He could be the next Jeff Hornacek, but for now, Marcus Clark just wants to make the team.

The 5’11” guard and senior in sociology could be this year’s feel-good story.

Since last week, Clark has been practicing with the Iowa State men’s basketball team as a non-scholarship walk-on.

He was a virtual unknown to the cager community until last Saturday’s Cyclone Shoot-Out, when he wowed thousands with his incredible jumping ability. In the slam dunk competition, Clark was the front-runner until Stevie Johnson unleashed an over-the-teammate-in-the-chair jam which brought the crowd to its feet.

“That was pretty impressive,” Clark said of Johnson’s eye-opening feat. “Last year, I was sitting up in the stands, thinking how wonderful it would be to be down there, and this year I was there.”

Clark was a standout high jumper at Davenport West High School, winning a state title with a 6’9″ leap in 1994. He also captured first place in the 1994 Drake Relays, jumping 6’7.”

As a member of the ISU track team last year, Clark continued his success. He cleared 6’10” to win the Cyclone Open in his first meet at ISU and barely missed placing at the Big 12 indoor and outdoor meets, according to track coach Steve Lynn.

But memories of his 1994 state championship in basketball stirred in his memory, and Clark made the decision to get back on the hard court.

“That’s all I did, was play basketball over the summer. I figured I should just give it a shot,” he said.

After competing against former Cyclones such as Jacy Holloway, Donnell Bivens and Carlo Walton in pick-up games, Clark took on his next challenge — tryouts.

He showed his stuff for Tim Floyd and the rest of the coaching staff Oct. 18 and found out soon afterward he was the only one of the 15 hopefuls to make it.

Practice began Oct. 24, and Clark said it was tough at the beginning.

“It’s like going into a high-level class at mid-semester,” he said.

Clark said he didn’t feel overmatched on the floor, but he said the mental aspect is difficult.

“The competition level is not new to me. Right now, I just don’t understand the plays,” he said. “Floyd’s a great coach, and I’m just listening to what he says because I’ve been out of basketball for a year or so.”

Clark played at Burlington Community College for two years after he graduated from high school. His twin brother, Marlin, now at Southern Illinois in Evansville, was one of his teammates.

“I didn’t want to get lost [in the crowd],” he said of his decision to not go directly to a Division I program. A scholarship from Burlington was also a major factor, Clark said.

But Clark has always been a special player, both for his talent and team-oriented attitude.

As a senior in high school, he was awarded the Quad City Times’ sportsman of the year award, which honored him for being a superior role model in athletics.

At Burlington, Clark humbly accepted the role of the assist-centered point guard, choosing to feed the ball to two future Division I players instead of focusing on scoring.

Even Lynn mentioned Clark’s selflessness.

“He’s willing to do just about anything. He’s a fun guy to have around,” Lynn said.

At the Iowa Open last year, Clark volunteered to fill the anchor spot on the 4 x 400 relay and held off the arch-rival Hawkeyes in the home stretch. During the same meet, he nabbed first place in his favorite event, the high jump.

Lynn said he supports Clark while he chases his dream but said he trusts his star jumper will be back if it doesn’t work out.

“If he can’t contribute, he’ll be back out on the track team. He’s not going to just be a cheerleader,” Lynn said.

Other ISU athletes who have made the track-basketball jump are David Rauker and, more notably, Lafester Rhodes, who holds the ISU single-game scoring record with a 54-point outburst against Iowa on Dec. 19, 1987.

Clark downplayed comparisons to Hornacek, saying only, “I’m enjoying what’s going on now, and I’m glad to be given this opportunity. I’m just trying to make it one level at a time.”