FIL-AM guard Kihei Clark is heading to Japan as he signed a deal with Japan B.League second division team Kumamoto Volters.
The squad made the signing official as the former Virginia Cavalier takes his talents to Asia after spending the past season with the Wisconsin Herd in the NBA G League.
“I'm looking forward to the upcoming season. I want to thank coach Hironaka and the Volters organization for giving me this chance,” he said.
Clark, 24, is a 5-foot-10 guard who initially made his mark as a member of FilAm Sports USA team which saw action in 2018 and also featured now-Houston Rocket supertar Jalen Green. He was then even named the NBTC All-Star Game MVP.
Afterwards, he spent all five years of his collegiate career in Virginia. As a freshman, he was the starting point guard as the Cavaliers won the NCAA Division I crown in 2019.
Clark went undrafted in 2023 before signing with Wisconsin and averaged 5.3 points on 35-percent shooting, to go with 5.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 20.4 minutes of play across 15 games. He also suited up for the Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks in the past two NBA Summer Leagues.
Not an Asian import
Unlike other Pinoys such as Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, and Kiefer Ravena, though, Clark will be viewed as a foreign player and not as an Asian import.
In Kumamoto, he will pair up with fellow reinforcements Mitchell Lightfoot and Jameel McLean, as well as Thai-American guard Tyler Lamb.
The Volters finished with a 33-27 win-loss record last season, good for third in the Western Conference, but lost to the Koshigaya Alphas in the playoffs.
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