Clark Slajchert has ‘picked up the little nuances’ and is ready to step into a leading role at Penn

How do you replace the second-leading scorer in all of Division I?

That’s the question Penn men’s basketball will be grappling with this season following Jordan Dingle’s transfer to Rick Pitino-led St. John’s. In his place will be a collection of pieces that “may not have a go-to guy on every play,” according to senior guard Clark Slajchert. But if there has to be a guy, Slajchert — who coach Steve Donahue doesn’t “think there’s a better guard in the [Ivy] League” than — sure looks like the best option.

“I like to think that if we really do need a guy to step up at certain times,” Slajchert said. “I can do that for us.”

During his two seasons with Penn (his freshman campaign was canceled because of COVID-19), Slajchert had been the No. 2 option behind Dingle, averaging 10.7 and 13.6 points in his sophomore and junior seasons, respectively.

In those runs, Slajchert, who has the rare ability to create for himself, was a score-first player. When he’d come off a ball screen and read the drop coverage, he’d more often than not look to get a bucket himself first. But as someone who will now draw teams’ best defenders, Slajchert has had to focus on seeing the whole floor, and, in those drop-coverage situations, sometimes kicking for an open three.

“My whole career I’ve been a scorer,” Slajchert said. “For my role now, I’m going to draw a lot of attention, and I’m going to use that, hopefully, to better our offense in general, not just myself.”

The issue: his whole career, but especially during his time at Penn with Dingle around, Slajchert hasn’t had to occupy that point guard role, averaging less than two assists in each of his first two seasons.

As such, Donahue and Slajchert have tried to emphasize his passing ability in the lead-up to this year’s run.

“Clark’s been a willing passer all throughout this opening part of the season, so the other guys have been able to feel how they can fit in with the scoring role and how their strengths can be complemented by what he does,” said senior guard Andrew Laczkowski. “He’s seeing the floor better, and I think as we get into games and we have a couple scrimmages, he’s going to become an even better passer [and] get even more guys involved.”

But Donahue doesn’t want Slajchert, who Laczkowski calls “one of the most talented scorers” he’s ever played with, to abandon his scoring instincts entirely.

“I don’t know if I want him to think less about scoring, I just want him to make the right play. ... I think he’s done a better job of reacting to what the defense is doing,” Donahue said. “When we get some over-help, he can kick. They go under their screen, take that three. Don’t always just go downhill. So I think he’s really picked up the little nuances of the game.”

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During training camp, Slajchert has improved in a number of areas, including his three-point shot, his strength, and his defensive ability — specifically, making it harder to screen him by using his quickness.

But perhaps his most vital improvement has been his leadership. Slajchert admits he’s not a vocal leader by nature like Laczkowski. Instead, he tries to lead by example and hopes it becomes contagious.

As one of three seniors on a team with a wealth of younger players, though, he’s had to step into a more outspoken role.

“When I first met Clark, he was a guy that was very much, ‘I’m just going to come in, do what I do, and then get out.’ And as he’s gotten older, and as we’ve grown together, he’s become so much more vocal,” Laczkowski said. “He’s been able to say, ‘Here’s what we should do; here’s what we shouldn’t do,’ and he’s actually taking stock of what things we need to improve upon, both in terms of on the court and off the court.”

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On top of being more vocal on the court, Slajchert has taken an increased responsibilty in helping the six incoming players immediately feel like part of the team.

“I think he’s taking the time to make sure that off the court, these guys feel like they belong, and really, we’re making the transition to college easier,” Donahue said.

Last year, with opposing defenses expecting to see a lot of Dingle, Penn’s offense became one-dimensional at times. Penn knew it was going to him and knew exactly how it would be done.

Even though Slajchert might be the leading scorer and ballhandler, it won’t be in the same way Dingle was, as this year’s team will try not to be focused on any one particular player.

“We want to work to get a good shot every possession together,” Slajchert said. “Now I think we’re going to spread it out. Our offense is going to be a little less predictable, harder to guard, and we’re all going to be threats at all times.”

Both of the last two seasons, the Quakers lost in the Ivy tournament semifinals after holding a lead with under seven minutes left, not to mention blowing a 17-point halftime lead for the regular season championship last season.

But if the scoring attack is all Slajchert says it can be, Penn — which tips off its season Monday against John Jay College (6 p.m., ESPN+) — will be a tough out come Ivy play, and he might just be able to get that elusive title.

“We thought we had it, and it slipped through,” he said. “It’s that feeling of almost being there that makes it painful. I know what it feels like to be almost there. I know what it takes. So it’s painful, but it’s almost exciting. It hurts that I didn’t get it last year, but now I can control if I get it this year.”