Rahshon Clark: Staying The Course

The easy choice was to leave, but Rahshon Clark stayed. When most of his teammates were departing Ames after their former head coach Wayne Morgan was relieved from his duties in 2006, the high-flying forward from Queens, N.Y., made arguably the most important decision of his life. He stayed the course and stuck with new head coach Greg McDermott.

Because of his commitment, Clark is reaping the dividends of his choice. The undisputed team leader of the Cyclones is having an outstanding senior season thus far. Clark is averaging 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and has reached double figures in six of eight games. He also ranks fifth in the Big 12 in blocked shots at 1.8 bpg.

“There was never any reason for me to leave Iowa State,” Clark said. “Coach Mac came in with a great resume. He took UNI to three-straight NCAA tournaments and I already knew he was a great coach. Knowing that, and with the great fan support here, there was never a thought to leave.”

Even Clark will tell you the transition was not always smooth. Change is always difficult to overcome, especially for a student-athlete who is consumed with practice and school work. His numbers dipped last season as a junior from his sophomore season when he played the point man on ISU's 3/4 ?court press. He went from averaging 13.1 points and shooting 49.5 percent from the field to posting 6.4 ppg and a 39.8 percent effort from the floor the following season. But, as ISU fans will attest, there is a different Clark on the court in his senior campaign. He is playing with confidence and toughness.

“This year has been real good for me,” Clark added. “Practice is going well. I know Coach Mac's system now and I am able to fit in a little bit more. We are doing a little more up-and-down running and I am getting much more comfortable with the system.”

Clark's highlight reel dunks have always made him a Cyclone fan favorite throughout his tenure. The senior has an astounding 62 stuffs in his career and the entire Hilton Coliseum crowd is always on edge anticipating when the next monster dunk is coming. However, Clark is now making his presence known on the defensive end. Clark is ISU's designated defensive stopper, drawing the assignment of guarding the opposing team's top scorer.

“My defense has really improved in the last two years,” Clark said. “I love coming into a game and taking on that challenge to stop that guy on the other team and make him earn every shot.”

As Clark's career winds down, he certainly will be remembered for his exploits. He is on pace to become the 26th member of the 1,000-point club- he currently has 903 career points. Clark's versatility is allowing him to close in on a unique mark at ISU. He needs seven steals to become the first player in school history to rank in the career top-10 in steals (13th-127), blocks (7th-87) and 3-pointers (T9th-88). It would be a grand achievement for a Cyclone who stayed the course.

Players Mentioned

Rahshon Clark

Rahshon Clark

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