2/17/2021 basketball Edit

Where Are They Now? Former Rutgers Hoops big man Eric Clark

Richie O'Leary • TheKnightReport

Publisher

Next up in our series of “Where Are They Now?”, The Knight Report spoke with former Rutgers Basketball big man Eric Clark who spent four seasons with the Scarlet Knights playing for coaches Bob Wenzel and Kevin Bannon.

During his four seasons on the banks, Clark appeared in 111 games. During that same timespan, Clark averaged 7.5 points per game to go along with 5.7 rebounds per game and 1.6 blocks per game.

Check out our quick Q&A with Clark about what he's up to now and his thoughts on the new look Rutgers Hoops program.

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Let’s start off right from the beginning, you spent four seasons playing inside the RAC, can you talk about what the atmosphere was like back then and how it kind of compares to today?

ERIC CLARK: “The RAC is a great place to play a game and it definitely gives the home team an advantage. It’s not large in area like some of the other arenas in the Big Ten, it gives you that small college gym type of feel. Then when you pack it full of Rutgers fans and students, it becomes such a tough place to play in.”

What was your favorite memory from your time at Rutgers, could be on or off the court?

EC: “For me there are a few things. I was part of the team that was in the Atlantic 10 at first and then we made the move to the Big East. So one of my most memorable moments was just playing at The Garden. As I tell people, it’s just a different experience. It’s a really historic building and a really good place to play a basketball game. I always enjoyed our trips to The Garden, whether it was playing St. John’s or playing in the Big East Tournament. One of my favorite moments was and I think this was my senior year, we ended up beating West Virginia and then we wound up playing UConn. Those series of games were pretty much the highlight of my college career because the years that I was there, we were always 15-17 or 16-18, we had four losing seasons, but we were always able to compete. But that senior year of mine is when all the things really came together and we went on a nice little Big East Tournament run. Then the next year they ended up going to the NIT without me.”

You’ve gone against some of the top guys in the nation during your time at Rutgers, going up against some future NBA guys from time to time. Who was the toughest player to guard in those years as a Scarlet Knight?

EC: “There were quite a few at my position. I remember my freshman year getting the rude awakening because I was always underweight for my position, like right now I’m barely 220-pounds at 6-foot-8. So in college I was 6-foot-8, 198-pounds and I think up to 225-pounds but that was a whole summer after 2000 calorie shakes a day, creatine and what have you. I played in one preseason game and just lost it all. My freshman year we played UMass and they were either number one or number two in the country and I had to guard Marcus Camby, I really remember struggling to keep up with him. They also had another center on that team or a forward who was also really good. Then once we transferred and joined the Big East it was just about every night we were playing some really good guys like Ray Allen and Allen Iverson. Georgetown one year was really good, Syracuse put together a really good team too. So once we got to the Big East, it was more like alright what top 10 team are we playing tonight, where as in the Atlantic 10 there was one or two, but the Big East it was pretty much every night I was guarding someone close to 50-60 pounds heavier than me.”

Now moving up to present day, have you watched this year’s team play at all and if so what’re your thoughts on them?

EC: “Unfortunately this year has been pretty hectic and sometimes the East Coast times don’t always match up with my schedule. I will either watch it when I can or at the very least update the Google page that shows me the score. This year’s team I have been pretty impressed, they have this attitude that they are going to do whatever it takes to win and that’s what I appreciate the most. I mentioned earlier I was on a lot of teams that had losing seasons, but we always put forth our best effort to go out and play as hard as we could, win or lose.”

How familiar are you with the current staff at Rutgers, have you had the opportunity to meet head coach Steve Pikiell and crew?

EC: “So I met him a few different times. I’m the president here of the Rutgers Alumni Club out here in Chicago, so I stay in touch with the university in some capacity. I met coach Pikiell one time when I came out for the loyal sons and daughters banquet and I was able to hangout with him and staff, he’s a really nice guy and really friendly. So now the unique story is I had just dropped someone off at O’Hare International Airport and in the middle of O’Hare there is a hotel. So I dropped them off and I pulled over to just take a little break before getting back into traffic and heading back into the city, then here comes a bunch of guys walking up the sidewalk with a bunch of red on and wearing Rutgers gear. I said to myself, “oh my goodness that the men’s basketball team and that’s coach Pikiell right there”. So they were looking at me because I drive a bright red car with license plates that say Go RU, so I briefly jumped out and we had that fun interaction saying what coincidence. They were in town for what I believe was the Big Ten media day a few years ago, but just an odd occurrence we were both in the same place at the same time. It was pretty unique.”

Obviously not this season, but have you been to campus recently? If so have you seen the new practice facility and what’re your thoughts?

EC: “Believe it or not I don’t get out to New Jersey as often as I would like, but it’s definitely on my mind. Every year I’ve always been invited to either the first or second home game of the new year, where the university invites all the former Rutgers Basketball players out to one of the games. I always have it on my calendar to go out and attend, but for some reason something pops up and I’m not able to go, but it’s definitely on my to do list. This year was obviously cancelled due to everything going on. Hopefully post pandemic we can get back to it and I can get out there soon. The last time I was actually on campus was for that loyal sons award ceremony and Livingston campus was where I lived and it has changed so much from when I was there. It’s amazing now and it’s pretty impressive.”

It’s been 30 years since Rutgers Basketball last made the NCAA Tournament and that was under former head coach Bob Wenzel, who you were lucky enough to play under. Can you talk a little bit about him and what he was like as a coach?

EC: “He was definitely a players coach and I think that’s really why guys just enjoyed playing for him. He really enjoyed the game and while I haven’t been able to catch too many games this season, it was always a pleasure to hear him calling games on TV as well. It was good to know that he was doing well. I had a great time under him, we were a competitive team. I think the thing that I am always looking for in a Rutgers club is just being able to get out there and be competitive and especially win some games. I’m really looking forward to seeing this year’s team make it to the tournament. I was super excited about last year’s team making it, I even set aside some money to go to the games and enjoy that moment, but obviously the pandemic hit and they had to cancel the tournament. Hopefully this year they will be able to make it and represent Rutgers well.”

Before you mentioned that you are the president of the Rutgers alumni club out in Chicago, how has that been going?

EC: “I think it’s now been 14 or 15 years now. What’s really unique now is that I try to be the walking billboard for Rutgers, I always have something Rutgers on. You’d be surprised how many people both Rutgers alumni and even alum from other schools come up to me and say hey Rutgers is doing awesome or ask me what I think about Rutgers playing so and so. It’s definitely taken a turn for the better, especially after the football team had that big win at Michigan State to open the season. That game opened a lot of people to how good Rutgers can be and how competitive we can be on the football field, on the basketball court and other sports as well. It’s fun to walk around now with Rutgers stuff on, not only to network and meet other alum, but to show a presence out here in Chicago amongst the other schools.”

You’re from the Midwest and made the decision to attend Rutgers, coach Pikiell has players on his team from not just all over the country, but also from all over the world. How hard of an adjustment was it for you?

EC: “For me I was very fortunate enough to have parents that wanted me to see the country, I’ve been to almost every state except for a small handful. I knew that I didn’t want to stay in Illinois, so all the schools that I visited were always a plane trip away, such as the University of San Francisco, Texas A&M, Boston College and Rutgers. I wanted to get away and I wanted to go out and experience being a young man on my own, so that’s what really drew me to Rutgers along with the prospects of joining the Big East, education was also a key for me and I was also told that I would start my freshman year and I wound up starting the second game of the season. So those were the key components for me, but I think the challenges for other recruits that come from outside of the New Jersey footprint would just be making that adjustment from being away from home and the big adjustment related to academics. That’s one of those things I grasped really quick, but Rutgers is a tough school academically and you really had to put forth a great effort to get those good grades in order to participate in athletics. Those are really the two big challenges, whether or not someone can do with being away from home and then the balance of education and athletics.”