LEXINGTON, Ky. _ It was already well-established that future Kentucky basketball player Terrence Clarke was one of the top prospects in the country heading into his senior season.
It appears that he's only getting better.
Clarke, the highest-ranked of John Calipari's six early signees for the 2020 recruiting cycle, played two games with his Brewster Academy (N.H.) squad at the National Prep Showcase over the weekend, and he did not disappoint.
The most immediate takeaway, according to Rivals.com national analyst Corey Evans?
"He looked big. He might be 6-7," Evans told the Herald-Leader. "Maybe it's his build, maybe it's his length _ but he looked the part, for sure. He's put on some muscle."
Clarke _ often listed as a 6-foot-6 shooting guard _ plays a straight-forward style of ball despite a somewhat slight, but wiry, frame. The recruiting experts who have followed his progress to this point have often mentioned gaining strength as an area that could improve his game. It sounds like Clarke is doing that, and _ along with other areas of seeming improvement _ the results are paying off early in his senior season.
The Boston native averaged 22 points and seven rebounds over the two weekend games _ his team won both _ while making 16 of 26 field-goal attempts (61.5 percent) and shooting an eyebrow-raising 70% from beyond the arc, knocking down seven of 10 threes.
That last stat had social media stirring. Several national recruiting analysts were in the gym for Clarke's games, and _ though it's a small sample size _ the improved shooting ability from three-point range could mark a turning point in his progression.
Clarke hasn't been a terrible outside shooter by any means, but it has been viewed as one of the few weaknesses in an overall offensive skill set that's seen as one of the best in the country. He made 22 of 65 threes during the Nike EYBL regular season this past spring _ good for a 33.8% clip _ and then made just one of 22 three-point shots over five games at Peach Jam in July.
Those who have watched him over the past few months say he has been tweaking his delivery and mechanics, and Evans noted that Clarke is starting to show much more confidence with his long-range shot.
"Terrence has always been more of an off-the-bounce kind of guy, compared to off the catch," he said. "I think maybe it was just getting the reps in practice with off-the-catch stuff. Maybe it was broadening his range on his jumper. Whatever it was, he's definitely taking the right steps. The mid-range game is always going to be his bread and butter. He has some DeMar DeRozan to him, with the high elbow game. But, if he can extend that range to the three-point line, attack the closeouts and get to his sweet spots _ it's going to be hard to stop him."
