No. 7 in the ACC this season is not a Duke basketball player
Sure, Kihei Clark is just a 5-foot-9, 160-pounder, giving up four or more inches to almost every foe he faces.
On the other hand, what the floor leader lacks in stature he more than makes up for with his quick feet, confident rhythm, and obvious commitment to Tony Bennett’s slow-tempo style. Besides, when watching Clark operate, it almost seems as if his height — or lack thereof — enhances his sight when eyeing possible passing lanes and seams to exploit amid a crowd.
Oops, probably should have led with the fact that Clark, who started 20 games as a freshman in 2018-19 and then all 30 outings as a sophomore on his way to averaging 37.1 minutes per game, is still a defending national champion since there was no 2020 NCAA Tournament.
To that same point, it also doesn’t hurt that Clark, who will try to cut down on his 3.5 turnovers per game last season while continuing to turn his 3-point stroke into a feared piece of his arsenal, will benefit from having several seasoned veterans for teammates (including one or two names to come on this ranking).