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The Phoenix Suns today announced the signing of first-round selection Earl Clark, taken with the 14th overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
In Clark, the Suns add a versatile three-year performer from Louisville, who averaged a team-best 14.2 points and team-leading 8.7 rebounds in his final season as a junior in 2008-09. The 6-9, 225-pound Clark earned All-Big East Third Team honors in his final collegiate season and helped to lead Louisville to the No. 1 overall seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Clark, who will make his Suns debut at the 2009 Las Vegas Summer League, was the 17th early entry candidate selected by the Suns in franchise history and the fourth Louisville product drafted by Phoenix, first since Charles Jones in 1984 (36th pick overall, second round).
An established big-game performer, the 21-year-old Clark averaged 15.0 points and 8.0 rebounds and shot 56.8 percent from the field in NCAA Tournament games during his final two seasons at Louisville. The 2006 McDonald’s All-American led the Cardinals to the school’s first Big East Tournament title in 2009 by averaging 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists in conference tournament play. Overall, Clark averaged 10.6 points and 7.0 rebounds in 104 career games (63 starts) for Louisville, where he notched 27 career double-doubles.
The Suns begin their five-game Las Vegas Summer League slate at 3 p.m. Monday, July 13 against the Dallas Mavericks at COX Pavilion.
