Jan. 29, 2003

ABILENE, Texas - Jordan Clower is the only senior on the team who has played all four years at Hardin-Simmons. During his freshman and sophomore seasons coming off the bench, Clower averaged two points and two rebounds per game. He stepped up as a starter last year and became the Cowboys leading scorer averaging 13.5 points per game. This year Clower is a solid starter averaging 12.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He had a great game against Sul Ross last weekend. He set a new personal season record of 21 points and hit nine free throws. Clower sat down for a quick question and answer session.

What do you think of this year's team? We have a lot of good players this year. Our record does not speak for ourselves. We are not losing by a lot of points and we all know we can win more games this year.

How is this year's team different from your last three year's playing at Hardin-Simmons? My freshman year we had a lot of athletic guys. The last couple of years have been a rebuilding time. This year we have a lot of different players. Some guys are shooters and some are posts. We all do what we need to do to win games.

How do you fit in the team dynamic? I am team player. When the team needs me, I step up. I also try to be a leader by actions.

What are your strengths? I feel my strengths are shooting and court awareness. When the ball is passed to me, I try to make a good shot. I am always aware of all players on the court and if we are in offense or defense mode.

What do you think about during a game? I think about helping the team out when we have the ball and shutting down my man when the other team has the ball.

What gets you motivated? Competition motivates me. Beating our opponent especially at home is a big factor in my motivation. We (the team) do not want to give up a home win.

After playing Sul Ross last weekend, you set a new personal season record of 21 points and 9 free throws, what helped contribute to your impressive stats? The team helped me out that game. The post fed me the ball and then I scored.

How do you feel about conference action so far? We are not losing games by much and I feel we are playing up to everyone's skill level. We should have not lost to Concordia. We were up for most of the game then some how we lost it.

Which ASC schools are surprising you in a good or a bad way? Sul Ross is surprising me. They have gotten better and won more games since my freshman year. McMurry is also surprising me. They are a beatable team, but are winning games.

Are you meeting your personal goals you set in the beginning of the season? . The team goal is first priority and my personal goal is second. My personal goal of making first-team All-conference is determined by mine and the team's actions this season. We will have to see at the end of the season.

What can we expect for the rest of the season from you and the team? You can expect for us not to give up because we are all committed to this program. We will win more games.

What is your favorite memory about playing at Hardin-Simmons? My favorite memories are playing the Division I schools. One stands out from my sophomore year. We played The University of North Texas and we were up by 14 points at the half and almost won the game. That made everyone happy.

How is balancing being a student-athlete during basketball season? I like being a student-athlete. Being on the road is tough because it is hard to study and concentrate on other things besides basketball. But it is not so bad because we do not travel very far or for long periods of time.

What are your plans after Hardin-Simmons? I plan on graduating and then working the field of Sports Management. I would love to work in the professional sports arena. I love sports and once college is over I want to continue in this field