Gilberto Clavell adds something extra
1/9/2010 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Internal motor has SHSU's Clavell living up to the hype
By Cody StarkAssistant Sports Editor
There is always a lot of hype surrounding recruits when college basketball's national signing period rolls around.
Coaches scramble to add the missing pieces that could put their team in prime position to make a run at a conference championship. They talk about a player's potential and what they are going to bring to the program.
But as the recruiting game goes, sometimes those players pan out and sometimes they don't. For Sam Houston State, Gilberto Clavell, so far, has been everything head coach Bob Marlin and his staff said he would be when the Collin County Community College transfer signed a letter of intent to play for the Bearkats back in May.
"This is really a nice signing for us," Marlin said at the time. "He is a really good scorer and defender, and after losing Barkley (Falkner) he will step right in and help fill a void on the inside. He has the physical ability and experience to fit right in and play right now."
Clavell has been as good as advertised for Sam Houston this season. The junior forward from Mayaquez, Puerto Rico has started all 13 games for the Bearkats (8-5) and is second on the team in scoring at 15.6 points per game.
He also leads SHSU in rebounding (5.8) and had a season-high 34 points in the Bearkats' 107-89 drubbing of Auburn on Dec. 20.
"He has been a nice force for us inside, both offensively and defensively," Marlin said Friday on the eve of SHSU's Southland Conference opener against archrival Stephen F. Austin at Johnson Coliseum. "He's a smart player and plays extremely hard. He has helped our inside scoring, which has helped our team."
Clavell was a standout at Florida Air Academy in high school and carried it over to an impressive two-year stint at Collin County. He was heavily recruited by Memphis, DePaul and SFA, among other schools, but ultimately he felt like Sam Houston was the right fit.
As good as Clavell has been, the 6-foot-6 ball of fire wasn't a natural talent. In fact, when he was a kid, he was the "12th guy," the last player coming off the bench.
What Clavell did have was an endless motor, which at the time, was the only thing going for him.
"When I was a kid I was on the bench," Clavell said. "The only reason I made the team was because I hustled. I didn't play. The only reason they put me into the game was to steal a ball. It was tough, seeing everybody play got me frustrated."
Clavell took that frustration and used it as motivation. He was determined to work harder than anyone else. His energy and passion for the game are the reason he is the player he is today.
"When I was in the ninth grade, my dad told me that if I wanted to make it big that I have to do something extra, something nobody was doing," Clavell said. "So, I started practicing, practicing and practicing. I kept playing and playing and playing. In ninth grade, nobody else was doing it.
"While everybody else was watching TV, I was practicing shooting. While everyone was eating, I was running. Some people are natural, but I built myself step by step."
Clavell has brought that energy to Sam Houston. He is a vocal leader and he practices with the same intensity that he plays with.
"He is a lot like (former SHSU forward) John Gardiner as far as being vocal and he plays with great passion. He energizes our team and our fans," Marlin added.
More importantly, he brings that inside scoring threat the Bearkats have really been missing the past few seasons. Clavell is shooting a team-high 56 percent from the floor. He is also physical around the basket, which regularly gets him to the free-throw line where he is hitting 76 percent of his attempts.
That is the perfect compliment for guards Corey Allmond, Ashton Mitchell, Drae Murray, Josten Crown, Lance Pevehouse and forward Preston Brown, who all give Sam Houston a deadly outside game.
"One of the reasons I wanted to come to Sam Houston was that they are a great 3-point shooting team, but didn't really have a guy that could score the ball in the paint all the time," Clavell said. "I feel like no one can guard me. That is why I go so hard. Coach Marlin gives me the green light in the post.
"My teammates support me well. I have great teammates and I'm glad. That is another reason I came to Sam - teamwork. Our team is good. That makes my motor run."
