ORUalum Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 It is believed that Rotnei Clarke, the all-time scoring leader in Oklahoma high school basketball, may not return for his senior season at the University of Arkansas. Kelly Clarke, Rotnei’s uncle and former coach at Verdigris High School, says his nephew is frustrated by the Razorbacks’ “lack of discipline and lack of structure.†Through Rotnei Clarke’s three seasons in Fayetteville, the Razorbacks are 46-47 overall and 16-32 in Southeastern Conference play, with no postseason appearances. The 6-foot guard, an All-SEC second-team selection this season, ranks among the most accurate 3-point shooters in the nation and has a career scoring average of 14.2 points. He averages 7.1 3-point attempts per game. “He definitely has been underutilized,†said Kelly Clarke, now the girls’ coach at Yukon High School. “He’s been used as a decoy more than he’s been used (as a shooter). That sounds arrogant because I’m his uncle. But every (television) commentator says, ‘Set a screen for that dude. Set a screen for him.’ And one reason his 3-point percentage suffers is because they don’t go to him until it’s too late (in the shot clock).†FULL ARTICLE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenj Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 WOW!!!! Watched him a few different times this year and sure seemed like he gets a ton of shots! Not sure what they are looking for. Might be kinda funny watching him play in Mike Anderson's full court press all game. Really not a good fit for that at all. So he is going somewhere to redshirt next year and then play 1 year? Not sure about that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Looks like "Team HWSNBN" is excited to be back on Bill Haisten's speed dial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 i'm thinking he'll land at OU once they hire buzz williams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcboy2000 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Wow! Never have I seen a players family so involved in the media. Seems like drama follows HWSNBN everywhere he goes. As a coach, I'm not sure it would be fun to coach him with his parents barking at you all the time. Check out the quote from the article below: Reflecting on Rotnei’s recruiting experience, Kelly Clarke said, “He had mentally committed to OU, but when Willie Warren got involved in it, he pulled off of them. He was really looking at Oklahoma State until Sean (former Cowboy coach Sean Sutton) tried to pressure him into (committing).†At Arkansas, Kelly Clarke said, Rotnei’s career has defined by frustration. “He’s not going to be able to do the same things he did in high school, but he can do so much more,†Kelly Clarke said. “ ... When he’s hot, put the ball in his hands. Set a screen for him.†Because of what he says is a disdain for Arkansas’ style of play, Kelly Clarke has attended only a handful of Rotnei’s games played at Arkansas’ Bud Walton Arena. “I just can’t bear to watch it,†Kelly Clarke said. “It just breaks my heart.†Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Looks like "Team HWSNBN" is excited to be back on Bill Haisten's speed dial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Man - I agree with darrenj - creates a rather odd set of circumstances for him - sit out a year, then play a final season in a new program? I know we've talked about this before, but I don't remember what we concluded - does a player still have a redshirt season if he leaves due to a coaching change? Wasn't that the deal with Rod Pearson? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 Wow! Never have I seen a players family so involved in the media. Seems like drama follows HWSNBN everywhere he goes. As a coach, I'm not sure it would be fun to coach him with his parents barking at you all the time. as a couple commenters mentioned on the TW, the family probably think HWSNBN is another jimmer. it has got to be killing them see that guy putting up huge numbers and getting all the national pub. you have to give his family credit though...they got a years salary for his dad out of RR...not ORU's finest moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 All you've got to do is check out a few box scores from this season to see that this guy was shooting all the time!! Many games, especially late in the season, he took more shots than anyone else on the team, in some games nearly double the next most shots. In hindsight, I think we can be glad that we escaped the drauma of having Team HWSNBN connected with ORU . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 as a couple commenters mentioned on the TW, the family probably think HWSNBN is another jimmer. it has got to be killing them see that guy putting up huge numbers and getting all the national pub. you have to give his family credit though...they got a years salary for his dad out of RR...not ORU's finest moment. Amen to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUJason Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Amen to that. Rotnei has never taken a redshirt so he could certainly take one when transferring. You don't lose a year of eligibility unless you have already burned your redshirt right? Also, I thought that when there is a coaching change that players could transfer without having to sit out for a year. Is that correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 not sure, but i think the school has to be going into NCAA probation for the ability to have the "play right away transfer". i'm sure someone that knows will post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManiacAlum Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 It wouldn't be spring without this story running in somebody's newspaper. The fam must be seeing the 15 minutes running out for HWSNBN by now... it's a shame, the kid can shoot, but he was never going to be a star on a big-time college team. Maybe they're realizing HWSNBN could have had a much brighter career at the mid-major level. Oh well, maybe he gets one last hurrah somewhere. And according to Statsheet- HWSNBN fired off about 19% of his team's shots. Compare that to Dominique Morrison who took about 20% of ORU's shots. Nothing to complain about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Wow! Never have I seen a players family so involved in the media. Seems like drama follows HWSNBN everywhere he goes. As a coach, I'm not sure it would be fun to coach him with his parents barking at you all the time. Check out the quote from the article below: Reflecting on Rotnei’s recruiting experience, Kelly Clarke said, “He had mentally committed to OU, but when Willie Warren got involved in it, he pulled off of them. He was really looking at Oklahoma State until Sean (former Cowboy coach Sean Sutton) tried to pressure him into (committing).†At Arkansas, Kelly Clarke said, Rotnei’s career has defined by frustration. “He’s not going to be able to do the same things he did in high school, but he can do so much more,†Kelly Clarke said. “ ... When he’s hot, put the ball in his hands. Set a screen for him.†Because of what he says is a disdain for Arkansas’ style of play, Kelly Clarke has attended only a handful of Rotnei’s games played at Arkansas’ Bud Walton Arena. “I just can’t bear to watch it,†Kelly Clarke said. “It just breaks my heart.†You know what's interesting about that quote is that there is no mention that ORU was ever even in play - even though we went through that drama-laden announcement on TV where HWSNBN had three caps - ORU, Arkansas and OSU, I believe - sitting on the table in front of him, and with the drums rolling and the trumpets blaring a fanfare he reached out and picked one up to signify his decision . . . and it was Arkansas. But by what Kelly Clarke is saying, that was all a ruse. He was never even considering ORU. Or at least not seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOLO_Gold Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 You know what's interesting about that quote is that there is no mention that ORU was ever even in play - even though we went through that drama-laden announcement on TV where HWSNBN had three caps - ORU, Arkansas and OSU, I believe - sitting on the table in front of him, and with the drums rolling and the trumpets blaring a fanfare he reached out and picked one up to signify his decision . . . and it was Arkansas. But by what Kelly Clarke is saying, that was all a ruse. He was never even considering ORU. Or at least not seriously. I would assume that in a lot of ways HWSNBN college decision was as much about Kelly as it was HWSNBN. When he's framing his star player's recruiting fiasco, it makes HIM look a lot better if HWSNBN final choices were "big conference" programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOLO_Gold Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 In my opinion HWSNBN's recruiting story and subsequent college career is one of the saddest stories I have ever heard (concerning CBB). He should have gone to either TU and ORU -- local fan base at small schools who would really care about HWSNBN's success. It's interesting to read the comments on the TW article focus around the Jimmer comparison. In a lot ways I want to dismiss the comparison. Just because you have two players who are white and can shoot, doesn't make them similar or comparable. But looking deeper at the story, if he had come to ORU their narratives may have run somewhat parallel. Jimmer left his NY home to attend the religious Utah based university. For BYU, it had to be a dream come true. Not only did they get a highly touted basketball player to represent their U on the court, they also got an advocate of their closely held faith. My assumption is that Jimmer means a lot more to those who have or one day will attend BYU because in a sense his success on the court signals to the world the legitimacy of an often marginalized and ridiculed faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 In my opinion HWSNBN's recruiting story and subsequent college career is one of the saddest stories I have ever heard (concerning CBB). He should have gone to either TU and ORU -- local fan base at small schools who would really care about HWSNBN's success. It's interesting to read the comments on the TW article focus around the Jimmer comparison. In a lot ways I want to dismiss the comparison. Just because you have two players who are white and can shoot, doesn't make them similar or comparable. But looking deeper at the story, if he had come to ORU their narratives may have run somewhat parallel. Jimmer left his NY home to attend the religious Utah based university. For BYU, it had to be a dream come true. Not only did they get a highly touted basketball player to represent their U on the court, they also got an advocate of their closely held faith. My assumption is that Jimmer means a lot more to those who have or one day will attend BYU because in a sense his success on the court signals to the world the legitimacy of an often marginalized and ridiculed faith. VERY well said, Gold. I continue to be surprised that ORU hasn't had a player like that over the past ten years - a home school kid that comes out of nowhere that can shoot lights out and put ORU on the map. It seems that most of the kids that are capable want the bright lights of a bigger program - and ultimately become lost in the overall talent of the program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenj Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 The big difference between Jimmer and RC is exactly what his uncle said in that Rotnei needs those screens and watching Jimmmer he just takes his guy off the dribble half the time and the reason he will be in the NBA and RC needs to learn to speak a foreign language quickly. He is not even close to that type of player. In all reality i don't think he ever really considered ORU as an option he just kept his mouth shut and didn't say anything until the end and that helped his dad. He has started at Ark for 3 years and got to do whatever he has wanted to do so i can't see where that has been a bad thing for him. Should he have went to TU or ORU who knows if he could have adjusted to Woj screaming at him or playing ORU type of defense. Playing for Mike Anderson would be shock for him i am sure of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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