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Sophomore Forward Chris Clarke Tears ACL, Out for Season

By Mike McDaniel

Feb 12, 2017; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Buzz Williams kneels with injured guard/forward Chris Clarke (15) in the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cassell Coliseum. Clarke would leave the game and not return. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2017; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Buzz Williams kneels with injured guard/forward Chris Clarke (15) in the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cassell Coliseum. Clarke would leave the game and not return. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Hokies lose their best all-around player, Chris Clarke, to a season-ending knee injury

When Virginia Tech sophomore forward Chris Clarke went to the floor on a second half drive to the basket on Sunday night against #12 Virginia, the Hokies were expecting the worst.

It was clearly a non-contact injury in real-time and on replay, and Clarke could not put weight on his injured left leg as he was helped to the locker room by the training staff. Although Clarke returned to the bench with ice on his knee, it was clear that the injury had the potential to be a pretty serious blow to the Hokies long-term, even as the team was in the middle of pulling off their biggest win of the season.

On Monday afternoon, an MRI revealed a torn ACL in Clarke’s left knee, prematurely ending his second straight collegiate season. Prior to the injury, Clarke averaged 11.4 points on 59% shooting, and led the Hokies in rebounds with 7.3 per contest.

Last year, a foot issue plagued Clarke and forced him out of the stretch run of ACC play, as well as the conference tournament and the NIT. While that was significant, this knee injury is on another level.

There is no timetable for his return, but with a typical 9-12 month recovery time for injuries of this sort, there is a very real chance that this affects his prospects for next season.

In an aggressive timetable, nine months from now puts Clarke back into action right before the Hokies enter conference play. In a 12-month recovery period, Clarke would be a sure-fire candidate for a redshirt next season.

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As for this year’s roster, the injury to Clarke now narrows the roster to seven active scholarship players, as forward Kerry Blackshear will also not play this season, while Devin Wilson is redshirting.

Beginning with the Pittsburgh game on Tuesday night, expect a much larger role for junior forward Ty Outlaw, and a chance for minutes for former walk-on Matt Galloway, especially if the Hokies find themselves in foul trouble.

The margin for error is now even more fine than it was before, as the Hokies enter the homestretch in the regular season.