SAN DIEGO SPORTS ET CETERA : Tony Clark Decides He’ll Attend Arizona

Tony Clark, the heavily recruited athlete from Christian High, announced Friday that he will sign a letter of intent with Arizona during the NCAA’s early signing period that ends Wednesday.

Clark had narrowed his choices to San Diego State, Arizona, Stanford, Notre Dame and Michigan, “in no particular order,” he said. He finally chose the Pac-10 school based on criteria that included top-notch basketball and baseball programs, an agreement that he be allowed to play both and good academics and graduation rates for athletes.

“The only program that met or exceeded all the criteria that I listed is a first-rate university with first-rate people both inside and outside the school,” Clark read from a prepared statement during a press conference at the Police Athletic League’s downtown headquarters.

He held up an Arizona T-shirt and said that for the next four years he would be a Wildcat. He said Arizona, the school he visited last, had a team unity as a major draw.

“One important thing was the players and how well we all got along,” he said.

He also said that strong backing in Tucson, which he witnessed at a Wildcat scrimmage, caught his attention.

“The crowd support and the way the community gets into it, it was incredible,” Clark said.

Stanford was the first school eliminated, followed by Notre Dame and Michigan.

Clark still is waiting to see if he will be eligible to play for Christian this year after transferring from Valhalla. Bob Avant, Valhalla principal, has refused to sign his transfer waiver. A three-member committee from the section Board of Managers heard an appeal by Clark’s parents and lawyer Tim MacNeil on Thursday but was unable to reach a decision. It has until Thursday to decide.

If he loses the appeal, Clark might appeal to the state CIF board.

Clark said if he is ineligible his final season, “it would give me the opportunity to do more individual work . . . But I will play somewhere.”