College Commitments: Clark Cleans Up
April 1st marked the beginning of the signing period for men’s basketball in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) and Clark College in Vancouver wasted no time getting their committed recruits to sign on the dotted line. The Penguins made recruiting the state of Oregon a priority as four of their six signees are from south of the Columbia River – and all four are players in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2019 rankings.
Zach Brown, Sr, SpringfieldThe highest ranking player from Oregon that Clark signed this week was Zach Brown (ranked #17). The 6-foot-6, 195-pound forward put together another great season for Springfield High School, earning First Team All-Midwestern League honors. A talented shot-blocker, Brown is an emerging offensive player who has made strides with his perimeter shooting throughout his college career. For him, playing at Clark gives him the opportunity to play with some familiar faces.
“I’m picked them mostly because of their freshman class coming in,” Brown said. “I know a lot of the guys and have played with them, but I also like their campus and location.”
Colton Gorski, Sr, SandyThe familiarity with other incoming freshman played a part in the decision of Colton Gorski (#28) as well. The cerebral 6-foot-2, 190-pound guard from Sandy High School had been looking at other schools in the NWAC but Clark was able to obtain his commitment. Gorski has a college-ready build and can score at all three levels while being capable of playing the point or on the wing.
“A lot of recruits that I like are going there and their coach (Kyle Hollis) really made me feel comfortable with my decision showing we had the same goals,” Gorski said. “It seemed like the best fit.”
Zach Rivers, Sr, WilsonvilleComing along with Gorski is AAU teammate and friend Zach Rivers (#109). The long 6-foot-1, 160-pound guard served as a defensive specialist for 5A champion Wilsonville this past season, using his length and quickness to disrupt opposing guards. Rivers is working on getting stronger and once he heals from an injury suffered in the 5A title game, will play club ball this summer to obtain more experience.
“Me and Colton kind of got recruited at the same time and I really liked playing with him last spring and summer,” Rivers said. “We went on a trip there together and I fell in love with the campus and the coaches showed me a lot of love – that was hard to pass up.”
Jonah Downey, Sr, SilvertonThe final piece of the Oregon puzzle for Clark is Jonah Downey (#30). The athletic 5-foot-10, 160-pound guard made the jump up to 5A ball at Silverton from Santiam and adjusted with no issues. Downey has wiry strength and a hop in his step and has the versatile game to contribute right away at Clark next season. The love from the Penguins is what sold him on starting his career in the Couv.
“Clark was one of the first schools to really put their time into recruiting me and showed that they really wanted me,” Downey said. “They also said they want me to play right away so I’m excited to go in and earn that.”
Clark’s other two signees this week were Kevin Robello from Washington (Decatur HS) and Dylan Baird from Hawaii (King Kekaulike HS).