‘We need to play good basketball’ – South East Melbourne eye fine-tuning ahead of finals
February 15, 2026
Ian Clark
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 7/03/91
- Place of Birth: Memphis, Tennessee (USA)
- Position: SG
- Height (CM): 190
- Weight (KG): 79
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Belmont (2009–2013)
- NBL DEBUT: 19/12/22
- AGE AT DEBUT: 31
- LAST NBL GAME: 8/02/25
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 33
- NBL History: Sydney 2022 | Adelaide 2023 | Melbourne 2024-25 | South East Melbourne 2026
- Championships: 1
- Sydney (2022)
BIO: Ian Clark was born in Memphis, Tennessee (USA) where he attended Germantown High School.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Ian Clark made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 31 years of age. He scored 13 points in his first game.
In 2021, Sydney replaced Adam Forde with unproven US coach Chase Buford. Buford, son of NBA Spurs mastermind RC Buford, inherited a strong core that included Xavier Cooks, Jarell Martin, and Dejan Vasiljevic. The Kings also added former NBA talent Jaylen Adams and import RJ Hunter to bolster their lineup.
However, the Kings faced early struggles due to injuries. RJ Hunter managed only one game before his season ended, and Adams missed a third of the season, while big man Jordan Hunter was sidelined for the entire year. This contributed to a sluggish start, and by January, the Kings had lost four straight games. When Adams returned to action, the Kings brought in former NBA guard Ian Clark, a former teammate of Kings co-owner Andrew Bogut, as an injury replacement for Jordan Hunter. Clark’s arrival marked a turning point for the team.
Clark played in 16 games, averaging 13.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, primarily coming off the bench as a clutch scorer. He shot 42.7% from three-point range on 5.1 attempts per game and added crucial firepower, helping the Kings find their stride and finish the regular season on a 13-game winning streak.
The Kings faced Brian Goorjian’s Illawarra Hawks in the semifinals, comfortably winning the series 2-0. Meanwhile, the Tasmania JackJumpers, in their debut NBL season, surprised everyone by defeating Melbourne United in three games. Tasmania, having finished fifth in the regular season, only qualified for the playoffs due to points percentage after South East Melbourne beat Perth in the final game of the regular season.
In the Grand Final series, Sydney asserted their dominance by winning Game 1 against Tasmania (95-78). Adams, who had been named NBL MVP the previous week, contributed 18 points but suffered a left hamstring injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the series.
In Game 2, Tasmania’s Josh Adams erupted for 36 points, but the Kings were able to secure a 90-86 win, thanks to 20-point efforts from both Xavier Cooks and Jarell Martin, who shot an impressive 80% from the field. Dejan Vasiljevic also nailed a crucial three-pointer late in the game to clinch the victory. This marked Sydney’s 12th consecutive road win, the most ever in a single NBL season.
Dejan Vasiljevic with the 𝘿𝘼𝙂𝙂𝙀𝙍 🗡️
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– 📺 Watch the #NBLFinals Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/XDIgoHVKo9— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) May 8, 2022
The Kings closed out the series in Game 3, ending their 17-year championship drought in front of 16,000 fans at Qudos Bank Arena. Cooks and Martin combined for 45 points and 29 rebounds, leading Sydney to their 19th win in their last 21 games.
Xavier Cooks was named Finals MVP, averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists over the three-game series. At just 33 years old, Buford became the fourth-youngest coach to win an NBL championship, following in the footsteps of Bob Turner (1983), Ken Richardson (1982), and Jim Ericksen (1981), two of whom were player-coaches.
17 years in the making 💜💛#WeTheKings #NBL22 pic.twitter.com/Wz7uIGjTr6— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) May 14, 2022
ADELAIDE 36ERS
2022/23
After a challenging NBL22 season that saw Adelaide struggle with injuries and roster cohesion, head coach CJ Bruton entered the 2022/23 campaign with optimism, hoping that a full offseason of preparation could turn things around. The 36ers retained key players such as captain Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Daniel Johnson, Sunday Dech, Hyrum Harris, and Kai Sotto, forming a solid core to build upon.
Adelaide made significant offseason moves, signing proven NBL imports Antonius Cleveland (from Illawarra) and Robert Franks (from Brisbane) to multi-year deals. Additionally, they added G-League standout Craig Randall II (Long Island Nets) to inject offensive firepower into the lineup.
The 36ers started the season with a historic preseason victory over the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, becoming the first non-NBA team to beat an NBA franchise since Fenerbahce defeated the Brooklyn Nets in 2015. Adelaide also put in a competitive showing against the Oklahoma City Thunder just days later.
Despite the promising preseason, things quickly unraveled once the regular season began. Adelaide returned to the NBL as championship favourites but managed just a 3–4 record in their first month of play.
During this time, Randall II, who was the team’s leading scorer with 20.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game, had multiple on-court verbal altercations with head coach Bruton. After reacting negatively to coming off the bench in a game, Randall was released just six games into the season.
While Randall’s departure left a gap, imports Robert Franks (17.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) and Antonius Cleveland (15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 steals) stepped up offensively. However, longtime Adelaide stalwart Daniel Johnson (11.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists) recorded his lowest-scoring season in nearly a decade. The 36ers’ struggles continued as they lost six of their final eight games, ultimately missing out on the Play-In tournament.
McCarron (7.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 steals) and Drmic (10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals) made solid contributions, while Next Star Kai Sotto (6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds) displayed glimpses of his NBA potential.
Midway through the season, Adelaide (then 6-8) signed former Sydney King Ian Clark (12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) to bolster their roster for the final 10 games, hoping his experience could push them into the playoffs. Despite Clark’s addition, the 36ers only managed two wins from their last eight games, falling short of a postseason berth. At the time of Clark’s arrival, Adelaide was competing for the final playoff spots against Melbourne, Perth, and South East Melbourne.
While the preseason victory over the Phoenix Suns raised expectations for Adelaide, the team ultimately underdelivered, finishing in eighth place with a 13-18 record. Despite flashes of brilliance, the 36ers were unable to capitalize on their potential and missed the playoffs once again.
MELBOURNE UNITED
2023/24
On August 3, 2023, Ian Clark signed a one-year deal with Melbourne United, bringing his championship-winning experience to the team for the 2023/24 NBL season.
2024/25
Melbourne began NBL25 reshaping their roster after Jo Lual-Acuil Jr (to China), Luke Travers (to Cleveland Cavaliers), Ariel Hukporti (to New York Knicks), and Brad Newley (retired) all exited the group that had come within one win of a championship the year prior.
Jack White (via Denver Nuggets) returned to fill Travers’ versatility, while import centre Marcus Lee (via Tasmania) was recruited to help replace Lual-Acuil’s interior presence and rim protection, as Dean Vickerman again built around the experienced core of Chris Goulding, Matthew Dellavedova, Shea Ili, and Ian Clark, with Robert Loe, Flynn Cameron, Tanner Krebs, and Kyle Bowen also returning to round out the rotation.
Ian Clark (12.7 points across 28 games) remained United’s bench scoring spark, providing quick offence, spacing, and late-clock shot-making that helped balance a lineup driven by Goulding’s perimeter scoring and the Dellavedova and Ili backcourt pairing.
Clark opened the season at HoopsFest with an 88–79 win over Tasmania, finishing with (13 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal) as Dellavedova (21 points) led the scoring and Goulding, Ili, and White all made early impacts, while Milton Doyle (23 points) paced the JackJumpers in defeat.
Clark’s early-season production peaked on the road in Perth on October 4, where he delivered one of his best scoring performances of the regular season with (25 points) to help United bank a key away result against the Wildcats.
He continued to deliver punch in Cairns on October 19 with (18 points and 4 assists), then added another strong performance against Adelaide on November 17 with (20 points and 4 rebounds) as Melbourne’s rotation continued to generate offence beyond the starting group.
In Brisbane on November 7, Clark added (18 points) as Loe produced a career-high 30-point performance, and Melbourne’s frontcourt spacing and guard playmaking kept the pressure on the Bullets across four quarters.
During the high-scoring loss to Brisbane on December 8 (114–122), United were without Goulding and Clark stepped into a heavier creation role, finishing with (24 points) to complement White, Dellavedova, and Ili as Melbourne tried to cover the missing perimeter shot-making.
Clark’s late-season scoring run included another (24 points) in Brisbane on January 26, and he closed the regular season with a (21-point) performance in Cairns on February 8 as Melbourne stayed locked into the top end of the ladder entering finals.
Across the season, Melbourne’s balance was built around Goulding (18.4 points and 2 rebounds across 25 games), White (13.8 points and 9.4 rebounds across 27 games), Ili (11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists across 26 games), Dellavedova (10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists across 27 games), Loe (10 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2 assists across 29 games), and Lee (6.7 points and 5.5 rebounds across 26 games) as United finished second at 19–10 and earned a semi-final match-up with Perth.
Melbourne opened the semi-final series at home with a 105–93 win as Goulding (41 points) drove the scoring and Clark (22 points) provided critical support off the bench, while Dellavedova (6 points and 9 assists), White (13 points and 10 rebounds), and Loe (5 points) rounded out the main contributors as Keanu Pinder (24 points) led Perth in defeat.
Perth levelled the series in Game 2 with a 96–89 win as Dylan Windler (27 points and 11 rebounds), Bryce Cotton (18 points), and Kristian Doolittle (17 points and 9 rebounds) swung momentum back, while Clark (13 points) and Dellavedova (13 points and 12 assists) led Melbourne’s response alongside Goulding (15 points) and White (13 points).
Game 3 went to the wire and Melbourne advanced with a 113–112 win as Clark erupted for (38 points) to headline United’s offence, with Goulding (30 points) also delivering a major scoring night as Melbourne survived Perth’s late push led by Cotton (29 points) and Windler (25 points and 10 rebounds).
In the Championship Series against Illawarra, Melbourne overturned a 10-point half-time deficit in Game 1 to win 96–88 as Dellavedova (18 points), Goulding (18 points), Lee (14 points and 15 rebounds), and Ili (13 points) powered the second half, while Clark (13 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists) helped steady possessions as Sam Froling (16 points), Will Hickey (14 points), and Todd Blanchfield (13 points) led the Hawks in defeat.
Illawarra squared the series in Game 2 with a 102–100 win as Tyler Harvey (24 points), Froling (23 points), and Trey Kell (18 points) kept the Hawks on the front foot, while Clark delivered Melbourne’s biggest scoring punch with (31 points) as Goulding (17 points) and Dellavedova (14 points) kept United within one possession to the finish and Ili was held scoreless on the night.
Melbourne moved within one win of the title in Game 3 with an 83–77 victory behind White (20 points), Dellavedova (16 points), and Clark (16 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists), with Goulding (14 points) also in the scoring mix, while Ili did not play as Hyunjung Lee (12 points), Hickey (12 points), and Darius Days (11 points) led Illawarra in Wollongong.
Illawarra extended the series in Game 4 with an 80–71 win as Hickey (22 points), Lachlan Olbrich (13 points), and Harvey (12 points) carried the Hawks, with Froling leaving early with a calf injury and not returning for the remainder of the series, while Goulding (17 points), Dellavedova (17 points), and Clark (16 points) led Melbourne in defeat.
Game 5 decided the championship and Illawarra closed the series with a 114–104 win as Kell (26 points), Hickey (21 points), and Harvey (16 points) led the Hawks to their second NBL championship, while Goulding (21 points), Ili (20 points), and Clark (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists) were among Melbourne’s best as United finished NBL25 runners-up after dropping the series 3–2.
Ian Clark played four seasons across four NBL teams. This included the Sydney Kings, Adelaide 36ers and Melbourne United. He averaged 13.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 84 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 34 | Melbourne | 19-10 (2) | 28 | 733.9 | 356 | 54 | 34 | 40 | 14 | 15 | 3 | 39 | 60 | 137 | 314 | 44% | 49 | 138 | 36% | 33 | 36 | 92% | 54% | 51% | 25 |
| 2023-24 | 33 | Melbourne | 20-8 (1) | 30 | 749.4 | 408 | 67 | 55 | 13 | 54 | 19 | 4 | 42 | 82 | 159 | 326 | 49% | 58 | 140 | 41% | 32 | 37 | 86% | 59% | 58% | 25 |
| 2022-23 | 32 | Adelaide | 13-15 (8) | 10 | 246.5 | 122 | 25 | 31 | 3 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 25 | 23 | 43 | 91 | 47% | 16 | 45 | 36% | 20 | 22 | 91% | 60% | 56% | 18 |
| 2021-22 | 31 | Sydney | 19-9 (3) | 16 | 386.7 | 223 | 37 | 33 | 6 | 31 | 11 | 2 | 32 | 31 | 80 | 171 | 47% | 35 | 82 | 43% | 28 | 33 | 85% | 60% | 57% | 22 | Totals | 84 | 2116 | 1109 | 183 | 153 | 62 | 121 | 53 | 13 | 138 | 196 | 419 | 902 | 46.5% | 158 | 405 | 39.0% | 113 | 128 | 88.3% | 58% | 55% | 25 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 34 | Melbourne | 19-10 (2) | 28 | 26.2 | 12.7 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 4.9 | 11.2 | 44% | 1.8 | 4.9 | 36% | 1.2 | 1.3 | 92% | 54% | 51% | 25 |
| 2023-24 | 33 | Melbourne | 20-8 (1) | 30 | 25.0 | 13.6 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 5.3 | 10.9 | 49% | 1.9 | 4.7 | 41% | 1.1 | 1.2 | 86% | 59% | 58% | 25 |
| 2022-23 | 32 | Adelaide | 13-15 (8) | 10 | 24.6 | 12.2 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 9.1 | 47% | 1.6 | 4.5 | 36% | 2.0 | 2.2 | 91% | 60% | 56% | 18 |
| 2021-22 | 31 | Sydney | 19-9 (3) | 16 | 24.2 | 13.9 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 5.0 | 10.7 | 47% | 2.2 | 5.1 | 43% | 1.8 | 2.1 | 85% | 60% | 57% | 22 | Total | 84 | 25.2 | 13.2 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 5.0 | 10.7 | 46.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 39.0% | 1.9 | 4.8 | 88.3% | 58% | 55% | 25 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 25 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
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NBA EXPERIENCE
After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA draft, Clark signed to play in both NBA Summer Leagues, for the Miami Heat and then for the Golden State Warriors. He subsequently won the Most Valuable Player of the Las Vegas Summer League championship game as he led the Warriors with 33 points, helping them defeat the Phoenix Suns 91–77. On July 29, Clark signed a two-year contract with the Utah Jazz after his performance in Las Vegas impressed numerous teams.
In 2015, Clark spent time with the Idaho Stampede in the G League, before being recalled by the Jazz, where he played two seasons and a total of 46 games. He was then waived by Utah and claimed off waivers shortly after by the Denver Nuggets where he played 7 games.
Clark finally found a spot in the NBA, signing with the Golden State Warriors where he played from 2015 to 2017. Clark made his NBA debut on December 30, 2015, scoring 21 points in a 114–91 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at 24 years of age.
The following season he would score a career high 36 points in a 107–85 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Clark went on to play 330 games in his NBA career, highlighted by his role off the bench for arguably one of the greatest teams of all-time, the 2017 NBA champions the Golden State Warriors, playing alongside Kings part-owner Andrew Bogut and backing up one of the greatest shooters in the game, Steph Curry.
He would play for New Orleans during the 2017-18 season where he would have his best season, averaging a career high 7.4 points in a career high 19.7 minutes per game. In 2018-19 Clark averaged 6.7 points and a career high 1.6 assists before before deciding to take his game overseas.
Clark played 330 games in the NBA. He averaged 5.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- July 24, 2013: Signed a multi-year contract with the Utah Jazz.
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March 26, 2015: Waived by the Utah Jazz.
- March 28, 2015: Claimed on waivers by the Denver Nuggets from the Utah Jazz.
- September 14, 2015: Signed a contract with the Golden State Warriors.
- July 8, 2016: Signed a contract with the Golden State Warriors.
- August 3, 2017: Signed a contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.
- July 8, 2018: Signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Pelicans.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 77% | 74% | 65% | 57% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 419 | 902 | 46.5% | 158 | 405 | 39.0% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 27 | New Orleans | SG | 60 | 6 | 973 | 401 | 89 | 94 | 13 | 76 | 22 | 8 | 58 | 95 | 151 | 383 | 39% | 66 | 202 | 33% | 33 | 37 | 89% | 50% | 48% |
| 2017-18 | 26 | New Orleans | SG | 74 | 2 | 1455 | 551 | 127 | 110 | 10 | 117 | 33 | 10 | 57 | 120 | 222 | 495 | 45% | 62 | 195 | 32% | 45 | 59 | 76% | 53% | 51% |
| 2016-17 | 25 | Golden State | SG | 77 | 0 | 1137 | 527 | 121 | 90 | 22 | 99 | 39 | 8 | 55 | 77 | 211 | 433 | 49% | 61 | 163 | 37% | 44 | 58 | 76% | 57% | 56% |
| 2015-16 | 24 | Golden State | SG | 66 | 1 | 578 | 236 | 68 | 64 | 13 | 55 | 17 | 13 | 43 | 58 | 89 | 202 | 44% | 30 | 84 | 36% | 28 | 34 | 82% | 54% | 52% |
| 2014-15 | 23 | Utah | SG | 23 | 0 | 161 | 44 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 44 | 34% | 9 | 25 | 36% | 5 | 5 | 100% | 48% | 44% |
| 2014-15 | 23 | Denver | SG | 7 | 0 | 31 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 36% | 1 | 5 | 20% | 4 | 4 | 100% | 51% | 41% |
| 2013-14 | 22 | Utah | SG | 23 | 0 | 172 | 68 | 19 | 15 | 3 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 14 | 24 | 26 | 67 | 39% | 11 | 31 | 35% | 5 | 7 | 71% | 49% | 47% | Total | 330 | 9 | 4507 | 1840 | 440 | 385 | 65 | 375 | 128 | 44 | 236 | 394 | 718 | 1635 | 44% | 240 | 705 | 34% | 164 | 204 | 80% |
NBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 27 | New Orleans | SG | 60 | 6 | 16.2 | 6.7 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 6.4 | 39% | 1.1 | 3.4 | 33% | 0.6 | 0.6 | 89% | 50% | 48% |
| 2017-18 | 26 | New Orleans | SG | 74 | 2 | 19.7 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 6.7 | 45% | 0.8 | 2.6 | 32% | 0.6 | 0.8 | 76% | 53% | 51% |
| 2016-17 | 25 | Golden State | SG | 77 | 0 | 14.8 | 6.8 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 5.6 | 49% | 0.8 | 2.1 | 37% | 0.6 | 0.8 | 76% | 57% | 56% |
| 2015-16 | 24 | Golden State | SG | 66 | 1 | 8.8 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 44% | 0.5 | 1.3 | 36% | 0.4 | 0.5 | 82% | 54% | 52% |
| 2014-15 | 23 | Utah | SG | 23 | 0 | 7.0 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 34% | 0.4 | 1.1 | 36% | 0.2 | 0.2 | 100% | 48% | 44% |
| 2014-15 | 23 | Denver | SG | 7 | 0 | 4.4 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 36% | 0.1 | 0.7 | 20% | 0.6 | 0.6 | 100% | 51% | 41% |
| 2013-14 | 22 | Utah | SG | 23 | 0 | 7.5 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 39% | 0.5 | 1.3 | 35% | 0.2 | 0.3 | 71% | 49% | 47% | Total | 330 | 9 | 13.7 | 5.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 5.0 | 44% | 0.7 | 2.1 | 34% | 0.5 | 0.6 | 80% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- China - Xinjiang (2019-2021) | Puerto Rico - Cangrejeros de Santurace (2025) | Istanbul - Ülker (2025)
In 2019, Xinjiang Flying Tigers signed Clark where he played as a foreign player.
Clark played for Cangrejeros de Santurace in Puerto Rico, alongside Melbourne teammate Chris Goulding in 2025.
Ira Clark celebrated his first European championship in November 2025, winning the Turkish Basketball League title with Ülker in Istanbul.
COLLEGE
Ian Clark played four seasons at Belmont from 2009–10 to 2012–13 and became one of the defining players of the program’s NCAA Division I era, graduating as Belmont’s Division I career leader in points (1,920) and three-point field goals made (340) while helping drive three straight NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Clark made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2009–10, earning Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year and Second-team All-Atlantic Sun honours after leading Belmont in scoring at 14.9 points per game while adding 3.3 rebounds per contest, and he also received Mid-Major Freshman All-American recognition from CollegeInsider.com.
As a sophomore in 2010–11, Clark stepped into an even bigger role and was named First-team All-Atlantic Sun as Belmont dominated league play with a 19–1 conference record to win the regular season title, then captured the Atlantic Sun tournament championship, where Clark earned all-tournament team honours before Belmont’s NCAA Tournament run ended with a Round of 64 loss to Wisconsin.
Clark repeated as a First-team All-Atlantic Sun selection in 2011–12 as Belmont again won both the Atlantic Sun regular season and tournament championships to earn another automatic NCAA Tournament berth, highlighted by the Bruins reaching the Round of 32 before falling to Georgetown after their opening-round win over Colorado State.
In 2012–13, Belmont moved into the Ohio Valley Conference and Clark delivered his most decorated season, averaging 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 45.9 percent from three-point range, a mark that ranked third nationally, and he shared OVC Player of the Year honours with Isaiah Canaan while also being named the OVC Defensive Player of the Year and earning AP Honorable Mention All-American recognition.
That senior year included one of the signature moments of Belmont’s modern history in the 2013 OVC tournament championship game, when Clark out-dueled Canaan as Belmont won 70–68 in overtime to secure its third straight conference tournament title and a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, before the Bruins were eliminated by Arizona in the Round of 64.
Clark’s Belmont career was later recognised with long-term program honours when his No. 21 was retired by the Bruins, and he was inducted into the Belmont Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021 as a key figure in the school’s rise on the national stage during the 2011–2013 NCAA Tournament run.
AWARDS
- NBA champion (2017)
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AP Honorable Mention All-American (2013)
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OVC Co-Player of the Year (2013)
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OVC Defensive Player of the Year (2013)
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First-team All-OVC (2013)
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2× First-team All-Atlantic Sun (2011, 2012)
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Second-team All-Atlantic Sun (2010)
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Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year (2010)
Related
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