Prospect Spotlight: Kody Clouet (2018)
Kody Clouet faced a tough decision at the end of his junior season in basketball: head to the baseball diamond to continue playing the sport he’s played since the fourth grade, or forgo the sport and focus on basketball.
He chose the latter.
The decision has paid off, as Clouet, a 6-4 shooting guard, has blossomed during the travel ball season with Coastal Elite.
“That was a really tough decision, because I’ve been playing baseball my whole life it seems,” Clouet said. “But with what I was trying to accomplish in basketball and the work I needed to put in, I knew I couldn’t play both.”
Clouet has hit big shots in big moments for his 17u Elite team, which has been one of the stronger independent teams in Southern California.
One of the best spot-up shooters in Southern California, Clouet has also improved other areas of his game, including his ball handling and on-ball defense.
But Clouet’s strength as a prospect is his shooting, both off the catch and off of the dribble. He possesses a quick release, which allows him to get his shot off with little space, and he moves well without the ball, getting open off of screens and hard cuts.
Clouet has also grown, from a 5-9 freshman with a slight frame, to a 6-4 guard with a noticeably stronger build.
“I always could shoot the ball, but I’ve been working hard to develop my all-around game so I could create off the dribble,” Clouet said. “I’ve been working on my body a lot also. I’ve become stronger, gotten better on defense and on the boards, all of the little things.”
Clouet received his first scholarship offer in June, from Division III Kenyon College. Hawaii Pacific University has also started to recruit him after the first evaluation period, he said.
He said his dream would be to stay close to home and play for a school like Point Loma Nazarene University.
“It’s a great campus, it’s close to the beach, and I’d be able to play in front of my family and friends,” Clouet said.
Clouet said he’s focused on closing out his grassroots career with a bang in Las Vegas, where his team will be playing in the Invitational Division of the Las Vegas Fab 48.
He also wants to close out his senior year hoisting a CIF title.
“I think we have the pieces to be a very good team,” he said.