Rotnei Clarke - Real Deal & worth the wait

[tmh8286]

Unfortunately, yes.

[ORUTerry]

The TU message board noted that Sutton and Phipps were camped outside the door to the Verdigris locker room. They even noticed that Conley Phipps Sr was there too.

[Texasgrip]

The TU message board noted that Sutton and Phipps were camped outside the door to the Verdigris locker room. They even noticed that Conley Phipps Sr was there too.

Yeah, but remember.  We don't recruit well within our state.  So if OU or OSU...or even TU for that matter, want him, then we'll have to defer.

[orumom]

Quote from: ORUTerry on Today at 11:28:56 PM

The TU message board noted that Sutton and Phipps were camped outside the door to the Verdigris locker room. They even noticed that Conley Phipps Sr was there too.

Yeah, but remember.  We don't recruit well within our state.  So if OU or OSU...or even TU for that matter, want him, then we'll have to defer.

Doesn't that seem a little weird, considering that we are the only in state team with a chance to go to the NCAA this year?

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!   GO EAGLES!!   LET'S THREEPEAT!!

[Gold*]

Actually, prolly every OK team has to win their conference tourney to go to the NCAA.  You are wrong insofar as every OK team still has a "chance."

[Bogus Smith]

Actually, prolly every OK team has to win their conference tourney to go to the NCAA.  You are wrong insofar as every OK team still has a "chance."

I would say that OSU is the only other OK school with a "realistic" chance of going to the NCAAs from OK (if Obi is healthy).  OU and TU do not have a prayer (maybe a prayer, but it would be divine intervention) to win their conferences.  Other than ORU, OU and OSU are the only ones in OK with a realistic chance of playing past next week.  Although this will give TU coaches more "road time" to get in front of kids, it's nothing like calling from a televised venue to say we miss them.

[ORUTerry]

Clarke's 57 points lead Verdigris boys over Adair

By DEAN CLARK World Correspondent

3/3/2007

BIXBY -- Sharp-shooting Rotnei Clarke set a career-high with 57 points as top-ranked Verdigris downed No. 4 Adair 82-74 Friday night in a Class 3A East area final before an overflow crowd at Whitey Ford Fieldhouse.

The victory puts Verdigris (22-3) into next week's state tournament. Adair meets No. 20 Haskell at 8 p.m. on Saturday with the winner advancing to the state tournament. Kyle Lipscomb scored 21 to lead Haskell past Holdenville 56-44.

Earlier in the evening, the third-ranked Adair girls survived a 33-point effort by Rotnei's sister Cassie Clarke to advance to the state tournament with a 50-44 victory over previously unbeaten Verdigris. The Adair girls advance to the state tournament with a 25-1 record. Top-ranked Verdigris can still advance if it beats Kansas at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Rotnei Clarke, a 6-foot junior, equaled his 36-point average in the first half, but Spencer White kept Adair in contention by scoring 20 points in the first two periods.

Clarke added eight points in the third quarter which ended in a 57-57 tie when Adair's Kenny Davis scored from nearly halfcourt at the final buzzer.

Clarke put Verdigris ahead for good with a three-point play on the opening possession of the final quarter.

He needed nearly four minutes before scoring again, but that basket gave Verdigris a 69-63 lead with 3:28 left and the Cardinals steadily pulled away from that point.

Clarke equaled his previous career-high of 55 points, last season against Wewoka, with a pair of free throws with 44 seconds left. He set a new career-high with two free throws with 30 seconds left.

That completed a perfect 17-of-17 effort at the foul line. He hit 17-of-33 shots, including six 3-point baskets, from the field.

Adam Hollon, 6-7 center, had a big final quarter for the winners with six points, two blocked shots and four key rebounds in very heavy traffic.

White led Adair with 27 points but faded down the stretch when he made only one of his final nine shots. Davis had 19 for Adair and Drew Crawford added 15, all on 3-point shots.

Adair 50, Verdigris 44 (girls): Adair led throughout and got superb efforts from Kerri Luper and Megan Fraley. They combined for 34 points.

Verdigris' Cassie Clarke, Rotnei Clarke's sister, scored 33 points.

Adair led by 10 points in the first half and had a couple of nine-point leads in the second half, including 43-34 with just 2:50 left.

Cassie Clarke tried to bring Verdigris back with 15 points in the final quarter. However, she had little support at the offensive end.

Only three of her teammates scored in the game, and only one of those had more than two points.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VERDIGRIS 82, ADAIR 74

Adair 20 19 18 17 74

Verdigris 18 25 14 25 82

Adair (24-2): Spencer White 27, Davis 19, Crawford 15, Peper 10, Timmons 3.

Verdigris (22-3): Rotnei Clarke 57, Hollon 9, Overholt 6, Brown 5, Schultz 5.

ADAIR 50, VERDIGRIS 44 (GIRLS)

Adair 9 10 14 17 50

Verdigris 4 13 10 17 44

Adair (25-1): Kevi Luper 21, Megan Fraley 13, Stricklen 5, Harrison 3, Bingham 3, Collins 2, Dove 2, Headrick 1.

Verdigris (22-1): Cassie Clarke 33, Nelms 8, Heskett 2, Blan 1

[ORUTerry]

Big crowds turned away

By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer

3/3/2007

Hundreds were shut out of high school playoff games Friday.

BIXBY -- Steve Wright sat on the sidewalk outside Bixby High School's Whitey Ford Sports Complex on Friday night.

He came to see a high school basketball game -- more specifically, high school basketball star Rotnei Clarke. But Wright was among about 300 fans who weren't allowed inside, because the gym was already full.

"We just wanted to see the Clarke kid play," said Wright, a 68-year-old Tulsan who stuck around outside until he finally got in long after the game began. "I thought this might happen. I wish the game had been played in a bigger building. This is a good problem to have -- a high school game that draws this much attention."

At least two sites in the Tulsa metro area drew overflow crowds for small-school playoff tournament games.

Fans who came to see Tahlequah Sequoyah's girls and boys games arrived about six hours before tipoff. By the time the games started, some people couldn't get into the Broken Arrow High School gym.

The crowd at Bixby started arriving at about 4:30 p.m. for games that didn't start until 6:30.

Both games were between Verdigris and Adair -- Class 3A boys and girls powerhouses who played for state-tournament berths.

Some fans had no rooting interest.

"We came here for one reason -- to see Rotnei Clarke play," said Greg Rice of Owasso, who was among the hundreds who didn't get in the gym for the start of the game.

Clarke is a highly recruited junior, and for fans who got into the gym Friday night, he didn't disappoint. Clarke scored a career-high 57 points in top-ranked Verdigris' 82-74 win over fourth-ranked Adair.

Bixby's facility seats 2,500. The Bixby fire department made sure it wasn't overcrowded.

"You hate to turn anyone away, but safety has to come first," Bixby fire chief Steve Abel said. "You cannot take any chances."

Fans started arriving at Broken Arrow High School at about 12:30 p.m. for Sequoyah's girls game against Chouteau. The tipoff wasn't until 6:30.

The line was about 100 yards long to enter the 2,800-seat gym when the doors opened at 4 p.m., said Broken Arrow athletic official Steve Spavital. By 5 p.m., the gym was full and the doors were closed.

About 300 people were turned away and missed Sequoyah's undefeated girls team advance to the Class 3A state tournament with a 67-23 win over Chouteau.

[orumom]

Quote from: Gold* on Today at 12:40:29 AM

Actually, prolly every OK team has to win their conference tourney to go to the NCAA.  You are wrong insofar as every OK team still has a "chance."

I would say that OSU is the only other OK school with a "realistic" chance of going to the NCAAs from OK (if Obi is healthy).  OU and TU do not have a prayer (maybe a prayer, but it would be divine intervention) to win their conferences.  Other than ORU, OU and OSU are the only ones in OK with a realistic chance of playing past next week.  Although this will give TU coaches more "road time" to get in front of kids, it's nothing like calling from a televised venue to say we miss them.

It's great to be an ORU fan today 

[Gold*]

I would say that OSU is the only other OK school with a "realistic" chance of going to the NCAAs from OK (if Obi is healthy).  OU and TU do not have a prayer (maybe a prayer, but it would be divine intervention) to win their conferences.  Other than ORU, OU and OSU are the only ones in OK with a realistic chance of playing past next week.  Although this will give TU coaches more "road time" to get in front of kids, it's nothing like calling from a televised venue to say we miss them.

Non sequitur.  ORUmom's statement was that ORU had the only chance of making the tournament.  That's categorically not true.  I said "chance" -- I made no warranty as to probability.

[ManiacAlum]

It looks like OU and OSU are on a crash course to play the 8/9 game at 11am on the first day of the Big 12 tourney IN Oklahoma City!! how crazy is that??... with neither team having a real chance at the NCAA tournament. There's only one Okie team with a shot at the BIG dance....wahahahahahahaha

[Bogus Smith]

Non sequitur.  ORUmom's statement was that ORU had the only chance of making the tournament.  That's categorically not true.  I said "chance" -- I made no warranty as to probability.

With Memphis in the C-USA and Kansas and Texas A&M in the Big 12, I think that Mom's pretty accruate that "chance" is even out the window for Tulsa, OU and OSU to win their respective conference's Tournaments. 

As far as teams calling their recruits from televised venues after March 11, TU is going to have to win more than the East Carolina game to have the opportunity to do this.  If they get to the C-USA championship game, they're a lock for some post-season play.  I still think OSU and OU will get at least an NIT bid and ORU is a lock for the NIT already.

[orumom]

There isn't anything wrong with having a nationally televised game on Tuesday, and it's not bad to be able to call a recruit on Selection Sunday when your school is called out.  You just sell what you have to offer.  Clarke has a better "chance" to play in the NCAA Tournament all four years at ORU than if he went to TU.  Everyone is motivated by different things in life.  I really think that ORU has something to offer that interests him very much.  Recruiting this kid is not a waste of time, and we do have a legit shot at signing him.

[Gold*]

With Memphis in the C-USA and Kansas and Texas A&M in the Big 12, I think that Mom's pretty accruate that "chance" is even out the window for Tulsa, OU and OSU to win their respective conference's Tournaments. 

As far as teams calling their recruits from televised venues after March 11, TU is going to have to win more than the East Carolina game to have the opportunity to do this.  If they get to the C-USA championship game, they're a lock for some post-season play.  I still think OSU and OU will get at least an NIT bid and ORU is a lock for the NIT already.

That's not accurate at all.  She said "chance" -- the issue is whether there is any possibility of making the tournament.  All the OK schools still have a "chance."  If you want to talk probability, great.  But that's not what she said.

ORU is a lock for the NIT by winning its regular season conference championship, under the new rules. 

I'll admit TU's SOS hurt its chances for the NIT.  I do like our draw for the tournament, though.  ECU is a gimmee (no one in the MidCon is as bad as these guys) and TU beat Tulane on the road.  Of course, there's that team from Memphis next.  They are due to lose one, I hope.  There's a chance.

Not sure why we're bringing up Clarke's chances of going to the tournament all four years.  Again, TU and all the other schools in OK (and the country) have even chances at this point.  A lot can change in a short amount of time (as your fans will see next year).  I won't get into any debate of where he could go -- I'll let my team's coaching staff do their job.  If TU gets back to where they were, they'll get at large births.  That would indicate not only the chance of making the tournament, but the higher probability of winning a game.

[Texasgrip]

Not sure why we're bringing up Clarke's chances of going to the tournament all four years.  Again, TU and all the other schools in OK (and the country) have even chances at this point.  A lot can change in a short amount of time (as your fans will see next year).  I won't get into any debate of where he could go -- I'll let my team's coaching staff do their job.  If TU gets back to where they were, they'll get at large births.  That would indicate not only the chance of making the tournament, but the higher probability of winning a game.

Good points, Gold.  It's not that the other OK programs don't have a chance of going to the Tournament (as an Okie I always want to see all the OK schools succeed)...it's just that, at this point, ORU probably has the best chance of going consistently.  Not because we're superior to the other in-state programs, but because we play in the weakest conference by far...

[Gold*]

I don't want to rain on your parade, and I agree the MidCon is easy, BUT...

How many times has ORU made the tournament since it rejoined the NCAA?  Once.  And you had to win the conference tournament to do that.  Three games in three days, or what have you, is a tall order for anyone.  Those just aren't good odds unless you are way better than everyone in the conference (like Gonzaga in the WCC).

TU, OU, and OSU have all made the tournament as at large invites in the past decade.  Ergo, they have two possible ways of getting in the tournament, conference tournament or "at large."

Example -- 2002, TU was the last team invited as an at large.  Jerry Palm was throwing a hissy fit over the whole thing.  Basically, the NCAA was going to take two WAC teams no matter what and TU just had to make the conference finals.  That's the difference between a CUSA/WAC and the MidCon.

I'm not trying to knock you guys at all.  It's just not true that ORU somehow has a better chance than other schools of making the tournament.  A lot can happen in those conference tourneys, as you saw with that Oakland game a couple of years ago.

I'll readily admit that CUSA stunk this year and that it's a one bid conference UNLESS Memphis loses (which I think will happen, given that SMOO took them to the wire with a bunch of walk-ons and ne'er do wells).  But, it has several schools capable of qualifying at large if they get decent rpis and the conference rpi doesn't prevent them from getting at large bids.  UAB, TU, and UTEP have made the tournament as at larges in the last few years. 

(And don't get me started on what next year will be like for you... I don't think it'll be as bad as TU post Swanson and KJ, but there will be a drop-off -- you don't lose Caleb Green without some bumps in the road.)

Good luck this weekend.  I have an interest in ORU winning in the event TU is up for NIT consideration... we can say we beat a tournament team.

[djenkins13]

Just a quick note Mr. Phipps is at every game and you might see what the dad's  first name is. Conley is the correct answer. Yes ORU has a chance with the kid. But the big schools will be in it at the end.

[orumom]

I visited with Conley Sr. this weekend at the MidCon.  The families have been close friends for 4 generations.  Conley Sr's father was their minister.  Now we wait.....