Player Profile: Freshman Forward Zach Clemence
Who: Zach Clemence
Height: 6-foot-10
Weight: 221
Position: Forward
Class: 2021 (Freshman)
Ranking: No. 49
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
High School: Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]
Why Kansas: Coming out of Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., Zach Clemence, the 6-foot-10, 221-pound forward received serious interest from the likes of Kansas, Arkansas, Baylor, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, and others. However, instead of taking full advantage of the recruiting process, which allows for five official visits to be taken, Clemence, the No. 49 ranked player in the 2021 class, put an end to his recruitment early on by verbally committing to Kansas back on May 11, 2020. Clemence did take a number of visits, but following several conversations with Coach Bill Self and his staff, the four-star forward from San Antonio, Texas ultimately made the decision to give the nod to Self and the Jayhawks.
The Skinny: Clemence played his junior and senior seasons at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, for coach Luke Barnwell. As a senior, Clemence averaged 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He shot 47 percent from the field, including 37 percent from three-point range. Sunrise Academy went 21-4 in 2020-21, finished runner-up at the 2021 GEICO high school national championship in Florida, and Barnwell was named the national coach of the year.
As a junior, Clemence averaged 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and shot 47 percent from three-point range in 2019-20. Sunrise Christian went 22-3 in 2019-20.
Before moving to Sunrise Christian, Clemence, from San Antonio, played for Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada. When looking at his numbers from this past season, 10.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, they certainly don't jump off the screen, but Clemence put up those numbers while playing for a Sunrise Chrisitan Academy squad that featured Jaden Adkins (No. 47; Michigan State), Kennedy Chandler (No. 9; Tennessee), Gradey Dick (No. 37 in the 2022 class; Kansas), Kendall Brown (No. 11; Baylor), and others.
Bill Self on Zach Clemence: “Zach is a 6-foot-10 youngster that can really shoot the ball. We haven’t had anybody here like Zach that is truly a four that can maybe be the best shooter in a game,” Self said. “He’s having a great high school career at Sunrise Christian. He’s from San Antonio originally and is very well drilled. I anticipate him coming in and being able to play multiple positions on the perimeter and if we decide to go really small he would be a nightmare-type matchup for five men. He’s got a chance to be an impact player that we will be counting on for sure.
"We’ve got two versatile players in Zach and KJ,” he added. “Both will be very good players for us. They will be impact players for us immediately. We look forward to winning a lot of games with both of them.”
What to expect: There's absolutely no doubt that playing for a program like Sunrise Christian Academy, which competes at the highest level, will have prepared Clemence for what he's about to experience when the season kicks off in October. Because of his size and length, Clemence has the talent, ability, and potential to stretch the floor and provide a scoring punch from the outside, while also being productive in the paint and on the glass. Nobody is going to outwork Clemence, who attended Coach Bill Self's basketball camp as a young boy and dreamed about this opportunity while growing up in Texas. It should also be noted that when looking at KU's roster, Kansas has a number of talented forwards that have quite a bit of experience playing and competing at the highest level. Jalen Wilson, Cam Martin, David McCormack, and Cam Martin have the experience and have played significant roles throughout their careers. In time, Clemence and K.J. Adams are going to be big-time players for Self's squad, but it might not happen as soon as both would like. The good news, without question, is Clemence won't be thrown into the fire right away and can gain some experience from the veterans. He'll have the opportunity to make some mistakes and can learn from those mistakes with the guidance of Self and those that have already established themselves in the program.