Sunrise Christian’s Zach Clemence, who has committed to KU, known as accurate shooter
Zach Clemence, the first high school basketball player to commit to Kansas in the recruiting Class of 2021, is regarded as a modern-day big man — somebody who can stretch the defense by hitting jump shots mid-range all the way past the three-point line.
“He’s extremely versatile. He can play inside and out. We get to move him all over,” Sunrise Christian Academy basketball coach Luke Barnwell said of Clemence, 6-foot-10, 215-pound forward who’ll be a senior this fall at the Bel Aire, Kansas, school.
On Monday, Clemence verbally pledged to play hoops for Bill Self at KU.
“At 6-10 he’s one of the best shooters on the team, 46% from three,” Barnwell added. “He is great around the block, can use both hands around the rim, has a soft touch, can handle the ball well. He leads the break at times. Coach Self has always done well with guys like him — Perry Ellis, the Morris twins,” Barnwell said, noting, “I think they (KU coaches) like having a big with skill.”
Clemence, who grew up a Jayhawks fan in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas, chose KU over Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Ohio State, TCU and others.
“In the past, there have been a lot of big guys at Kansas who can do what Zach can do. His ability to shoot the three creates advantages,” Barnwell said of Clemence, the No. 31-ranked player in the recruiting Class of 2021 by Rivals.com. “He was just as good around the rim with his jump hook as on the perimeter (his junior season).”
Barnwell says Clemence likes the idea of being a versatile big man in the Big 12 Conference.
“He knows KU has guys like him who have done well there, play inside and out,” Barnwell said. “A young kid, as smart as he is, with the skill he has ... he’s attracted to that and their homecourt advantage and other things.”
Clemence told The Star he’s committed to doing more than hoisting threes.
“Rebound of course, block shots, run the court, do what I can to help the team win,” Clemence said.
His high school coach said Clemence has all the intangibles to succeed.
“He is a phenomenal kid with a great personality,” Barnwell said. “He is funny, laughs and jokes all the time. He works his tail off all day. He’s coachable and wants to be good. He has that competitive drive. I’m excited we can make a 2 1/2 hour drive to see him play in college instead of only on TV.”
AAU season on hold right now
Players such as Clemence have not been able to play AAU basketball yet this spring because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. It’s possible some AAU events will be held in July.
“There are kids on the cusp of breaking out who might not get that chance (if season does not begin this summer),” Barnwell said. “A kid like Zach had a ton of recruitment already. It made his decision a little easier, knowing, ‘I don’t have to play in all these games and see who is there (watching him) this spring, summer.’ He already had this list of schools.”
Of the AAU season, the Sunrise Christian Academy coach noted: “It is an opportunity to play against the best competition. You get better as the competition rises. (But) sometimes kids who play year round … a little break might be good for them to refresh, hone in on some things you may not get to work on playing game after game (in AAU season). They lose the opportunity to play but you can also look at it (as) it creates a little time for them.”
Sunrise full of prospects
KU, by the way, is recruiting another senior-to-be from Sunrise Christian in Kendall Brown, a 6-7 forward ranked No. 14 in the recruiting class of 2021 by Rivals.com. And KU is also recruiting Sunrise junior-to-be Gradey Dick, a 6-6 junior-to-be combo guard ranked No. 30 in the class of 2022.
Brown according to 247sports.com is considering KU, Minnesota, Arizona, Virginia, Baylor, Iowa, Iowa State, Marquette, Ohio State, Maryland, Texas, Arkansas, and others. He’s originally from Minnesota.
“I would say I hear the most from Ohio State, Kansas, Arizona, Marquette, Illinois, Arkansas, Virginia, and Baylor pretty much,” Brown told 247sports.com.
Dick, who attended Wichita Collegiate last season, is considering scholarship offers from KU, Wichita State, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Kansas State, Creighton, Purdue, Oklahoma State and others.
Clemence starred at Hoop Hall event
Clemence emerged as a top prospect last winter when he scored 25 points on 9-for-12 shooting in a 91-48 victory over Hillcrest Prep of Arizona in a Hoop Hall Classic game played in Springfield, Massachusetts. He hit six threes in seven tries in that game, which was shown on ESPN.
Hillcrest Prep was led by KU recruiting target Michael Foster, who scored 31 points. Foster is a 6-9 senior-to-be ranked No. 9 in the Class of 2021 by Rivals.com.
“The junior big man (Clemence) displayed his full arsenal vs. Hillcrest Prep. Clemence’s ability to step out as a big man was incredibly smooth, confident, and pure, as he went 6-for-7 from three,” wrote Patrick O’Brien of phenomhoopreport.com. “With the way he shoots the basketball, it also allows him to put the ball on the deck and use his size to get toward the rim. His balance of size, mobility, and shooting stroke is something all college coaches would love to have at the next level.”
Of Foster, Ethan Fuller of timetothinktank.wordpress.com wrote: “While the rest of Hillcrest struggled, the top-ten junior showed out, putting up a cool 31 points behind five three-pointers. Foster demonstrated an easy ability to shoot off the dribble, and while his form involves a bit of a weird, almost catapult-like release, he’s clearly comfortable with it. Foster only corralled three rebounds, which is fairly surprising given the strength and power he possesses. He also turned the ball over eight times, though this was somewhat due to Foster having to shoulder much of the offensive load during the game. He has loads of offers from nearly every major basketball school except for Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina, though Roy Williams was in attendance for his game.”
Ingram cuts KU from list
Harrison Ingram, a 6-7 forward from St. Mark’s High School in Dallas, has eliminated KU from his list of schools. Ingram’s top 10 as reported on Twitter: Arkansas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan, Stanford, Louisville, Purdue, Baylor and Memphis. He’s ranked No. 13 in the recruiting class of 2021 by Rivals.com.
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Sunrise Christian’s Zach Clemence, who has committed to KU, known as accurate shooter."
