Nov. 19, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State head men's basketball Tim Jankovich announced that Justin Clark (Chrisman HS - Independence, Mo.) signed a National Letter of Intent Wednesday for the 2009-10 season and will join fellow Redbird recruit and prep teammate Jon Ekey at Illinois State University.
Clark, a 6-foot-4, 176-pound guard, was the top scorer in Missouri high school basketball last season. As a junior, he averaged 25.6 points per game and had 103 three-pointers, plus 12 games of 30 or more points. He currently ranks third all-time in Missouri high school history with 281 career three-pointers. The state record is 355.
"We are thrilled that Justin will be a part of our program," said Jankovich. "He is an exceptional talent and one of the best scorers in his part of the country. He has unusually deep shooting range, as well as outstanding length and quickness. We think he will be an outstanding college player."
In 2008, Clark was a second-team all-state selection and added 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game to his state-best scoring average. He averaged 17 points per game as a sophomore and 15 points per game his freshman season, while earning all-conference and all-district honors twice. In addition to being teammates with Ekey at Chrisman High School, the duo also played together this past summer on the AAU Kansas City Pump `n Run squad that won two national tournaments.
"We are excited about the group of young men that we were able to sign this fall," said Jankovich. "We hope that this class can make a significant impact in our program's history and tradition."
Clark and Ekey join guards Terrence Johnson (North Lawndale College Prep - Chicago) and Zeke Upshaw (University High School - Chicago) in the Illinois State 2009 recruiting class.
