OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Cincinnati senior forward Gary Clark, SMU senior guard Ben Emelogu II and Houston senior guard Rob Gray were all named candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, the organization announced on Thursday.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
An acronym for
Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
Each of the candidates also volunteers his or her time with charitable organizations and causes while upholding a reputation for positive character on campus and in the community.
The 30-candidate class will be narrowed to fields of 10 finalists in February, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one male candidate and one female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four
® and NCAA Women’s Final Four
® this spring. For more information on each of the candidates, visit
seniorCLASSaward.com.
A positive example and strong representative for his team, university and the city of Cincinnati, Clark is an active volunteer who has logged more than 50 hours of service in the Cincinnati community leading his teammates to spend time at such places as Our Daily Bread, the Sheakley Boys and Girls Club and the Friar’s Club. There he spends time with area youth encouraging them to follow rules and stay in school.
Clark also participates in campus orientation efforts during the fall to help new students grow comfortable with their surroundings and recently visited a hospitalized patient to offer words of encouragement.
An academic honor roll recipient on pace to earn his criminal justice degree this spring, Clark earned UC’s prestigious Legion of Excellence Award in 2016 for owning the highest cumulative grade-point average on the men’s basketball team. During the summer 2016, Clark interned directly with Dr. Robin Engel, who serves as UC’s Vice President of Safety and Reform, working to positively impact campus safety.
On the court, Clark has earned the reputation as a dominate post player. Listed among the nation’s most elite players on watch lists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the Lute Olson Player of the Year Award and the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, Clark ranks third in the nation among active players in career rebounds and is on pace to become only the fifth player in the history of Cincinnati basketball to record more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. He should finish his career as the school’s all-time leader in career starts while ranking in the Top 5 for career rebounds and blocks.
On the court, Emelogu, the 2016-17 American Athletic Conference Co-Sixth Man Of the Year is averaging 10.5 points, leads The American in 3-point percentage at 60.7 (37-61) and is shooting 53.0 percent from the field (53-100). The senior is also averaging 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
Prior to the start of the 2016-17 season, the coaches viewed the team as having six starters. After a discussion about rotating starters each game, Emelogu came forward and offered to come off the bench to help the team. He had earned a starting spot but felt it was best for the team. His selfless decision helped propel SMU to a school-record 30 wins, AAC regular season and tournament titles. He was also rewarded with the AAC Sixth Man of the Year award.
Off the court, Emelogu has been involved in several outreach efforts which includes reading to students and talking about the value of education, offering One-to-One Friendship and Leadership to the kids at
Best Buddies Texas, distributing Thanksgiving Turkeys and food at Paul Quinn College in Dallas and participating in
Together We Ball, an outreach program with Dallas Police, Pastors and Community Leaders in a friendly game of basketball for community building.
Emelogu graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Performance Leadership, with a minor in Sport Management in May 2017. He is currently pursuing a Master's of Science in Sport Management.Gray has been an award winner in 2017-18 and throughout his collegiate career with the Cougars. In the preseason he was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 and was placed on the Watch List for the Jerry West Award, presented annually to the nation’s top off-guard.
This season, Gray leads the Cougars and is tied for the lead in the American Athletic Conference with 19.9 points per game. The Forest City, N.C., native has scored in double digits in all but one game with seven 20-point efforts.
He was named a Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase Most Valuable Player after leading the Cougars to a win at Providence and was selected for the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team.
In 2016-17, Gray led the Cougars and the American Athletic Conference with 20.6 points per game, becoming Houston’s eighth conference scoring champion in school history and the first since Aubrey Coleman led the nation in 2010.
Gray was named to the All-American Athletic Conference First Team and was selected to the USBWA All-District VII Team and the NABC All-District 25 Second Team.