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| Kansas State senior guard Denis Clemente shoots against Western Illinois on Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats begin play in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Thursday. Staff photo by Michael Schweitzer. |
Baseball was big in Puerto Rico at the time, and Clemente had the skill set to be a pro. His cousin, Roberto Clemente, a Hall of Fame baseball player, died 14 years before he was born.
It seemed like destiny for Denis to play baseball in order to live up to the family name.
"It was fun, but he always liked basketball for some reason," Alvarez said. "I think he felt the pressure because of Roberto. I felt that he, cousins and all, you wonder, 'how can I fill that guy's shoes? No way I can fill those shoes.'
Alvarez remembers watching the K-State senior on both the baseball field and the hardwood during trips to Puerto Rico.
"Either sport that he picked, he was gonna be successful," he said.
But Alvarez saw Clemente's potential on the basketball court. He knew his speed could be detrimental to opponents trying to keep pace with him.
And during his junior year of high school, Clemente told his mom basketball was what he wanted to do.
"When I was little, growing up, I'd be watching NCAA and it was just my goal — that's what I wanted to do," Clemente said. "I told my mom I wanted to go to high school in the United States so I could get an opportunity to play Division I college basketball. My mom listened to me and said 'alright, let's do it.'
"It's hard when you're out there from Puerto Rico and trying to get into Division I — in the NCAA."
So Alvarez did what he'd done for many kids in the past. He took Clemente out of Puerto Rico and into his home, where he clothed him, fed him and became a father figure.
"Denis Clemente probably lived in one of the worst parts of Puerto Rico," Alvarez said. "If I didn't take Denis out of Puerto Rico, who knows where he would have been right now.
"His mom sends me a card every month thanking me for what I did for her son."
He put up eye-popping numbers on the court while with the Tropics. He was nearly impossible to slow down with the basketball in his hand.
"We said, 'Denis get a ball, and when I say ready, set, go, you're going to dribble the ball from end line to end line," Alvarez recalled. "He did it in 3.4 seconds. I mean you gotta be kidding me. (Louisville head coach) Rick Pitino was there, he was recruiting a couple of my kids and he liked Denis as well. He said Coach, 'I've never seen that before.'"
Clemente went to Miami (Fla.) and showcased his talent. During his freshman year, he hit the game-winning shot to lead the Hurricanes past Clemson. CBS college basketball analyst Billy Packer, who was calling the game, went on record saying Clemente was the fastest player in all of college basketball.
But things didn't work out at Miami. And now, the 6-foot-1 guard is in his final year at K-State. He currently weighs in at 180 pounds, an increase of 53 pounds from when he came to America just a few years ago.
And now, he and fellow teammate Luis Colon get the opportunity to return to their homeland, as the Wildcats are set to take on Boston Thursday night in the first round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in San Juan.
His grandma has never seen him play the sport, nor has his uncle, aunt or two of his cousins. But now, they will get that opportunity.
But despite all that, basketball remains the primary objective.
"Really excited to go home," Clemente said. "Basketball first and then of course, see my family and stuff. But we're going to Puerto Rico to play basketball."
