Fresno State Athletics
Urban Bulldog
12/14/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2001
By Chris Ramos, Fresno State Media Relations
Making the transition from high school life to college is always a memorable experience in a student's life. For sophomore Mindy Clark, making the switch from the fast-paced urban life of Los Angeles to Fresno was one of she will never forget. Clark made a smooth transition establishing herself as a force in the middle for Fresno State.
Mindy Clark came to Fresno from La Habra, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles. As a raw freshman she wasn't quite sure what to expect. Not only is the high school style of play different from college but high school life is different from college life.
"When I first got here as a freshman, I didn't know what to expect. I was just learning the ropes," explains Clark.
The hardest part for newcomers to get accustomed to is the college style of play. The game moves faster and players are always competing against high-level athletes in games and practices. Among the new and more complicated things players learn are more offensive plays and different types of zone defenses. Clark recalls a certain instance when she realized how different it would be from her high school days. Being 6 foot 4 inches, Clark always had the luxury of a height advantage in high school, but she quickly realized that it would be different at Fresno State.
"I remember the first time we scrimmaged in practice, Channan [High] blocked the heck out of me. In high school I never got blocked, so it was an eye-opening moment for me," recalls Clark.
Along with the intensity that is shown by the players in practice, Clark also had to get use to a more aggressive, physical style that comes with Bulldog basketball. Players understand the competitive nature of the game and that there are no hard feelings after practices.
"In high school you try to take it easy on teammates sometimes because you don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but in college people will slam you to ground and then act like nothing happened after practice," explains Clark.
After some competitive practices and a few regular season games, Clark started settling into the comfort zone. One of the main factors that helped Clark along the way was the presence of juniors High and Omelogo Udeze. These two have combined for more than 13 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game over their first two seasons. High and Udeze's influence has spilled over to Clark who averaged nearly five rebounds per game and recorded 15 blocks last season.
"Whether it was playing against them or simply watching them in practice, I really learned a lot from those two," says Clark.
Once Clark was set in her basketball life it was time to get use to life in Fresno. The main difference was the switch from urban to rural. Clark didn't know anyone but found out that it doesn't matter in Fresno.
"I was weird when I first started living here. In L.A. strangers don't usually talk to each other, but in Fresno I always had random people saying 'Hi' to me," explains Clark.
Clark now can walk around campus knowing more people. She doesn't feel intimidated in a big campus because of the year she has already spent. Fresno is even starting to rub off on her as she found out last season back home.
As most newcomers, Clark missed her family in La Habra. Fresno State had only one game scheduled in Southern California last season, against Loyola Marymount. Clark played in front of her parents for the first time in the season. She didn't disappoint, recording personal-bests in her brief career as a Bulldog. Clark went 5-of-6 on the field with five rebounds.
"I was really excited that day. My parents and friends were there. It was the first time I had ever scored in double-digits," recalls Clark.
The Loyola Marymount game early in the season set the tone for the rest of the year for Clark. She would go on to start 17 consecutive games through the year, and later topped her 10-point performance with 13 against Tulsa. Clark also set a personal-best in rebounds with nine against Pacific and SMU.
Mindy Clark now looks toward the new season, when she hopes to continue her improvement from last season. With her rebounding and inside scoring coming along smoothly, Clark is focusing on improving her blocking and adding more range to her shot.
"I only took one three-pointer last season and I missed it so if I get the same opportunity this season I want to be able to knock it down," says Clark.
