Don’t Sleep: Euclid should improve behind highly-touted Garvin Clarke (2020)
Point guard prospect Garvin Clarke (2020) was impressive during the summer season. The 6’0” Clarke went off for 40 points in an AAU game and also picked up several Division I offers, according to his current high school coach, T.J. Kwasniak. Prephoops ranks Clarke No. 2 overall in the state of Ohio’s rankings for the Class of 2020.
Clarke was a Division I third-team Associated Press All-Northeast District pick as a freshman at Euclid. He averaged 20 points a game for the Panthers who won only two games a year ago. Clarke’s received offers from Cleveland State, Youngstown State and Buffalo, and a coach from Duquesne came to campus to visit him last week, according to Kwasniak. He also made an unofficial visit to Ohio State, as well.
“He’s quick as heck, athletic as heck. He’s living up to everything I’ve heard about him,” said Kwasniak, the brother of current Villa-Angela St. Joe’s coach Babe Kwasniak.
T.J. Kwasniak is no stranger to being around Division I prospects having played, coached and hung around VA-SJ program since he was a child, as his dad coached there, too.
“He’s got more skills than any kid I’ve been around at this stage in his career,” TJ Kwasniak said, comparing Clarke to former VA-SJ graduate Tony Miller, who played at Marquette in the mid-1990s.
Although he’s not quite 6’ tall Clarke can dunk and “he plays above the rim,” Kwasniak noted.
Kwasniak, who’s been a long-time high school assistant coach, believes Euclid will be better this year.
“I think we’re talented. We won twice last year, which I think is crazy. Our schedule was ridiculous. I think we’re better than that,” Kwasniak said.
Transfer student Reggie Priah should be the team’s second-best player, according to Kwasniak. He played a year ago at VA-SJ.
“He’s a college player at some level,” Kwasniak said. “He just bulldogs kids. He’s a lefty who can dunk, a little bit heavy. He’s kind of a freak.”
The Panthers also return Emari Baddour (2018), a 6’3” senior who averaged around 15 points a game.