From Cincinnati athletics:
University of Cincinnati senior forward Gary Clark (Clayton, N.C./Clayton High School) has been named as one of 30 candidates for the 2017-18 Senior CLASS Award, an honor given annually to a men’s basketball student-athlete who excels both on and off the court.
It marks the second consecutive season a Bearcats player has been recognized as former UC guard Troy Caupain was named a candidate for the 2016-17 award.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
A positive example and strong representative for his team, university and the city of Cincinnati, Clark is an active volunteer who has logged more than 50 hours of service in the Cincinnati community leading his teammates to spend time at such places as Our Daily Bread, the Sheakley Boys and Girls Club and the Friar’s Club. There he spends time with area youth encouraging them to follow rules and stay in school.
Clark also participates in campus orientation efforts during the fall to help new students grow comfortable with their surroundings and recently visited a hospitalized patient to offer words of encouragement.
UC head coach Mick Cronin said recently, “He’s one of the greatest kids you will ever coach. I can only hope that the good Lord thinks I’m half as nice a human as Gary Clark because he’s a really good person.”
An academic honor roll recipient on pace to earn his criminal justice degree this spring, Clark earned UC’s prestigious Legion of Excellence Award in 2016 for owning the highest cumulative grade-point average on the men’s basketball team. During the summer 2016, Clark interned directly with Dr. Robin Engel, who serves as UC’s Vice President of Safety and Reform, working to positively impact campus safety.
On the court, Clark has earned the reputation as a dominate post player. Listed among the nation’s most elite players on watch lists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the Lute Olson Player of the Year Award and the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, Clark ranks third in the nation among active players in career rebounds and is on pace to become only the fifth player in the history of Cincinnati basketball to record more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. He should finish his career as the school’s all-time leader in career starts while ranking in the Top 5 for career rebounds and blocks.
// ABOUT THE AWARD
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The group of 30 candidates will be narrowed to a field of 10 finalists in February. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four
