Chris Clarke Out For Season After ACL Tear

During the second half of the Hokies’ thrilling win over Virginia, there was a scary moment as Chris Clarke tumbled to the floor due to a UVA shooting foul. Clarke remained on the ground for long enough for everyone to know that something was wrong, and had to be helped off the floor and into the locker room. He later returned to the bench with ice over his left knee.

This morning, Clarke had an MRI which confirmed the worst case scenario for the sophomore forward.

Clarke’s injury marks his second in two years in Blacksburg, which has certainly stunted his growth as a player. But for the Hokies, this injury is devastating. Having already lost two centers (Hamilton and Blackshear), Clarke was one of the better rebounders remaining on a team that has struggled on the glass all year. Furthermore, it cuts the Hokies’ rotation down to just seven guys. This is an extremely detrimental injury to Virginia Tech, who after last night’s win, appeared to have an NCAA tournament bid within reach. Now, their dancing chances have decreased dramatically.

Clarke finished the season averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. The Hokies will surely miss his impact on both ends of the floor.

We here at GC wish Chris the speediest of recoveries and look forward to seeing him on the floor next season.