College Prospect Spotlight: UCLA’s Jaylen Clark

This week, we highlight the spectacular play of UCLA guard Jaylen Clark.

Some players make their case for the NBA in a single college season, while others take longer to come around. While this often means the latter group is comprised of older draft prospects, that doesn’t make them any less impactful at the NBA level.

There's always a handful of college players who don't get as much national attention as they deserve, but are incredible players that could make an impact at the next level.

For this week’s spotlight, we take a look at UCLA guard Jaylen Clark, who has legitimate NBA talent.

Jaylen Clark (Guard | UCLA Bruins)

6’5” | 205 lbs

Season Stats: 14.2 PPG | 6.8 RPG | 2.6 SPG

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Notable Accolades 

A former four-star recruit in class of 2020, Clark has taken some time to come around, but has really blossomed into solid player with NBA upside. After being one of best reserves in the country last season, he’s now a solidified starter as a junior and has thrived in his increased role.

Clark has long been known for his defensive upside, which led to Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors as sophomore. He simply plays bigger than himself, defending guys much bigger than him at times while also pulling down nearly two offensive boards per game despite being a guard.

With a unique blend of strength, explosiveness and agility, the UCLA prospect is able to do many things that other 6-foot-5 guards are unable to do. Combine that with his high motor and constant effort, and it’s easy to see why he’s improved with each college season.

On the offensive end, Clark has doubled his scoring output year-over-year and is now averaging 14.2 points per game on an experience Bruins team.

NBA Upside

While he would be an older prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft, the experience and poise that comes along with that balances it out. He will have played close to 100 college games by the end of this season and has a skillset that could help impact winning from day one in the NBA.

Going back to the defensive upside, Clark is averaging 2.6 steals per game, which is a huge reason he’s notched a 99 DSI according to Cerebro Sports. Overall, he’s produced a 9.9 C-RAM which is quite impressive relative to other college draft prospects.

One of the traits that makes Clark so special is his nose for the ball. He’s an elite rebounder for a guard, pulling down nearly seven per game.

Furthermore, he’s highly efficient as a scorer and has shot over 50% from the floor in all three of his college seasons. What’s even more promising is that the 3-point shot is also starting to come around. Clark shot 20% from deep as a freshman, 25.9% as a sophomore and is converting on 35.6% of his triples this season. This is also on increased volume, nearly tripling his attempts from last season.

At the next level, Clark could be an immediate contributor and a fantastic 3-and-D guard assuming the perimeter shot continues to fall. He’s the type of prospect that could elevate a team’s energy and floor on a night-to-night basis.

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