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With 1,360 career points and 1,058 rebounds, Clark is the only the fifth UC player to reach 1,000 in both categories. Clark ranks No. 19 on the UC career scoring list, No. 5 in rebounds and also No. 5 in blocked shots (172).

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"It’s been quite the journey, coming in as a freshman not expecting to play and then playing as much as I did," Clark said. "This year, my senior year, has been the best year so far."

Clark is averaging a career-high 12.9 points per game, second on the team to junior guard Jacob Evans III (13.3). Clark's 8.5 rebounding average, which leads the team, is just below his career-high 8.8 as a sophomore.

"Gary has impacted his team for four years," Cronin said. "Some guys play four years, but without Gary Clark, we don’t make the NCAA Tournament for the last four years. You cannot overstate his importance to the program during his career. In my mind, he’s one of the most valuable players to have ever played in our program."

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Clark said his final goals include winning both an AAC title and AAC tournament championship for the first time in his career and getting past the NCAA Tournament first weekend for the first time as a Bearcat.

"Those are also huge things for my team," Clark said. "And, of course maybe a Final Four and national championship. This is a team that can do it."

Washington, Clark's running mate at forward, began his career with two seasons at North Carolina State. Washington then transferred to UC, sat out the 2015-16 season but practiced with the team as a transfer, and since has started 61 of 64 games. UC is 54-10 since Washington arrived.

"It just happened that we put together two pretty good seasons thus far," Washington said. "What Gary and I built our senior year, I think we’re very proud of that in terms of team cohesiveness and how bad we want it."

The 6-foot-9, 230-pound Washington, from Champlin, Minnesota, has scored 1,181 points in his college career. That includes 777 points at UC.

This season, Washington ranks third on the team in scoring (11.2 per game) and second in rebounding (5.3 per game).

"Kyle has impacted our winning in all three years he has been with us," Cronin said. "His positive attitude and his work ethic have been infectious for our program. He has been a tremendous scorer and great player for us. Hopefully, he will win over 60 games or more in the two years he has played for us. That alone tells you how good a player he has been."

Clark and Washington are remarkably different, at least outwardly. Clark is calm and soft-spoken, Washington animated and outspoken. A common thread is that both have been immensely popular with UC fans.

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"It hasn’t hit me yet," Clark said. "I think it’s slowly coming, hitting me now, that all my family is coming up for Senior Night. My mother (Tammy) asked me, 'Are you gonna cry?' I’m just like, no, I can’t cry, there's too many people. It’s been fun, and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it."

Washington, when asked about the highlights of his UC career, said:

"It's the teammates and the relationships that I’ve built. A lot of people talk about winning games and personal statistics, but really it’s about the relationships you’ve built over time. I think that’s the beautiful part of it."

Naturally, both Clark and Washington hope the journey continues for at least another month.

"Everybody can do the math themselves," Washington said. "This team has great potential to do big things."

SCOUTING TULSA: Tulsa enters with a six-game winning streak. The Golden Hurricane is a veteran team, with 78 percent of its scoring having returned from last season.

Tulsa is rather undersized, with two 6-foot-8 forwards (Junior Etou and Martins Igbanu) the biggest men in the starting lineup. Etou leads the team with averages of 15.4 points and 7.8 rebounds, while Igbanu averages 9.0 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Point guard Sterling Taplin averages 12.0 points and 4.4 assists. Forward DaQuan Jefferies comes off the bench to average 10.4 points.

"They are a smaller team, but they play with grit and toughness to make up for their lack of height," Cronin said. "They have some very competitive kids that are starting to jell late in the year. Whenever you have a quality point guard, which they do in Sterling Taplin, you’re a dangerous team."

Tulsa coach Frank Haith is in his fourth year at the school, with a 63-47 record. Tulsa was an NCAA First Four team in 2016.