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16 CAVALIER CORNER Clark had gone from the prospect of play- ing college hoops in his home state to now being more than 2,000 miles away in Char- lottesville. His father, Malik, had played Division II basketball at the University of Hawai'i Hilo, so it stands to reason that Clark and his family understood why he was making such a big move. His enduring earliest memory of arriv- ing on Grounds, though, wasn't just about basketball, at least not at first. "It was pretty empty," he said with a laugh. "It was summer and it was real hu- mid and I wasn't used to all that. But for real, it was the intensity. From the first day of workouts, it was the intensity. "Guys were just so focused and really locked in. You could kind of feel that in the air and if you didn't match that, you weren't going to be able to keep up. It was clear from the start last summer that we had to go. "Making that decision to come to UVA, we knew the distance would be big, but it didn't really matter that much to me and my family," Clark added. "I mean, I was going across the country to play at the high- est level of college basketball. My dad's a basketball junkie as well, so it didn't bother him at all either. I didn't really get home- sick. All I did was play basketball and go to class. "So those first few months I was just too focused on getting better and working my way into the scheme of things and trying to contribute as much as possible. I didn't know how much I was going to play at first, but I just worked. I wanted a chance to con- tribute to the team. That's where my focus was and all I really wanted to work on." Bennett's system, and even to some ex- tent Virginia's culture, isn't for the faint of heart. Not to mention, Clark joined the pro- gram at a time when expectations couldn't be greater and the Hoos were coming off a crushing NCAA Tournament loss to UMBC. Those first few practices, one might have expected, were intense. "Coach Bennett, this program, it demands a lot of you," Clark said. "It's not easy to play here. It's really hard. Just learning the defense and the schemes, getting yourself accustomed to the culture. That was key. "Coach was a point guard himself so he definitely expects and demands a lot from his point guards. He's a tough coach, but that's how he gets the best out of you. It's no secret, really. You have to do the work." The drive to put in that work was real then and even more so during this past off- season when, on the heels of a national title, Clark and Co. knew they had to grow up. "I think playing with a guy like Ty, that helped tremendously," Clark explained. "I think I had the best point guard in the coun- "He gets after it. This is a whole different role for him and he's trying desperately, as everyone is, to win and I don't ever question his heart. I think he's got a lot on his plate trying to make plays, take shots, score." HEAD COACH TONY BENNETT ON CLARK Clark forever will be remembered for his remarkable pass that set up Mamadi Diakite's shot to force overtime against Purdue in the Elite Eight last year. In late January this year, Clark was averaging 5.9 assists per game, which was fourth-best in the ACC. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA