3-star point guard ZZ Clark, who originally committed to Illinois in Apr. 2022, will now be heading to a popular HBCU program in Tennessee State next season after making the decision to leave the Overtime Elite City Reapers.

The Tigers, led by head coach Brian “Penny” Collins, went 18-14 last season.

Speaking about his decision to choose Tennessee State over other options, Clark was quick to point out that he and Collins have had a relationship since his freshman year (per Travis Branham of 247Sports).

“I have been knowing coach Penny [Collins] since my freshman year and he just always has been there supporting me,” Clark says. “When I was going through rough times I got to really see who was down for me. For me it's not about going to the biggest school but it's about going somewhere I know the coach is going to value me and I trust what they're doing there and how they're going to use me.”

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“The students weren't there but I loved that the gym is 24-hour access,” Clark adds. “I know I will be in there all of the time. They're getting a new training room, they built a nutrition center and they're getting a new court so I am excited about how everything is coming together over there.”

The 6-foot-2 Los Angeles native averaged 3.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the City Reapers in the 2022-23 season, a team that featured a pair of premiere 2023 NBA Draft prospects in Amen and Ausar Thompson. While there are clear areas of his game that he needs to clean up, Clark was a 38.9 percent shooter as well, a valuable skill for a program that shot just 35.0 percent from 3-point range last season.