The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FRESH off another appearance with the senior men’s national team, Shaquille Cleare is on the move once again at the professional level.

Cleare inked a deal with Actel Forca Lleida of Spain’s Liga Española de Baloncesto - Gold for the remainder of the season.

The “LEB Oro” is the second division of basketball in the country’s basketball system. It is run by the Spanish Basketball Federation. The LEB league was founded in 1996 and is played under FIBA rules.

Cleare was brought in to help the club maintain the loss of centre Massine Fall, who is sidelined with plantar fasciitis.

Cleare was a member of Team Bahamas that finished second among Group Phase A at the AmeriCup 2021 Pre-Qualifiers, hosted last weekend in Belize City, Belize.

The team concluded with a 2-1 record following Sunday night’s 86-72 win in the finale over the host country Belize.

Cleare finished with 16 points on 7-9 shooting from the field, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots. He last played professionally for the Huracanes in the Mexican LNBP where he averaged 11 points and 2.7 rebounds per game this season. Prior to Mexico, he was signed with BBC Lausanne of Championnat LNB League, the second-tier of pro basketball in Switzerland. In his first season of professional basketball he averaged 12 points and seven rebounds per game.

In his senior season with the Texas Longhorns, Cleare missed the opportunity to get back into the NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament but he posted his best individual numbers of his collegiate career.

Cleare, a 6’8” 275-pound forward, averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He posted a career high 23 points in an 84-83 win over the Oklahoma Sooners and a career high nine rebounds in a loss at Baylor.

Cleare averaged 3.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game as a junior, his first with the Longhorns after transferring from Maryland. He spent the previous season as a redshirt, but worked out with the Longhorns and went through two-a-day practices routinely.

As a freshman, Cleare appeared in 37 of 38 games for the Terps, including eight starts. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12 minutes per game.

As a sophomore, Cleare averaged three points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game while appearing in all 32 games with 20 starts.

Cleare joined the Terrapins’ programme as a highly touted recruit out of the Village School in Houston, Texas, where he averaged 26.5 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per game. He was listed as the No.30 overall prospect by ESPN and No.53 by Rivals.com for the Class of 2012.