Aaron Clark had the game of his life on Saturday night, scoring a career-high 33 points in Pepperdine’s wild 90-89 victory over rival LMU. But a few days later, the redshirt sophomore guard wanted to talk about reserve center Stefan Cicic, who also delivered the best game of his college career.
Clark leads the Waves in scoring at 14.6 points per game, and his performance against the Lions marked his third 30-point outing of the season, an achievement matched in the West Coast Conference by only Gonzaga star Graham Ike.
Pepperdine trailed 89-80 with timing running down, then assembled a decisive 9-0 closing run that included six points from the 7-foot redshirt freshman Cicic (pronounced See-sick) and a 3-point basket by Clark.
Still down 89-88 on their final possession, Clark drove to the basket. “I went in for a layup and I was kind of surprised by how open I was,” Clark recalled.
“We were trying to get Aaron going to the basket,” Pepperdine head coach Ed Schilling said. “And he did and got to the rim, just missed the layup. Because he got to the rim he drew everyone and opened the glass for Stef.”
Cicic grabbed the rebound, dunked the ball with 5.4 seconds left and the Waves (7-20, 2-12) were on their way to a 90-89 victory, snapping a six-game victory drought. Cicic, who entered the game averaging just 2.5 points, wrapped up a career-high 13-point outing.
“Stef was determined to get the rebound. He hasn’t been playing that much this year but I feel like he’s always been ready for his moment,” Clark said. “Me and him talk a lot off the court and that was definitely huge for him and the team.”
Clark’s willingness to share the moment gives a glimpse into a young man whose circumstances could provide every reason for him to covet the spotlight. It’s why Schilling sees him as a budding leader for the Waves, despite having hardly played over his previous two years in college.
“He’s been really good, especially these last couple weeks. He’s been trying to do everything he can to keep the team together. He’s definitely being a leader for us,” said Schilling, whose 15-man roster includes 12 freshmen and sophomores. “And they have stayed together. We’ve continued to play hard and work hard.”
Clark, who grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, was a top-150 national recruit out of hoops powerhouse Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He had a parade of scholarship offers out of high school, including from Miami, BYU, Georgetown, LSU, Xavier, Maryland, Kansas State, Iowa, Rutgers, Washington, St. John’s, TCU, UMass and Seton Hall.
He chose Wake Forest, then spent his freshman season in 2023-24 primarily on the bench, behind a veteran group of backcourt players that included former Gonzaga standout Hunter Sallis. Clark played just 32 minutes over seven games for the Demon Deacons, and didn’t score a point.
When the season was over, Clark decided to look elsewhere, but he departed Winston-Salem, NC, without complaint. “Sitting behind those guys and watching those guys, I learned so much my freshman year,” he said. “Being on the scout team, trying to get better every day. I really believed I could play — that’s why I didn’t redshirt. Throughout that whole year I felt like I was getting better.”
There was no ill will toward Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes, either. “Me and him ended on great terms. It wasn’t like a confidence killer because the way I ended the season, I kind of felt like I formed into the freshman player I was.”
Forbes continues to have regard for Clark. “He’s a super young man,” Forbes said this week. “The thing that I liked about him during the year he was here is he was super competitive. He loved to play. He didn’t get to play a lot but he came to practice every day, worked really hard. He got a lot better, got a lot stronger.
“We wanted him to stay but he was looking for an opportunity to play a lot more so he chose to go to Pepperdine. I’m really happy for the success he’s having and I’m not surprised.”
As an assistant coach at Grand Canyon three years ago, Schilling had recruited Clark and their exchanges during that process had lasting impact. Asked why he chose Pepperdine after entering the transfer portal Clark said, “The opportunity. I’m more of a relationship guy and I had a relationship with Coach Ed.”
Schilling agreed their history was a factor in Clark’s decision to come to Pepperdine. A small piece of that was that both had been through shoulder surgeries related to basketball. “We commiserated with our shoulders,” Schilling joked.
Clark has embraced Malibu, its picturesque setting and its climate. “It’s raining right now and the sun’s still shining,” he said this week. “It’s beautiful, for sure.”
But Clark ran into an immediate setback at Pepperdine, re-injuring his surgically repaired shoulder during his first summer workout after arriving on campus a year-and-a-half ago. He had another surgery and sat out all of the 2024-25 season.
While “itching” to play last season, Clark said hard work and his religious faith helped get him through the rehab on his way to a healthy 2025-26 campaign. “Praying before the game I just feel like I can go out there and play like I did before, without worrying about anything.”
Schilling had him in the starting lineup by the fourth game this season, but Clark’s early performances were uneven, not surprising given how long he’d been away from the court. He scored just two points in a non-conference game against New Orleans, then posted 30 against Stephen F. Austin three days later.
“He’s ultimately a freshman,” Schilling said. “It’s very tough, especially for someone who hasn’t played college basketball. Offensively, sure, but also defensively. There are all the different things that you learn over the years. It’s quite an adjustment to sit out two years.”
It took Clark some time to find a rhythm within the offense and learn to mesh with others, including sophomore point guard Styles Phipps, who averages 13.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Asked what he feels like he’s doing best right now, Clark said, “Just being on the same page with my team.”
That didn’t happen overnight, Schilling said. “He is so talented a lot of times he wants to just take it and go dribble, dribble, dribble. As the season’s gone on, he’s been able to figure out how to get into the flow. That’s been the biggest thing for us.
“He’s a real elusive scorer, very shifty. He can get in the lane, he can score in the post. And he’s very streaky. When his three (pointer) gets going, he becomes a very tough matchup because he’s good at going by guys off the bounce. When he’s shooting it well, he’s a potent offensive player.”
Clark is trying to take things one step at a time. He appreciates the confidence his coaches and teammates have shown him and feels like he’s kept the mental aspect of his game on the right path. He has aspirations to play in the NBA, but understands that will require a lot of work and a pinch of patience.
“I still have two years,” he said. “We have a new arena being built here so I’m sure there’s going to be great conversations after the season. I’m just looking to continue getting better, continue to grow. I’ve still got a lot to improve and the team does as well.”
In the meantime, games like the Waves enjoyed Saturday against LMU help Clark recapture why he loves basketball. “In those moments when we get on a run, it feels more to me because I haven’t felt that in a while,” he said. “It definitely feels good to be out there.”