So why didn’t Kihei Clark call it quits after four seasons with the Virginia Cavaliers and turn pro?
The Cavaliers had a capable replacement at point guard in Reece Beekman and an outstanding recruit at the position in Isaac McKneely, last year’s West Virginia prep Player of the Year.
And the consensus among scouts was that Clark would find a place somewhere in the professional basketball world.
The answer: Clark simply wasn’t ready.
“I still have work to do,” he said during the preseason. “I need to better prepare myself for a career as a professional.”
And there’s more.
“Last year wasn’t the way we wanted to finish,” he said.
Virginia went 21-14 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.
All five of last year’s starters are back, and the returners have been joined by an outstanding group of freshmen. There is a feeling that big things could be ahead for this Virginia team.
The Cavaliers opened the season Monday with a victory over North Carolina Central and host Monmouth at 9 p.m. Friday.
Clark was on the floor nearly all the time last year, as coach Tony Bennett depended on him for playmaking and defense. Clark averaged 36 minutes, 10.9 points and 4.4 assists per game.
This year, there will be more depth.
“It feels different this year,” Clark said. “It feels more like a well-oiled machine. We have more depth. We have guys who can step in.”
Clark added he isn’t dwelling on last season.
“It was a little bit of a disappointment,” he said. “We feel like we let a lot of people down.”
That’s all he’ll say about the 2021-22 campaign. He is focused on 2022-23 and beyond. For starters, there are personal goals.
“I want to improve my shooting percentage and take better care of the ball,” he said.
Clark shot about 39% from the floor last season, down from nearly 42% a year before. Some analysts have suggested he might have been showing the effects of trying to do a lot on a team without much depth.
Clark spent a lot of time in the offseason working on his shot and ballhandling.
“I feel good about where I am,” he said. “The important thing is to be consistent.”
Bennett said Clark will play another important role with the 2022-23 team — leadership.
“Kihei and I have been together forever, right?” Bennett said with a laugh. “That’s a good thing.
“Experience is golden in college basketball. The really good teams are usually the experienced teams.”
This is Clark’s fifth season with the Cavaliers, and there’s a good chance he’ll finish as the program’s career leader for starts and minutes played.
“You can’t teach experience, right?” Clark said. “Being able to have the experience and show the young guys what it takes to get there … that’s really important.”
As for his goals, it’s not difficult to guess how Clark would like to finish. He said he’d be happy with a repeat of 2019, when he played a key role in Virginia’s run to the NCAA championship.
“Getting back to the [NCAA] Tournament — that’s everyone’s goal,” he said. “But I’d like us to win the ACC Tournament too. That would be a good way to finish.”
