When John Clifford first arrived at Snow College, it was an epitome of what he couldn't accomplish.

Sure, he could slam the ball home with a running start, but the standing variation was a different story.

Fast forward to his senior year, and one will see that Clifford's rebound dunks are the highlight of any Southern Utah basketball game.

His slams bring the Centrum crowd to its feet along with a couple of other things.

"That's what makes basketball fun is getting the crowd into it," he said. "Dunking, winning, playing hard, steals and taking charges allow the crowd to have fun."

Not bad for a player who experienced a growth spurt in high school, allowing him to grow into his 6-foot-10-inch frame, and admitted that when he first started playing collegiate basketball, he had only one solid talent on the court.

"The only thing I was good at when I started was passing the ball," he said. "I was just too tall for my own good. So, I worked on my game and got pointers."

Clifford wasn't highly recruited out of college, but an open tryout for Snow - where Southern Utah coach Roger Reid was at the time - was held at Alta High School.

The open audition allowed him a chance to play basketball beyond his alma mater, Bingham High School.

Clifford made the team, joining the likes of Geoff Payne and Tyler Quinney on the Badger roster, and eventually the T-Birds.

"I was just out there trying to play somewhere," he said. "I wanted to play and Snow gave me the opportunity. I made the cut, got a scholarship and here I am now."

Reid and his coaching staff saw the potential in Clifford, which helped them make the decision to give Clifford a spot on their roster and brought him along when the staff moved to Southern Utah.

"Our coaches have done an excellent job working with him," Reid said. "There's always basketball players that take a year or two to develop. Everybody knows who the top three players in the state every year, but it takes a keen eye to see guys who may take a year to develop."

Clifford fits the mold of a player Reid likes - a player who gets the most of his physical abilities and works hard in practice.

Clifford said he doesn't have the skill sets many elite basketball players do, but like his teammate Quinney, works continually to get better as the season progresses.

"I try to be a player he likes. I try to push myself to the limits," Clifford said. "I'm not as athletic as Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, but I try to play hard and do what I can."

After spending a majority of time on the bench last season, Clifford has emerged as a force inside this season.

He is third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game, second in the Summit League in field goal percentage (.643) and first in the conference with 7.9 rebounds per game, which is also 91st in the country.

Reid said prior to the season that the T-Birds' success would fall on Clifford's ability to produce.

"John has given us a good year," Reid said. "We just got to get to the point where he is offensively-minded. He's got to want the ball inside. He's got to want the ball and when he gets it, he has to be aggressive."

Clifford looks at the statement from Reid as a compliment, and uses it as a reason to push harder in games.

"(Coach) is counting on me to carry the team on the inside," he said.

Reid is proud that Clifford panned out to become a starter on his team.

"It's unbelievable," Reid said. "Shoot, to think he's starting Division I is a tremendous credit to John and his work."