Nico Clareth wanted to make his Senior Night at Calvert Hall something to remember. So before the Cardinals tipped off against John Carroll on Wednesday night, Clareth made a special announcement to the crowd – which included two noteworthy visitors from upstate New York.
"Coach [John Bauersfeld] handed me the mic and I said, 'I will be attending Siena College for the next four years,'" said Clareth, who informed Saints head coach Jimmy Patsos and assistant coach Greg Manning of his plans days before they arrived in Baltimore for Wednesday's game. "It feels great – a whole lot of pressure off my shoulders. I'm just happy with my decision."
After the announcement, Clareth made sure Patsos and Manning had a memorable trip. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard scored a team-high 13 points in leading the No. 4 Cardinals to a 43-40 win over the No. 6 Patriots. The victory pulled Calvert Hall into a tie with John Carroll for first place in the Baltimore Catholic League.
For Bauersfeld, Clareth's performance Wednesday – and throughout his senior season – has demonstrated "unbelievable growth" since he came to Calvert Hall four years ago.
"Coming in as an eighth grader, he really didn't shoot the ball very well," Bauersfeld said. "He's always been a really athletic player, but he's just improved his jump shot and improved his ball-handling tremendously. He's taken great steps to become a more complete player, make the extra passes, get big rebounds and defend. He's done all those things for us as well."
Bauersfeld hasn't seen much of Siena, but having watched Patsos closely at Loyola for many years, he thinks the system is a "great fit" for Clareth.
"Nico can really thrive in that league," Bauersfeld said. "He's just a dynamic scorer. He's probably best at creating his own shot, creating space and getting his own shot. He's probably better at that than any player I've ever coached. He's outstanding at that."
Clareth, who averages about 13.5 points and four rebounds, also held a scholarship offer from UMBC and had interest from Fairfield, Marist and College of Charleston. He hasn't visited Siena's Loudonville, N.Y., campus yet, but there were enough other plusses in his mind that a trip wasn't necessary before the commitment.
"Coach Patsos is a great guy. He really recruited me with a lot of care," Clareth said. "Everything he said I felt like was truly sincere. Coach Manning has been there for me for anything. I had to ask him a whole lot of questions. I asked him everything you can possibly think of. It was the best fit for me. I just felt like it was right. It had everything I was looking for."
Clareth is Siena's second Baltimore-area commitment for 2015, joining McDonogh forward Evan Fisher. Already on campus is sophomore forward Lavon Long (Oakland Mills) and sophomore guard Maurice White (St. Frances). Clareth's looking forward to joining those players and leading Siena back to the top of the MAAC standings.
"They want me to have an impact my freshman year," he said. "Nothing's a given – you have to earn any type of playing time no matter where you go. I'm just ready to take on any role – score, defend, pass, all three maybe. I'm just ready to do whatever it takes."