Shaquille Cleare has lived it all in college hoops. Now a fifth-year senior, the 6-8 big man that treats hundreds of pounds on the bench press like the NFL's strongest linemen has played at two big-time programs, and has played under three coaching staffs; he’s started games and been one of the last guys off the bench at both Maryland and Texas.
However, one thing has remained consistent for Cleare – his willingness to do whatever is best for the team. Now in his final year of college basketball, what’s best for Texas could mean a big role for Cleare. The Longhorns need him to be productive, and to be a voice among a very young, inexperienced roster. So, he set out to make sure he was ready.
In the offseason, Cleare, after the departures of Connor Lammert, Prince Ibeh, and Cameron Ridley, knew he’d have to step up. So, he slimmed down.
“I’ve lost over 35 pounds since last summer,” said Cleare. “Strict summer [diet] and lots of cardio. I did it in a short period of time too like a month and a half.”
The difference is immediately visible when Cleare is on the floor. He’s more agile, a step quicker both laterally and in getting up-and-down the floor, more explosive, and appears like he’s able to stay on the floor longer.
“I played between 285-290,” stated Cleare, who put in a lot of work before last season to get to that number, about his weight last year. “At the end of the season I got pretty high. I was like in the 300’s. Now I’m at around 270, 275. So, I lost a lot of pounds.”
Although Cleare, a native of the Bahamas who graduated from The Village School in Houston, lost a lot of pounds off his frame, there’s one area where he still possesses a lot of weight. When the 6-8 senior speaks, people tend to listen; his voice carries weight around the locker room and on and off the floor.
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“I think leadership is something that it can’t be artificial. I’ve never been big on, ‘Okay we’re going to announce our captains.’ That stuff needs to organically come about. And one of the things that’s interesting that I’m still learning about our guys is who do you respect on this team? Whose voice do you really listen to? What carries the most weight? Shaq is a guy, from my perspective, his voice does carry a lot of weight,” Texas head coach Shaka Smart said. “He’s older. Guys joke about how much older he is. He’s a guy that’s been around, he’s played college basketball in multiple big-time conferences. He’s seen a lot of things, and I think he and Kendal (Yancy) have both earned a reputation of being unselfish and being about the team. Our young guys would really do well to take from that example and try to learn from those guys.”
At one point early last season, Cleare told reporters, jokingly, if we ever had a problem with Isaiah Taylor to come find “big brother.” It was an example of the kind of bond he has with teammates, and the personality that they gravitate towards. He values the opportunity to set an example, and be a voice. This season, Cleare knows that’s needed.
“No doubt. I’m going to have to be a leader for these young guys; a shoulder to lean on when you hit that wall,” responded Cleare when asked if he felt he’d be able to carve out a leadership role this season as a veteran on a young roster. “Everyone is going to hit that wall. I’ve been through it all – two different universities, three different coaches. So, I’ve seen it all. I am going to be a leader on this team, and make sure these guys understand what goes into winning at Texas.”
Leadership always matters, but that’s especially true for a young, inexperienced roster. Of Texas’ 10 available scholarship players this season, seven are freshmen or sophomores.
“The leadership matters a great deal. It’s among the two, three, four most important factors on your team. If we have a group of guys that at one point or another that figure out they’re going to set the tone for how our season is going to go, then we’re going to have a lot better chance to be successful than if we’ve got a bunch of guys that just kind of go through the motions of what we ask them to do. They show up on time, they practice, they do what you ask them to do. But that’s not what it’s about. It’s about can you get a group of guys that have a common purpose and want to do something together. So, leadership obviously plays a big role in that.”
Normally, a lot of the leadership comes from the point guard position. Smart, despite sitting him out for the season-opener after a team rules violation this summer, recently spoke about Kerwin Roach’s improvement in that area and that he has some young guards that could provide leadership. However, the Longhorns don’t have that one voice and no-doubt leader at the point guard spot, and big guys can be heard in a similar manner.
“The ideal [situation] you have a point guard that runs the team, calls the shots, tells guys what to do. But if you have a big guy that’s a great leader, you’ll take that too because something about big guys when they open their mouth and speak up in front of the team it tends to carry more weight. I guess because they’re big and strong and scary sometimes like Shaq. I think guys could be afraid of what Shaq could do to them.”
Make no mistake about it, players are able to better lead when they’re producing on the floor. Being a leader doesn’t require playing time and production, but the voices of players that are playing legitimate minutes with legitimate results tend to echo loudest. This year, Cleare, who started at the five in Texas’ exhibition game and will very likely start the season-opener, has a real chance to be an integral piece for the Longhorns. There’s no doubt that Smart again wants to work inside-out on offense, and Cleare can be one of Texas go-to-scoring-options as a low-post scorer and facilitator out of the post.
“This offseason me and coach Horn, we worked a lot on balance and taking my time. He’s like, ‘You don’t need to rush. You’re one of the biggest, strongest guys. Just take your time, make your move, and if you don’t have it, kick it out and repost.’ That’s what we worked on this offseason,” the senior said. “I’m shooting a good percentage right now from the field. I’m one of the guys that they can throw it into so they can play off me, so I can find them for open shots. So, it’s not like a black hole you throw it into. I just want to find better shots for guys, and I’m shooting a good percentage right now. I think I’m going to be one of the focal points on this team.”
Smart recently reiterated the two key ways Texas, who lacks a true point guard on the roster, can generate offense the most effectively. The Longhorns know they’re at their best when they throw the ball inside and let the big guys like Cleare go to work.
“I think when we look at scoring it starts with trying to get the ball inside and trying to play fast in transition. If we can create some baskets in transition with athleticism and quickness, that’s a good thing. If we can get the ball inside and play through those guys, I think that can be a good thing for us. We want to be even more inside-out than last year between throwing it to Shaq, throwing it to Jarrett (Allen) those guys can make good plays and they’re also very unselfish,” Smart said about the Texas offense his season. “We want to get the ball to them and let them play from there. Again, they’re very wiling passers so I’m excited to get them the ball early and often.”
If the Longhorns are going to be successful this season, Smart believes there is one big thing they need to grasp, and implement.
“I think the biggest thing, and this isn’t really a basketball x’s and o’s thing, but it goes into all that stuff is these guys figuring out how much as a team as players they need each other,” stated Smart. “It’s universal, really. Look at other teams in other sports. But when you have a group of young guys - especially for our freshmen guys that were the center of everything in their high school world, our sophomore group that they came in here last year as freshmen and had some good experience but now they’re in such a different role - those guys just learning how much they need each other.”
So far, the Texas head coach has seen progress. But now the results will come into play and provide more opportunities for players to lose sight of what matters most at Texas.
“They’ve taken a lot of steps in that area. In practice the interesting and exciting thing for me to watch is going to be when we get into real games now you have all the things that you want to do individually, and all the things the people around you want you to do from scoring to the way you’re perceived to shots, playing time, all those things,” the Texas head coach said. “Can you make what goes into winning and the guys around you more important than all those things? I know it sounds simple, but that’s the biggest challenge for these guys at 18, 19, 20-years-old.”
When the results start happening, that’s when a team needs those leadership voices, and those everyday examples of the approach required to be successful. Cleare embodies that.
“Shaq’s had a terrific offseason. I really, really am hopeful he can take advantage of the work he put in during the offseason. He changed his body. He’s really been good in practice. The challenge is obviously carrying it over to the games, staying out of foul trouble, those sorts of things. I think Shaq is ready to take a big step.”
Cleare knows that for him and Texas to be successful in his final collegiate season, he needs his teammates. And Smart knows he needs that outlook and approach to become one of the things his team grabs a hold of and rallies around.
“Whatever it takes to win. We’re a real close team,” he said. “We’re having fun, but we compete. No buddy, buddy [between the lines in practice]. When it’s not between the lines, we look out for one another. We're just here to support one another,” Cleare said. “It's not a selfish thing. This is a team sport. It's not about one person. It's about a group of individuals, so I'm excited about our guys and our team and I'm excited to watch us grow."
