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Sports

Hoops Standout McClerkin Glad He Decided on Moorpark College—and Vice Versa

Jamal McClerkin had lots of options after high school but was most impressed with Moorpark.

College recruiters and head coaches, even at the JC level, pull out all the stops to get top high school basketball players to say yes to their school.

Things like tradition, facilities, college lifestyle, academics, location and promises of immediate playing time are used by recruiters to woo certain athletes.

Yet when Jamal McClerkin first met Moorpark College coach Remy McCarthy, one thing stood out: “It was brutal honesty,” McClerkin said.

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McClerkin, a 6-foot-1 freshman who played for Chaminade High in West Hills, is one of the standout players in the Western State Conference’s North Division.

“He’s an exceptional athlete,” McCarthy said. “He’s a fast player and he’s very coachable.”

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McClerkin started out at Sherman Oaks CES in Reseda, but his father looked for better opportunities for his son elsewhere. McClerkin soon had to choose between Harvard-Westlake in Studio City and Chaminade.

McClerkin shined at Chaminade, playing alongside 6-9 Jules Montgomery, who at the time had committed to Long Beach State. It was during the 2008-09 season, his junior year, that McClerkin had his big moment. Playing in the CIF Division 4A playoffs against Orange Lutheran, McClerkin scored 19 points, including the winning basket.

“I was sprinting all the way, and I actually got a cramp,” McClerkin said.

Chaminade made it all the way to the section finals that year, coming up short against Price. Chaminade had to play the final without Montgomery, who was lost after injuring a knee in the semifinal round against Oaks Christian. McClerkin continued to play well, scoring 23 points in the win against Oaks Christian and 33 in the final against Price.

 McClerkin first caught the eye of Matt Doherty, head coach at Southern Methodist University, while working out at Westchester High. Doherty wanted McClerkin to commit to the Mustangs early, but McClerkin decide to wait for other opportunities. McClerkin also received interest from the Air Force Academy and Bryant College as well as a scholarship offer from Cal State L.A.

McClerkin was also recruited by College of the Canyons and Fresno City College while averaging almost 15 points a game his senior year and leading Chaminade back to the playoffs. Yet it was a four-hour meeting with Remy McCarthy that convinced him that Moorpark College was the right place for him.

“He told me things that I didn’t want to hear and that there was a chance that I wasn’t going to play right away,” McClerkin said. “It looked like a good fit for me.”

So far the decision has paid off. McClerkin is the Raiders’ leading scorer, averaging 16 points in Western State Conference North Division play and 18 points on the season. Moorpark associate coach Dan Wendt also commended McClerkin’s drive to improve his game.

“His work ethic is unbelievable,” Wendt said. “He will call us [the coaching staff] all the time and ask us if there’s a time when he can practice on his own, and that he would be in the gym at 7 in the morning.”

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