One month impressions: Marvin Clark II

Marvin Clark II, when staying out of foul trouble, demonstrates the asset he has become for the team. He can stretch defenses, defend, rebound - all while not taking shot opportunities away from the three guards.

But, of course, the referees have not taken kindly to some of his defense or to a few of his screens on the perimeter.

As such, Clark leads the Big East’s players in personal fouls with 24 overall, obscuring his defensive play and outside shooting.

Clark’s three-point shooting provided much of the offense in the Central Florida game. His toughness and physicality on the defense is unique among the current Johnnie players. He needs to find a way to avoid the reach-in fouls that not only send him to the bench but take away his aggressiveness when he is in foul trouble.

By the numbers

Best game: vs UCF, 11 points, 3/7 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 2 fouls

Clark has enjoyed strong outside shooting after a slow start in the preseason - in fact, if not for the Molloy game, where he missed three outside shots, he would be 10/14 from outside the arc.

Inside the arc, Clark is shooting 46% - not the interior scoring the Red Storm want to see. Removing the Molloy game, Clark is shooting 35% inside the arc against Division I competition. Is that an issue of finding the right shots? Of the team not yet looking cohesive on offense?

Meanwhile, an effective defensive rebounder at Michigan State, his previous school, Clark has been less dominant on the glass - not battling the aggressive Justin Simon and Shamorie Ponds for boards.

Nothing necessarily wrong with that - that’s good team play to not hunt for empty stats - but the numbers do bear watching.