Salt Lake big man had busy summer

We have all heard the saying. "You can't teach size".  Clayton Cruse,a 6-foot-11 280-pound Center from Salt Lake Community College epitomizes this theory.  Cruse, who's hometown is Golden, CO is a load on the low blocks.  Former Marquette University Head Coach, Al Maguire would have refered to Cruse as an "aircraft carrier".

 

Cruse has a promising game that is still developing.  He is not a finished product, but his size and soft hands remind some of former Toronto Grizzlie, Bryant "Big Country" Reeves.  Cruse does not mind throwing his big body around under the basket.  His game is better suited for a half court tempo.

Head coach Norm Parrish says Cruse has attracted a good amount of low and mid-major attention. Utah State and UC-Santa Barbara were among the teams most heavily involved when Cruse came out of high school, and expect them to take a look this time around as well.

"He was pretty active this summer, went to Mullens and also went to one in Vegas, Pete Newell's which is mostly post men and the D1's can't watch that," Parrish told JucoJunction. "He redshirted here, did not play much last year. This year, he's gonna get a chance, and we've had a lot of people call about him."

While the size jumps out, what about the rest of Cruse's game?

"He actually has a pretty good touch and works hard and he's very strong," Parrish said. "He needs to work on just endurance and then his hands. They're not horrible. If you look at him and he knows where the pass is coming from, he'll catch it. What he won't catch is a no-look pass when he's four feet from the guy."

Cruse is not the most heavily recruited player on the SLCC roster at this point. That would be 6-foot-5 Allen MacFarland, a native of Las Vegas who transferred in from Western Illinois. Parrish said he is getting quite a few mid-major looks.

"In reality, we've been pretty lucky," Parrish said. "We've been here long enough, sent guys to D1, if we have them, they find them...Last year, our September was out of control, it was crazy. I don't know if we'll be as busy, but the same teams the last five or six years have always checked in."

 

As for the rest of his team, Parrish is hopeful.

"This time a year ago, I don't know what I actually told people, but deep down I knew we were gonna be pretty good," Parrish said. "This year, I hope we're gonna be pretty good."

Because of his upside, Southwest Hoops Report rates Clayton Cruse as a mid-low major prospect.  He would do well in a league at that level that plays a slower tempo. Parrish, known as one of the top juco coaches in America, will enhance the upside of Cruse.

 

JucoJunction will be there to follow the progress of Salt Lake Community College in the chase for the National Tournament in Hutchinson, KS.  The Bruins will once again be a major factor in the Scenic West Conference.

JucoJunction will continue to follow junior college recruiting across the land. To talk about this story with other juco hoops fans, check out the JucoJunction Board or our premium forum.