• 1998 Naismith College Player of the Year preseason candidate

AT UNLV: Keon returns for his second season ... He turned in many spectacular dunks and blocked shots last season which resulted in Keon being featured in numerous highlights both on local sports coverage and ESPN ... Provides strength to the inside game and alters many of the opponents shots ... Tallest player on the roster since Elmore Spencer (7-0) in 1991-92 ... Selected as a preseason candidate for the 1998 Naismith College Player of the Year ... Listed in the top 20 candidates in the nation. 1996-97: He was named WAC first-team All-Conference Pacific Division, member of the All-Newcomer Team and All-Defensive Team ... Member of the All-District 15 (West Coast) Team ... Keon was a first-team selection which was chosen by the National Association of Basketball Coaches ... Appeared in 29 games and was the team's second-leading scorer (14.8) and leading rebounder (10.0) and led the WAC with 112 blocked shots (3.9 average) ... He became the first UNLV player in history to record 100 or more blocks in a season ... He broke the UNLV single-season record set by George Ackles' 77 blocks in 1990-91 ... He needs 35 blocks in his senior season to become UNLV's all-time blocked shots leader (Elmore Spencer had 146 from 1990-92) ... Keon registered 5 blocks or more in a game 10 times (vs. CSUN, SUU, SJSU, TCU, SDSU, HAW, FSU, WYOM, SDSU, TCU) ... His ability to be a shot blocker was evident in the season opener against Cal State Northridge on Nov. 23 ... He blocked 5 shots in the first five minutes ... He then sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee and missed three games (Nov. 26 - Dec. 7) ... He returned to the lineup against UNR on Dec. 14 and pulled down 10 rebounds in 27 minutes ... Registered his first career double-double at UNLV with 20 points (9-for-15 FG), 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots against Syracuse on Dec. 18 ... He led the team with 15 double-doubles and scored 20 or more points 9 times and scored in double figures in 23 of 29 games ... Scored 20 points, 9 rebounds and a season-high 4 steals in 35 minutes against Tulane in the Las Vegas Shootout on Dec. 21 ... He was named the WAC's Pacific Division Player of the Week on Dec. 22 ... Keon then recorded his third straight 20 point or more game with 22 and 14 rebounds against Southern Utah on Dec. 23 ... Over a four-game stretch (Dec. 18-28), he averaged 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and shot .682 from the field (30-for-44) ... Recorded a career-high 8 blocked shots against San Diego State on Jan. 9 ... Registered his fifth double-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks against Hawai'i on Jan 11 ... Dished out a season-high 6 assists in 31 minutes against Colorado State on Jan. 30 ... Registered his ninth double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds against Hawai'i on Feb. 6 ... Scored a career-high 27 points (9-for-12 FG and 9-for-9 FT) against San Jose State on Feb. 15 ... 23 of his 27 points came in the second half ... He recorded his 10th double-double with 25 points (11-for-18 FG) and a career-high 17 rebounds (14 defensive) against TCU on Feb. 22 ... He came right back and pulled down 16 rebounds (14 defensive) in a career-high 42 minutes against Wyoming on Feb. 27 in UNLV's 75-69 overtime victory ... Recorded his 12th double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Rice in the WAC Tournament on March 6 ... He enjoyed an outstanding NIT ... Averaged 20.7 points and 14.7 rebounds in three NIT games ... He registered three double-doubles: 23 points and 12 rebounds against Memphis on March 12; 22 points and 15 rebounds against Hawai'i on March 17; 17 points and tied his career-high with 17 rebounds against Arkansas on March 19 ... Was one of 66 players invited to tryout in the USA National Team Trials in May of '97 at Colorado Springs, Colo.

BAYNO ON CLARK: "Keon is a big man with guard skills. Defensively, he can play center because of his shot blocking ability. His strength of rebounding is that he can get to the ball quick and get above the rim. He has the ability to score inside and out and he can run the floor."

JUNIOR COLLEGE: He played the 1995-96 season at Dixie College in St. George, Utah for coach Dave Rose ... He appeared in 17 games (17 starts) and averaged 15.2 points (259 total points), 11.1 rebounds - - 188 total (led the Scenic West Athletic Conference) and 5.5 blocks (his 94 blocks led the SWAC) ... He shot 65 percent from the field (105-for-161) and 62 percent from the free throw line (49-for-79) ... He earned second team All-Region honors and was a member of the Region 18 All-Tournament Team ... Dixie compiled a record of 28-5 ... He attended Irvine Valley College (Calif.) in 1994-95 and played for coach Bill Mulligan ... Earned first-team All-California Juco honors.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 1994 graduate of Danville High School ... Lettered two years in basketball ... Earned Nike All-American honors as a senior and was a two-time all-state and all-conference selection.

PERSONAL: Keon Clark was born April 16, 1975 ... He is the son of Cynthia Brown ... Majoring in criminal justice ... Career ambitions is to play pro basketball and other ambitions include broadcasting and coaching.

Career Bests

Points          27  vs. San Jose State (Feb. 15, 1997)
FG Made         11  vs. TCU (Feb. 22, 1997)
FG Attempted    18  vs. TCU (Feb. 22, 1997)
3PT Made        1   six times, last time at Colorado State (March 1, 1997)
3PT Attempted   2   three times, last time vs. Hawai'i (March 17, 1997)
FT Made         9   vs. San Jose State (Feb. 15, 1997)
FT Attempted    13  vs. Hawai'i (March 17, 1997)
Rebounds        17  vs. TCU (Feb. 22, 1997); at Arkansas (March 19, 1997)
Assists         6   vs. Colorado State (Jan. 30, 1997)
Turnovers       5   at Syracuse (Dec. 18, 1997); at Wyoming (Feb. 27, 1997)
Steals          4   vs. Tulane (Dec. 21, 1996)
Minutes         42  at Wyoming (Feb. 27, 1997)  

Keon's Career Statistics

                      -TOTAL-      -3-PTERS-
YEAR    GP  GS    FG  FGA  PCT FG  FGA   PCT  FT  FTA  PCT REB  AVG AST  TO  BLK ST  PTS AVG 
1996-97 29   4   168  302 .556  6   19  .316  88  140 .629 289 10.0  32  74  112 23  430 14.8