When fifth-year senior guard Keith Shamburger transferred to Missouri for his final season of college basketball, all he could think was: _Man, I wonder who they’re going to room me with._
Questions filled his mind: Would his roommate be like him, or unlike him?
Shamburger would soon be paired with sophomore Wes Clark who, like Shamburger, was a guard himself.
Their experience together would begin with a friendly dispute. Both Clark and Shamburger wanted the same room. Shamburger, who may have pushed his seniority, won the room. They would later realize that Clark’s new room was actually bigger, and it had a walk-in closet.
From then on, Clark and Shamburger were “like brothers.” Shamburger said it was crazy how well they got along. Their families even met each other and loved one another.
Clark was from the frigid winters of Detroit, and Shamburger grew up in the much warmer climate of Los Angeles. Despite the different childhoods, they found their connection talking basketball. Both had won state titles in high school.
When they’re not sharing the guard duties at practice, studying, or receiving visits from Clark’s 10-month-old daughter, Cobi, the roommates fill up the rest of their free time playing video games, particularly NBA 2K15 on the Xbox. Shamburger traditionally picks to play as the Phoenix Suns, while Clark has the Golden State Warriors as his team of choice. At one point last semester, Keith had a streak of 2K wins tallied up against his roommate.
“In December I had Wes quit,” Shamburger joked. “He didn’t want to play 2K anymore. Now we’re back to playing. It’s back and forth.”
Amidst the video game rivalry, Shamburger still had some nice words to say about his sophomore roommate.
“He’s older than what you would think,” he said. “He acts like an older guy. He’s mature –– really mature.”
Clark spoke highly of Shamburger in return.
“Keith is great,” he said. “Mentally, he tries to stay positive with all the guys and keep everyone on the same page. He’s got a lot of history, so he’s a good guy to listen to.”
Shamburger, a two-time transfer, began his collegiate career at San Jose State before transferring to Hawaii. At his third and final basketball program, and on the home stretch of his collegiate career, Clark is someone for Shamburger to reflect with and share wisdom from his travels.
The Tigers currently sit at 7-18 on the season, 1-11 in conference play and are in an 11-game losing streak. The roommates have been there for each other through the season’s many lows.
At the end of a Jan. 24 game against Arkansas, Clark missed a pair of free throws in the game’s final seconds and walked off the court sobbing. Two makes would have presumingly won the game for the Tigers. Just one made free throw would have tied the game.
After the heartbreaking loss, Clark returned to his apartment and was consoled by his fellow guard.
“I got a little depressed,” Clark said. “(Shamburger) was there for me as a shoulder to lean on. He kept me motivated, made me look over some film and got me back to where I needed to be.”
But none of Clark’s lows this season were as devastating as the most recent. On Feb. 10, Clark suffered a dislocated elbow after diving for a loose ball in a game against South Carolina. The injury will not require surgery, but Clark will sit out the remainder of the season because of it.
“We know it’s tough,” Shamburger said of Clark’s injury. “His mood is up high. That’s the good thing about Wes. He seems real confident about everything.”
Shamburger himself is confident his friend will be fine in the long term.
“This is going to make Wes a better player and make him stronger,” he said. “He probably won’t dive for a loose ball for a long time, but he’s going to come back better.”
Besides the frequently-sleeping Clark and pain medications, Shamburger said nothing has changed in the confines of their apartment. He said they’re still “kicking it” like always.
“He told me the other day it was fun playing in the backcourt this year with just me and him,” Shamburger said. “We wish it could have happened one more year. Unfortunately, it was going to end here.”
But Shamburger assures that their friendship is just beginning. He said he and Clark will stay in contact after he graduates this May, even if it’s just “little texts here and there.”
“We’ll always have a good connection,” Shamburger said. “That’s what a brother does. That’s what a warrior does. You’ll never leave his side. I’ll always have him there right by me.”
With his roommate injured on the sidelines, Shamburger will be in charge of the ball-handling for the rest of the season, with help from a couple freshmen guards. But when the start of the 2015-16 season comes around, it will be the junior Clark taking over for Shamburger, while his former roommate is gone and pursuing further basketball ventures.
Clark is gracious for the 23 games he was able to play with his roommate.
“I don’t know how things would be without him on this team if I was here alone,” Clark said. “He’s great to have.”