Former University of Cincinnati men's basketball player Cashmere Wright has a new home.
Wright, who played for Mick Cronin from 2009 to 2013, has been named the new head of basketball operations and head boys basketball coach at Clark Montessori. Wright announced the news in a tweet Thursday afternoon.
Hampered by injuries some during his Bearcat career and now 31-years-old, he has joked with Cronin about how maybe that was a sign that he should coach.
"I still talk to Mick and I talk to (UCLA/former UC assistant Darren) Savino," Wright said. "I haven't made it down to talk to the new coach (Wes Miller) yet. I'm sure I will eventually."
Wright, a Savannah, Georgia native who was a McDonald's All-American candidate while attending Urban Christian Academy, is the University of Cincinnati career leader in steals (198) and games played (130) and is the only player in school history with more than 1,300 points, 475 assists and 175 steals, according to his player bio.
Over his four-year collegiate career, Wright averaged 9.5 points, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. As a senior in 2013, he averaged a career-high 12.7 points-per-game. One year earlier, he was named to the All-Big East Tournament team after an upset win over Syracuse and helped lead UC to the Sweet 16. That was Cincinnati's last appearance in the Sweet 16.
After college, Wright had a three-year professional career overseas with stops in the Netherlands, Greece and Poland.
The 2013 UC grad has been back in the area since 2017. He first started an AAU program, 1 Vision Academy, then came on as an assistant under then-Clark coach Wally Vickers. Last season, he led the Cougars' junior varsity team.
"Coaching and playing are a little different," Wright said. "I"m just developing my coaching skills. I plan on taking what I learned in college and overseas and bringing it right there."
Clark Montessori went 3-19 last season, finishing last in the Miami Valley Conference Scarlet division. The Cougars are just 10-35 overall over the last two seasons since going 15-8, winning a division title and reaching the district championship game under current Deer Park head coach Wally Vickers in 2019.
Wright will begin the resurrection soon.
"We start with open gym Friday," he said. "We'll start practice May 24. This year it's kind of different because they (OHSAA) give us all of June to scrimmage and play."
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