The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

GARVIN Clarke’s offseason began with several regional awards as the senior point guard was recognised for a standout year in Cleveland, Ohio.

He was named the Lake Eerie League Co-Player of the Year, Third-Team All-Ohio and Northeast Lakes All-District Division I First-Team by members of the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association when the organisations announced their postseason awards.

In his lone season with the Cleveland Heights Tigers, Clarke averaged 15 points per game. The Tigers eventually advanced to the Euclid District semi-final where they were eliminated in a 49-44 loss to Brush. Clarke finished with 15 points in the season finale.

Clarke is already a verbal commit to an “in-state” programme, the Akron Zips, as he prepares to make his transition to the NCAA Division I level next season.

It was a year of ebbs and flows for Clarke and Cleveland Heights in a season where they were temporarily banned from Ohio High School Athletic Association postseason play.

The Tigers were reinstated to the Ohio state tournament by Cuyahoga Country Judge John Russo after an appeal to the ban was filed by the players’ parents against the OHSAA.

The OHSAA originally deemed the Tigers ineligible for a violation of Bylaw 9-2-1 when they travelled to a showcase in Las Vegas last December.

Once reinstated, Clarke scored 13 points in the Tigers’ 82-46 win over Madison in the quarter-final before the aforementioned loss to Brush.

Clarke completed his prep career with the Cleveland Heights Tigers after spending his previous seasons with the Euclid Panthers, both in Cleveland, Ohio.

He was listed as a two or three-star recruit by several recruiting services and previously received Division I offers from Buffalo, Cleveland State, Florida A&M and Youngstown State, according to cleveland.com.