top 15 Players of 2000’s, 11-8
By Jacob Lane
#9 – Earl Clark (2007-2009)
Career stats: 10.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.2 bpg
In my time as a Louisville fan I’ve been blessed to see a lot of dynamic duos. Russ Smith and Peyton Siva, Terry Rozier and Montrezl Harrell, Trey Lewis and Damion Lee, the list goes on and on.. But none come close to comparing to that of Earl Clark and Terrence Williams.
These guys were simply electric.
Clark was a bit of a unicorn in terms of his size and skill. At 6’10, playing both SF and PF, Clark brought so much to Louisville. He was a point forward who often brought the ball up the floor, often getting to the basket in about three dribbles from half court, while also showing an ability to distribute like a guard. Clark could score the mid-range at an elite level, and was also crazy good inside the paint.
During his junior season, Clark,, burst onto the scene as one of the nation’s premier forwards. He would go on to be the team’s leading scorer, averaging 14 and 8, and was a huge part of leading Louisville to the number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
Clark was apart of two of the most successful teams in Louisville history, going a combined 58-15 in his sophomore and junior seasons, while making it to back-to-back elite eights. Unfortunately, that team was never able to get over the hump and make it to a final four. Nonetheless, that doesn’t take away form the type of player Clark was.