Noah Clowney showed up at Alabama as a modest recruit, barely ranked in the top 100 nationally in the freshman class.
Less than a year later, the teenager has arrived in Brooklyn as a first-round draft pick.
And however impressive last winter’s meteoric rise was, Clowney — with a self-awareness that belies his tender age — is quietly confident he can make even more strides this winter as a Nets rookie and again in the years to come.
After all, the young big man has exceeded expectations before. Why not again?